Australia’s Healthcare Future: Nurturing a Digitally Proficient Workforce

In a compelling perspective paper entitled “The typing is on the wall: Australia’s healthcare future needs a digitally capable workforce,” the discourse delves into the imperative need for Australia’s healthcare sector to embrace digital health technologies. As we stand at the cusp of transformative change in healthcare delivery, the paper underscores the challenges faced by the health workforce in adapting to these innovative technologies. Drawing upon global experiences of rapid digital transformation within health workforces, the paper sheds light on critical lessons learned. It advocates for fostering a culture of continuous learning, ensuring accreditation and recognition, and adopting a transdisciplinary approach as key elements in navigating this transformative journey.

The paper proposes evidence-based actions to address two primary recommendations. Firstly, it emphasises the need to establish a foundational workforce with digital health capabilities. Secondly, it advocates for the creation of specialist digital health career pathways to further enhance expertise in this evolving domain. The argument for a national approach is highlighted, urging strategic collaborations across sectors, including healthcare, education, and government. Such collaborations are deemed essential to ensuring a consistent, regulated, and sustainable digital workforce capability for Australia’s healthcare future.

Read Lee’s full research paper here