A new digital software application to enhance telehealth healthcare delivery, the Patient Consult Summary (PCS), is enabling health service providers to provide patients with clear, written consultation summaries in real-time.
After successful development and validation in Victorian public health services, the patient consult summary application is now being scaled for national rollout on the Healthdirect Video Call platform.
Developed through a multi-partner collaboration brought together by the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC), in partnership with Monash University, Healthdirect Australia, the Department of Health Victoria, Monash Health, and the University of Melbourne, the application represents a significant step forward in improving the virtual healthcare experience for healthcare providers and patients.
Healthdirect Australia is the national provider of virtual health services. The PCS application integrates directly with Healthdirect’s Video Call platform, a secure and scalable service used across hospitals, community health centres, general practices, allied health settings and virtual emergency departments. Facilitating over 150,000 virtual consultations a month, Healthdirect Video Call helps patients to overcome a range of barriers to care including vulnerable populations.
The PCS allows healthcare providers to collaboratively prepare and share a concise summary of information discussed during a consultation with patients.
Summaries are created in real time using typed or talk-to-text functionality and are automatically formatted for secure delivery to patients.
Importantly, the summaries are supported by plain-English explanations of common medical terminology sourced from Healthdirect knowledge graph of information, helping patients better understand their condition and next steps in care.
Led by Professor Rashina Hoda from Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology, the project involved a series of experience-based co-design studies, iterative software prototyping, and evaluation studies that were implemented in simulated and real-world settings. The Digital Health Validitron (Centre for Digital Transformation of Health, University of Melbourne) conducted a clinical simulation study to identify usability and acceptability issues early, followed by a clinical evaluation at Monash Health by project clinical lead Associate Professor Peter Poon and team.
During the project, seven health services across Victoria were involved in the trialling and testing of the application in the early release phase.
International evidence shows that after-visit summaries improve patient understanding and self-management. Co-designed with Healthdirect, the PCS app represents a locally developed and governed solution tailored to Australian healthcare settings.
Annette Schmiede, CEO of the DHCRC, said the sustained increase in demand for telehealth services since COVID-19 has highlighted both its value and the importance of evidence-led implementation.
“Telehealth plays a critical role in improving access to care, particularly for people who face barriers to in-person services or who live in regional and remote communities. As use continues to grow, research is essential to ensure these models of care are implemented safely and deliver meaningful impact at scale,” Ms Schmiede said.
Sam Georgy, Service Director, Video Call at Healthdirect Australia, said the PCS is part of Healthdirect Australia’s broad program of innovation for the Video Call service.
“Our role in the health system is to use fit for purpose technology to connect patients to quality healthcare where and when they need it. We are proud to be involved in partnerships through the Digital Health CRC that bring good ideas like the PCS to life.
“This project shows how co-designed research can be translated into real-world impact for both end-users -the clinicians and their patients.
“As Video Call consultations continue to increase across the country, we are very excited to see this application supporting stronger virtual care adoption and an enhanced experience across all our users, in a range of clinical settings,” says Mr Georgy.
Project leader Professor Rashina Hoda from Monash University’s Faculty of Information Technology said the project highlights the importance of evidence-based digital health innovation.
“Our research and development demonstrated that providing patients with immediate, written summaries significantly improves understanding and continuity of care,” Professor Hoda said.
“By focusing on what patients told us they needed – clearer information, better understanding, and support beyond the consultation, this collaboration has delivered a tool that strengthens virtual care while maintaining clinical safety, data privacy, and quality.”
From December 2025, the PCS is available to all clinicians to use on the Healthdirect Video Call platform.
For more information on PCS, click here.
