Two landmark reports released in recent months make one thing unmistakably clear: Australia has reached a turning point for health and medical research – and digital health will play a critical role in what comes next.
The federal government’s Ambitious Australia review of the national R&D system, together with the newly released National Health and Medical Research Strategy 2026–2036, sets out a bold 10-year reform agenda. Both recognise that translating research into real-world outcomes is no longer aspirational. It is a national imperative.
The policy environment we are operating in has never been more aligned with what we do at the DHCRC. Decisions being made now – around data governance, AI in healthcare, and interoperability standards – will shape the architecture of Australia’s health system for decades. Together with our partners, we are a strong collective voice in these discussions.
Our mission has always been to translate world-class R &D into real-world impact – connecting our university and research partners with the practical needs of industry, government, the workforce, and most importantly, patients and consumers. That work continues, and I am proud of the breadth and depth of projects we have delivered over the past 8 years.
This is not a time to slow down, though. What matters now is whether investment translates into meaningful change for the community, those providing care, and all those who support the broader health system.
In 2022, we released a flagship report with Deloitte, Australia’s health reimagined. In that report, we talked of a future driven by a confident and connected consumer with a system featuring robust data interoperability, digital tools and ecosystem connections to deliver personalised care. While significant progress has been made, we still have a way to go to make this vision a reality. The momentum must not falter.
As we move into the second half of the year, our focus sharpens: completing and translating our research pipeline, ongoing engagement on the policy reforms, and future-looking collaborative opportunities that I look forward to sharing with you in the months ahead.
In this edition, we share progress in clinical information modelling, education, and workforce capability, including work connected to synthetic data and informatics training. We also celebrate a recent award win for ADAPt and celebrate some of our emerging leader cohort.
If digital health is to deliver on its promise, it must help create a health system that is not only more digitally enabled, but more connected around the needs of patients and communities. That is the opportunity now in front of us. And it is one the DHCRC is proud to continue to help shape.
Warm regards,
Annette Schmiede
CEO, Digital Health CRC
Stay Informed.
Sign up to our newsletter for all digital health news.
