The Australian Digital Health Agency has moved to introduce new mandated interoperability standards for connections to its My Health Record platform, with hopes to support sharing of health information across care settings.
Under the new standards, AU Core and the Australian Core Data for Interoperability (AU CDI) will become the national baseline for FHIR connections to My Health Record, with agency CEO Amanda Cattermole stating: “By establishing a national baseline for interoperability, we are supporting better clinical governance, reducing legacy complexity, strengthening clinical safety by reducing variation in how health information is captured, shared and used and helping create a safer, more connected digital health system for all Australians.”
Peter O’Halloran, the agency CDO, reports that it will also move to retire “outdated healthcare identifiers”, providing the industry with clear timeframes and practical support to make the transition from legacy arrangements, and introduce staged transition arrangements to move health services away from older versions of the Healthcare Information Provider Service.
“Outdated and inconsistent technical requirements increase complexity for software providers and health services and can make it harder to share information in ways that support safe care,” O’Halloran said, adding: “This is about establishing the technical foundations needed for connected care, where information follows the patient, supports clinical decision-making and helps reduce avoidable gaps in care.”
Earlier this year, the publication of the Australian Federal Budget for 2026 highlighted headline commitments to advance interoperability, promote data sharing, and improve access to healthcare services. Among the measures to be outlined in the budget are plans to enhance the My Health Record with $598.3 million over two years, to ensure both patients and healthcare professionals are able to access reliable and “timely” health data.
The Australian Digital Health Agency also published its National Framework for Digital Health Standards aiming to advance interoperability, collaboration, and support secure information sharing across the Australian health sector. Progress toward building the infrastructure and processes for how information is shared has included the establishment of Health Connect Australia, enabling near real-time transfer of health data between systems and reducing the need for duplication of clinical information between clinical systems and My Health Record by connecting systems directly via API exchanges to share information.
The agency held a Connected Care Industry Update event earlier in August, designed to inform software developers, health organisations, and implementation partners on the upcoming changes. Presentation slides and recordings from panel discussions held at the event are available from the agency’s website here.
Wider trend: Health data
St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group has published its digital and data strategy to 2030, covering what it refers to as “a critical point in its development as a single, integrated organisation”. It outlines six strategic priorities, covering safe and secure digital foundations, becoming a data-driven organisation, using AI and automation to improve productivity, optimised and integrated digital systems, a connected and collaborative organisation, and a simple and accessible digital front door.
The board of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has updated on the expansion of its Hive EPR across local care organisations, the introduction of a digital and data academy, and the launch of a new secure data analytics platform. The platform, ADAMS (Ask, Discover, Act, Measure and Share), has reportedly been developed with input from digital, research, and governance teams to maintain data quality and safety. Among its features is the ability to work with synthetic data, which the trust hopes will allow teams to explore ideas and collaborate without identifying patients.
The NHS England Getting It Right First Time programme has shared a report on improving care and support for children and young adults living with diabetes to highlight the use of digital, wearable tech, digital self-management tools, and digitally enabled pathways. Practical recommendations call for stronger ICS-wide leadership and accountability, a unified data and intelligence function, and measurable minimum standards to be delivered across neighbourhoods and provider settings.
