Supporting the health of our communities with digital initiatives
From helping new parents keep track of their newborn’s milestones to creating a single State-wide medical record and supporting better patient outcomes and virtual care, the NSW Government is embracing digital solutions to help the people of NSW.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said digital innovations were key to helping customers stay on top of their wellbeing with new solutions like the NSW Health App, the Digital Baby Book and the Single Digital Patient Record set to further assist the way people manage their health.
“The NSW Government is a world leader in delivering customer-centric digital outcomes and nowhere is this more important than supporting the health and wellbeing of the State’s residents,” Mr Dominello said.
“Digital innovations like the NSW Health App will allow customers to access critical health information as well as relevant NSW Health services from the convenience of their phone. It will also help customers consider other healthcare services available in the community.
“The Digital Restart Fund (DRF) has already committed $166.7m to the new Single Digital Patient Record, which will mean clinicians can better support patients and their health no matter where they are in NSW.
“Having a truly State-wide clinical information system will improve patient safety and continuity of care, while also reducing the burden on patients having to provide their information repeatedly when accessing NSW Health services.
“The Digital Baby Book initiative has been supported with $4.97m from the DRF and $53.7 million to develop its clinical interface. This will enable busy families with the digital tools needed to stay on track with childhood vaccinations, development information and checks.
“An improved Mental Health Access Line is in the works, along with a new virtual care strategy aimed at accessing health and wellbeing support with the tap of a button.
“Digital solutions are solving today’s problems by ensuring customers remain well informed and engaged with their healthcare providers.
“Future initiatives include the eReferral Hub, which will act as an electronic dashboard for referrals allowing consumers to view and be notified of their outpatient appointments, has also received $3m in DRF funding.
Mr Dominello said NSW’s nation-leading work to introduce a digital COVID-safe check-in system made it easier for people to visit venues safely and access essential services during the COVID-19 restrictions, while also supporting NSW Health contract tracers.
“Since 2020, almost 200,000 customers opted-in to receive their COVID-19 test result via the Service NSW app, with about 1.9 million results provided,” Mr Dominello said.
“Whether it is a COVID-19 test result, school vaccinations or using digital innovations to foster healthy, resilient, thriving families and communities, the NSW Government is here to make life easier and health services more accessible for everyone in the State.”
The Digital Restart Fund is providing seed funding for many eHealth initiatives to support residents across the State. The NSW Government has allocated $2.1 billion across four years to invest into digital transformation projects through the DRF.
The fund is administered by the Department of Customer Service and targets smart, simple technology solutions which create efficiencies for customers across the State.
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