Launched by Health Translation SA (HTSA) in 2020, the Connected Care project addresses how South Australia's rich supply of data can enhance continuity of care between primary health care and acute hospital systems.
Key partners, including SA Health's Office of the Chief Medical Information Officer (OCMIO), Commission on Excellence and Innovation in Health (CEIH), University of South Australia (UniSA), Adelaide Primary Health Network (APHN), and Country SA PHN (CSA-PHN), have played crucial roles in leading the project.
Extensive consultations were held between 2020 and 2023, involving hospital and primary care clinicians, healthcare consumers, service providers, and technical experts. Their input shaped the vision to build a statewide real-time health information exchange (HIE) to improve clinical care and healthcare services.
In March 2023, health leaders across SA agreed to:
To support these goals, a legislative review was conducted in collaboration with Flinders University and the CEIH, and the technical business requirements for an HIE were outlined in partnership with Digital SA.
HTSA, Digital Health SA, and Adelaide PHN are collaborating to secure funding to test a HIE proof-of-concept between primary care and hospitals and progress this to a statewide implementation that provides hospital and general practices near real time access to clinical information.
This project is supported by the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) as part of the Rapid Applied Research Translation program. (MRF9100005).
Australia has an ageing population and growing numbers of people dealing with multiple chronic illnesses that need careful management. These individuals must interact with various healthcare providers across community and hospital settings.
Coordinating medical care seamlessly and efficiently (referred to as continuity of care) is a persistent and significant challenge. Timely and accurate information exchange among community and hospital healthcare providers is vital for achieving continuity of care.
Impacts of this project include:
In strong collaboration with its partners and other key stakeholders, HTSA has led the Connected Care project in response to a need identified by our Board of Partners; To better use South Australia’s rich supply of data to improve continuity of care across the interface of the community and hospitals. HTSA continues to work with Digital Health SA, Adelaide PHN and the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network to secure funding to test a HIE proof-of-concept between primary care and hospitals and progress this to a statewide implementation that provides hospitals and general practices near real time access to clinical information.
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
North Terrace
Adelaide SA 5000
PO Box 11060
Adelaide SA 5001
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