Northern Territory Health, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT (AMSANT) and Northern Territory Primary Health Network (NT PHN) have partnered to increase the use of digital health technologies.

Digital health enables better coordinated care and better informed treatment decisions. 

The NT’s population has some of the most vulnerable people in Australia with high levels of social disadvantage and a high burden of chronic disease.

One of the most significant outcomes for day-to-day provision of health services to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic was the uptake of tele-health services in both urban and remote settings. 

The increased use of digital technologies and innovation will assist in treatment and early intervention, preventing unnecessary in hospital admissions and decreasing long-distance travel.

The fully-implemented strategy will also lead to more care on-country. 

Increased care on-country requires the use of digital health technologies to link community-based staff with specialist advice from major centres.

The four main areas of the Digital Strategy are:

• Building healthier communities by empowering our people and communities to actively engage in their healthcare journey;
• Enabling our workforce to improve current healthcare delivery approaches and embrace new ways of working;
• Connecting our healthcare system to ensure effective digital connections between systems, people and processes; and
• Harnessing innovation to pursue technological advancements and innovation that will benefit our healthcare system.

The consortium will work with the Australian Digital Health Agency, other NT Government agencies, the Australian Government, private sector and technology partners and innovators.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health, Natasha Fyles:

“Digital health is particularly important in the NT because of our vast geographic region and remote populations, making service delivery challenging in some areas.

“The strategy allows Territorians, no matter where they live, to have access to specialist care in their time of need at home. 

“I thank all strategy partners for their involvement and commitment to such an important piece of work that will improve health outcomes for Territorians.”