Australia’s My Health Record system is set to undergo a significant transformation in an effort to “deliver real-time, interoperable health solutions that empower Australian healthcare consumers and deliver key information to the healthcare providers who support them”.1
The Australian Digital Health Agency awarded the contract for the project to Telstra Health, which will be supported by key partners, Smile Digital Health and Leidos Australia.
Australia’s My Health Record system now houses more than 1.8 billion clinical documents that have been uploaded by healthcare providers like hospitals, pathologists and specialists.
However, as demand for real-time, interoperable health data soars – especially with the recent surge in document sharing driven by the Sharing by Default legislation – the system’s reliance on Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) can no longer fully support the ease of integration needed, including across emerging healthcare technologies. Healthcare providers often encounter obstacles in extracting specific, actionable data from CDA documents, leading to inefficiencies at the point of care and hampering the seamless flow of information between systems.
The unified health data platform, built natively on FHIR standards, will play a key role in enabling real-time health information sharing for improving patient outcomes and enhancing the care journey
As more Australians access and contribute to their health records, the time is now for innovating and updating the data architecture that supports health information sharing and future-proofing the nation’s healthcare infrastructure.
Amanda Cattermole PSM, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Digital Health Agency, noted the significant increase in consumer demand, highlighted by a more than 60% increase in views of information like pathology and diagnostic imaging reports in My Health Record in the past year alone.
She said the collaboration with Telstra Health will lay the foundation for a more efficient healthcare ecosystem that drives a healthier future for all Australians.
Telstra Health Managing Director Elizabeth Koff AM said the collaboration would enhance “connectivity and secure data exchange, supporting seamless integration across care teams”.
“The unified health data platform, built natively on FHIR standards, will play a key role in enabling real-time health information sharing for improving patient outcomes and enhancing the care journey.”
Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is an international standard established by HL7 for the electronic exchange of healthcare information. FHIR facilitates interoperability among disparate health systems by organising health data into modular components known as “resources”, which can be readily accessed, modified and shared via web technologies. In doing so, it supports both clinical and administrative functions.
Reference
- Australian Digital Health Agency, Another leap forward in modernising My Health Record with FHIR (media release, 25 Aug 2025). Available at digitalhealth.gov.au/newsroom/media/another-leap-forward-in-modernising-my-health-record-with-fhir.
