A new digital software application to enhance telehealth healthcare delivery is being scaled for a national rollout, after successful development and validation in the Victorian public health service.
The Patient Consult Summary (PCS) is being rolled out on the Healthdirect Video Call platform, enabling health service providers to provide patients with clear, written consultation summaries in real time.
PCS has been developed through a collaboration brought together by the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC), which described the application as “a significant step forward in improving the virtual healthcare experience for healthcare providers and patients”.
“The PCS application integrates directly with Healthdirect’s Video Call platform, a secure and scalable service used across hospitals, community health centres, general practices, allied health settings, and virtual emergency departments,” DHCRC said in a news release.
“Facilitating over 150,000 virtual consultations a month, Healthdirect Video Call helps patients to overcome a range of barriers to care, including vulnerable populations.”
The PCS allows healthcare providers to collaboratively prepare and share a concise summary of information discussed during a consultation with a patient. Summaries are created in real time using typed or talk-to-text functionality and are automatically formatted for secure delivery to patients.
“Importantly, the summaries are supported by plain-English explanations of common medical terminology sourced from Healthdirect… helping patients better understand their condition and next steps in care,” the DHCRC statement said.
Our research and development demonstrated that providing patients with immediate, written summaries significantly improves understanding and continuity of care
Evidence-Based Design
The collaboration brought together DHCRC, in partnership with Monash University, Healthdirect Australia, the Department of Health Victoria, Monash Health, and the University of Melbourne.
Led by Professor Rashina Hoda from Monash University, the project involved a series of experience-based co-design studies, iterative software prototyping, and evaluation studies that were implemented in simulated and real-world settings.
Seven health services across Victoria were involved in the trial and testing of the application in the early release phase.
Prof Hoda said the project highlights the importance of evidence-based digital health innovation.
“Our research and development demonstrated that providing patients with immediate, written summaries significantly improves understanding and continuity of care.
“By focusing on what patients told us they needed – clearer information, better understanding, and support beyond the consultation, this collaboration has delivered a tool that strengthens virtual care while maintaining clinical safety, data privacy, and quality,” Prof Hoda said.
Annette Schmiede, CEO of the DHCRC, said the sustained increase in demand for telehealth services since COVID-19 has highlighted both its value and the importance of evidence-led implementation.
“Telehealth plays a critical role in improving access to care, particularly for people who face barriers to in-person services or who live in regional and remote communities. As use continues to grow, research is essential to ensure these models of care are implemented safely and deliver meaningful impact at scale,” Ms Schmiede said.
Sam Georgy, Service Director, Video Call at Healthdirect Australia, said the PCS is part of Healthdirect Australia’s broad program of innovation for the Video Call service.
“As Video Call consultations continue to increase across the country, we are very excited to see this application supporting stronger virtual care adoption and an enhanced experience across all our users, in a range of clinical settings,” he said.
Further information is available at: help.vcc.healthdirect.org.au/apps-tools/patient-consult-summary-application.
