To what extent does digital health improve both efficiency for organisations and quality of care for individuals? (8 marks)
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Judgment Statement
- Digital health improves efficiency for organisations and quality of care for individuals to a significant extent.
- This judgment is based on its impact on access to health information, efficiency of services and challenges with data use and equity.
Efficiency and Access Gains
- Digital health reduces duplication of services by storing prescriptions, imaging and vaccination records in My Health Record.
- Evidence supporting this includes 24 million Australians now having a record, with 98% containing some data.
- Organisations such as hospitals and GPs can instantly view history, allergies and medications, saving time and resources.
- Telehealth also improves efficiency by lowering travel needs and freeing up hospital space.
- These factors show that digital health has been highly effective in improving efficiency.
Quality of Care and Ongoing Challenges
- Individuals benefit from tools like the my health app, which provides immediate access to test results and vaccination records.
- This leads to more informed decision-making and stronger patient engagement.
- However, challenges remain with low digital literacy, patchy internet in rural areas and privacy concerns.
- These barriers show digital health is not fully leveraged, meaning improvements in quality of care are only partially achieved.
Reaffirmation
- On balance, the evidence shows that digital health has significantly improved efficiency for organisations while only moderately improving quality of care for individuals.
- The evidence shows progress is substantial, but limited by inequities and data challenges.
- To reach its full potential, further investment in digital literacy, connectivity and data security is needed.
Show Worked Solution
Judgment Statement
- Digital health improves efficiency for organisations and quality of care for individuals to a significant extent.
- This judgment is based on its impact on access to health information, efficiency of services and challenges with data use and equity.
Efficiency and Access Gains
- Digital health reduces duplication of services by storing prescriptions, imaging and vaccination records in My Health Record.
- Evidence supporting this includes 24 million Australians now having a record, with 98% containing some data.
- Organisations such as hospitals and GPs can instantly view history, allergies and medications, saving time and resources.
- Telehealth also improves efficiency by lowering travel needs and freeing up hospital space.
- These factors show that digital health has been highly effective in improving efficiency.
Quality of Care and Ongoing Challenges
- Individuals benefit from tools like the my health app, which provides immediate access to test results and vaccination records.
- This leads to more informed decision-making and stronger patient engagement.
- However, challenges remain with low digital literacy, patchy internet in rural areas and privacy concerns.
- These barriers show digital health is not fully leveraged, meaning improvements in quality of care are only partially achieved.
Reaffirmation
- On balance, the evidence shows that digital health has significantly improved efficiency for organisations while only moderately improving quality of care for individuals.
- The evidence shows progress is substantial, but limited by inequities and data challenges.
- To reach its full potential, further investment in digital literacy, connectivity and data security is needed.