Following the approval of Australia’s National Digital Health Strategy for 2018-2022/ 2023-2028 , the health services ecosystem now has a mandate for transformation to digital healthcare. Your task is to write a report that analyses and discusses

Assignment Overview

Rationale

The purpose of this assessment is to enable each student to apply the knowledge that has been developed during the semester. The assessment will help students to identify and review the evidence base for consumer
engagement and consumer informatics approaches; offer expert advice and illustrate ways in which health systems can use patient-centered informatics approaches to make a difference both in personal as well as population and community health.

Task

Following the approval of Australia’s National Digital Health Strategy for 2018-2022/ 2023-2028 , the health services ecosystem now has a mandate for transformation to digital healthcare. Your task is to write a report that analyses
and discusses the critical enablers to harness the power of information technology to support health equity and implement digital strategies that provide easy access to My Health Record.

Summary of Assessment Requirements

Assessment Overview

This assessment aimed to enable students to apply their semester-long learning about digital health systems, consumer engagement, and consumer informatics. It required an analytical report that examined how health systems can use patient-centered informatics to enhance healthcare delivery and improve health outcomes at both individual and community levels.

Rationale

The purpose of the task was to help students:

• Demonstrate understanding of the evidence base for consumer engagement in digital health.
• Critically review consumer informatics approaches that support health equity.
• Develop expert insights into how healthcare systems can adopt and leverage digital transformation strategies aligned with national policies.
• Explore My Health Record as a key tool to improve accessibility, integration, and participation in healthcare.

Task Summary

Following the approval of Australia’s National Digital Health Strategy (2018–2022 / 2023–2028), students were required to write a policy report analyzing:

1. The critical enablers that support the transition to digital healthcare.
2. The ways to harness information technology for promoting health equity.
3. The implementation of digital strategies that ensure seamless access to My Health Record.
4. The overall contribution of digital health systems to patient-centered and equitable healthcare delivery.

Academic Mentor’s Step-by-Step Guidance Approach

The academic mentor guided the student through each stage of the assessment, ensuring the report met both academic and policy-analysis standards. Below is a breakdown of how the mentor approached the process:

Step 1: Understanding the Assessment Context

The mentor began by helping the student interpret the assessment brief thoroughly. Together, they discussed the scope of Australia’s National Digital Health Strategy, identifying its core pillars:

• Empowering individuals through digital access.
• Establishing secure, interoperable data systems.
• Building digitally capable healthcare workforces.
• Improving accessibility through equitable technology use.

This step ensured the student had a clear understanding of what the report needed to address and how it linked to real-world digital health practices.

Step 2: Structuring the Report

Next, the mentor guided the student to develop a clear, logical structure for the report, ensuring all assessment elements were addressed. The suggested structure included:

1. Introduction: Overview of digital health policy context and the relevance of the National Strategy.
2. Background and Rationale: Description of digital transformation in healthcare and the need for consumer informatics.
3. Critical Enablers: Discussion of the technological, social, and policy enablers supporting health equity.
4. Implementation of My Health Record: Analysis of accessibility, privacy, and usability factors.
5. Challenges and Recommendations: Identification of policy gaps and future improvement areas.
6. Conclusion: Summary of insights and implications for health equity.

The mentor emphasized coherence, academic tone, and policy alignment, ensuring that every section linked back to the task requirements.

Step 3: Research and Evidence Gathering

The mentor directed the student to collect relevant, credible, and current evidence from:

• Government reports (e.g., ADHA and Department of Health publications).
• Peer-reviewed journals on digital health innovation.
• WHO’s Global Strategy on Digital Health (2020–2025).
• Real-world case studies from My Health Record implementation.

Together, they discussed how to integrate evidence-based arguments and use proper APA referencing to maintain academic integrity.

Step 4: Analyzing Critical Enablers

The mentor helped the student identify and elaborate on the key enablers of digital health transformation:

• Policy and governance frameworks that support digital adoption.
• Data security and privacy regulations to ensure user trust.
• Technological infrastructure for interoperability and connectivity.
• Digital literacy programs for consumers and health professionals.
• Public-private partnerships for innovation and research.

The mentor guided the student in presenting each enabler with supporting evidence and showing how it contributes to health equity and patient-centered care.

Step 5: Linking to My Health Record

The mentor emphasized that My Health Record was a central case study for demonstrating the practical application of digital policy.
The student was guided to:

• Describe how My Health Record enhances consumer engagement by providing access to personal health data.
• Discuss its interoperability benefits, enabling data sharing across providers.
• Evaluate privacy concerns, adoption barriers, and strategies to improve system trust and usability.

The mentor ensured that the student linked these analyses directly to the National Digital Health Strategy and policy objectives for inclusive care.

Step 6: Addressing Challenges and Policy Gaps

The mentor encouraged the student to take a critical perspective on existing challenges, including:

• Cybersecurity threats and data breaches.
• Low digital health literacy among older adults or rural communities.
• Resistance from healthcare professionals due to workflow changes.
• Limited interoperability between systems.

The mentor guided the student to not only identify issues but also propose practical, evidence-backed recommendations, such as:

• Strengthening cybersecurity frameworks.
• Expanding rural digital infrastructure.
• Implementing national digital literacy programs.
• Fostering multi-sector collaboration for innovation.

Step 7: Synthesizing the Findings

After developing all sections, the mentor helped the student integrate findings cohesively. The student was advised to maintain logical flow, linking enablers and outcomes to the broader vision of equitable healthcare.
The mentor stressed using transitional statements and summary sentences to ensure clarity and coherence across sections.

Step 8: Review and Refinement

In the final stage, the mentor assisted the student in:

• Checking the clarity and conciseness of arguments.
• Ensuring APA citation accuracy.
• Refining academic language to maintain professionalism.
• Reviewing the executive summary and conclusion for alignment with the assessment objectives.

The mentor also provided feedback on maintaining critical analysis rather than mere description, ensuring the final report demonstrated independent evaluation and policy insight.