Care is care: optimising virtual and digital health care
Globally, the health sector is facing a capacity crisis from the combination of growing demand and workforce decline. This has accelerated post the COVID-19 pandemic. In Australia and New Zealand there are also challenges around equitable access to healthcare coupled with community demand for greater choice, convenience and an improved standard of care.
Virtual and digital healthcare can be a transformative force to meet our current challenges. The Care is Care collaborative study group visited international virtual care leaders – from North America to Europe and the UK – to help us understand how we can rapidly scale virtual and digital care to move Australia and New Zealand’s health sector toward a more sustainable future.
We have written a paper outlining our findings from this global study. It explores the 5 key shifts we could make to help us harness and scale innovative technologies and care models in Australia and New Zealand. Our industry collaborative believes these key shifts can help us create a better future for our health care system and its users. This is a future where a more resilient workforce, with a lighter physical footprint, can serve growing demand, and where patients can equitably access high-quality and timely care.
A collaborative, cross-industry study
Our study brought together a wide range of organisations who deliver health care, advocate for health care users and advise on the planning and delivery of health care facilities.
Video: summary of our 5 key findings
Study sites
Study Sites and Programs visited virtually:
- NSW Health Virtual Care Program, NSW Australia
- Fraser Health Virtual Care Program, British Columbia, Canada
- NOVELL Redesign – South Australia, Australia
- TelecareNord – North Jutland, Denmark
- Kaiser Permanente, California USA
Study Sites and Programs visited onsite:
Denmark:
- Healthcare Denmark, Odense
- Preterm Care, Odense University Hospital
- ICURA Rehabilitation app, Fredericia Municipality Rehabilitation Centre
- Hospital Clinical Research Department, Nordsjaelland:
- Influenz-er Program, Nordsjaelland Hospital
- Telerehabilitation of Patients with Atrial Fibrillation, Aalborg University
- Telepalliation, South West Jutland Hospital and Aalborg University
- Assessing the value of home patent monitoring, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark
- New North Zealand Hospital Development site tour
- Bispebjerg Hospital Redevelopment, Copenhagen
- PreCare Clinic Program, Copenhagen Business School
Sweden:
- Skane University Hospital Redevelopment, Malmo
France:
- Station F tour – technology start up and incubator precinct, Paris
- SynApp Messaging, Paris
UK:
- Nuffield Trust, London
- NHS@home program (NHS England)
- NHS Health Hub (NHS England)
- NHS Virtual Ward program (NHS England)
- Calvium – digital placemaking for health and wellbeing
- Bradford Hospitals Command Centre – General Electric demonstration
- Nexus with Guy’s and St Thomas’
Study authors
- Study lead: Carla Edwards, Senior Health Planner, TSA Health Advisory
- Jess Bonaccorso, Senior Consultant, Strategy & Innovation, TSA
- Vanessa Zakrzewski, M Arch, Associate Director, HDR
- Karen Chia, Senior Manager, Virtual Care and Digital Health
- Anthony Brown, Executive Director, Health Consumers NSW
- Bruce Crook, Principal, Architectus Conrad Gargett
- Peter Bodon, Principal, Digital Twin Analytics (DTA)
- Chris Glassock, Principal, Digital Twin Analytics (DTA)
- Stuart Turk, Clinical Health Planner, Silver Thomas Hanley (STH)
- Tara Veldman, Managing Director, Health Sector Lead of Billard Leece Partnership
- Todd Krieble, Deputy Chief Executive, New Zealand Institute of Economic Research
- Tracey Ronald, Associate Director, Health Advisory, Johnstaff Projects
- Sally Francis, Senior Health Planner, Turner & Townsend
- Bruce Pedersen, Partner, Health Technology, Deloitte Consulting Pty Ltd
- India Hardy, Partner, Virtual Health Leader
Enquiries
You can get in touch with individual study authors above. For media enquiries, contact Chris Goebel.