The Agency is not only listening to ‘welcome suggestions’ from primary care networks, but acting on them as well. Happy days.
A suggestion from a primary health network has prompted the Australian Digital Health Agency to upgrade Provider Connect Australia to integrate a mental health initial assessment and referral tool.
PCA is a one-stop shop designed to help healthcare providers and business partners maintain accurate and up-to-date business information in a single place.
ADHA CEO Amanda Cattermole said the “welcome suggestion” from South Eastern NSW PHN (COORDINARE) would ensure patients were referred to appropriate mental healthcare services.
The IAR tool supports mental healthcare across the primary care sector and enables healthcare providers to conduct an assessment of a consumer’s mental health needs and preferences to generate a tailored referral to the most suitable service available in their region.
COORDINARE CEO Prudence Buist welcomed the Agency’s responsiveness to the needs of the healthcare sector.
“The integration of the IAR into PCA is a pivotal development for COORDINARE and providers in our region,” said Ms Buist.
“This enhancement will simplify the process for healthcare professionals to locate and engage with the most suitable mental health service for their patients. It ensures timely, appropriate and location-specific care.
“We are very grateful to the Agency for working with us to make this happen, and we look forward to seeing the positive outcomes for our community.”
Ms Cattermole said the PCA upgrade had also opened a door for clinical information systems to connect through a SMART on FHIR interface.
“I encourage CIS software vendors to seize this opportunity to integrate with PCA as they develop and upgrade their products, as PHNs and practice managers across Australia are eager to see this priority connection that will save them significant time when updating healthcare practitioner information,” she said.