Building a digital health configurations to support access to care in remote communities

Abstract

Remote Indigenous communities have a heavy burden of disease and sub-optimal access to comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC). There is strong local and international evidence that remote Indigenous residents can benefit from enhanced access to CPHC which improves health outcomes, reduces high-cost medical retrievals and hospitalisations and associated social dislocation. There is currently a lack of understanding as to what community preferences are for the use of technology in remote communities and how this can be integrated with Provider preferences.   The aim of this study is to describe an integrated Digital Health Stack or technology configuration that can support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander access to CPHC. We deployed a participatory-based approach to developing the Digital Health Stack and used the WHO Classification of Digital Interventions as a foundation. A series of priority setting exercises and community Yarning Sessions were used to create a configuration of digital tools that could be used in remote care contexts. These range from telehealth through to access to health information and community portals. We worked closely with project partners in defining and refining the Digital health Stack which includes NT Health, Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT, NT Primary Health Network, Healthdirect, Australian Digital Health Agency, the Department of Health (Commonwealth), the Digital Health CRC, Menzies School of Health Research, and the University of Sydney.   This framework is now being versioned based on defined community characteristics and different community personas and will underpin the rollout of digital health tools at participating sites.