A more connected and digital health system is a foundational element of a health system. For consumers, this means their health information is available when needed to share with their medical team and to help deliver whole-of-person care. It means that no matter where they live or happen to be, consumers will have easy access to their health information and control who can access that information. 

The primary goal of healthcare interoperability is to conveniently and seamlessly support safe, secure, efficient, and quality care through a national system of digitally connected providers. These providers can, with the patient’s consent, share this data with other healthcare practitioners involved in the patient's care.

For health providers interoperability means that regardless of what part of the health system they work in or where they are located, they will have timely access to patient information they need for clinical decisions and care. 

The Draft National Healthcare Interoperability Plan has been developed after consultation with external stakeholders to map a pathway to a more connected Australian health system and to support the implementation of digitally-enabled models of care. The key aspects of the draft plan are outlined in the Plan on a page.

CHF"s submission to the Draft Plan is below: