Digital health

During 2025-26, CESPHN strengthened digital capability and connectivity across primary care, aged care and community settings. A major milestone was supporting participating general practices to transition to the POLAR clinical audit platform, creating a single system for quality improvement and population health reporting across the region. 

CESPHN continued to support residential aged care homes to embed virtual care and telehealth into routine practice, helping improve access to timely healthcare for residents. The program also delivered My Health Record training and facilitated ongoing engagement through initiatives including the Digital Care Lounge and Aged Care Connected Conversations. 

Participation increased across a range of digital health initiatives, including the National Cancer Screening Register, Lumos, electronic referrals and MyMedicare. These initiatives support better information sharing, stronger care coordination and improved access to healthcare services. CESPHN also provided support for MyMedicare, the General Practice in Aged Care Incentive and the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program. 

To support innovation, CESPHN established a Digital Health Advisory Group and recruited an artificial intelligence project officer to help guide the responsible use of emerging technologies in primary care. Community activation sites were also launched in Marrickville and Roselands to improve digital inclusion and support culturally and linguistically diverse communities. 

More than 100 healthcare professionals attended CESPHN’s inaugural digital health conference, which brought together healthcare and industry leaders to explore opportunities in digital health, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.