Digital health technology has the potential to transform the way we deliver and receive health and social care. Advances in digital technology provide a tangible opportunity to improve health care quality, consumer outcomes and experience. Developments such as secure data exchange, interoperability of systems, telehealth services, and the use of mobile health technologies including apps and wearables are being implemented on a large scale.

The ADHA released the National Digital Health Strategy: Safe, Seamless and Secure, in August 2017, providing a five-year vision for national digital health activities. The strategy followed the guiding principle of ‘putting users at the centre’, a principle that continues through a national consultation phase inviting collaboration and co-production of the strategy’s implementation plan – the Framework for Action. As part of this consultation process, The George Institute for Global Health and the Consumers Health Forum of Australia convened a digital health roundtable to bring together consumers and their advocates, clinicians, government, policy experts, researchers and digital technology specialists to provide advice on the implementation plan.