“Call to uplift the entire workforce — not just the early adopters”
06 Oct 2025
Digital health is becoming an essential part of Australia’s healthcare system, but not all primary care workers have the same level of digital skills — a gap that could limit the benefits new technologies can deliver.
This issue is highlighted in the Australian Digital Health Agency’s National Digital Health Capability Action Plan, which outlines actions to build a stronger, more consistent level of digital capability across the health workforce and prepare for a “connected, digitally enabled future.”
To help drive this change, the upcoming Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH) “Primary Care, Digitally Connected” conference will focus on supporting a modern, connected and digitally capable primary care workforce. The event will explore how digital health tools can be better integrated into everyday practice and how healthcare professionals can be supported to use them confidently.
Dr Janice Tan, a GP and member of the RACGP Expert Committee – Practice Technology and Management (REC–PTM), will represent the RACGP on an expert panel at the conference.
She said that without targeted investment in workforce capability, the full potential of digital health will not be achieved.
“Digital health is not just about implementing new systems — it’s about ensuring the people using them are confident, capable and supported,” Dr Tan told newsGP.
“We need to uplift the entire workforce, not just the early adopters.”
Dr Tan said more tailored training, professional development, and leadership support are essential to create a culture of digital readiness. She also emphasised the need for strategies to help healthcare workers who may be hesitant or lack the resources to adopt digital systems.
“General practice is at the frontline of healthcare,” she said. “If we want to deliver safe, efficient and patient-centred care, we must ensure that GPs and practice teams have the digital skills to match.”
The conference will also discuss how policy and funding can support a more digitally capable primary care system, and how new models of care are emerging through digital innovation — including the risks that come with them.
Dr Tan noted that while some parts of the healthcare sector are already confident in using digital tools, many others remain at different stages of readiness, with some still relying on paper-based systems.
A recent newsGP poll supports this, showing that 65% of respondents never use conversational AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot in their general practice, while only 8% said they use them regularly.
Dr Toni Weller, also a GP and member of the REC–PTM, will join the conference as a speaker to discuss “Commissioning in primary care for a digitally enabled sector.” She will focus on how Primary Health Networks (PHNs) can play a leading role in shaping digital transformation across the system.
“As demand grows for smarter, more connected healthcare, evolving commissioning models will be key,” Dr Weller said.
“By focusing on system integration, innovation and outcomes, PHNs can unlock the full potential of digital health and support a more adaptive, tech-enabled primary care system.”
The Primary Care, Digitally Connected conference will take place on Tuesday, 21 October, in Sydney, with registrations now open.
Source: newsGP