Australia launches national clinical digital health body

Australia has formed a new national committee to provide clinical governance for digital health and to advise on emerging areas such as virtual care and artificial intelligence.

The Australian Digital Health Agency has established the National Clinical Governance Committee for Digital Health (NCGC-DH). It brings together clinical and sector representatives and sits above a set of specialist advisory groups.

The committee will provide clinical oversight, and guide safety and quality for digital health initiatives across the broader health system. It will also advise government as technology use in healthcare expands.

Amanda Cattermole PSM, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Digital Health Agency, described the committee as a step change in national clinical governance for digital health.

"By bringing together leading voices from across the health sector, we are prioritising that the future of digital health is clinically safe, effective, and centred on the needs of all Australians," Cattermole said.

"This committee will play a pivotal role in providing advice to government, shaping policy and practices as digital health technology evolves," she added.

Three priority areas

Work under the NCGC-DH will be delivered through Expert Advisory Groups focused on three immediate priorities: Better and Faster Access, Virtual Care and Telehealth, and Artificial Intelligence Enabled Care.

The Better and Faster Access group will examine clinical safety issues linked to sharing health information through My Health Record, Australia's national digital health record system. My Health Record stores and shares patient information across care settings, subject to access settings and clinical workflows.

The Virtual Care and Telehealth group will consider patient safety and quality in remote models of care. Telehealth and virtual care have expanded in Australia in recent years, alongside increased use of digital consultations and remote monitoring in public and private settings.

The Artificial Intelligence Enabled Care group will address the safe implementation of AI in healthcare. AI is being deployed in areas including clinical documentation, triage support, imaging analysis, and decision support. Key safety concerns include clinical validation, governance, accountability, and how models perform across different patient populations.

Membership and inputs

The Expert Advisory Groups will include clinicians, consumers, industry representatives, health technology specialists, and relevant government agencies. Expected participants include the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

The NCGC-DH will be chaired by Dr. Amandeep Hansra, the agency's Chief Clinical Adviser (Medicine). She highlighted the breadth of input planned through the advisory structure.

"Our focus is providing advice to government that is drawn from a collaborative ecosystem to ensure the benefits of digital innovation are delivered with clinical safety and quality as the guiding principle," Hansra said.

She also described the advisory groups as central to the committee's work, drawing participation from health services, technology, and government stakeholders.

Chairs appointed

Chairs have been appointed for the three Expert Advisory Groups. Dr Steve Hambleton will chair Better and Faster Access. The agency described him as a Specialist Adviser and said he will continue work previously conducted through the Clinical Reference Group.

Dr. Louise Schaper will chair the Virtual Care and Telehealth group. The agency described Schaper as a leading Australian health informatician, a field focused on how information and technology are used in healthcare delivery and governance.

Dr. Rae Donovan, Chief Clinical Information Officer for eHealth Queensland, will chair the Artificial Intelligence Enabled Care group. eHealth Queensland is responsible for digital health systems and services supporting Queensland's public health sector.

Paul Creech PSM, the agency's Chief Program Officer, linked the appointments to broader plans for clinical governance across national digital health work.

"With Agency Specialist Adviser Dr Steve Hambleton carrying forward the work of the Clinical Reference Group as the Chair of Better and Faster Access, leading Australian health informatician Dr Louise Schaper chairing Virtual Care and Telehealth, and Chief Clinical Information Officer for eHealth Queensland Dr Rae Donovan taking the helm as Artificial Intelligence Enabled Care Chair, the Expert Advisory Groups are in very safe hands," Creech said.

Relationship to existing governance

The new committee expands the agency's clinical governance focus beyond its internal structures. The agency will continue its internal Clinical and Technical Advisory Committee, which provides expert clinical governance for its products and services.

By contrast, the NCGC-DH is positioned as a national mechanism for clinical oversight across the digital health ecosystem, with input spanning government, health services, and technology stakeholders.

Creech also said the committee's work may influence policy settings and technical requirements for digital health initiatives.

"A key outcome of this collaborative work is that it will guide how the Agency applies digital health levers, such as share by default, conformance and standards, to better support the health workforce, reduce administrative burden and underpin a safer, more future-focused, sustainable health system," he said.

The agency said the NCGC-DH will guide Australia's approach to emerging technologies, including virtual care and AI, as these tools become more common in clinical settings.