Australia launches intermediate digital health safety course

The Australian Digital Health Agency and the Australasian Institute of Digital Health have launched an intermediate clinical safety eLearning course for Australia's digital health workforce, following an introductory programme that drew more than 1,700 participants.

Titled Clinical Safety in Digital Health - Intermediate, the new course is aimed at professionals working across digital health and focuses on the design, delivery and operation of digital health solutions. It is intended to extend learning for those applying clinical safety principles in healthcare settings.

The programme is structured across seven modules and takes about 4.5 hours to complete. Learners can complete it at their own pace, and the course has been endorsed as Continuing Professional Development for the Australasian Institute of Digital Health's CHIA Programme.

The organisations said the introductory course attracted participants from general practice, nursing, pharmacy, information technology and administration, indicating broad workforce interest in clinical safety training.

Course focus

The intermediate course is designed to help learners promote a culture of clinical safety in digital health products and services, explain the role of governance across the digital health lifecycle, apply key clinical safety activities, and examine how governance structures manage clinical safety.

Its release forms part of the National Digital Health Capability Action Plan, which sets out initiatives to prepare Australia's health workforce for digital care. The plan supports the National Digital Health Strategy 2023-2028, which includes a goal of building a workforce able to deliver safer, more connected care through digital systems.

Amanda Cattermole, Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Digital Health Agency, said the new course builds on demand for more advanced training.

"The adoption of the introductory course attracted more than 1,700 participants from fields including general practice, nursing, pharmacy, IT and administration, demonstrating a shared commitment across the workforce to be upskilled in clinical safety," Cattermole said.

"This intermediate course is the next step in equipping professionals with the practical skills and confidence to embed clinical safety as digital technologies become increasingly crucial to care delivery."

The Australasian Institute of Digital Health said feedback from the first programme showed participants wanted a deeper understanding of how clinical safety principles are applied in the healthcare sector. That feedback helped shape the second course.

Anja Nikolic, Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian Institute of Digital Health, said the training is intended to support decision-making and oversight as digital tools become more common in care delivery.

"As digital health continues to enhance the way care is delivered, there is a growing opportunity to support professionals with learning that strengthens practical judgment, governance and confident application of clinical safety principles," Nikolic said.

"This new course supports those capabilities by standardising practices to consider and assess clinical safety implications in real-world settings."

Workforce training

The course reflects a wider push by health bodies to strengthen digital skills as software and connected systems take on a larger role in clinical work. Clinical safety has become a central issue in that shift, particularly as digital tools are used in diagnosis, prescribing, records management and care coordination.

For organisations, the training offers a more formal structure for staff development in an area spanning clinical practice, governance and technology management. Organisations interested in hosting the course on their own platforms can seek access directly through the Australian Digital Health Agency.

The programme adds to a growing set of digital health workforce education initiatives focused on giving healthcare and technical staff a shared framework for assessing safety risks in practice.