Australia will introduce its first formal accreditation pathway for clinical informaticians in 2027, marking a major step in professionalising the digital health workforce.
A long-identified gap in Australia’s healthcare system is set to close, with a landmark Clinical Informatics Fellowship program to launch in 2027, transforming a once-theoretical concept into a nationally recognised professional pathway.
The fellowship, led by Australasian Institute for Digital Health in partnership with Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, will provide clinicians working at the intersection of healthcare and technology with formal accreditation and professional recognition.
The program’s origins trace back to 2022, when the DHCRC identified the absence of a structured accreditation pathway for clinical informaticians, despite the growing importance of digital systems in modern healthcare.
A collaborative effort with eHealth Queensland and the University of Queensland laid the groundwork for what is now set to become a national fellowship standard.
DHCRC chief executive Annette Schmiede said the initiative demonstrated how targeted collaboration can translate research into tangible workforce capability.
“This is a strong example of a successful Digital Health CRC project, where the preliminary work and findings have developed into the mature and successful fellowship program that AIDH will lead moving forward,” she said.
Following the project’s success, the AIDH has assumed stewardship of the program, supported by additional federal funding to bring the fellowship to launch.
The program will establish a structured, evidence-based pathway for clinicians to develop expertise in clinical informatics, an area increasingly central to safe, efficient and modern healthcare delivery.
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AIDH chief executive Anja Nikolic said the fellowship would play a critical role in building a workforce capable of integrating clinical care with digital systems.
“A safe and modern healthcare system that meets the quintuple aims relies on a highly skilled clinical informatics workforce that can harmonise clinical workflows, technology, and people,” Ms Nikolic said.
“As we continue to build career pathways in digital health, the CIF is a critical program to produce leaders with specialised expertise that meets future demands and is vital to the professionalisation of the specialist digital health workforce in Australia.”
The fellowship will not only formalise clinical informatics as a recognised profession in Australia but also position it with international credibility, aligning local expertise with global standards.
Participants will join a national community of practice and undertake ongoing professional development to maintain fellowship standing, helping to grow a networked and highly skilled workforce capable of driving digital transformation across the health system.
An expert advisory panel has been convened to refine the program design, drawing on extensive consultation across the sector, with a pilot cohort expected to begin in 2027.