An upcoming conference will explore how we could reform Medicare so it is sustainable over the coming decade.
Is Medicare adaptable enough to cope with the rapidly evolving needs of Australia’s primary care sector? Is it fit for purpose, and if not, how do we reform Medicare so it’s still viable in 10 years’ time?
These are the fundamental issues that will take centre stage at Primary Care, Digitally Connected, the Australasian Institute of Digital Health’s upcoming conference in Sydney on 21 October.
For a system that delivers nearly 200 million services a year, primary care remains stubbornly analogue in many respects. While hospital services race ahead with digital integration, general practice and community care are patchy, with many practitioners and clinics often left navigating fragmented systems, outdated funding models, and with limited support (and appetite) for innovation.
A recent study published in the Australian Journal of Primary Health confirms what many in the sector already know: digital health maturity in general practice is low.
Across six key domains – infrastructure, meaningful use, readiness, digital literacy, data literacy, and clinical leadership – no surveyed practices scored above 80 out of 100. The findings suggest that while digital infrastructure may exist, its meaningful use is far from widespread.
This study reinforces what AIDH subject matter experts have been calling out: technology isn’t the barrier; it’s the supports, training and incentives that are needed to drive uniform digital health uptake in primary care.
The AIDH Primary Care, Digitally Connected conference isn’t just another gathering of digital health and tech enthusiasts. It’s a strategic intervention – a national forum designed to confront the structural, financial, and cultural barriers that prevent primary care from fully embracing digital transformation.
“Digital health is no longer a fringe conversation in primary care – it’s central to how we deliver smarter, more sustainable services,” said Anja Nikolic, CEO of the AIDH.
“But to unlock its full potential, we need to rethink how Medicare supports innovation, integration, and outcomes-driven care.”
The conference program will also explore how digital tools – from virtual care platforms and AI diagnostics to data-sharing frameworks and cybersecurity – can be embedded into everyday primary care practice.
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Over four plenaries and six concurrent sessions, speakers will examine what digital maturity really looks like in general practice; how do we best deliver equity in access and outcomes, and what workforce will be needed to ensure primary care and Medicare are adaptable and fit for purpose.
Daniel McCabe, the DoHDA’s first assistant secretary of Medicare benefits and digital health, will be among the speakers challenging the status quo. Others include: former Best Practice chief product officer Danielle Bancroft, the owner of Off Label Consulting; Dr Michael Bonning, GP and deputy chair of the RACGP’s expert committee on funding and health; Dr Amandeep Hansra, GP and chief clinical adviser at the Australian Digital Health Agency; Nirvana Luckraj, the chief medical officer for Healthdirect; Dr Michael Wright, the president of the RACGP; Ian Opperman, the federal data standards chair for Digital ID and consumer data right (CDR), and co-founder of ServiceGen; Leah Mooney, the consulting lead for technology, privacy and cyber risk at WTW; Richard Skimin, digital health ambassador for Patients Australia; Brett Long, the CEO of Kieser; and Emma Hossack, CEO of the Medical Software Industry Association.
They will each bring a unique perspective from clinical, policy, and innovation domains.
What sets this event apart is the focus on Australia-specific reform and Medicare. It’s an opportunity to engage and discuss how we design a system that capitalises on the benefits digital health offers.
For PHNs, policymakers, GPs, allied health professionals and digital health innovators, this is a chance to be part of that conversation – and help shape the next chapter of primary care in Australia.
Registrations for Primary Care, Digitally Connected conference are now open here.