S03 EP 01: Connecting the dots: global digital health standards and Sparked

Australia’s digital health standards are gaining global focus as Sparked’s FHIR Accelerator puts interoperability and productivity at the centre of reform. In this episode, it examines how national priorities connect with international frameworks, and explores why standards matter for practical data exchange, system efficiency, and the safe adoption of new technology.

Guests:

Rachel Fellner & Kate Ebrill

Key themes and takeaways:

• Global Alignment and Local Implementation - Aligning Australian standards with international frameworks supports real interoperability and avoids duplicating effort, with benefits for vendors, clinicians, and patients.
• Beyond Technical Solutions: Productivity and Change Management - The real value of interoperability is realised through improved system efficiency and better patient outcomes, and requires active collaboration and change management, not just technical fixes.
• Building Strong Data Foundations for AI - High quality, standardised data is essential for safely adopting emerging technologies like AI, reinforcing the need for robust clinical and technical governance.

This episode offers practical insights for digital health leaders, informaticians, policy makers and anyone interested in how connected care is built through better data standards.