The Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) is currently focusing its energies on a number of strategic themes in its 2017-18 work program as it prepares for the longer-term national digital health strategy to kick off next financial year, including the secure messaging interoperability project, one targeting medicines safety and moves to link the pathology and diagnostic imaging sectors to the My Health Record.

ADHA executive general manager for government and industry collaboration and adoption Bettina McMahon, who recently added the role of chief operating officer to her responsibilities, says the work program has been aligned with the four-year digital health strategy and will feed into aspects of it, with defined goals to be achieved in 2018 and real benefits to the healthcare system hoped to be realised by 2022.