Queensland Health has developed a strategy for health ICT and eHealth that calls for an investment of more than $1.2 billion over the next 20 years, including $730 million for clinical software such as a new patient administration system, rolling out the Cerner integrated electronic medical record (ieMR) to more hospitals and the replacement of the ageing Auslab statewide pathology system.

Clinical applications represent 58 per cent of the total investment required, with a further $300 million required for ICT infrastructure, $100 million for business systems and $130 million for the “digital future”, including implementing interoperability standards, patient and provider identity systems, clinical terminology services, patient portals and enhancements to The Viewer, the web-based application that provides clinicians with a view of patient information and the PCEHR.