Philips Future Health Index 2023 Australian report: healthcare leaders turn to technology to address staff shortages, improve access to care and health outcomes

“The Future Health Index 2023 report provides insights about where attention should be focused to improve healthcare outcomes and experiences for all Australians,” said Matt Moran, Managing Director of Philips in Australia and New Zealand.

Three main themes emerged from the findings, showing how the healthcare system in Australia is innovating care delivery to meet evolving patient needs with increasingly strained resources.

Almost 92% of Australian healthcare leaders are seeking solutions to ease growing financial pressures on their organisations, with technology being a key means to achieving this. Almost half (47%) of healthcare leaders are using automation to streamline patient processes (e.g., automating appointment booking), and 43% are using it to streamline internal processes (e.g., automating administrative tasks or improving workflows).

While Australian healthcare leaders continue to invest in AI, they are doing so to a lesser degree than their global peers. Younger healthcare professionals, aware of the benefits of AI to their working lives, consider being at the forefront of AI, an important factor in choosing where to work.

“Along with global skills shortages, most leaders are grappling with financial pressures, growing patient expectations and the onus to do more with less,” said Mr Moran. “Digital solutions like automation and AI present real opportunities to revolutionise the way we work in healthcare. Automating operational and administrative tasks can result in better patient and staff experiences, improved health outcomes, and reduced costs. “

According to the 2023 FHI report, Australian healthcare leaders and younger healthcare professionals have a confident outlook toward care delivery models that integrate physical and virtual services, believing that virtual care has already had or will have the biggest impact in improving patient care.

Almost two thirds of respondents combined believe that expanding access beyond hospital walls and diversifying care delivery could offer better care for more patients. Faster access to diagnosis/care and improved patient safety, leading to a decline in adverse events, are also seen as likely outcomes of new ways to deliver care.

Three years from now, Australian healthcare leaders want to provide more services or shift services offered to patients beyond hospitals walls. This includes health literacy and patient education programs, acute care at home provided virtually or through in-person visits and walk-in centres.

Compared with less than one-third of healthcare leaders globally (32%), nearly half (49%) of Australia’s leaders said that their hospital/facility is consulting with vulnerable and underserved populations to gather data that ensure new ways to deliver care are improving patient outcomes.

Australian healthcare leaders recognise the contribution of partners in ensuring a healthcare ecosystem that brings care closer to the patient. Their desire for a culture of collaboration (50%) is higher than the US (40%), Germany and Singapore (both 19%).

Building partnerships outside their healthcare system was selected by half (47%) of healthcare leaders as one of the actions they are taking to ensure that new ways of delivering care are improving patient outcomes. Healthcare leaders selected health technology companies (36%), other hospitals and clinics (32%) as their top two choices for external partners. This aligns with the Australian government's goal of increased connectivity and collaboration among hospitals and facilities across the country.

The Australian report findings were launched last night at an event held in partnership with The University of Queensland’s Faculty of Medicine during a keynote speech and panel discussion by key industry leaders including Jayne Barclay, Director, Digital Health and Informatics, Mater; Dr Rolf Gomes, Founder and Cardiologist, Heart of Australia and Dr. Steve Hambleton, former Queensland State President and Federal President of the Australian Medical Association; Chief Clinical Adviser to the ADHA.

During his keynote speech, the University of Queensland’s Associate Dean (Strategic Development), Faculty of Medicine, Professor Darrell Crawford, emphasised the importance of resolving the urgent challenge of practitioner shortages.

“We have to recognise and address adverse health outcomes due to the practitioner shortage, especially in regional areas. We have to improve access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to medical and health training, because we know from the data they will return to work in regional areas. And we have to increase workplace readiness for our graduates,” Professor Crawford said.

The FHI 2023 report is based on proprietary research among nearly 3,000 healthcare leaders and younger healthcare professionals conducted across 14 countries. Follow this link to access the Australian report.