FAQs on Health Connect Australia Provider Directory: Information Provision based on FHIR IG

Details

This FAQ comprehensively addresses technical questions regarding Health Connect Australia's Provider Directory FHIR IG (Implementation Guide) and the strategic challenge of data quality in digital health. The purpose of the directory is to provide a single access point via a standardized API for information about healthcare providers and organizations, which currently resides across multiple systems. Achieving data quality requires not only technical aspects—such as consistent structures and mandatory fields enforced by standards like FHIR (via automated validation)—but also non-technical measures: provider compliance, timely updates to source systems, and establishing strong governance. It is clarified that responsibility for directory data currency primarily rests with the providers and source authorities, while the Health Connect Australia Provider Directory implements safeguards (regular synchronization, display of last update time) to minimize risk. Furthermore, the system aims to cover the entire health sector—including primary care, acute care, aged care, community, allied health, and specialist practices—not just hospital departments. The document also touches upon authorization service requirements and access control needs, indicating that detailed information provision for implementers is planned.