Connected Health: How is health service changing?
Recent inclusive roles of information and communication technologies (ICT) in providing access to government and public service have presented a great potential to enhance the quality of people’ lives. Such technologies like the Internet, digital TV and mobile telephony are now essential means of accessing and communicating with local government, welfare and health services and other socio-economic areas.
Among these instances, digital health service and social care have successfully transformed to improve public well-being and support a sustainable national health system in Australia.

According to Australia’s National Digital Health Agency, one of the most evident and compelling benefits of ICT use in health service is to improve patient experience by providing instant access to health information, medicines and treatment management without going to the hospital (Australia’s National Digital Health Agency, 2016). Raising the level of digital inclusion in the health sector has not only generated a direct benefit for individuals but also for the community, government and business. There are, consequently, “efficient gains” for government and providers who have been making significant investments in modernizing and innovating digital health services (Thomas et al., 2018)
In addition, as people are more and more aware of health and wellness, we are motivated to “collect as many personal tools that will assist us in quantifiable measurement of ourselves”. Such technological self-tracking devices like Fitbit, Nike Fuel or Apple Watch reinforce the notion of digital inclusion in self-monitoring and understanding human body and mind so that we can figure out what humans are here for” (Kelly and Wolf, 2013).
While providing greater access to those services for remote households has been claimed to be one of the most important objectives in government’s policy, Australian digital divide still exists and severely limits local healthcare and social well-being. Despite large investment in the National Broadband Network (NBN), a vast majority of Australian households in disadvantaged areas such as Collingwood which experience a high level of crime and poverty are reported to be unable to access the Internet (Broadbent and Papadopoulos, 2011). Whereas lacked affordability of NBN is one major reason for such inequality in network connection, digital literacy and ability to make use of the Internet also need to be taken into careful consideration (Thomas et al., 2018).
Being involved in a digital divide will prevent people from the possibilities and benefits of available ICTs including improved health service and general well-being. Therefore, it points out a pressing challenge for government in supporting the advantaged communities to have affordable access and adequate digital knowledge in the online world.
References
Australia’s National Digital Health Agency, (2016). Safe, seamless and secure: evolving health and care to meet the needs of modern Australia. Available at: https://conversation.digitalhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/adha-strategy-doc-2ndaug_0_1.pdf [Accessed September 8 2018]
Broadbent, R. & Papadopoulus, T. 2011. Bridging the digital divide — an Australian story. Behaviour & Information Technology, 32, 1–10.
Kelly, K. & Wolf, G. 2013. Wired — Quantified Self. In: GOETZ, T. (ed.) Wired Health Conference. New York.
Thomas, J., Wilson, C. K. & Park, S. 2018. Australia’s digital divide is not going away [Online]. The Conversation. Available: https://theconversation.com/australias-digital-divide-is-not-going-away-91834 [Accessed September 8 2018].