Using the Models
What are the Digital and Data Capability Models for sexual and reproductive health?
The models were created as part of an ARC Future Fellowship project that serendipitously coincided with the development of the Australian Digital Health Capability Framework and the interactive Digital Health Workforce website (LINK to the Australian Policy Context)
The models build on the Data Capabilities model that Anthony McCosker and colleagues in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society developed through a series of participatory collaborations with Australian not-for-profit organisations from 2020-2023. You can read more about that research here.
Why have we separated digital and data capabilities?
There are separate models for organisational digital capabilities and data capabilities because while understanding and working with data is crucial, many members of the sexual and reproductive health workforce are also engaging with digital technologies in ways that don’t focus on data.
This can involve a range of activities, from sharing outreach content on social media platforms, to engaging with enterprise apps like HotDocs, to developing bespoke digital platforms for service delivery.
Why is there a separate consumer model?
The consumer capabilities model can support organisational conversations about the ways health service consumers and others engage with health data or digital technologies, in order to help understand and manage gender health (see: Transgender Victoria), or sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing.
How could you/your organisation use the Models?
Building digital and data capability is a process, not a destination, and the process will look different in every organisation.
We created a checklist to support organisations use the Digital and Data Capabilities models alongside resources like the interactive ‘Digital Health Workforce’ website.
There is no ‘right’ way to use the Models and the checklist, but here are some of the ways they might be used in organisational contexts:
- A group of leaders from different organisations might work through the Digital, Data and Consumer models in a facilitated conversation about the ‘future of digital health, as part of a sector-wide leadership planning day.
- An organisational board, steering group and executive team might use the Digital and Data models and checklist alongside the Commonwealth Digital Health Workforce website in order to determine whether adequate training and resources have been allocated to the current workforce – and determine where funds should be directed to support ongoing professional development.
- An organisational manager and Communication lead might use the Digital Capabilities model and checklist to develop a plan for evaluating and benchmarking existing social media policies.
- A health promotion community of practice might use the Digital Capabilities model and Consumer model to help determine how best to develop and resource digital outreach and education.
- A cross-disciplinary community of practice might use the Digital and Data Capabilities model and Consumer model to build capability around internal and external communication and quality assurance activities.
The Australian Policy Context in brief (as of December 2024)
The Australian Digital Health Capability Framework was released on the interactive ‘Digital Health Workforce’ website by the Australasian Institute of Digital Health and the Australian Digital Health Agency in late 2023.
Both the Digital Health Workforce website and Australian Digital Health Capability Framework are outcomes of Australian Digital Health Agency’s 2021 National Digital Health Capability Action Plan – a broad-reaching national policy agenda for digital transformation within both health services, and health workforce training and education.
The Australian Digital Health Capability Framework is an applied, self-assessment instrument, “intended to act as a practical guide for organisations and individuals on the skills and knowledge required to effectively deliver health care in an increasingly digital world”.
Both the National Digital Health Capability Action Plan and Australian Digital Health Capability Framework adopt a “standardised, profession-agnostic approach”, that can be adopted across diverse health services, and within education and training organisations.
This is one of the key differences between the Digital Health Workforce resources and the Digital and Data Capabilities for sexual and reproductive health models, which explicitly target sexual and reproductive health contexts.
Additionally, the Digital and Data Capabilities for Sexual and Reproductive Health models do not focus on health informatics – or the use of computational technologies and devices for clinical decision-making, or health management.
In contrast, The Australian Digital Health Capability Framework aims to support digital health capabilities in relation to health informatics and health care tools (such as Artificial Intelligence, big data, health wearables and remote sensors).
Health informatics capabilities are currently supported by a number of information and training organisations in Australia, including the Australasian Institute of Digital Health and the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Digital Transformation of Health.