Healthdirect's CMO keeps clinical lens on digital health

Healthdirect Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nirvana Luckraj, shares her insights on the rising use of digital health channels and how to keep them safe for users.

What is your background and interest area?

I am an experienced general practitioner with international clinical experience and have worked in rural and metro environments serving multi-cultural communities. I’ve always had an interest in experiencing new cultures through travel which led to me finding roles that combined work with travel. I also wanted to use my medical skills in new ways and my role in a large multi-national medical assistance company afforded me many opportunities to perform medical escort duties during aeromedical transportation, serving patients worldwide.

What are the advantages of digital health tools?

Digital health tools provide opportunities for increased access to healthcare and complement the care provided by healthcare professionals. This has been especially relevant over the last two years as we’ve had to rethink our approach to healthcare in a global pandemic. In a world where access to several key services has gone digital, it’s imperative that the way healthcare is delivered and accessed evolves too, to fit in with our transforming lifestyles.

The healthdirect COVID-19 Symptom Checker was launched in March 2020 and has been used over 4 million times. Our clinical team has kept it up to date with evidence-based clinical guidelines, and it’s recently been updated to assess users for their eligibility for COVID antiviral treatments. Now known as the COVID-19 Symptom and Antiviral Eligibility Checker, the link to this tool is shared across hundreds of health websites to help people understand their COVID symptoms and if they can access treatment — a testament to the potential reach of digital health tools.

What are some of the challenges in keeping health services clinically safe via digital health tool?

With the digital health revolution comes a need for developing standards for clinical safety and quality, as well as training appropriately skilled clinicians to apply these standards. Clinical input and co-design of digital health tools is necessary to create a clinically safe product that is also easy and intuitive to use.

As an example, all content and health advice provided by the healthdirect Symptom Checker are written and designed to be understood by most people regardless of their education level, age, socio-economic or cultural background. It is written in plain English with clear next steps, in accordance with best-practice health literacy principles.

Although the Symptom Checker may look simple, it is backed by evidence-based guidelines, strict clinical governance and logic flows, overseen by clinicians. Also, a deep understanding of how a digital health product like a symptom checker tool works, is needed to ensure clinical safety and accuracy, and provide the user with the right advice. Quality clinical input into a product will yield a quality clinical output.

How important will digital health tools be in future?

We’ve adjusted to easy digital access with other essential services in our lives, and digital health is already an accepted and normal part of our healthcare system, alongside the care provided by medical professionals. As we continue to refine and improve our digital health tools they will become part of normal healthcare, optimising healthcare pathways and improving patient outcomes. Consumer needs have changed too, and innovative healthcare options will be in demand for improved access, affordability and a sense of control over our own health.

What is healthdirect’s role in pushing forward digital interactions within health?

Today, we are the leading, trusted national source of health information, with more than 100 million contacts with Australians every year. We specialise in the provision of virtual health information, advice and referral through helplines, digital tools, websites and app.

As a digital front door to the health system, all our services provide clinical advice and information on a person’s health concern, as well as actionable next steps — whether that’s booking a GP appointment online, an SMS with a link to information on how they can look after themselves at home or advice on when to seek emergency care. This approach helps people know what to do, take control of their decisions and take the next step towards better health — including landing in the correct part of the health system for their situation if needed.

Healthdirect is applying innovative methods to improve the quality of our services and is exploring international, cutting-edge digital health tools including newer generation symptom checkers. We’re also applying latest technology to create greater efficiencies in how consumers access our digital services and are safely directed to the right care at the right time.