Key standards adopted

Adherence to national standards is fundamental to building a robust and efficient healthcare system. It ensures consistency, interoperability, data security and compliance with regulations, ultimately contributing to improved patient care and outcomes.

The NHSD is compliant with the following standards:

Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard for healthcare provider directory data exchange (FHIR AU-PD)

This internationally recognised standard provides a framework for interoperability between different systems which hold and share healthcare data. More information (Opens in new tab).

SNOMED CT-AU

An Australia-specific extension of the international SNOMED CT standard for health terminology. By adhering to the FHIR standard and SNOMED CT-AU taxonomy, we use a best-practice framework and consistent language to facilitate communication across the health system. More information (Opens in new tab).

The Geocoded National Address File (G-NAF)

A standard used in geocoding addresses in Australia. It is primarily related to the geospatial domain rather than healthcare IT. The G-NAF is maintained by Geoscape Australia and is designed to provide a comprehensive dataset of Australian addresses and their geographic coordinates.  More information (Opens in new tab).

Information Security Manual (ISM)

A document produced by the Australian Signals Directorate. The ISM provides guidance on implementing cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information in Australian government organisations. It covers various aspects of information security, including risk management, access control, network security, and incident response. More information (Opens in new tab).

Essential Eight

A set of strategies developed by the Australian Signals Directorate to mitigate cybersecurity incidents. Essential Eight is a prioritised list of mitigation strategies that organisations are recommended to implement to enhance their cybersecurity posture. More information (Opens in new tab).

Open Authorization (OAuth)

An open standard and a protocol that allows third-party applications to access the resources of a user without exposing the user's credentials. It is commonly used as a way for users to grant permission to third-party applications to access their resources, such as profile information, photos and videos on another service, such as a social media platform, without sharing their credentials. More information (Opens in new tab).