The Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) is strengthening clinical safety across Australia's digital health system by mandating new national interoperability standards for connections to My Health Record.
The reforms establish AU Core and the Australian Core Data for Interoperability (AU CDI) as the national baseline for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) connections to My Health Record, supporting safer, more consistent and more reliable sharing of health information across care settings.
Agency CEO Amanda Cattermole PSM said the changes are about ensuring health information can move safely and consistently across the system, so clinicians have the information they need to support patient care.
"Connected healthcare depends on clinicians being able to access the right information at the right time, in a format that can be trusted and used safely.
"By establishing a national baseline for interoperability, we are supporting better clinical governance, reducing legacy complexity, strengthening clinical safety by reducing variation in how health information is captured, shared and used and helping create a safer, more connected digital health system for all Australians."
Agency Chief Digital Officer Peter O'Halloran said the reforms marked an important step in moving the sector away from older, inconsistent arrangements and towards contemporary standards-based interoperability.
"Outdated and inconsistent technical requirements increase complexity for software providers and health services and can make it harder to share information in ways that support safe care" Mr O'Halloran said.
"The Agency will also retire outdated Healthcare Identifiers and My Health Record conformance profiles and introduce staged transition arrangements to move health services away from older versions of the Healthcare Information Provider Service (HIPS)."
Mr O'Halloran said the Agency is focused on supporting industry, software providers, jurisdictions and healthcare organisations through a staged transition that maintains continuity while lifting national safety and interoperability expectations.
"We are giving industry clear timeframes and practical support to move away from legacy arrangements and towards safer, more secure and more consistent information sharing," Mr O'Halloran said.
"This is about establishing the technical foundations needed for connected care, where information follows the patient, supports clinical decision-making and helps reduce avoidable gaps in care."
Health Level Seven (HL7) International CEO Professor Rachel Dunscombe said Australia is setting an example for other countries to follow.
"By combining internationally adopted HL7 FHIR standards with nationally agreed implementation guidance, clear expectations and a practical transition pathway the Agency is giving healthcare organisations and technology partners greater confidence as they transition from legacy arrangements to modern, standards-based information exchange," Prof Dunscombe said.
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Executive Director, Clinical Governance, Gillian Giles said the reforms align with the Commission's focus on robust clinical governance for high-quality, digitally enabled care.
"Australia's health system is complex, and we know clinicians and consumers can still face gaps when information does not flow safely and consistently between services," Ms Giles said.
"That is why nationally consistent standards and strong clinical governance matter. They help build trust in the information clinicians use and support safer, better-connected care for people wherever they receive treatment."
Detailed information on the timelines for these changes is available in the Connected Care Update August 2026 .
