A new digital health application, developed by an interdisciplinary team of digital health researchers led by Monash University, is strengthening telehealth delivery by enabling healthcare practitioners to turn complex medical advice into clear, accurate written consultation summaries in real-time for patients across Australia.
Developed through a multi-partner collaboration brought together by the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC), in partnership with Monash University, Healthdirect Australia, the Department of Health Victoria, Monash Health, and the University of Melbourne, the Patient Consult Summary (PCS) application represents a significant step forward in improving the virtual healthcare experience for patients and healthcare providers.
The PCS application allows healthcare practitioners to collaboratively prepare and share a concise summary of information discussed during a consultation with patients. Summaries are created by healthcare practitioners in real time using typing or talk-to-text functionality and are automatically formatted for secure delivery to patients.
Importantly, the summaries are supported by plain-English explanations of medical terminology sourced from Healthdirect knowledge graph of information, helping patients better understand their condition and next steps in care.
Led by Professor Rashina Hoda from Monash University's Faculty of Information Technology, the project involved a series of experience-based co-design studies, iterative software prototyping, and evaluation studies that were implemented in virtual and real-world settings to develop the PCS application.
Professor Hoda remarked that the project highlights the importance of evidence-based digital health innovation.
"Our research and development demonstrated that providing patients with immediate, written summaries with medical terminology explanation significantly improves understanding and continuity of care," Professor Hoda said.
"By focusing on what patients told us they needed – clearer information, better understanding, and support beyond the consultation, this collaboration has delivered a tool that strengthens virtual care while maintaining clinical safety, data privacy, and quality."
The Digital Health Validitron, part of the University of Melbourne's Centre for Digital Transformation of Health, conducted a simulation study to identify the application's usability and acceptability issues.
Dr Mahima Kalla, from the University of Melbourne's Centre for Digital Transformation of Health, said the PCS application's clinical simulation provided a safe environment to de-risk and strengthen the digital innovation before progressing this new technology to real-world clinical testing.
"Through simulation, we were able to observe how the tool might work in clinical practice and identify and mitigate potential points of frustration which may impact usage in the real-world," Dr Kalla said.
The simulation study was followed by a clinical evaluation of the application at Monash Health by the project's clinical lead, Associate Professor Peter Poon and his team.
"It was our real privilege to be able to help patients and their carers—especially those who are more vulnerable—gain a better understanding of their consultations through the real-time sharing of consultation summaries, strengthen shared decision-making, share information with family and healthcare providers, and improve communication with their treating team," Associate Professor Poon said.
