A new online resource is now available to empower universities in embedding essential digital skills into health degrees, supporting the development of a digitally capable workforce as Australia's healthcare system continues to advance.
The Digital Health Train the Trainer Toolkit, announced today, provides tertiary educators with practical resources for integrating digital health into university courses.
Developed collaboratively by the Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) and the Australian Council of Senior Academic Leaders in Digital Health (the Council), the toolkit delivers on an announcement in March 2025 to embed digital health education into degrees across Australia .
The Council, an initiative of the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC) comprising 37-member university organisations, played a central role in developing the toolkit.
Development of the toolkit aligns directly with Action 4 of the National Digital Health Capability Action Plan (CAP) , supporting its strategic objective to equip Australia's health workforce for a connected, digitally enabled future.
Agency CEO Amanda Cattermole PSM said this initiative will prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals to confidently use digital technologies in practice, leading to safer, smarter and more connected care.
"Australia needs a health workforce that can confidently use digital tools the same way they use any piece of clinical equipment," Ms Cattermole said.
"This toolkit helps universities foster consistency among educators, ensuring graduates are equipped to deliver digitally enabled care."
The toolkit supports the integration of digital health training into degrees such as nursing, medicine, pharmacy and allied health.
Co-designed by academics, clinical educators, and digital health experts, the resource features 8 learning plans with 34 core topics covering technical concepts, professionalism and ethics, sector influences and person-centred health outcomes.
Feedback from senior university educators established that 60% of them had never taught digital health, reinforcing the need for standardised resources as identified in the CAP.
Professor Luke Bereznicki, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching Performance) at the University of Tasmania, noted the toolkit's critical role in helping academics prepare students for a rapidly changing digital health landscape.
"Across decades of experience in clinical practice and teaching, I've seen how new capabilities transform care," Prof Bereznicki said. "That experience now needs to be applied to digital health, because these skills are no longer optional, they are essential.
"Embedding digital health into our teaching will translate to better patient outcomes, safer handovers, smarter use of data and more connected care."
Inaugural Council Chair and Director of the Queensland Digital Health Centre at The University of Queensland, Professor Clair Sullivan, said current educators look forward to having specially designed resources to support their delivery of course content in a new and evolving field.
"To realise the benefits of digital health, a workforce confident and competent in the use of digital technologies is required," Professor Sullivan said.
Deputy Council Chair, Professor Kerryn Butler-Henderson, of Charles Sturt University's School of Nursing, Paramedicine and Healthcare Sciences, said the toolkit helps address a disparity in digital health education.
"At a national level, Australia still lacks standardised learning outcomes for digital health across university programs, creating significant inconsistencies in how students are prepared," Professor Butler-Henderson said.
Associate Professor Stephen Guinea, from the Australian Catholic University's Faculty of Health Sciences, described the toolkit as an invaluable guide for educators.
"Each learning plan in the toolkit is designed so it can be adapted by educators to the different curriculums across the health professions," A/Professor Guinea said. "The ability to empower educators to tailor the approach to digital health curriculum ensures all disciplines and courses build the digital health capabilities most relevant to its future workforce."
Educators are invited to join a webinar on Tuesday 24 March 2026, 12:30-1:30pm AEDT, to learn about the toolkit.
To access the Digital Health Train the Trainer Toolkit, visit the Agency's Online Learning Portal .
Download the media release (PDF, 170.1 KB)
