A blueprint for delivering value in innovative digital health services
An article written by Pamela Everingham, Program Director, and Paul Tait, Senior Program Manager, South Australian Virtual Care Service
Last month, the Australian Health Review published our analysis of 14 national, state, and territory digital health strategies against a value-based framework. [1] While, on the surface, some would equate "value" with costs and throughput, we selected Teisberg's value-based healthcare (VBHC) framework because it re-frames the approach, focussing upon quality rather than simply the quantity of care. In describing their VBHC framework, Teisberg puts it simply: "Value in health care is the measured improvement in a patient's health outcomes for the cost of achieving that improvement". [2]
Consider this approach to value against the Palliative Care Australia (PCA) definition of palliative care: "Person and family-centred care provided for a person with an active, progressive, advanced disease, who has little or no prospect of cure and who is expected to die, and for whom the primary goal is to optimise the quality of life". [3] While the PCA definition overlooks costs, the definition clearly prioritises quality of care as their endpoint, while also considering the holistic needs of the person and involving the person's informal support network, including family and friends, in the unit of care. Critically, both VBHC and palliative care emphasise the importance of quality in achieving desired outcomes.
The National Digital Strategy sets high expectations for the role of digital health, describing it as “the foundation for all modern health service delivery”, while emphasising that it should enhance safety, quality, productivity, and efficiency. [4] Acknowledging that research in digitally delivered healthcare is still limited, this statement is supported by a growing literature base indicating that settings that typically depend on transferring people to higher acuity centres for specialised could have the option to receive care where they are by providing access to specialists through digital health. [5-7] These settings include home settings, disability residences, watch houses, and smaller regional locations. The innovation in digital technology provides a real opportunity to re-design how we deliver healthcare in partnership, placing value at the centre with consumers, communities and across jurisdictions that previously were limited by geography. Importantly, digital health transcends technology, significantly improving the value provided by health and care services.
Just as digitally delivered healthcare can allow many to remain in place, is it also time to consider palliative care's lead in involving a person's informal care network in the unit of care? Incorporating digital health into practice can enhance the involvement of family and friends in the care process. [8] For instance, connecting families to a virtual consultation in a residential aged care home allows them to participate in decision-making regardless of where they are.
Our article emphasises the importance of considering the service's value to the person using it when developing digital health interventions. To assist with this, we provide a 10-step framework to help ensure the quality digital health adds to in-person care alternatives. In doing so, healthcare providers should look beyond traditional healthcare settings and seize the opportunity to expand the unit of care.
1. Tait P, Daff D, Everingham P, Leahy A, Parker R, Perry R, et al. Enhancing digital healthcare: Aligning Australia's digital health strategies with value-based healthcare principles. Aust Health Rev. 2025;49.
2. Teisberg E, Wallace S, O'Hara S. Defining and implementing value-based health care: A strategic framework. Acad Med. 2020;95(5):682-5.
3. Palliative Care Australia. What is palliative care? [Internet]. Canberra, ACT: PCA; 2024 [cited 2025 Jun 25].
4. Australian Digital Health Agency. National Digital Health Strategy 2023-2028. Sydney: Australian Digital Health Agency; 2023.
5. Savira F, Gupta A, Gilbert C, Huggins CE, Browning C, Chapman W, et al. Virtual care initiatives for older adults in Australia: Scoping review. JMIR. 2023;25:e38081.
6. Sunner C, Giles MT, Kable A, Foureur M. Does telehealth influence the decision to transfer residents of residential aged care facilities to emergency departments? A scoping review. Int J Older People Nurs. 2023;18(1):e12517.
7. Delaforce A, Maddock E, Wheeler P, Jayasena R, Parkinson J. Factors that influence the uptake of virtual care solutions in Australian primary care practice: A systematic scoping review. JBI Evid Implement. 2024:10.1097.
8. Solomon J, Gabbay D, Goldfarb M. Virtual patient and family engagement strategies in critical care: A scoping review. Telemed J E Health. 2024;30(8):e2203-e13.
Authors
Pamela Everingham
Program Director
South Australian Virtual Care Service
Paul Tait
Senior Program Manager
South Australian Virtual Care Service