Australia’s Healthcare System Shifts Toward Integration

Australia’s government and health leaders are shifting the healthcare system from reactive, hospital-centric care to prevention-focused, integrated, patient-centred models amid rising demand and ageing demographics; federal projections expect a 38% increase in GP demand by 2032. Responses include EMR rollouts, NSW’s Single Digital Patient Record, My Health Record, telehealth and pilots like Queensland’s virtual GPs, but workforce shortages, ageing infrastructure (Queensland audit: >$2 billion maintenance, 40% year-on-year rise) and fragmented data governance hinder progress.