Why we need consistent allied healthcare terminology

As podiatrists, we know that inconsistent terminology in allied healthcare can cause plenty of challenges. It can hamper our ability to collaborate with other healthcare providers, create communication barriers, and negatively impact patient care.

 

However, this is likely to change for the better – though it will take time. As part of the Allied Health Consistent Terminology Data Standards Working Group, I’m advocating for the visibility of podiatrists, as we work to make sure these changes benefit allied healthcare providers.

 

Background context

This working group is leading the initiative to ensure allied health is represented in the National Terminology Data Standards.

 

Established by CSIRO, the Department of Health, and facilitated by Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA) – this group is working hard to ensure that allied health professions are well placed to integrate allied health terminology into digital health tools – like My Health Record and Health Information Exchange (HIE).

 

There are many benefits in making this switch, but I feel especially strongly about the opportunity to enhance the perceived value of podiatrists by linking interventions to diagnoses.

 

Linking interventions to diagnoses helps podiatrists highlight their scope of practice and value, to ultimately benefit our profession and future patients. Reliable data also helps podiatrists contribute to studies, shape funding models, advocate for their role in the healthcare system, and demonstrate – through the power of patient data – why foot health is so important.

 

The benefits of consistent allied healthcare terminology

Switching to a standardised system offers plenty of other benefits.

• A shared understanding: Consistent terminology helps us all in understanding data, making it easier to work with other healthcare providers. Clear communication with other healthcare providers also helps to create unified and accurate care plans, and we can access more clinical information more quickly.
• Less reporting time and more accuracy: Since standardised terminology supports accurate care plans, this of course leads to improved treatment outcomes. Podiatrists can meet reporting requirements for funding bodies and regulatory agencies with less hassle, allowing more time for patient care. This also supports reporting processes for regulatory bodies and funding agencies, making it more efficient for everyone involved.
• Easier integration: This shift will allow for easy integration with systems like My Health Record, so that information sharing will be smoother – and more clearly show the impact of podiatric interventions. We will also be able to better leverage AI and Patient Management Software.
• Longer term insights: Access to standardised data improves the ability to tailor interventions effectively, such as tracking diabetic foot health over time. Analysing trends also helps identify common foot health issues and improve future planning for relevant services.

 

The role of government

Government plays a key role in this transition. It is in the interest of the government to put significant resources behind this transition, to ensure it is as smooth as possible for everyone – especially given this uptake will become mandatory.

 

The government is likely to provide training, funding, and resources to help podiatrists and other allied healthcare providers adapt to the new system. It will also develop policies that support the integration of standardised terminology into healthcare practices. Further updates will be made as these developments take place in the years ahead.

 

What you can do

Podiatrists can actively participate in this initiative by joining the working group through Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA). A good first step would be to review this webinar.

 

Contributing your expertise helps to ensure that the terminology reflects clinical applications for podiatrists. Podiatric representation in the working group has already ensured foot related terminology is included and consistent in its application. This helps to ensure our scope is appropriately captured within the standards.

 

If you join the working group, you may also take part in other activities – such as participate in pilot programmes, provide feedback on digital tool integration, and encourage colleagues and organisations to embrace the standards for improved data consistency.

 

Regardless of whether you join the working group or not, the more podiatrists we can get on board to advocate for our profession’s early adoption of these changes, the better. Encouraging our colleagues and organisations to embrace the standards for improved data consistency is crucial for this initiative’s success.

 

I also encourage you to please take some time to review the resources already in place. These are provided by AHPA, the Podiatry Board of Australia, and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) to help us stay informed and prepared for the transition. More information is available at the end of this article.

 

Likely timelines

The transition to a standardised system is a gradual process. The goal is to have the system ready within the next five years, depending on continued government support and funding.

 

The next steps have been funded by the government, but these initiatives take time to implement. In the meantime, make sure you stay engaged with AHPA and other relevant bodies for further updates on progress and timelines.

 

More information

Here are some resources you can look up to learn more.

• Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA):
  • AHPA often provides webinars, guidelines, and updates on consistent terminology and digital health integration. For example, the afore-mentioned Digital Health Webinar offers insights into the benefits of these standards. Please contact AHPA directly to learn more about how you can join the Allied Health Consistent Terminology Data Standards Working Group.
• Podiatry Board of Australia:
  • The Podiatry Board’s Policies, Codes, and Guidelines section includes resources on clinical record-keeping and professional standards, which align with consistent terminology practices.
• Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra):
  • Ahpra’s Guidelines on Clinical Records provide detailed information on maintaining accurate and compliant records, which is essential for adopting standardised terminology.