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18 Jul 2023
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) has published its Data Strategy 2023–2028 after an extensive public consultation across 2022–2023.
Ahpra consulted the public, practitioners and various stakeholders, including employers and health system partners, on the strategy which sets the strategic directions for the collection, use and disclosure of the data we hold and for future strategic data projects in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme).
The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory (the National Law), requires us to collect, use and share data as part of our work to protect the public and facilitate access to a sustainable health workforce.
The data we collect also helps to inform policies, standards and guidelines that Ahpra and National Boards develop about safe and professional practice for registered health practitioners. In partnership with the 15 National Boards, we share data about our core functions in registration, notifications, policy and accreditation publicly each year via the annual report for the National Scheme.
Where lawful and appropriate, we share and exchange data with relevant organisations (such as our co-regulatory partners in New South Wales and Queensland) to improve regulatory decision-making. We also want to increase the public value of our data by sharing it (where lawful and appropriate) with organisations and institutions who will apply or build on it in the public benefit.
Protection of an individual’s data and privacy is embedded in the design of our data systems and processes – we respect and protect the privacy of an individual’s data and act consistently with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
Through the Data strategy 2023–2028, we want to collect, use and share data to improve public safety, including cultural safety and the elimination of racism for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
We want the data we hold to help the public make informed choices about their healthcare. The national register of practitioners and the Practitioner Information Exchange service, both of which are important tools to help the public and employers check a health practitioner is registered, are only possible due to the information we are authorised to collect and share under the National Law.
The data strategy also supports our aim of using the data we collect and hold to drive improvements in the way we work; improving the experience of practitioners and the public who use our services (for example, making applications for registration or notifying us if they have concerns about a practitioner).
By committing to being transparent about our collection, use and disclosure of data, we want to build and maintain our community’s (including the public and practitioners) trust and confidence in the data we hold. Publishing our new Data strategy is an important part of this transparency and we will continue to publish information about our work to implement the strategy and how our stakeholders can engage with the data we hold.
More information about the data we collect is available on the data access and research webpage.