The digital future: managing illness in an outback town

Nestled in the vast desert of outback New South Wales, Broken Hill is home to less than 18,000 people. The closest regional city is Mildura, 300km to the south, on the Murray River, and it’s about a six-hour drive to the nearest capital city hospital, in Adelaide. This remote setting became significant for Danielle Keenan when her six-year-old daughter, Augie, became ill with what turned out to be a life-threatening illness. Despite eating more than ever, the normally energetic primary schooler had become noticeably thin and frequently needed to use the bathroom. Augie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Since then, Keenan has discovered that digital solutions can help the family manage Augie’s health more effectively, especially given the vast distances they must travel to see healthcare providers. Feeling vulnerable Before the family adopted digital health solutions, managing Augie’s chronic condition was a complex and often overwhelming task. Keenan had to meticulously keep track of numerous paper records, prescriptions and medical appointments. Every visit to a new healthcare provider involved recounting Augie’s extensive medical history from memory, which increased stress and the potential for miscommunication. This patchwork of information management made it difficult to maintain continuity of care and often left the family feeling more vulnerable, especially when dealing with emergencies or unexpected health issues. Keenan emphasises the importance of having all health records readily accessible. “The staff were exceptional, although their access to information was limited,” she says. “We had to share Augie’s history with every new professional who came into the room.” Health records all in one place With paper records, emails and text messages to manage, Keenan says linking to My Health Record and downloading the my health app was exactly what she needed. “I’m not very good at my life admin,” she says. “I often lose our current scripts. Things like that happen.” But with my health app, she’s able to see key health information in one secure, convenient place. Augie’s electronic scripts are all stored in the app, and pharmacists can dispense medicine from anywhere in the country in a few taps. Key health information is uploaded to My Health Record by doctors and other healthcare providers and is then easily viewed in the app. Repeat scripts, test results and even notes from the family all have a place in the app. “It’s very, very simple,” Keenan says. “It creates somewhere for me to access things easily. I don’t have to dig through emails. I don’t have to contact practitioners. It’s just all there.” The Keenans no longer worry about travelling long distances to appointments without vital information. “We’ll go away; I’m organised and have all of her insulin and things like that,” Keenan says. “But if we need anything I can easily just access the app to be able to go to any pharmacy. It’s not stressful for me anymore.” Staying connected to support Augie is almost 13 now. After years of living with type 1 diabetes, she’s also managing a recent ADHD diagnosis and possible future autoimmune complications from coeliac disease. The Keenan family “I’m trying to teach Augie how to manage her own healthcare,” Keenan says. “For her to have access to her information is going to make things easier.” As Augie moves into young adulthood, a critical time for patient care, Keenan knows she’ll have access to a lifetime of medical information to help her navigate the next stages. The my health app has given Keenan more choice, clarity, and control over Augie’s medical care, and she says that has been a real life-changer. “Information is power,” Keenan says. “It gives you autonomy to negotiate the complexities of the health system from the palm of your hand. It doesn’t matter where you are in the world. It empowers you, as a parent, to be able to access that information.” Access your key health information from the palm of your hand with the my health app.