Digital competencies for health service managers and health service implications for Australia (17 December 2025)

Summary

As the healthcare delivery landscape evolves and the impact of digital technologies and transformations becomes increasingly apparent, a competent healthcare management workforce, confident in the capabilities to employ and effectively incorporate digital health technologies into health service delivery is imperative. This article explores the perceptions and experiences of Australian middle-level health managers in their responsibilities and competency requirements in the context of digital health transformation.

Content

The authors observe that ‘As the healthcare delivery landscape evolves and the impact of digital technologies and transformations becomes increasingly apparent, a competent healthcare management workforce, confident in the capabilities to employ and effectively incorporate digital health technologies into health service delivery is imperative.’ The authors identified eight ‘Digital competencies for health service managers’, namely:

1. Applying digital system knowledge.
2. Data management.
3. Change, project and risk management.
4. Supporting digital development.
5. Vendor management and negotiating.
6. Governance, security and decision making.
7. Contextualising digital system functionality.
8. Digital agility and shared digital language.

The authors state that this work ‘revealed two key areas of management competency enhancement required: firstly, competence in digital data management and security; and secondly, the management of digital technologies in practice.’