[Speaker 1]
By the time babies born today start school, we want them to be well on the way to a long and healthy life. They've been born into a time when technology and data can give them access to some of the best healthcare and even allow us to predict and prevent some health conditions that would have diminished their quality of life.
In the future, Sam's digital health record will start as soon as he's born. In time, details of his mother's pregnancy, his birth, and any complications, as well as a reliable and detailed record of any future checkups, will be available to his parents online.
As Ella grows, her parents will rely on automated reminders to keep her vaccinations and health and development checks up to date and on track.
Alex's family will have easy access to early parenting support from their home in remote New South Wales. When mom is up at 2am and worried about her breast milk supply, help from a 24-hour lactation consultant will be just a click away.
In no time, Ella, Sam and Alex will be enrolling in preschool, a process that will be easy thanks to their vaccination, health and identity records being available in one digital place.
Lily's three-year-old health check will be conveniently given at her preschool with her parent or carer present, and their healthcare provider will instantly update her digital health record.
Technology will even help when Shelly takes a tumble on her first bike and winds up in a country hospital. The doctor will consult virtually with a radiologist in the city and check her digital health record to determine which medication she can safely take. As they leave the emergency department, her parents will receive an electronic prescription for any other medication she needs.
In the future, Jamie will require some occupational and speech therapy to help him get ready for big school. Although he lives hundreds of kilometers from the nearest Allied Health Service, most of his therapy will be conveniently delivered online by an Allied Health team with help from Jamie's teacher and parents.
Although they will have very different experiences, the one thing these children have in common is that, thanks to technology, they will all have access to a healthier future.
