This week, the Australian Digital Health Agency finally released some long awaited detail on the structure and function of the forthcoming HealthConnect ecosystem that will transform how health data is exchanged in Australia.
And, if you’re responsible for medical imaging in Australia — whether that’s running a PACS, providing imaging services, or working with any kind of medical imaging — there’s a hard truth you need to hear: the way we’ve shared imaging for decades won’t survive the changes Health Connect Australia is introducing.
DICOM forwarding, clunky portals, download links: they’ve served a purpose, but they were never designed for what’s coming. Health Connect Australia is building a discovery-driven, pull-based, national health information exchange, where systems can automatically locate and retrieve health information in real time. And traditional imaging infrastructure isn’t ready.
The Federal Government has already signaled that participation in this ecosystem is going to be non-negotiable. There’s still work to be done around how this will function, in practice, however we can say — with certainty — that every imaging provider in Australia will have to radically rethink how they manage interoperability for imaging and other medical data.
Here’s what’s changing, why your current tools won’t be enough, and how Aurabox will help you bridge the gap.
From Push to Pull — The National Health System is Moving to Discovery-Driven Access
Health Connect Australia is shifting the health system from push-based, transactional data sharing to a pull-based, discoverable model. That means authorised systems — think emergency departments, specialists, even consumers — can automatically locate and retrieve the health information they need, when they need it, without relying on manual referrals or file transfers.
Traditional DICOM networking simply wasn’t designed for this. DICOM requires you to know where the data is, configure endpoints manually, and often, send data proactively. It has no discovery layer, no standards-based consent model, and no scalable, automated retrieval mechanism suitable for a federated environment.
Your imaging systems need to be discoverable. That means exposing metadata, supporting national record discovery services, and enabling authorised, real-time retrieval of imaging, not relying on faxed referrals or static download portals.
If you are currently pushing data over DICOM connections, HealthConnect is going to make this redundant.
How Aurabox Is Solving This:
Aurabox is building an integrated, connected network based around policy driven metadata access and imaging release. Our compliance oriented approach already ensures that imaging requested and exchanged via our platform meets every aspect of the Australian Privacy Principles.
Coming soon, we’ll be enabling policy controlled discovery of imaging metadata across our network, as well as direct, encrypted, secure, peer-to-peer exchange of imaging without the use of VPNs.
FHIR, SNOMED CT and API-Driven Access — The Technical Foundations Are Set
FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is now the language of health information exchange in Australia. SNOMED CT is the standard for clinical terminology. Together, they underpin discoverability, structured data sharing, and integration across the system.
DICOM is fine for imaging, but it doesn’t expose structured, searchable metadata in a way that national systems can use. It doesn’t speak FHIR. It can’t integrate with discovery services or consent layers natively. Without a translation layer, your imaging will be invisible to the new health system.
Your imaging metadata — study details, reports, patient demographics — needs to be accessible through FHIR APIs, structured and aligned with national standards, so it can be discovered, queried, and retrieved as part of the national ecosystem.
How Aurabox Is Solving This:
Aurabox is becoming the FHIR layer for medical imaging. Soon, we will be able to translate complex imaging data into discoverable, standards-compliant formats, so your systems can integrate with Health Connect Australia — even if your PACS or archive isn’t FHIR-ready.
Portals and Download Links Are a Dead End
In a discovery-driven, pull-based health system, static portals and download links simply don’t fit. Data needs to be discoverable, retrievable on demand, and integrated into care workflows — not hidden behind login walls or delayed by manual processes.
If your only option for sharing imaging is sending someone to a portal or generating a download link, your data isn’t discoverable. It can’t be pulled by authorised systems. It will never integrate with consumer-driven sharing, emergency care needs, or national referrals.
It’s time to move beyond portals and DICOM forwarding. Your imaging needs to be available through real-time, API-driven interfaces that support authorised pull access — not just push-based, manual workflows.
How Aurabox Is Solving This:
Aurabox will replace outdated portals with a seamless, standards-aligned, peer-to-peer sharing model that integrates with national discovery and retrieval systems, while still respecting your security, privacy, and operational requirements.
Consumers Expect Control — And Legacy Imaging Systems Aren’t Ready
Consumers will have visibility and control over their health information, including imaging. They’ll be able to direct referrals, share records, and manage access in real time.
DICOM networks, portals, and download links were never designed with consumer control in mind. They’re opaque, static, and disconnected from modern digital health tools.
Your imaging workflows need to respect and support consumer-driven sharing and access, including integrating with national consent frameworks and providing real-time, discoverable access for authorised parties.
How Aurabox Is Solving This:
We provide consumer-friendly, standards-compliant access pathways for imaging, empowering patients while maintaining compliance and operational control for providers.
Security, Compliance and Audit — Non-Negotiable for the National Ecosystem
Participation in Health Connect Australia requires alignment with ASD’s Information Security Manual, the Essential Eight, and robust consent, privacy, and audit mechanisms.
Point-to-point DICOM forwarding and download links lack granular access controls, centralised auditing, or integration with consent services — putting providers at risk.
Ensure your imaging environment meets national security standards, supports granular, consent-driven access, and provides auditable, discoverable data pathways.
How Aurabox Is Solving This:
Our platform is designed for national compliance — from security and privacy through to consent management and audit trails — making it simple for imaging providers to participate confidently. Our new imaging exchange format (JMIX) includes encryption and sender authentication by default. Get a sneak peek at https://github.com/aurabx/jmix.
The Clock is Ticking — Discovery-Ready Imaging is Closer Than You Think
Health Connect Australia’s phased rollout is already underway. Discovery services, automated data retrieval, and federated access models are expected to be online by 2027. Providers who aren’t preparing now will face rushed, reactive upgrades — or risk being left behind entirely.
While we expect imaging to lag behind that timeline, the expectations as to what imaging providers need to do is already very real. The earlier you start thinking about this in your business, the sooner you’ll be participating in electronic referrals, accessing priors for review automatically, and delivering value to referrers. If you don’t, you can be sure your competitors will be.
Aurabox exists to help imaging providers bridge this gap. We bring legacy systems into a discovery-ready, standards-compliant model, without requiring a rip-and-replace approach.
The Bottom Line
The old way of sharing imaging — DICOM forwarding, download links, portals — doesn’t fit the future of Australian healthcare. The national system is moving to real-time discovery, authorised pull access, and consumer-driven control. The question is not whether you should participate, it’s how fast you can get ready.
Aurabox helps imaging providers, practices, and hospitals transition safely and efficiently. We integrate with what you’ve got today and prepare you for what’s next.
If you want your imaging systems ready for discovery, retrieval, and the future of Australian healthcare — without the guesswork — get in touch. We’ve built this for exactly what’s coming next.
