Australia publishes first national standard for digital diagnostic requesting

A shift away from paper-based workflows

Australia has taken a step toward replacing paper-based diagnostic requests with a national digital standard.

HL7 Australia has published AU eRequesting Release 1.0, the first national FHIR standard to specify a digital health service. The standard defines how clinical and diagnostic systems exchange pathology and radiology requests, replacing paper forms and phone calls with a structured, open, and trackable digital workflow available to any vendor in the market.

For healthcare providers, the shift is expected to reduce administrative burden, improve visibility of requests, and support more reliable communication between clinics and diagnostic services.

Built from real-world implementation

The publication marks the culmination of a multi-year process grounded in live clinical environments.

In 2023, Magentus partnered with Sonic Healthcare to deploy Australia’s first FHIR-based diagnostic requesting solution. It went live across Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology, Sonic Healthcare laboratories, Healius, and Australian Clinical Labs, and has since extended into radiology through Queensland X-Ray.

Approximately 90% of the final national standard reflects that original design.

“We went into this with a working system and real clinical data behind us,” said Michael Strachan, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Magentus.

“The fact that the standard has come back looking so much like what we built in production is a validation of that approach. More importantly, it reflects what industry scrutiny, testing and collaboration can achieve in building something genuinely robust.”

From workflow problem to national infrastructure

What distinguishes AU eRequesting from earlier Australian FHIR work is its focus on a complete clinical workflow.

Rather than defining data structures alone, the standard outlines how a diagnostic request is created, transmitted, tracked, and returned, including status updates to clinicians and visibility for patients.

“It is about collaborative healthcare, not just connected data,” Strachan said.

“The diagnostic request is one of the most common interactions in healthcare, and for too long it has relied on paper, fax and manual follow-up. This standard defines that interaction as an open, digital interface that any software vendor can implement.”

A sector-wide effort

The standard was refined through the Sparked FHIR Accelerator, a national initiative coordinated by the Australian Digital Health Agency, the Department of Health and Aged Care, CSIRO, and HL7 Australia.

Magentus and Australia’s major diagnostic providers contributed through working groups, testing events, and public consultation.

HL7 Australia spokesperson Kate Ebrill said the release represents a significant milestone.

“We have published foundational standards before, but this is the first time we have specified an actual clinical service,” she said.

“This is a complete, end-to-end workflow that any vendor can implement today. It has been stress-tested through real-world use and refined through open technical scrutiny.”

What comes next for adoption

While the release of AU eRequesting marks a major step forward, widespread adoption across practices and providers will be the real test.

“Wide adoption is harder than setting the standard,” Strachan said.

“It will take sustained effort from vendors, providers and policymakers. What we now have is a foundation the sector has helped build and endorsed, which is a strong starting point.”

Magentus has committed to ongoing participation as the standard moves through trial use and broader implementation.

The bigger picture for healthcare leaders

The release of a national diagnostic requesting standard signals a broader shift in Australian healthcare, from fragmented, manual processes to connected, interoperable systems.

For clinic owners and operators, the opportunity is clear: fewer administrative bottlenecks, better visibility of patient workflows, and more efficient coordination with diagnostic providers.

The challenge will be keeping pace with adoption, as digital infrastructure increasingly becomes a competitive and operational necessity.