The University of Queensland is leading a groundbreaking international collaboration to reshape how we prepare health professionals for an AI-enabled future.
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms healthcare delivery, a critical question emerges: How do we ensure our health workforce is ready?
The DIGI-HEAL Framework project brings together leading researchers from UQ, University of Oxford, University of Edinburgh, King's College London, and University of Nottingham, alongside partners from Queensland Health and the NHS, to tackle this challenge head-on.
This initiative is one of seven projects awarded funding through the competitive UQ Global Partnerships Funding Scheme Round 2 in 2025, with a total investment of $100,000 supporting strategic international partnerships. This recognition highlights the project's alignment with UQ's commitment to global engagement and research excellence.
Led by Dr Lee Woods from the Queensland Digital Health Centre (QDHeC) at UQ, the project brings together interdisciplinary expertise in digital health, workforce development, and health education to address one of healthcare's most pressing challenges.
“Health professionals need more than theoretical knowledge about AI,” said Dr Lee Woods, Senior Research Fellow at QDHeC.
“They need practical skills integrated throughout their careers, from university education through to ongoing professional development. Yet clear, evidence-based frameworks for building this capability remain scarce.”
Over the next 12 months, the international team will:
- Assess current AI training across Australian and UK health systems
- Identify learning needs among health professionals
- Co-design solutions with academic, clinical, and policy stakeholders
- Develop and publish the DIGI-HEAL Framework for AI Literacy in Health
“This isn't just academic research,” said Dr Woods.
“It's about creating actionable guidance that shapes curriculum, informs policy, and builds workforce capability at scale.”
This initiative positions Australia at the forefront of global efforts to build digitally capable health workforces. The framework will inform curriculum redesign, support policy development aligned with national digital health strategies, and establish a foundation for ongoing international research collaboration.
The future of healthcare is digital. This project ensures our workforce is ready to lead it.
