Insights Strengthening Collaboration in the Perinatal Sector

As Perinatal Mental Health Week drew attention to the critical work supporting parents and families, it was an opportune moment to reflect on the collective efforts shaping perinatal mental health care across Australia. From clinical care and community-led programs to research, policy, and advocacy, the sector’s impact is built on collaboration, dedication, and evidence-informed practice.

Perinatal Mental Health Week was also a valuable opportunity to connect and collaborate with organisations delivering specialised, frontline support to perinatal patients. We acknowledge the leadership of the Gidget Foundation Australia, which organised the event in close partnership with Peach Tree Perinatal Wellness and Perinatal Wellbeing Centre, and we are grateful for their ongoing contribution to strengthening perinatal mental health care across the system.

At Diginostic, we work alongside health professionals and organisations nationwide to embed timely and effective screening into everyday care. Our approach is informed by deep sector experience, including the leadership of David Stanley, Founder and Director, who brings more than 20 years' expertise in perinatal digital screening, and Lyndsey Franklin, General Manager, with more than 16 years' experience in midwifery and perinatal care. Together, their clinical and digital expertise informs practical, scalable solutions for real-world maternity and perinatal settings.

Early identification of perinatal mental health challenges is vital, not only for the wellbeing of parents, but also for the healthy development of infants and the broader family environment. This work is especially critical given that suicide remains a leading cause of maternal death, reinforcing the importance of coordinated, evidence-based approaches to prevention and early intervention.

Digital screening is an innovative and effective method for identifying depression and anxiety during pregnancy and postpartum, well-accepted by both women and healthcare providers. Success relies on educating women about its benefits, providing technological support, and training clinicians in screening and risk management. By enabling self-monitoring and active participation, and with appropriate organisational resources, digital screening promotes equitable access and empowers women to take control of their mental health care.

Diginostic’s platform is at the heart of this transformation, serving as a one clinician-facing backbone that consolidates multiple tools into a streamlined workflow.

Core Perinatal Mental Health Screening scales include:

• EPDS – Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
• ANRQ/PNRQ – Antenatal/Postnatal Risk Questionnaire
• KMMS – Kimberley Mum’s Mood Scale
• Family Violence Screening

This integration supports consistent, culturally safe assessments while reducing administrative burden. The platform is designed as a hub for collaboration, allowing teams to work efficiently, capture rich data in real time, and tailor care to each family’s unique needs.

Platform highlights:

• Secure, cloud-based digital platform for healthcare providers
• Data hosted in Australia, encrypted in transit and at rest
• Accessible on any internet-connected device
• Adaptable to different health service requirements
• Collects only clinically necessary data, no unrelated data capture

The impact of digital screening goes well beyond individual care, providing a rich foundation for research and evidence-based practice. Implemented nationally, the Diginostic Health Platform has supported over 360,000 screens, offering a robust dataset that informs improvements in perinatal mental health care.

Through collaborative governance with Health Departments, Health Services, and clinicians, the KMMS is now embedded in routine workflows across Queensland and the Northern Territory, enabling consistent data capture and high-quality care. This data is a powerful resource for research, allowing teams to identify trends, evaluate interventions, and generate actionable insights that guide service planning, policy development, and clinical decision-making. In this way, digital screening supports families in the present and also strengthens the evidence base to improve perinatal mental health outcomes across the system.

Perinatal mental health care is evolving, and digital solutions are playing an increasingly important role. By combining timely screening, robust data capture, and research-informed insights, the sector can better support families during some of life’s most vulnerable moments.