Talking HealthTech

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dr Ramya Raman, Rafiah Ansari, Andrew Aho, and Farhoud Salimi about the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in digital health.Topics covered include clinical governance, digital health ethics, women’s health data, interoperability, AI, connected care, and the importance of partnerships across healthcare and technology.This episode was recorded during HIC 2025, hosted by the Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH) in Melbourne.It features conversations captured in the Digital Health Studio throughout the event, covering panels, keynotes, and interview sessions with innovators and leaders from across the healthcare technology space.Key Takeaways✨ Clinical governance, ethics, and research translation are critical for driving sustainable digital health innovation🌏 Global perspectives (UK, Canada, US) offer lessons for local implementations in Australia🧑‍⚕️ Women’s health data has historical biases; femtech and digital health can help address gaps for diverse populations🔗 Connected care depends on interoperability, collaboration, and data standards to support clinicians and improve patient outcomes🤖 Artificial intelligence and unified data platforms are expanding capabilities but require strong privacy, governance, and clinician involvementCheck out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet-ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information, visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Steve Lewis, founder of Nabu, about his personal journey into health tech, the creation of Nabu, and the challenges of coordinating complex healthcare for patients with special needs.Steve shares how his own experiences caring for his daughter Bowie inspired him to develop tools that help patients, families, and support workers better manage the demands of the healthcare system.They cover the realities of patient navigation, the role of digital tools in improving outcomes, and the importance of human collaboration alongside technology.Key Takeaways🧩 Lived experience shapes innovation: Steve’s journey as a parent navigating paediatric and intensive care environments drove the creation of Nabu, aiming to bridge gaps he faced first-hand in the healthcare system.📲 Practical patient empowerment: Nabu focuses on helping patients and families easily coordinate appointments, medications, and care plans without overwhelming them or relying solely on electronic health records.🔄 Communication and collaboration matter: The app streamlines sharing critical information with family members, support workers, and professionals, reducing the risks of missed details and improving overall continuity of care.🛡️ Safety in support: Features verifying support worker credentials and making handovers simpler are emphasised to mitigate risks for vulnerable patients.🌏 Piloting for impact: The next steps for Nabu involves coordinated pilot programs with providers in Australia and overseas, to quantify its effect on health outcomes and demonstrate support for patients, families, and clinicians.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Charles Papp (Founder and CEO, KRE8 IT and KRE8 My Health) and Steven Whittington (allied health consultant and co-founder, KRE8 My Health) about interoperability in healthcare.The discussion covers the challenges of connecting fragmented health data, the role of FHIR standards, their journey forming KRE8 My Health, and practical examples of how better data exchange can improve outcomes for clinicians and patients. The episode explores recent developments such as Smart Health Link and Australian Patient Summary standards, as well as how managed services can bridge the gap between legacy systems and modern interoperability requirements.Key Takeaways🩺 Interoperability remains a major challenge in healthcare, with legacy systems and inconsistent data standards making it difficult to exchange information effectively.🖥️ FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) and new standards like Smart Health Link are helping enable secure, standardised sharing of patient summaries and health data between systems and individuals.🔗 Managed interoperability services can allow software vendors and startups to achieve compliance and connectivity without becoming experts in complex health data standards.👩‍⚕️ Improved interoperability empowers both clinicians and patients to access and share medical information, boosting health literacy and supporting safer, more timely care.📱 Tools like Smart Health Exchange allow sharing of health records via encrypted links or QR codes, making data accessible even for those without advanced IT systems.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dr Simon Kos, Chief Clinical Officer for ANZ at Microsoft; Georgia James, Director for VicKey Statewide CRM at Austin Health; and Alan Pritchard, Director of EMR and ICT Services at Austin Health.The conversation covers the development and rollout of a statewide Microsoft Dynamics-based CRM for health services in Victoria, with a focus on digital referral management, patient communication, automation, and the use of AI in improving health system processes and outcomes.Key Takeaways🏥 The Victorian Statewide CRM project, based on Microsoft Dynamics, began as a solution to surgical audit and patient communication challenges at Austin Health. It has since expanded, now supporting referral management and inter-hospital transfer processes across metropolitan and regional health services in Victoria.📋 Managing healthcare referrals is typically a complex, paper-driven and inefficient process. The new digital referral management system standardises and digitises this workflow, improving efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and ensuring timely patient care.🤝 The importance of co-design and collaboration between health services, IT teams, and clinicians was highlighted. Rollouts involved extensive workshops and change management, with an emphasis on capturing the "80%" common process across services while allowing flexibility for local variation.🤖 AI is being explored to support and augment referral processes, such as classifying incoming documents, summarising referral content, and identifying hidden health issues within referrals. The approach ensures clinical oversight and gradual adoption for trust and safety.🔗 The system is designed to promote federated innovation—allowing a collaborative framework where new features can be rolled out at scale and shared across services, rather than every service building in isolation.📊 Leveraging enterprise data and digitising previously manual or paper-based MVPs (like post-it note reminders or spreadsheets) enables ongoing process improvement and scalable healthcare innovation.⚖️ Equity considerations were also discussed: digital solutions need to be accessible, especially for vulnerable populations, to avoid widening the digital divide in healthcare.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Declan Kelly, CEO and co-founder of Eolas Medical, about the challenges and opportunities in healthcare knowledge management. They explore how clinicians can better access both external medical evidence and context-specific internal knowledge, the importance of technology in surfacing reliable information at the point of care, and the emerging role of artificial intelligence in supporting decision making in healthcare environments.Key Takeaways:📚 Knowledge Management in Healthcare: Declan explains that clinicians need access to both external, evidence-based guidelines and internal, site-specific procedures to make informed decisions. Both are often difficult to surface when needed, leading to inefficiency and frustration.💡 Origin of Eolas Medical: The platform was created out of a real need identified within hospitals—difficulty in finding practical information quickly, particularly context-specific pathways and contacts. "Eolas" is derived from the Irish word for knowledge.🤖 Technology and Extraction: Eolas uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to extract and visually ground information from both internal documents (like policies and flowcharts buried on intranets) and external sources, ensuring that clinicians can trace answers to their original sources.🔒 AI's Role and Safety Considerations: Artificial intelligence, especially large language models, can support information retrieval but must be carefully governed, regulated, and validated for safety and trust. The adoption of such solutions varies globally due to differing regulatory environments.⚖️ Balancing Usability and Governance: Declan shares the tension between making technology user-friendly for clinicians and maintaining rigorous governance, security, and privacy—finding the right balance is ongoing and vital for uptake.📈 Adoption and Impact: Eolas has seen significant uptake among clinicians by addressing their need for immediate, trustworthy, actionable information at the point of care. The company emphasises a careful, department-by-department rollout in healthcare organisations to build evidence and trust.🚀 Future Directions: The conversation touches on the broad future of healthcare technology, speculating about the combined power of AI, knowledge management, and system interoperability over the next decades.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level?Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Claire Holt, Technical Health Information Manager at Austin Health, about the role of data management and digital health transformation in tertiary hospitals. The discussion focuses on the integration of new data capture solutions within Austin Health, with a special emphasis on the challenges and opportunities surrounding legacy systems, workflow transformation, stakeholder engagement, and mandatory reporting.This episode was recorded live at HIC 2025 in Melbourne, Australia, at the Data Capture Experts booth on the expo floor.Key Takeaways:🏥 Austin Health's Digital Landscape: With over 200 clinical systems, Austin Health's approach to technology must consider integration, interoperability, and minimising workflow disruption for clinicians.🔗 The Role of Health Information Managers: Health information managers bridge the gap between IT, clinical operations, and data reporting, ensuring legislative compliance and meaningful use of collected data.⚙️ Addressing Legacy System Challenges: Facing an end-of-life legacy software system that processed over 120,000 annual client contacts, Austin Health identified the need for a modern solution that could expand functionality and support broader use cases.🚀 Implementation and Change Management: Accelerated timelines and the addition of new modules – such as community mental health – required robust collaboration, business process engagement, and agile change management strategies.💻 Data Capture Experts Solution: Streamlined administrative functions allowed for improved referral, appointment booking, care management, and reporting – moving away from siloed spreadsheets towards integrated workflows.📊 Workflow Evolution: The new system enabled better visibility across teams, accurate activity reporting, and improved patient care continuity, especially for patients accessing multiple services.🤝 Advice for Vendors: Collaborative approaches with health information managers and strong technical-business translation are essential when building and implementing solutions in health settings.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

A referral should be the start of a patient’s care journey, not a roadblock. Yet too often, paper forms, phone tag and admin delays get in the way.In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Emily Manning, Sales Manager at Global Health, about how smarter referral management is reshaping Australian healthcare. Emily explains how MasterCare+ streamlines workflows for clinics, hospitals and community providers – reducing risk, freeing up staff time and improving the patient experience.Key Takeaways:🔄 Referral management is a critical but often overlooked part of healthcare workflows – getting it right improves both admin efficiency and patient care.🧩 MasterCare+ is a modular SaaS platform that can run standalone or integrate with existing systems, making adoption easier.🏥 The platform was co-designed with Peninsula Health in Victoria to ensure it fits local workflows, with secure messaging, triage tools and automated intake.📊 Moving away from paper reduces errors, increases visibility via dashboards and KPIs, and frees staff for higher-value work.⚠️ The risks of sticking with paper include lost referrals, heavier admin loads, compliance issues and slower patient journeys.📈 Incremental adoption helps organisations modernise without full-scale system overhauls.🤖 Future directions include AI-powered triage, risk stratification and ongoing development guided by user feedback.Check out the episode and full show notes at Talking HealthTech.If you’re enjoying the podcast, leave us a review and share it with someone who’ll find it useful.Want to connect with other digital health leaders? Join THT+ for access to our online community, meetups, exclusive content and more: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Ricardo Herreros-Symons, Chief Strategy Officer at Speechmatics, about the evolving role of speech-to-text technologies and AI-driven ambient scribing in the healthcare sector. Ricardo shares insights from his 11 years at Speechmatics, discussing the challenges and opportunities of adapting speech recognition for medical applications, the move toward innovative AI solutions, and the importance of accuracy, privacy, and regulatory compliance in handling sensitive healthcare data.Key Takeaways:🎤 Speech-to-Text in Healthcare: Speechmatics, while established in media, live captioning, and government, has recently seen growing demand in healthcare, driven by clinicians' needs rather than top-down mandates.🩺 Ambient Scribing and Clinician Workflow: There is a shift from manual transcription—where secretaries or clinicians would type up notes—to AI-powered tools that can automatically transcribe and structure patient conversations, improving efficiency and reducing clinician cognitive load.🎯 Accuracy and Context: In healthcare, accuracy is critical due to the potential for life-or-death consequences. Effective speech recognition requires comprehensive vocabularies, the ability to handle diverse accents, and context awareness to distinguish medical terminology.🤝 Collaborative Role in Solution Delivery: Speechmatics provides foundational transcription technology behind the scenes, enabling ambient scribing platforms and EMR providers to build workflow solutions tailored for their users.🌍 Language and Localisation: Healthcare consultations occur in many languages, requiring multilingual speech recognition models. Ricardo discusses how existing language models often excel in English but may need translation pipelines and continued development for long-tail languages.🔒 Privacy and Regulation: Sensitive healthcare data requires robust privacy controls and compliance with regulations like ISO 27001 and HIPAA. Deployment options include on-premise and on-device solutions to meet varying security needs.🚀 The Future of Voice AI in Healthcare: There is a growing acceptance of AI in patient interactions, particularly among younger demographics who are comfortable with bots. Voice agents and further AI integration are seen as significant opportunities for the future of healthcare technology.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Phil Offer, CEO of BestMed, about the evolving landscape of medication management across aged care, primary care, and pharmacy in Australia.They discuss the challenges around syncing data between these sectors, the clinical and operational impact of medication errors, and how technology platforms like BestMed are shaping safer, more connected workflows. The episode covers the origins of BestMed, the importance of interoperability, regulatory drivers, stakeholder benefits, and the future of intelligence and AI in digital health.Key Takeaways:📊 Medication discrepancies between aged care, GPs, and pharmacies are widespread, with a University of Sydney study showing 72.6 discrepancies per 100 records—many with potential for clinical harm.💻 Digitisation and interoperability between care providers reduce manual transcription errors and potential incidents, with some facilities reporting a 63% drop in medication-related incidents.☁️ BestMed's cloud-based platform is accessed by aged care staff, pharmacists, GPs, and families, with real-time medication records for safer and more efficient management.🏛️ Regulatory standards and government support have been crucial in advancing interoperability and uptake of digital medication management in aged care.🎯 Guiding principles for product design include minimising data retranscription, integrating into user workflows, and actively seeking feedback from stakeholders.🔗 BestMed's recent integration with Best Practice Software aims to further streamline processes for GPs, minimising double-entry and enhancing workflow efficiency.💝 The emotional impact of better systems is notable—staff feel more supported, and families gain visibility, ultimately improving experience and reducing stress.🤖 Artificial intelligence is already in use for pharmacy packing checks, and future projects include AI-driven deprescribing and decision support—keeping solutions focused on practical clinical impact.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dr Jaspreet Saini (GP, practice owner and Chief Medical Officer at HotDoc), Nicole Gartrell (Programme Director of Health Connect Australia at the Australian Digital Health Agency), Craig Hodges (Group Chief Executive at Best Practice Software), Jessica White (Executive Director of Partners & Strategies at Best Practice Software), Frank Pyefinch, and Lorraine Pyefinch about innovations, challenges, and collaboration shaping the future of primary care. They discuss technology’s evolving role in general practice - from AI-powered efficiencies and foundational IT, to national health information exchange and ongoing engagement with clinicians. This episode was recorded during the Best Practice Summit 2025 in Brisbane and features a selection of conversations with GPs, practice managers, and technology leaders captured by Talking HealthTech during the event.Key Takeaways:🖨️ Foundations Before Innovation: Dr Jaspreet Saini shares the importance of ensuring basic technology—like printers and seamless workflows—works reliably before implementing more advanced tools such as AI scribes in general practice.👨‍⚕️ Addressing Clinician Burnout: Nearly half of GPs are experiencing burnout; technology should be implemented to reduce everyday frustrations and increase efficiencies, rather than adding complexity.🎯 Real-World Problem Solving: Understanding daily tasks and pain points from frontline staff enables meaningful tech adoption. Stakeholder consultation—listening to GPs, nurses, and practice managers—remains central.🔗 Health Information Exchange: Nicole Gartrell outlines Health Connect Australia's approach to connecting healthcare information systems nationally, focusing on enabling easy, behind-the-scenes data sharing across different clinical platforms.☁️ Practice Management Software Evolution: Craig Hodges and Jessica White discuss the direction for Best Practice, including cloud migration, interoperability, and AI, while reaffirming commitment to customer feedback and practical functionality.🤝 Industry Collaboration: Continued engagement with vendors, clinicians, government, and software partners is essential for sustainable change and responding to evolving needs in primary care.🤖 Responsible AI Adoption: AI can facilitate easier access to patient data and streamline administrative tasks, but clinician involvement is necessary to guide responsible implementation and maintain patient safety.🎓 Community and Education: Events like the Best Practice Summit foster connection, networking, and collective learning, while ongoing education around technology and new tools is pivotal for clinicians and practice staff.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dan Stinton, CEO of Healthengine, about the changing landscape of digital health platforms in Australia. They discuss Dan’s transition from digital media into the health tech sector, Healthengine’s evolution from a healthcare marketplace to a comprehensive patient engagement platform, and the introduction of new technologies like AI-powered receptionists. The conversation also covers trends in patient engagement, the impact of cost-of-living pressures on healthcare access, and the future of technology-driven healthcare delivery. Key Takeaways🔄 Over the years, Healthengine has shifted from being purely a healthcare marketplace to emphasising patient engagement tools and SaaS products, such as online bookings, recalls, reminders, and custom forms.🌐 The platform is expanding beyond GPs to include dental, allied health, specialists, and pharmacy - aiming to enable patients to manage their entire care team from one place.🤖 Healthengine has launched "Helen," an AI receptionist designed to handle administrative phone calls for GP clinics, allowing reception staff to focus on more complex tasks. Helen is already being piloted and operates strictly on non-clinical tasks for privacy and accuracy.📊 Research by Healthengine indicates around 80% of people are comfortable interacting with bots for administrative healthcare tasks, especially given the benefit of never waiting on hold.💰 Cost-of-living pressures are causing more Australians to delay essential medical care, as reflected in the upcoming Australian Healthcare Index—a survey run in partnership with Patients Australia.💻 Virtual care is on the rise, but still makes up a small proportion of Healthengine's bookings, with most telehealth appointments occurring outside regular business hours for transactional needs like repeat prescriptions.🎯 Healthengine's current strategy is to continue investment in patient engagement technology, leveraging AI for administrative efficiency without entering the space of clinical care itself.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Rob Milsom from NZTE, along with Matt Russell and Matt Boyles from Aranz Medical, Will Hewitt from HeartLab, Greg O’Grady from Alimetry, and Abby Moore from Chiptech.Together, they explore the latest developments in New Zealand’s healthtech ecosystem, focusing on the future of medical technology and diagnostics, specifically AI, wearable diagnostics, medtech, and the need to keep patients, clinicians, and the wider system at the centre of innovation. The episode showcases how Kiwi companies are driving global impact in wound care, cardiac diagnostics, gut health, and personal emergency response systems.This episode is part 3 of a 3-part series created by Talking HealthTech in partnership with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE), exploring how New Zealand’s healthtech innovators are taking their ideas from home to the world. Key Takeaways⚙️ Silhouette, developed by Aranz Medical, is transforming wound care through 3D imaging and data-driven insights, making wound management more efficient and scalable in both hospital and community settings.🤖 HeartLab is advancing cardiac diagnostics using AI, with a focus on enabling clinicians to easily and quickly access and interpret cardiac scans remotely, emphasising speed, workflow, and responsiveness across global markets.📏 Alimetry provides a wearable diagnostic solution for gut disorders, allowing for non-invasive measurement and better clinical insight into gastrointestinal symptoms, while also showcasing the process of commercialising research-driven technology in global health markets.👵 Chiptech is delivering technology-enabled care systems for ageing populations, offering scalable and adaptable personal emergency response solutions that support independence at home and address broader sector challenges.🔬 The export journeys of these companies highlight the value of deep research, user insight, collaboration, and tailored solutions in creating medtech products that resonate globally while addressing local needs.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Rafic Habib, Managing Director for APAC and the Middle East at Clinovera, the healthcare division of First Line Software. The conversation explores Rafic's extensive healthcare IT experience and delves into how Clinovera and First Line Software work with organisations ranging from start-ups to government bodies to address the challenges of healthcare data management. The discussion covers the rise of generative AI and its applications, how to harness unstructured health data, the ongoing impact of interoperability standards like HL7 and FHIR, and the practical considerations for implementing new health IT tools within complex healthcare systems.Key Takeaways:🤖 Generative AI (Gen AI) is increasingly sought after by healthcare organisations. While the technology presents new opportunities, there is industry-wide uncertainty about potential applications and best practices, especially with sensitive health data.👨‍💻 Clinovera provides a wide range of services, including Gen AI consulting, software engineering, interoperability support (with a deep focus on HL7 and FHIR), application architecture, and cloud integration across Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud.📄 Unstructured data, such as handwritten notes, scanned records, faxes, and PDFs, continues to be a barrier for efficient healthcare delivery. This type of data is pervasive in everyday practice and remains difficult to extract and integrate into electronic health records (EHRs) and health information systems.⚙️ The team at Clinovera has developed AI-driven tools that can ingest, analyse, and structure unstructured data from multiple sources (including different languages and poor handwriting), turning it into interoperable formats like FHIR. These capabilities allow clinicians and healthcare administrators to more easily find, analyse, and leverage crucial patient data that would otherwise remain buried.🔬 As organisations look to better integrate AI and automation, considerations like compliance, security, information governance, and the ability to deploy solutions on-site or in the cloud come to the fore. Customisation is key to meeting diverse and region-specific data requirements and regulatory standards.⏳ The best time to engage engineering support and consulting, according to Rafic, is as early as possible — whether organisations are just shaping their digital health strategy or already knee-deep in a digital transformation project. Early, collaborative engagement with engineering partners ensures that real-world problems are addressed, and organisations benefit from broader expertise during planning, pilots, and scale-up.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dr Kieran Holland from Streamliners, Ron Tenenbaum from The Clinician, Dr Stephen Pool from Core Schedule, and Niru Rajakumar from McCrae Tech about the role of people-centred innovation in healthcare.The discussion explores how New Zealand companies are redesigning clinical workflows, supporting patient engagement, and implementing technology solutions that bridge policy and practice, empower both clinicians and patients, and support sustainable system transformation.This episode is part 2 of a miniseries produced in collaboration with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE), focusing on exporting New Zealand’s health technology to global markets.Key Takeaways🧑‍🤝‍👩 People are Central to Health Innovation: Across each conversation, a core theme is putting people—clinicians, patients, and users—at the centre of digital health solutions. Listening to real-world needs and collaborating with frontline staff is critical to building trust in new technologies.🔬 HealthPathways Bridges Policy and Practice: HealthPathways, supported by Streamliners, offers evidence-based clinical guidance blended with local system navigation, reducing variation in care and enhancing collaboration. Its model showcases the benefits of cross-jurisdictional learning and the opportunities for more national collaboration, including in places like Australia.🩺 PROMs and PREMs Shape Value-Based Care: Ron Tenenbaum explains how Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) and Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs) are increasingly fundamental in value-based healthcare. The challenge is not only technological, but also cultural—integrating the patient voice requires clinician buy-in and workflow adaptation.💼 Workforce Management and Fatigue Risk: Dr Stephen Pool outlines the real-world consequences of manual, disconnected rostering—such as clinician fatigue and increased risk to patient safety. Core Schedule demonstrates how digitised, clinician-driven rostering can reduce administrative burden and improve wellbeing and compliance.🏥 Hospital Modernisation Relies on Flexible, Modular Tech: Niru Rajakumar highlights the growing complexity and workforce shortages in hospitals, pointing to the need for modular, flexible hospital information systems. Starting with small changes and scaling smartly, rather than implementing one-size-fits-all solutions, can deliver value efficiently.🤖 AI’s Role is Foundational, Not a Quick Fix: Each guest emphasises that emerging tools like AI should be built on solid foundations of system integration and must address frontline realities, rather than being seen as a “silver bullet.”Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Mark Nevin, an executive leader and policy strategist in healthcare, and Dr. Sandra LJ Johnson, a paediatrician and expert in medical law, about the duties and responsibilities of the medical workforce in overseeing artificial intelligence (AI) in health services. The discussion explores the evolving regulatory landscape, medical duty of care, risk management, and the need for collaboration between clinicians, technologists, and regulators as AI becomes increasingly integrated into healthcare delivery.Key Takeaways🤖 Regulation of AI in healthcare should be risk-based, leveraging existing frameworks while addressing the unique challenges posed by dynamic and learning systems.⚙️ The duty of care for clinicians extends to understanding the tools and technologies they use, including the basics of how AI systems are trained and their limitations.🏥 Adoption of AI in clinical settings requires a holistic approach with multiple levels of guardrails—regulatory, specialist, clinician-patient, and consumer feedback—to ensure safety and accountability.👩‍🏫 Ongoing education and competency development are essential for clinicians, as medical colleges and educational bodies are now incorporating AI and digital health into their curricula.🤝 Collaboration across disciplines—between clinicians, engineers, software developers, regulators, and consumers—is key to safe and effective AI adoption in healthcare.✒️ The complexity of liability in AI-driven care highlights the importance of clear governance and delineation of responsibilities among stakeholders before issues arise.🌏 Australia is keeping pace with global advancements in AI regulation and implementation, drawing on strong collaboration between its scientific, medical, and regulatory communities.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

We’re excited to collaborate with New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) to bring you a mini-series of episodes titled: “Exporting Innovation: NZ HealthTech”, exploring how New Zealand’s healthtech innovators are taking their ideas from home to the world. This episode is part 1 of 3, so stay tuned for more episodes in the series coming soon!In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch and Rob Milsom from New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) introduce Rei Ishikawa (Karo Data Management), Paris Majot (Orion Health), Phil Xue (Odin Health), and Nick Burns (2iQ Health). The episode focuses on how New Zealand healthtech companies are powering smart healthcare through digital infrastructure, interoperability, and data-driven solutions, both at home and globally. They cover themes like hospital capacity management, primary/community care innovation, digital integration at massive scale, and the role of credible AI in healthcare transformation.Key Takeaways👨‍💻 NZTE highlights New Zealand’s approach to healthtech: innovative, necessity-driven, and values-led, with global ambition to solve hard problems in healthcare delivery.🏢 Odin Health’s journey from a small NZ operation to supporting over 450 million outpatient visits globally is driven by addressing real pain points in system integration, stability, and scalability.🌍 Real-world examples show how Norwegian digital infrastructure has been deployed not just in NZ but also at scale in large Chinese hospital settings, demonstrating the power and flexibility of Kiwi technology.🤝 Karo Data Management’s work underscores the importance of trust, indigenous values, and capturing holistic wellbeing data in primary and community care, making outcomes more relevant and reporting more meaningful.📶 Orion Health’s focus is on seamless data connectivity, patient engagement, and operational analytics, supporting clinicians with unified clinical records and enabling large-scale AI-driven workflows for preventative care.🏥 2iQ Health explores proactive public hospital capacity management, making hospital operations more efficient by anticipating demand patterns, maximising limited resources, and streamlining planning for leaders and clinicians.🔗 Across all companies, the importance of interoperability, real-time data access, cloud infrastructure, and patient-centred design is emphasised as vital for improving both patient outcomes and cost efficiency in healthcare systems.🤖 AI’s role is becoming increasingly important, but its effectiveness relies on access to quality, well-structured clinical data and meaningful integration into existing workflows.💡 A global healthtech export mindset, rooted in strong local values, positions New Zealand companies to partner with Australian organisations and those beyond for scalable healthcare innovation.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Patrick Hart, a medical doctor and product lead at Concentric Health, about the vital topic of consent in healthcare. The discussion explores digital consent solutions, the current challenges with paper-based consent processes, how shared decision making can be improved, and what modernising the consent process means for patient experience and clinical outcomes. Patrick shares insights from Concentric's experience in the UK and their upcoming expansion into the Australian and New Zealand healthcare systems.Key Takeaways✅ Consent in healthcare is often treated as a tick-box paper exercise, conducted at the last minute with minimal patient engagement.🗨️ Shared decision making involves clinicians and patients collaborating, leading to better treatment choices and improved patient outcomes.🖥️ Concentric Health provides a digital, template-based consent platform that standardises information while allowing personalisation for each patient.📈 Standardised digital consent can increase shared-decision making from 28% (with paper) to 72%, significantly improving patient involvement.📊 Digitising consent reduces administrative burden, decreases on-the-day treatment delays and cancellations, and minimises errors and medico-legal risks.🌍 In the UK, Concentric is used in over 30 NHS organisations and across private health groups, entirely replacing paper consent in many settings.👩‍💻 The current Australian consent process mirrors where the UK was several years ago; there is opportunity for improvement through digital adoption.⚙️ Digital consent tools enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and improve patient and clinician satisfaction.🔍 Concentric is seeking pilot partners in Australia and New Zealand to adapt and deploy their digital consent system.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Leon Young, Founder of Cogniss, Dr Sarah Hanieh, paediatrician and public health researcher, Professor Caroline Donovan, clinical psychologist at Griffith University, and Adjunct Professor Annette Schmiede. The episode covers the 2025 Priority Digital Health Challenge, delivered by Cogniss AWS and the Validatron, supported by the AIDH, the Digital Health CRC, NextGen, and Talking HealthTech. You’ll hear from members of the expert judging panel and the two winners from the challenge.We explore how digital health solutions are being co-designed and developed for underserved, priority populations, with a focus on bridging the gap between research, evidence-based innovation, and real-world impact. Key Takeaways🏢 The Priority Digital Health Challenge supports the creation of digital health solutions for underserved and priority populations, focusing on real-world needs that often do not fit traditional commercial models.🤝 Initiatives like the Challenge help surface solutions arising from lived experience and subject matter expertise, particularly for communities and conditions often overlooked by mainstream systems.👩‍⚕️ A strong emphasis is placed on making the process less daunting for health professionals and researchers, who may not be traditional entrepreneurs, by avoiding typical startup competition formats.⚙️ Winning projects included Project Shine, a culturally tailored nutrition literacy tool for refugee and migrant communities, and Lights Out, an evidence-based child sleep intervention programme being transformed into an app.💰 There is a significant challenge in translating research-led solutions into accessible, procured offerings within health systems due to limitations in procurement pathways and funding.🗣️ Democratizing innovation opportunities and using co-design principles ensures voices from diverse communities are heard, leading to more impactful and culturally relevant solutions.🌏 Upcoming initiatives, like the Ripple programme, aim to scale the Challenge internationally, provide more sustained support to cohorts of solutions, and address systemic gaps in distribution and uptake.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Bettina McMahon (CEO of HealthDirect Australia), Sanka Amadoru (Geriatrician and Founding Director of ARIA Health), and Elise Ford (Account Manager at Informedix) about the challenges and opportunities involved in building and sustaining multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in healthcare.They explore approaches to fostering effective collaboration across hospitals, the community, and aged care settings, examining the key barriers such as siloed systems, workforce shortages, and the evolving role of technology, including AI. This episode was recorded live online as part of a special session with Talking HealthTech company partners, Infomedix. Key Takeaways🗨️ Barriers to MDT Effectiveness: The panel discusses the main obstacles to effective multidisciplinary teams, with the majority of the audience survey identifying siloed systems, data, and technology as the biggest barrier, followed by poor communication and unclear team roles.🧑‍🤝‍👩 The Consumer-Centred Approach: Future-ready teams will need to be structured around patient-centred care. Consumers are increasingly expecting to be active participants, managing their own health conditions with support from their care teams, technology, and peer communities.👨‍💻 Integration of Technology: Technology is seen as essential for providing visibility and coordination across MDTs. However, it's stressed that technology solutions must align with the real-world workflow of clinical teams and shouldn’t add unnecessary administrative burden.🤖 Role of AI in Healthcare Teams: There is optimism about the potential for AI to augment MDTs, from triaging patients to supporting decision-making. However, adoption must be pragmatic, with safety, trust, and workforce adaptation in focus.🔍 Evolving Models of Care: The panel highlights real-world MDT case studies in settings like ‘Better at Home’ rehabilitation, aged care, and digital health navigation, underscoring both successful integrations and ongoing gaps, especially where external providers or systems remain siloed.🩺 Pragmatism and Flexibility: The importance of practical flexibility in MDTs is emphasised, both in adapting to unique patient needs and in navigating imperfect or incomplete technology solutions.💼 Workforce Pressures and Training: The growing demands on the healthcare workforce, particularly in nursing, are creating urgency for technology to take on a greater role. The significance of digital literacy and ongoing professional development is also explored.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Silvia Fazekas and Tracy Pemberton from Miller Blue Group about the critical role of change management in the successful implementation of digital health technology.Drawing on nearly two decades of practical experience in Australian healthcare and digital transformation, Sylvia and Tracy share their perspectives on the people side of tech projects, the importance of user engagement, and the need for ongoing support beyond the initial rollout. The conversation covers strategies for ensuring benefits realisation, managing stakeholders at all levels, and the concept of "enthusiasm as a service" to drive adoption of digital solutions in complex healthcare environments.Key Takeaways🤝 Change management is essential in digital health implementations because technology alone does not deliver benefits—people and processes are key.👩‍⚕️ Healthcare environments are complicated, and technology is often not the top priority for clinicians dealing with immediate patient care.🏥 Understanding clinical context, including terminology and frontline pressures, is crucial for effective change management.➕ Implementation support should go beyond emails and documentation, providing hands-on, in-context assistance and follow-up to ensure new systems embed successfully.🗣️ Engaging everyone, from frontline clinicians to executive leadership, is important for successful adoption. Senior leaders should understand and even use the systems being implemented.💰 Change management is often under-resourced in budgets, yet ongoing user support is necessary to realise the full benefits of digital transformation.🫂 Peer-to-peer support among users and visibility of improvements based on user feedback can significantly increase engagement and buy-in.🗨️ Users are encouraged to engage with change teams, provide feedback, and approach new systems with an open mind to maximise productivity gains and improve patient care.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level?Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Greg Rosenbauer, CEO and co-founder of Your Brain Health, and Lynette Reeves, Digital Health Lead at Miroma Project Factory (MPF), about the process of building digital health solutions. The conversation explores challenges faced by founders, the importance of early-stage consultation before writing code, and the unique hurdles of commercialising research and scaling health technology products.Key Takeaways🔍 Building digital health products should not start with coding. Early focus needs to be on understanding the problem, the end users, and identifying who will actually pay for the solution.🧠 Validation through stakeholder engagement, workflow mapping, and customer experience analysis is essential before moving into technology development.✍️ Health technology projects require consideration of compliance, regulation, integration with electronic health records (EHR/EMR), and can rarely be solved in a single development cycle.📃 Many innovations stem from clinicians or researchers dealing with fragmented or inefficient processes, often starting as paper-based or spreadsheet solutions before evolving into scalable platforms.👩‍🏫 The commercialisation journey is especially complex for academic researchers, as there can be a significant gap between evidence generation and market readiness. Consultancy and grant support are key enablers.🏥 Accelerators, grants, and support organisations like ANDHealth and Cicada Innovations are available in Australia to help bridge the “messy middle” between research and commercialisation, but the process remains competitive and challenging.💻 Co-design with diverse clients and iterative development enable digital health solutions to remain flexible and relevant as user needs and market opportunities evolve.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with James Sneddon from Hyphen Health, along with advocates and creators Harper Valentine and Nova Hawthorne, about sexual health stigma and the systems that need to be fixed to make healthcare genuinely accessible for marginalised and underserved communities.Key Takeaways♀️Sexual health stigma remains a major barrier: Many individuals, particularly sex workers, avoid testing and seeking care due to experiences of judgement and misunderstanding in traditional health settings.👩‍💻 Online services increase accessibility and dignity: Virtual clinics and online platforms provide more tailored, empathetic, and user-friendly health services for sex workers, offering greater privacy and speed.🧑‍🤝‍🧑Importance of co-design and community feedback: Involving people with lived experience in the design and ongoing improvement of healthcare services is essential for genuine patient-centred care.👩‍⚕️ Advice for practitioners and the ecosystem: Treating everyone with dignity, listening to patient feedback, and maintaining a continuous inclusivity feedback loop are crucial for breaking down stigma and improving care.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Nick White from Alcidion about the challenges, strategies, and frameworks involved in developing business cases for digital technology initiatives in healthcare, with a particular focus on patient flow.Nick shares his experience on aligning technology adoption with organisational priorities, the complexity of healthcare funding and stakeholders, and ways to evaluate and communicate the impact of digital solutions, including real-time data platforms and AI capabilities.Key Takeaways:💼 Business cases in healthcare are complex due to the critical nature of outcomes, the many stakeholder groups, and unique funding models.🗣️ The aim is to explain, not justify, the rationale for adopting digital health solutions, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities rather than merely convincing stakeholders.😷 Patient flow is a national priority in Australia, presenting challenges such as ageing populations, staff shortages, and resource constraints that require better decision-making tools and operational workflows.👩‍⚕️Unlike other sectors, healthcare business cases must balance quantifiable financial benefits with intangible benefits like patient experience, staff wellbeing, and clinician workflows.🏛️ Frameworks like the quadruple aim (patient experience, population health, financial impact, and clinician experience) help structure business cases to reflect the multi-faceted value of technology.🔍 Using independent impact studies and evidence-based research is key to substantiating expected benefits and outcomes in business cases.♒ Ripple effects, such as reductions in length of stay or administrative burden, can free up resources elsewhere in the system, but translating these benefits into financial figures can be nuanced.💡Strategic alignment with existing technical architecture and organisational direction is essential to avoid unnecessary complexity and to maximise the impact of digital investments.🩺 Clinician engagement and change management are crucial, with a focus on making improvements that support, rather than disrupt, patient care.🤖 The future of patient flow technology involves greater AI integration, advanced mobile capabilities, and real-time information delivery at the point of care.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dr Dennis Rausch, Chief Medical Officer at Dedalus, and Viti Handyside, ANZ Country Product Manager for ORBIS at Dedalus, about the importance and benefits of structured data in Health IT. The episode explores the challenges and opportunities associated with embedding structured data in electronic medical records (EMRs), the impact on clinicians’ daily workflows, and the broader implications for patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and health system innovation. They cover both local and global perspectives, examining how structured data enables better care, supports research, and sets the foundation for advances such as artificial intelligence in healthcare.Key Takeaways:🏥 Structured data in healthcare is critical for accurate data analytics, decision support, interoperability, and operational efficiency.📝 Free-text notes, while common in clinical workflows, can create ambiguity, increase cognitive load, and make it difficult for machines to interpret and leverage health data.🔗 Embedding structured data entry into clinicians’ natural workflows is key to adoption, reducing manual data entry burden, and improving data quality.🤖 New technologies, including ambient AI, natural language processing, and smart EMR interfaces, are enabling more seamless capture and utilisation of both structured and unstructured clinical information.🔍 Structured data enhances research capabilities, supports the development of digital twins, reduces errors, facilitates compliance, and helps avoid costly duplicate testing and administrative inefficiencies.🌍 There is still a journey required for widespread adoption in regions like Australia, but growing interest and investment in digital health is driving progress.💊 Future healthcare ecosystems will rely even more on structured data to power clinical decision support, population health analytics, and personalised medicine.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Marvin Malcolm, Head of Data and Integration Architecture at Telstra Health; Duncan Weatherston, CEO of Smile Digital Health; and Keith Kranz, Manager ICT at SA Pathology.The discussion explores the role of interoperability and data standardisation in modern healthcare, focusing on connected care. The guests share their perspectives from both Australian and global viewpoints, diving into real-world experiences, challenges, and future solutions in pathology and health information exchange.The episode looks at technology choices like HL7 FHIR, the evolution of data-driven healthcare, and how digital transformation impacts clinicians and patients.This episode is part four of a 4-part series by Talking HealthTech in collaboration with Telstra Health and Smile Digital Health called Connected Care: Bridging Gaps in Modern Healthcare.Key Takeaways🏥 Interoperability Requires Collaboration: Achieving interoperability in healthcare demands participation from a broad community - no single organisation can accomplish it alone. Collaboration across healthcare providers, government agencies, and technology partners is essential.🌍 Australian and Global Perspectives: The interoperability and data fragmentation challenges are not unique to Australia. Similar issues (including North America and Europe) are seen globally, but approaches can differ based on local regulations, systems, and clinical workflows.ℹ️ Role of Standards like FHIR: Moving towards data-driven models and FHIR-based solutions is central to breaking down data silos, improving data quality, and ensuring meaningful use of clinical information.💻 Patient-Centred, Computable Data: The shift to giving patients direct access to health information and making results more understandable is highlighted. Clinicians and patients benefit from better visualisation, interpretability, and predictive analytics.🤖 Future-Proofing Healthcare: The ability to scale and adapt technology (such as with FHIR) ensures that healthcare organisations can meet growing data, research, and clinical needs, as well as adapt to ongoing innovations, including AI and predictive modelling.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with healthcare leaders and innovators, including Auður Gudmundsdottir from Reykjavik City, Paula Bellostas Muguerza from Kearney, and fellow podcast host Shubs, along with Sophie Turner as co-host. The episode explores the digital transformation of community care services in Iceland, global efforts in women's health equity, practical challenges for clinicians working in health tech, and the impact of innovation in underserved populations.This episode was recorded during HLTH Europe 2025 in Amsterdam. To catch all the discussions that Talking HealthTech had during HLTH, including discussions with all the Australian organisations participating on the ANDHealth delegation, visit a dedicated playlist on our YouTube channel.Key Takeaways👴 Digital Transformation in Community Care: Reykjavik is implementing digital health solutions to assist elderly residents stay independent at home, including video visits, automated medication dispensers, and remote rehabilitation. Challenges include workforce shortages, shifting staff mindsets, and the need for national strategy.🏥 Scaling Technology in Care Delivery: There is a significant opportunity to expand remote care models, with estimates that up to 40% of current home nursing could be delivered through technology-enabled services.🤰 Women's Health Equity on a Global Stage: Women's health remains a critical topic globally, with a focus on making systemic changes in clinical research, guideline development, investment, and practical steps organisations can take daily. The importance of investment to drive real innovation was highlighted.👩‍⚕️ Role of Clinicians in Digital Health: Integrating clinicians into health tech teams requires a shift from token advisory roles to active participation in product development and quality improvement. Building collaborative relationships before formalising processes helps generate better outcomes.🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Underserved Communities and Technology Implementation: Global lessons can be learnt from the use of digital health and AI in low- and middle-income settings. Emphasising context-specific solutions and working backwards from real community needs is more effective than technology-driven interventions.Timestamps00:00 - 01:26 Introduction01:28 - 14:53 Audur Gudmundsdottir, Reykjavík City Welfare Department14:57 - 23:00 Paula Bellostas Muguerza, Kearney23:04 - 36:10 Shubs Upadhyay, Global Perspectives on Digital HealthCheck out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Ida Tin from Femtech Assembly, Jessica Morley from the Yale Digital Ethics Center, Sharmini Alagaratnam from DNV, and Ricardo Baptista Leite from HealthAI about the evolution of digital health in Europe, the future of femtech, responsible AI in healthcare, the challenges of synthetic data, and the importance of data governance. They highlight perspectives on innovation, ethics, and the role of technology across health systems.This episode was recorded at HIMSS Europe 2025 in Paris and features a selection of the conversations captured at the event on Podcast Row. For a full list of interviews recorded during the event, check out the dedicated playlist on the Talking HealthTech YouTube channel.Key Takeaways👩‍⚕️ Femtech as an Industry: Ida Tin, who coined the term "femtech," discusses the journey of women's health technologies from niche to a substantial market sector, underlining both the business case and societal impacts of investment in women’s health.👩‍👧‍👦 Societal Infrastructure and Women’s Health: Recognising women’s health as foundational to society’s functioning, paralleling other types of infrastructure, and emphasising the regenerative nature of investing in this area.🤖 Responsible AI Implementation: Ricardo Baptista Leite addresses the need for intentional and purposeful adoption of AI in health, stressing governance structures, regulatory frameworks, and the urgency of scalable, ethical deployment especially in low- and middle-income countries.🤝 Synthetic Data and Trust: Sharmini Alagaratnam explains the growing use of synthetic data in healthcare for AI development, its role in addressing data scarcity and privacy, and the need for clear quality frameworks to assess effectiveness and representation.⚖️ Ethics of AI and Health Data Usage: Jessica Morley explores the complexities of secondary data use, the balance between personalisation and population health, privacy risks, and the ethical considerations required when deploying AI and data-driven solutions in healthcare.🛜 Data Sharing as an Enabler: All guests touch on the need for better data sharing across health systems to unlock value not just for individuals, but also for wider population health and cross-industry insights.Timestamps00:00 - 01:02 Introduction01:03 - 11:11 Ida Tin, Femtech Assembly11:15 - 21:49 Jessica Morley, Yale Digital Ethics Centre21:54 - 32:06 Sharmini Alagaratnam, DNV32:10 - 49:06 Ricardo Baptista Leite, HealthAICheck out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Stacey Clifford and Chris Roll from Daedalus about interoperability, structured data, and ambulance workflows in the Australian healthcare context. The discussion covers the development and implementation of the amPHI platform, which enables connected electronic patient care records for ambulance services, and explores how structured data and interoperability are being used to transform pre-hospital care, support clinical decision-making, and improve continuity of care. The episode also touches on the real-world deployment of amPHI in South Australia and lessons learned from international implementations.Key Takeaways:📄 amPHI is not simply a digitised version of paper records, but a comprehensive electronic patient care record (ePCR) system designed for ambulance services. It allows live data sharing between dispatched units and hospitals, facilitating smooth patient handovers and early hospital preparation.✍️ The use of structured data and standard nomenclature (e.g. SNOMED CT-AU) supports accurate, consistent, and interoperable documentation. This reduces reliance on free text, enhances reporting, and underpins meaningful data mining for quality reviews and clinical research.Integrating amPHI with national health systems like My Health Record allows paramedics not only to access patient histories in real-time but also to contribute records directly, improving patient care and information continuity across the healthcare system.🚑 The rollout in South Australia marks a transition from paper to digital for ambulance records, promising single patient records viewable by all involved and feeding back into My Health Record. Clinicians are engaged and eager to use the new platform.🤝 The discussion highlights that implementing standards like FHIR is only one part of effective interoperability. True benefits come from aligning on profiles, terminology, and ongoing collaboration between providers.🔍 Case studies from Denmark demonstrate how a mature digital ambulance record system can yield rich data for research and care improvement, such as assessing oxygen delivery to trauma patients.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Jane Thompson, Chief Product Officer at MediRecords, and Dr. Max Mollenkopf, a GP and practice owner in Newcastle.The discussion explores the evolving landscape of patient empowerment through access to their own health records, the impact of technology on general practice, and how MediRecords is shaping both the clinician and patient experience.The episode covers the challenges and opportunities in digitising healthcare workflows, the changing expectations of consumers, and the development of patient portals as a bridge between clinicians and their patients.Key Takeaways:👩‍💻 Patient empowerment and engagement are becoming increasingly important, with younger, digitally-savvy patients expecting more access and control over their health information.🏥 Traditional general practice models are under pressure from new customer-centred digital solutions and changing funding structures.🖥️ MediRecords is developing and delivering a patient portal, Engage, that allows patients to access appointments, results, documents, and to-do lists assigned by their GP.🔍 Data transparency and default sharing of lab results, referral letters, and clinical notes enhance patient experience and continuity of care.🩺 Technology must serve both clinicians and patients, requiring solutions that streamline clinician workflows while also delivering value and usability to patients.📃 Uptake of digital solutions like Engage is strong when patients see immediate, clear value, such as access to their own records for sharing with healthcare teams.📈 Efficiency, productivity, and removing friction from administrative tasks are critical for independent clinics to thrive.👩‍⚕️ The healthcare landscape is shifting, with more competition, consumer awareness, and an increasing need for innovative, validated health data integrations, such as wearable device tracking and AI-enabled workflows.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

Virtual healthcare has become a fixture in the Australian health landscape, but not everyone has the same privilege to easy access. Distance, availability, digital literacy, and cultural safety remain major barriers, especially in regional, rural, and remote communities. This episode of Talking HealthTech with Margot Morton from CareZen explores how virtual care pods, purpose-built environments for virtual care, are attempting to bridge these gaps. The conversation delves into the design, deployment, and early impact of these solutions, and what it takes to improve healthcare access across diverse Australian communities.Access the full episode article: www.talkinghealtech.com/podcastJoin the Talking HealthTech newsletter: www.talkinghealthtech.com/newsletterBecome a THT+ Member: www.talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Alan Pritchard (Director EMR and ICT Services, Austin Health), Catherine de Fontenay (Commissioner, Productivity Commission), Dr Shannon Nott (Chief Medical Officer, Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section), and Karen Gallagher (General Manager of Strategy & Consumer Experience, Healthdirect) about innovation, digital health adoption, productivity, and patient-centred care in Australian healthcare.The discussion covers challenges and approaches to technology implementation, productivity gains and system efficiencies, digital health equity, and empowering consumers through self-care and trustworthy health information.This episode was recorded during the Digital Health Festival 2025 in Melbourne, Australia and features several of the conversations that Talking HealthTech captured on the ground during the event.Timestamps:00:00 - 01:06 Introduction01:07 - 11:33 Alan Pritchard, Director EMR and ICT Services, Austin Health11:34 - 18:37 Catherine de Fontenay, Commissioner, Productivity Commission18:37 - 23:30 Dr Shannon Nott, Chief Medical officer, Royal Flying Doctor Service (South Eastern Section)23:30 - 30:08 Karen Gallagher, General Manager, Strategy & Consumer Experience, HealthdirectKey Takeaways- The Digital Health Festival 2025 brought together thousands of professionals from the healthcare technology sector, promoting networking, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas from across Australia and the world.📃Alan discusses Victoria’s approach to electronic medical records (EMR), the benefits and drawbacks of decentralisation, and recent advancements in AI adoption at Austin Health, including research projects with generative AI.📊 Catherine explains how the Productivity Commission is now measuring productivity in healthcare based on quality of life and life expectancy, noting that productivity growth in health has outpaced much of the economy, but cost containment remains a pressing concern.✈️ Shannon shares the history and ongoing role of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in linking innovation and technology to address rural and remote healthcare inequities and highlights the continuing importance of sector-wide collaboration in designing care models.🏥 Karen discusses Healthdirect’s focus on supporting self-care, understanding barriers to following medical advice outside acute settings, and consumer research into building confidence and addressing health anxiety post-pandemic.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.To catch even more of the discussions recorded at DHF, head over to the THT Youtube channel for a dedicated playlist of all the interviews captured at the event. Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with James Somauroo, the host of The Healthtech Podcast.The episode covers the evolving landscape of digital health, the practical impact and deployment of AI in healthcare, the digital divide, and the future role of empathy in health technology. This episode was recorded live on stage during the Digital Health Festival 2025 in Melbourne, Australia.Key Takeaways✒️ The current wave of AI adoption in healthcare is progressing rapidly, with significant moves such as deploying AI scribes in UK general practices and AI-driven dermatology services being approved for use.🏥 The healthcare industry still faces significant gaps in digital maturity, especially in areas like clinical coding and post-discharge data management. Many private hospitals struggle with the basics of electronic medical records, limiting the immediate impact of advanced technologies.🤖 Deploying AI "because we can" raises ethical questions. Pete and James discuss the need for frameworks to determine where AI is appropriate, especially when empathy and human touch may be required.📈 The rapid progress of AI risks widening the digital divide in healthcare, potentially leading to unequal access to human care versus AI-driven services, particularly in primary care settings or among those unable to pay for premium care.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Brad Kearns, Head of Strategic Workforce Planning & Talent Acquisition at Uniting NSW.ACT, about the realities of workforce management in aged care and the organisation’s journey with RLDatix’s technology platforms. Recorded from the RLDatix booth at the Digital Health Festival 2025, the conversation explores how Uniting leverages workforce management systems to improve rostering, enhance staff experience, and drive operational efficiency across their residential aged care and community services.Key TakeawaysTechnology implementation in aged care goes beyond just adding new systems; true value comes from equipping people with the right skills to make the most of these tools.Uniting NSW.ACT's transition from legacy rostering to RLDatix’s Optima platform focused on workforce management compliance, payroll accuracy, and continuous process improvement rather than a one-off change.The main challenge is not the abundance of technology but consistently embedding and integrating it into operational culture, along with ongoing staff engagement and training.Workflow integration and interoperability enable systems to handle administrative work so humans can focus on high-value tasks and staff engagement, rather than manual data handling.Continuous measurement and learning are synthesised into organisational improvement, aiming never to settle but to keep pushing towards better operational and care outcomes.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Kevin Zhu and Adrian Ha from BAI Communications about the crucial role of mobile connectivity in healthcare settings. The discussion explores how BAI Communications, with its background in broadcast technology, is working to improve mobile coverage inside hospitals and other healthcare facilities through solutions like distributed antenna systems (DAS) and private mobile networks (PMNs), as well as the impact of reliable connectivity on healthcare operations and patient care.This episode was recorded at the Digital Health Festival 2025 and features a conversation providing perspective on mobile connectivity challenges and solutions within Australian healthcare.Key Takeaways:- Reliable mobile connectivity is now an essential expectation in healthcare, impacting staff workflows and patient experience.- Building materials, hospital layouts, and underground or dense environments can cause significant mobile black spots, making it challenging for staff and patients to make calls and access data.- Distributed antenna systems (DAS) extend public mobile operator signals indoors, targeting coverage for critical hospital areas such as emergency departments, lifts, basements, and stairwells.- Private mobile networks (PMNs) serve specific operational needs within a hospital, providing enhanced internal communications, real-time patient monitoring, and supporting advanced use cases like AR/VR technology in surgical theatres.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Dr Jamie Phillips, Chief Medical Officer at Updoc, about the evolution of digital health, governance, and the challenges of delivering remote healthcare in Australia. Recorded live at Digital Health Festival 2025, the discussion covers Jamie’s journey from military medicine in the UK to rural Australia, his experiences with innovation under pressure, how Updoc addresses the healthcare access gap, and the critical need for robust digital and virtual care governance.Key Takeaways- There are strong similarities between digital health innovation and military operations: both require bold missions, robust governance, and a willingness to embrace failure as a learning opportunity.- Governance is positioned as fundamental for safe, effective, and innovative digital healthcare, offering both patient safety and freedom to innovate within clear boundaries.- Australia currently lacks a fit-for-purpose digital health governance framework; industry leaders actively seek regulation and guidance to support the rapid pace of technological change.- Updoc is focused on closing the healthcare access gap in Australia by providing unscheduled, AI-native primary care services to rural and metropolitan communities.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Niru Rajakumar, CEO of hospitals at McCrae Tech, about the company’s formation, its relationship with Orion Health, and the current direction of healthcare technology focused on AI and electronic patient records. The conversation explores McCrae Tech’s origins as a spin-off from Orion Health after a significant acquisition, the legacy of Ian McCrae, and how the company is positioned to innovate in digital health solutions for hospitals and health data platforms.This episode was recorded during the Digital Health Festival 2025, capturing the developments and conversations at the McCrae Tech booth.Key TakeawaysMcCrae Tech was launched as an innovation hub, spun off from Orion Health following the sale of half its assets related to population health.Orion Health and McCrae Tech maintain close ties, sharing board members and reciprocal agreements to utilise each other's technologies. AI is a primary strategic focus for McCrae Tech, intending to embed AI across all business areas, from automated clinical documentation and decision support to population health analytics.McCrae Tech is developing its own AI tools and is looking to partner with other healthtech AI organisations to enhance interoperability and capabilities.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Catherine Lambert, Director of Clinical Operations at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse; Cailin Lowry, IT Project Manager at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse; Matthew McBride, Solutions Executive for MEDITECH Asia Pacific; and Douglas Murray, Managing Director at MEDITECH Asia Pacific. The discussion centres around their collaborative approach to electronic medication management implementation, the phased digital transformation at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, and the ongoing partnership with MEDITECH to improve clinical workflows and patient care. This episode was recorded live from the MEDITECH booth at the Digital Health Festival 2025 in Melbourne, Australia.Key TakeawaysChris O'Brien Lifehouse has evolved from a newly established hospital to an organisation prioritising holistic cancer care, research, and wellbeing, with technology playing a central role in delivering coordinated patient services.The hospital’s journey with MEDITECH has spanned more than ten years, beginning with basic systems and expanding towards a comprehensive electronic medical record suite, implemented through a phased, adaptable, and collaborative approach.The partnership between Chris O'Brien Lifehouse and MEDITECH is strengthened by transparent communication, adaptability to feedback, and a focus on maintaining consistent clinical workflows without forcing dramatic shifts in daily practice.MEDITECH as a Service (MaaS) and its implementation on Google Cloud infrastructure is attracting attention across Australia, with further expansion in private and not-for-profit healthcare settings.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Shelley Thomson, Co-founder and Director of Patient Experience Agency, about embedding patient voice and human-centred design into healthcare reform. Shelley shares Patient Experience Agency’s approach to co-designing healthcare services to deliver more personalised, outcomes-driven care, discusses the vital distinction between patient feedback and patient-reported measures, and unpacks practical strategies for clinicians and organisations to meaningfully involve patients, carers, and their families in shaping healthcare experiences.Key Takeaways: “Nothing About Me, Without Me” means co-designing healthcare with patients and carers, not just collecting feedback after making decisions.There is a crucial difference between patient satisfaction surveys (feedback on services) and Patient-Reported Outcome/Experience Measures (PROMs/PREMs), which reflect how patients are doing and what matters to them.Truly personalised care focuses on what is most important to each patient, considering their life goals, needs, and circumstances, not just clinical outcomes.Embedding patient-reported measures requires more than collecting data; the real shift happens when clinicians use this information to tailor care and drive better outcomes.Behaviour change programs, including structured learning and peer support, are much more effective than isolated attempts to implement PROMs/PREMs in driving sustained improvements in patient experience and uptake.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Elizabeth Holm Rannaleet, Head of Product for Data and Insights at Telstra Health, and Dr. Matt Burton, Lead Physician Informatician at Smile Digital Health. The discussion explores population health data in Australia, the challenges of fragmented health information, the role of data infrastructure and open standards, and the recent partnership between Telstra Health and Smile Digital Health. The guests examine how improved data sharing and the adoption of modern infrastructure can enable better health outcomes, inform policy, and support clinicians, researchers, and government agencies in Australia and globally.This episode is part three of a 4-part series by Talking HealthTech in collaboration with Telstra Health and Smile Digital Health called Connected Care: Bridging Gaps in Modern Healthcare.Key Takeaways:Defining Population Health Data: Population health focuses on the health outcomes of groups, tracking the prevalence and incidence of conditions in defined communities. Analytics in this space inform health policy and system design.Data Fragmentation Challenges: In Australia, health data is highly fragmented across general practices, pharmacies, hospitals, and government systems, making it challenging to draw timely or comprehensive insights for individual and population-level interventions.Role of Centralised Repositories: Establishing centralised population health data repositories would make it easier to identify health trends, allocate resources, perform preventative health planning, and respond to emerging health issues.Enabling Technologies and Standards: Open standards such as HL7 FHIR help connect disparate systems securely and enable meaningful, permissioned data sharing. This not only improves interoperability but also supports real-time, longitudinal analytics.Building Public Trust: Ensuring strong governance, clear consent models, robust access controls, and transparent communication is crucial to establishing public trust and realising the benefits of health data sharing.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Julie Sturgess, Chief Executive Officer of Country to Coast Queensland (CCQ), about democratising healthcare and driving equity in regional Australia. Julie shares her perspective on the complexities of delivering care across CCQ’s diverse region, which spans remote, rural, and outer metro areas, including Central Queensland, Wide Bay, and the Sunshine Coast.The conversation explores how data, technology, and genuine community partnerships influence new models of care, advance mental health reform, and build resilience in the face of major challenges such as disasters and homelessness.Key TakeawaysEquity as a Design Principle: Equity is not just an outcome but a foundational principle for CCQ. Achieving true health equity demands factoring in social determinants and measuring impact beyond clinical outcomes, including using sustainability frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals.Integrated, Community-led Solutions: CCQ emphasises community co-design, putting local voices at the centre of system reforms and program delivery. Data and community insights shape the priorities and development of healthcare solutions.Resilience and Preparedness: CCQ works with local agencies and communities to strengthen disaster preparedness and support recovery, recognising that building resilience is key to ongoing community health.Early Detection and Demand Management: Projects like PHASES and collecting homelessness data aim to reduce long-term systemic pressure through proactive, targeted, and data-driven approaches.Mental Health Reform: CCQ focuses on diversifying referral pathways and using data to streamline access to relevant care, recognising the need for tailored solutions in mental health support across regional Australia.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it. Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Nicole Allan and Federica Lanzo from Orion Health about the realities of interoperability in healthcare. Nicole, VP of Solutioning and Delivery, brings decades of experience implementing digital health systems globally, while Federica, Product Director for Interoperability, offers a technical perspective on integrating data standards and leveraging new technology. Together, they discuss what interoperability means at the point of care, why FHIR compliance is just the beginning, the practical challenges of working across sectors and geographies, the role of AI, and how initiatives like the International Patient Summary (IPS) are shaping the future of connected healthcare.Key Takeaways:🩺 Interoperability in a clinical setting is about securely ensuring relevant, accurate, and timely patient information flows between providers, reducing repeated tests, improving coordination, and enhancing safety for patients and clinicians.⚙️ The challenge of achieving true interoperability goes beyond just technical standards like FHIR; it requires broad adoption, stakeholder engagement, flexible approaches for legacy systems, and governance that aligns with local needs and realities.🏥 Real-world implementations that work are driven by phased rollouts, practical engagement with clinicians and stakeholders, and integration within hospitals and GPs and across community, social care, and justice sector settings.🌐 The adoption of standards such as FHIR and IPS is increasing momentum globally, yet transitioning from compliance to data utility means focusing on context-rich, easily consumable information tailored for clinicians and patients alike.🤝 Progress in interoperability is as much about social and organisational change as it is about technology; stakeholder collaboration, alignment on data governance, and willingness to evolve long-standing practices are essential.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Consumer Health Partnerships, we speak with Debra Letica, former carer and citizen leader, and Dr Viktoria Stein from the International Foundation for Integrated Care, about the Citizens Leadership Research Project. They highlight the significant role of citizen leaders in co-creating integrated care systems and the impact of genuinely involving consumers in health care reform.Debra shares her journey of becoming a citizen leader and how her personal experiences as a carer helped her advocate for better healthcare systems. Dr Viktoria Stein explains the origins of the Citizen Leadership Research Project, and their move to involve citizen leaders from around the globe. Both discuss the importance of genuine partnerships between health professionals and consumers, offering insights into how these relationships can enhance care delivery.Key Takeaways:Importance of Inclusion: Including citizen leaders from the very start of the project to shape priorities and questions.Diverse Perspectives: Recognise that different communities want and need to be involved in various ways.Mentorship Value: Mentors play a crucial role in building confidence and guiding new citizen leaders.Collaborative Networks: Leverage existing networks and international collaborations to find and engage citizen leaders.Shared Challenges: Citizen leaders worldwide face similar barriers and motivations, reinforcing the universal need for integrated, consumer-driven care.Links & Resources:Debra Letica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-l-14b79b74/Viktoria Stein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikstein/Citizen Leadership Research: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/health-and-social-care-leadership/research/citizen-leadershipRACP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/royal-australasian-college-of-physicians/posts/?feedView=allInternational Journal of Integrated Care: https://ijic.org/Consumer Health Forum Canberra (National Body) : https://www.linkedin.com/company/consumers-health-forum/posts/?feedView=allHealth Consumer Council WA : https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthconsumerscouncil/posts/?feedView=allHealth Consumers NSW: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-consumers-nsw/posts/?feedView=allCarers WA: https://www.linkedin.com/company/carers-wa/posts/?feedView=allCarers Australia: https://www.linkedin.com/company/carers-australia/posts/?feedView=allConsumer Health Partnerships is a podcast for healthcare stakeholders that spotlights the synergistic power of partnering with consumers to share a human-centred health system. We share inspiring stories and practical strategies from healthcare professionals at the forefront of embracing a human-centred approach to patient experience and a patient-centred approach to patient experience and co-design. We are redefining care by respecting their patients’ equal place in conversations about their health.This show is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Sam Wood, Head of Product at Meddbase, and Greg Jennings, Chief Engagement Officer at Beyond Blue. The discussion centres on the current state of workplace mental health in Australia, the increasing importance of prevention and early intervention, and how technology and partnerships are reframing mental health support at work. Sam shares the story behind Meddbase's collaboration with Beyond Blue to deliver the Before Blue programme, while Greg outlines the realities facing Australian workplaces and the measurable impact of practical, data-driven solutions for mental health.Key Takeaways🧠 The prevalence of mental health issues remains high in Australia, with 1 in 5 people experiencing a mental health condition each year, and almost half the population affected in their lifetime.🛑 Prevention and early intervention are essential; initiatives like Before Blue focus on building practical skills and supporting staff before issues escalate — shifting from reactive support to proactive care.🔐 Secure data management and straightforward service design are critical for building trust in digital mental health tools, enabling measurable outcomes for individuals and organisations.🏢 Effective workplace mental health strategies require commitment from leadership, integration into company culture, and a move beyond awareness campaigns to actions with real, measurable benefits.🤝 Partnerships between technology providers and mental health organisations, like Meddbase and Beyond Blue, are delivering solutions that are accessible, evidence-based, and scalable for Australian workplaces.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Lily Liu, the Divisional Director of Digital Health at Western Health. They discuss Western Health's recent efforts in digital health transformation, focusing on Western Health Care Connect (WHCC), a system designed to consolidate patient medical information across various visits into a single, accessible view.Key Takeaways:🩺 Care Connect is there to make life easier for medical staff by bringing together all the important bits of a patient's record, like demographics, allergies, and visit history, into one handy view.💻 The setup tackles the usual EMR headaches like endless clicking and browsing for details by giving clinicians an easy-to-use landing page.📲 They're also working on getting info to GPs more smoothly, moving away from the old fax system to secure messaging.🌍 Western Health is stepping up and is taking tips from big players in the UK and Canada to nail the implementation of Care Connect.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Kai Van Lieshout, cofounder and CEO of Lyrebird Health, about the rise of AI scribe technology in healthcare. The discussion explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in reducing clinicians' administrative workload, AI in primary care consultation workflows, data privacy considerations, practical realities of adopting AI scribes, and documentation automation in medical practice.Key Takeaways📝 AI Scribes in Healthcare: AI scribes can speed up medical workflows by automating notetaking and document generation, significantly reducing clinicians' time on paperwork.🔗 Integration with Practice Management Systems: Deep integration between AI scribe solutions and existing electronic medical records or practice management software makes deployment seamless and more valuable for clinicians.🤝 Patient Experience and Consent: Patient acceptance of AI scribes in consultations is high when doctors explain the benefit of improved attention; information transparency builds trust.✅ Trusted AI Outputs: AI scribe recommendations and extractions are verified against patient records to ensure accuracy. The final responsibility and liability remain with the clinician, making trusted system design important.🔍 Choosing the Right AI Scribe: Key decision factors are data sovereignty, product integrations, and how well the AI matches and represents a clinician’s documentation style.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Dr Jason Brown, Chief Digital Health Officer at Metro North Health; Dr Rae Donovan, Acting Chief Clinical Information Officer of eHealth Queensland; Dr Mia McLanders, Manager of Research and Innovation at Metro North Health; Fiona Armstrong, CEO at Liquid; and Kate Wylie, Director of Health at Liquid, exploring why healthcare technology so often misses the mark. The discussion dives into why projects fail to scale, how local needs can be balanced with system reform, the importance of genuine co-design, and why adoption, rather than rollout, decides whether healthtech delivers benefit for clinicians and patients.This episode was recorded at the Clinical Skills Development Service at Metro North Health in Brisbane, during a special Future Led panel event hosted by THT+ partners Liquid. The event brought together clinicians, designers and innovators to discuss collaboration, smarter procurement, and systemic reform in healthcare technology.Key TakeawaysTechnology in healthcare is frequently bolted on as an afterthought, often addressing symptoms rather than fundamental causes. This results in fragmented, clunky workflows for clinicians and patients.The healthcare system is highly interconnected, and solving one workflow in isolation may create issues elsewhere. Successful innovation requires a systems approach.Systemic reform needs proactive planning, investment in 'invisible plumbing' (like data standards and interoperability), and a shift away from short-term, patchwork funding.True co-design puts every stakeholder at the table from the beginning, not just for sign-off at the end. Sustainable change comes from interdisciplinary collaboration, not silos.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Chris Pymble from Graphics et al., Dr Bhavesh Patel from Queensland Children’s Hospital, and Dr Brent Richards from Gold Coast Hospital. They dive into why good communication in healthcare is such a big deal and how it affects patient care and system efficiency.Key Takeaways:• Effective communication is crucial in healthcare, impacting not just patient outcomes but also the efficiency of healthcare systems.• Current systems often result in fragmented communication due to lack of integration, stressing the need for streamlined processes.• Digital tools, including AI, can personalise patient information, making healthcare communication more effective and accessible.• Making sure patients get what's going on involves changing up how doctors communicate, using visuals, and translating information when needed.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet-ups, special offers, and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dan Michelson, CEO of RLDatix, Leanne Lind, Head of Policy Governance at St. John of God Health Care, Imtiaz Bhayat, CIO at Regis Aged Care, and Barbara Staruk, Chief Product Officer at RLDatix. They discuss how tech, AI, and innovation are changing healthcare policy, compliance, and more. This episode was recorded at the Connected Health & Care Summit Asia-Pacific 2025 in Melbourne, hosted by RLDatix.Key Takeaways:🌍 RLDatix is making waves globally with its impressive risk, safety, workforce, and data management portfolio.🤝 Health systems benefit from a partnership approach rather than just viewing vendors as product providers, highlighting collaboration for solving pressing challenges in healthcare IT.🤖 The role of AI in making clinical systems more efficient by capturing data and predicting potential outcomes was discussed.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet-ups, special offers, and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus

In this episode of Consumer Health Partnerships, we speak with Anja Christoffersen from Champion Health Agency and Jeremy Kerr from QUT Design Lab about the importance and application of co-design in the healthcare sector.Anja and Jeremy shared their extensive experience in co-designing health services and projects, highlighting the need for genuine consumer collaboration. Discussing their respective roles and achievements, including Jeremy's project on resources for health professionals and Anja's integrated design methods. They aim to demystify co-design, explaining its methods and the significance of creative and empathetic collaboration. As well as addressing the benefits and challenges involved in implementing co-design practices in healthcare environments.Key Takeaways: Participation Importance: Highlighting that co-design needs practical participation to fully understand its value. Co-Design Methods: Various methods like journey mapping and empathy mapping are critical in understanding lived and professional experiences. Starting Small: They recommend starting small with co-design methods, focusing on comfort and practicality. Framework Adaptability: Emphasising that co-design frameworks must be adaptable to different contexts and needs. Creative Collaboration: Successful co-design relies on creativity and empathetic collaboration, with no predetermined outcomes.Links & Resources: Anja Christoffersen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anja-christoffersen-999446152/ Jeremy Kerr: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/jeremy.kerr QUT, School of Design: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/faculty-of-creative-industries-education-social-justice/school-of-design Design for Health: https://research.qut.edu.au/designlab/programs/References mentioned by Jeremy during the podcast: Link for the book via Australian distributor (cheaper than international publishers): https://www.hachette.com.au/jeremy-kerr/the-art-of-co-design-solving-problems-through-creative-collaboration Eating disorder co-design podcast link (In Full Bloom): https://open.spotify.com/show/6uhfJm0F2oUFOEdW1Y4K1W (it’s on Apple podcasts too!)Consumer Health Partnerships is a podcast for healthcare stakeholders that spotlights the synergistic power of partnering with consumers to share a human-centred health system. We share inspiring stories and practical strategies from healthcare professionals at the forefront of embracing a human-centred approach to patient experience and co-design. We are redefining care by respecting their patients’ equal place in conversations about their health.This show is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Diana Pitts, CEO of Coviu Global, about telehealth's journey from the early days of 2018 to its rapid growth during COVID-19 and what the future holds. They dive into how clinics across Australia can weave telehealth into everyday operations, making it a vital part of healthcare delivery.Key Takeaways:🦠 During COVID-19, telehealth became a critical tool rather than a mere convenience, challenging clinics to adapt quickly.⚙️ Many clinics grappled with integrating telehealth into their practice, often relying on inadequate tools that lack clinical workflows' specific needs.🌍 Telehealth offers clinics ways to expand their reach without expanding physical space, allowing greater flexibility in care delivery and operational hours.📞 Coviu is seamlessly integrating phone consultations alongside a video, leveraging AI medical scribes that respect patient consent, and providing more efficient practice management solutionsCheck out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.Loving the show? Leave us a review, and share it with someone who might get some value from it.Keen to take your healthtech to the next level? Become a THT+ Member for access to our online community forum, meet-ups, special offers and more exclusive content. For more information visit talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus