Intro

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.

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