Talking HealthTech

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