Talking HealthTech

In this episode of Talking Health Tech, host Sophie Turner is joined by Dr Vishnu Gopalan, a general practitioner and the founder of Hola Health. Dr Gopalan shares his journey from being a GP to creating Hola Health, a telehealth platform that aims to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for all people. He talks about the challenges in accessing healthcare, the unique features of Hola Health, and their focus on providing mental health services. Key Takeaways:- Hola Health is a telehealth platform that offers on-demand consultations with doctors within 10 minutes, making healthcare more accessible for all.- The platform also provides medicine delivery services, ensuring a complete end-to-end solution for patients.- Hola Health has been able to connect patients with GPs quickly by utilising the free time of doctors, such as lunch breaks or after work hours.- The platform aims to make mental health services more accessible and less daunting by providing timely consultations and facilitating appoin

In this episode of Talking HealthTech recorded at VALDCON 2023, host Peter Birch speaks with Karl Goodman from Athletes Authority and Shaun Palmer, a physical therapist and VALD team member from the U.S. They discuss the integration of technology in healthcare, particularly in improving athletes' performance metrics and streamlining the rehabilitation process. They also delve into the importance of leveraging metrics and data for effective patient treatment.Key Takeaways:

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Sophie Turner sits down with guest Vivek Krishnan, Chief Technology Officer of Alcidion. They delve into the world of digital innovation in healthcare and discuss the importance of interoperability, event-driven platforms, and the FHIR standard (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources). Vivek shares insights into Alcidion's patient flow solutions and how their FHIR events platform is revolutionising data exchange and improving patient care. Key Takeaways:The National FHIR Accelerator Programme, launched by the Department of Health and CSIRO, aims to facilitate real-time data exchange in healthcare in Australia.FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is a standard that enables the exchange of healthcare information between different systems using technologies like HTTP, JSON, and MSDP.Alcidion specialises in patient flow solutions and utilises event-driven platforms to process and manage healthcare events, triggering actionable outcomes.Th

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch sits down with Vikram Palit, CEO and Founder of ConsultMed. Vikram discusses his background as a paediatrician and his journey into technology, as well as the founding and purpose of ConsultMed. The conversation explores the challenges of paper-based referrals and documents in healthcare, and how ConsultMed aims to digitise and streamline the referral process.Key Takeaways:Digital transformation in healthcare is no longer optional; it's a strategic necessity to improve efficiency and data security.ConsultMed integrates digital referrals and workflow automation, aiming to replace antiquated paper-based systems.AI technologies like Optical Character Recognition (OCR) significantly streamline the referral process by enabling direct-to-EMR capabilities.Digital referrals offer improved speed and traceability, bolstering accountability and reducing the risk of data mismanagement.Advanced AI can assist in document summarisation, alleviating the administrative b

In this episode of Talking Health Tech, host Nathan Moore chats with Silvia Pfeiffer, the CEO of Coviu. Silvia shares her journey from being a computer scientist to co-founding Coviu and leading the digitization of health tech. They discuss Coviu's unique features as an all-in-one virtual care engagement platform, including its integration capabilities, administrative insights, and focus on uplifting the quality of care through clinical consultations. Silvia also delves into the challenges of interoperability and the practical steps Coviu has taken to address this issue.Key Takeaways:Seamless workflow integration is a cornerstone of effective telehealth platforms, something demonstrated by Coviu's capability to sync with existing healthcare software. This removes barriers in the patient experience and streamlines administrative tasks.Beyond just video calls, telehealth platforms are revolutionising the quality of care through advanced clinical tools. Platforms like Coviu offer automated scoring systems and da

This episode of Talking HealthTech was recorded live at University of Queensland during Taking Healthcare Everywhere - the launch of the 2023 Philips Future Health Index report.In this discussion, host Peter Birch is joined on stage by Dr Steve Hambleton, Jade Barclay, and Dr Rolf Gomes for a discussion on the maldistribution of the healthcare workforce in Australia and the potential of digital advancements, including artificial intelligence (AI) and remote care, to address the issue. The panelists share their experiences and insights, highlighting the importance of trust in AI systems, the need for equitable healthcare across regional and remote areas, and the role of technology in bridging the access gap. The episode also explores the challenges in achieving widespread adoption of AI in healthcare and the potential solutions to overcome them.Key Takeaways- The maldistribution of healthcare providers in Australia is a major challenge, with a lack of placement in areas that need them the most.- Trust in AI sy

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Sophie Turner sits down with Giovanni Loricella, the managing partner of Lifeblood Capital. Giovanni has a strong background in finance and has helped over 500 startups in the medical device and medtech industries. Lifeblood Capital focuses on assisting health tech startups by building teams and securing funding from the right investors. Giovanni shares his insights and strategies for raising capital, building the right team, and the importance of due diligence in the startup world.Key Takeaways:- Startups often make the mistake of not conducting due diligence when raising capital, resulting in them reaching out to the wrong investors.- Angel investors should invest in the founder's passion and dedication, not just the technology.- Balancing the pursuit of investment with the core mission of the startup is crucial.- Finding the right team members who align with the startup's vision is vital for success.Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthT

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch is joined by guest Oliver Canfell, a Research Fellow in Digital Health at The University of Queensland and clinically trained as an Accredited Practising Dietitian. In this episode, Oliver shares his journey from being confronted with the reality of patients struggling with obesity to their realisation of the need to treat people earlier and pursue a PhD in research to prevent unhealthy weight. The conversation covers the successes and challenges of public health, the concept of precision in public health, and the role of digital health in predicting and preventing health issues. Key Takeaways:- The concept of precision in healthcare is about using new types of data to target individual factors, whether social, behavioural, genomic, or related to the environment and infrastructure.- Digital health, particularly AI, allows for precise identification of individuals or groups at risk, enabling early intervention and prevention of health issues.- T

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, THT Ambassador and VR expert Nathan Moore sits down with Amir Bozorgzadeh, the co-founder and CEO of Virtual Leap. They discuss the use of virtual reality (VR) technology in addressing cognitive illnesses and learning challenges. Virtual Leap is using VR and neuroscience to improve brain function and overall cognitive health. Tune in as we explore the evolution of the VR industry, the serious applications of VR in healthcare, education, and wellness, and the potential of VR to diagnose neurological issues. Key Takeaways:- Virtual Leap combines virtual reality technology with neuroscience to address cognitive illnesses, learning challenges, and cognitive health.- The VR industry has evolved rapidly, with significant advancements in technology and mainstream adoption in healthcare, education, and corporate wellness.- VR can be a powerful tool in improving brain function and overall cognitive health. It offers unique features, such as immersive experiences an

This episode of Talking HealthTech was recorded at, the THT Winter Summit 2023.  The focus is on digital health implementations and the challenges of navigating change, collaboration, and adoption. The panel includes David Kim from 3M, Sophie Turner from Talking HealthTech, Karen Vander-Wal from Sunshine Coast Health, and Dr. Bhavesh Patel, a Senior Paediatric Surgeon. Together, they discuss the successful implementation of new speech recognition workflows at Sunshine Coast Health using 3M's AI-driven speech understanding technology. They explore the importance of organisational support, the right implementation strategies, and the adoption process that led to project success.Key Takeaways:- Understanding user requirements and their learning styles is crucial in developing effective training programs for new technology adoption.- Having a dedicated education and adoption role, like Karen Vander-Wal, is essential in providing ongoing support and assistance to users.- The partnership between tec

In this episode of Talking HealthTech during Sexual Health Awareness Week, Sophie Turner speaks with James Sneddon from Stigma Health to discuss the significance of fostering a sex-positive culture and raising awareness about sexual health. We explore pathology referrals and sexual health education, and the impact of increased telehealth adoption during the pandemic. We also delve into Stigma Health's user-centric approach, which has been key to patient retention and word-of-mouth referrals. Also learn about the business aspects of Stigma Health, like growth hacks, strategic partnerships and the pros and cons of external funding.Key Takeaways:- Stigma Health has experienced exponential growth in the last 12 months, tripling their business and adding thousands of new patients per month.- They have built their success through strong clinical governance and earning a reputable reputation.- Word of mouth has played a significant role in their growth, especially in the field of sexual health.- While inte

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch is joined by guest Ben McEvoy from Evrima to discuss the challenges and solutions related to recruiting participants for clinical trials. Ben shares insights into the importance of motivation, multinational collaboration, and the role of technology in addressing recruitment and retention issues. This conversation sheds light on the critical role clinical trials play in advancing healthcare and overcoming public perception challenges.Key Takeaways:- Motivation is a crucial factor in recruiting participants for clinical trials, and referral clinicians may not have adequate knowledge about a patient's motivation.- Multinational companies choose to conduct research in Australia due to its robust health system, stable democracy, and strong alliance with the US.- Evrima leverages technology to revolutionise clinical trial recruitment by partnering with healthcare organisations and exploring novel channels for reaching eligible and motivated participants.-

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch is joined by Thom Soutter, Business Development Director at Synapse Medical Services. They discuss the international endeavors of Synapse Medical Services and their unique approach to healthcare financing systems. They explore how to extend digital health solutions from outside of Australia into regions like the Middle East, navigating complex healthcare systems, different regulations and cultural norms, and maintaining integrity and efficiency of HealthTech solutions in different jurisdictions.Key Takeaways:- Synapse Medical Services is a med tech company that specialises in healthcare financing and administration, with a focus on improving efficiencies, reducing wastage, and fraud in health systems.- They have developed technology to aid clinical coders, supplementing their work to support smaller facilities and improve turnaround times for reimbursement.- The complexity and detail of clinical coding requires extensive training, and the technology help