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.

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