Welcome to Pulse: Amplify, where we sit down with the leaders and changemakers shaping the future of health. 

Today we have a frank and fun conversation with UK author Professor Joe McDonald who has just released a book –FHIR and Loathing in Las Vegas: Collected Essays on the Sociology, Anthropology, and Psychopathology of Big IT. 

Joe’s anthology of essays, written over a 13 year timespan track the highs, the lows, the optimism, the realities, the struggles, of the digital transformation of the NHS. George and Louise talk with Jo about some of those learnings, his thoughts on AI, data standards, the future of healthcare, and his advice for others who are passionate about changing the system for the better.

Follow Joe on LinkedIn

Resources:

• Joe’s book, FHIR and Loathing in Las Vegas – Link

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Welcome to Pulse: Hot Topics, where Louise and George unpack the big shifts shaping healthcare right now. 

AI Physio: No Humans Required? An AI physiotherapist just earned regulatory approval to diagnose and treat patients entirely on its own. Europe says it’s safe — but would you trust an algorithm with your rehab?

Remote Surgery Goes Real. A Canadian team has completed the world’s first fully remote neurointerventional procedure — the surgeon wasn’t even in the same hospital. Star Trek, or the start of a new era in emergency care?

The Evidence to Shift from Patients to Partners. The Society for Participatory Medicine is done with preaching and ready to prove it. Their new CHAMP initiative aims to measure collaboration in care — because “nice idea” isn’t enough anymore.

The NHS ‘Online Hospital’. The UK calls it a “bold new model of care” a national virtual hospital launching in 2027. Louise calls it “telehealth 2.0.” Is this progress, politics, or déjà vu with better branding?

AI That Predicts Your Future Health. A model in Nature says it can forecast your risk of 1,000 diseases decades ahead; another in GigaScience claims to predict any health event, any time. Would you want to know when you’re going to die?

Resources:

• Society for Participatory Medicine CHAMP Initiative Link
• AI Prediction Model, Delphi-2M Published in Nature Link
• AI Prediction Model, ETHOS Published in GigaScience Link

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Welcome to Pulse: Amplify, where we sit down with the leaders and changemakers shaping the future of health. 

Today we’re thrilled to be joined by Rohan Mead, chief author of the Business Council of Australia’s Health and Care Blueprint, Chair of the BCA Health and Care Services Committee and Australian Unity chief executive.

Across 140 recommendations in 6 reform pillars, the Business Council of Australia’s Health and Care Blueprint lays out a bold vision: to modernise our fragmented system, boost productivity, and unlock billions in savings through digital transformation, smarter use of data, and the safe adoption of AI.

Together, we unpack:

• Why BCA wrote the Blueprint, what’s the sense of urgency around health reform
• The demographic trends impacting health
• Why digital transformation is key
• Why it’s time to centre healthcare around the consumer
• Investing in interoperability and role of governments
• Changing the power dynamics of healthcare
• How we build new business models for healthcare
• The clinical demarcation changes needed to help fix healthcare
• AI, regulation and consent – what’s the right model?

Resources:

• Supporting a Healthy and Productive Nation, Business Council of Australia – Link

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Pulse has a brand-new format — Hot Topics only! Louise and George dive straight into the biggest stories shaping digital health right now.

The cost of lies: From the US President’s paracetamol claim to Tina Purnat’s new Lancet paper, we explore why misinformation isn’t just a trust issue but a global operational and financial burden.

Wearables grow up: A fresh NEJM survey shows wearables are moving from gimmicks to clinical tools — but will insurers, EHRs, and workflows catch up?

Aussie pride: Nine Australian companies make Time’s 2025 Top HealthTech list. From AI to aged care, we unpack how local innovators are scaling globally.

Why doctors hate their EPRs: A new UK survey confirms what many clinicians already know — clunky systems slow care. But implementation may matter more than the software itself.

One scan, two diagnoses: Australian researchers unveil an AI that predicts cardiovascular risk from mammograms — doubling the impact of routine screening.

Resources:

Gerontology conference in Hong Kong Link

Navigating information space: the role of health-care providers — The Lancet Primary Care Link

The information environment as a determinant of health Link

Wearable Health Technologies Are on the Rise — NEJM Catalyst

Time’s World’s Top HealthTech Companies of 2025 Link

UK EPR Usability Survey Report Link

Australian-developed AI algorithm predicts cardiovascular risk using mammograms —Pulse+IT

ADHA Digital Health Adviser roles. Applications close 16 October Link

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In this episode of Pulse, we launch our new alternating format with a deep-dive interview. Louise and George are joined by Dr Charlotte Blease, Associate Professor in Health Informatics at Uppsala University and researcher in Digital Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, to discuss her newly released book Dr Bot: Why Doctors Can Fail Us and How AI Could Save Lives.

Charlotte argues that our very humanness—the biases, blind spots, and emotional complexities of both clinicians and patients—can undermine the delivery of healthcare. Through a mix of anthropology, psychology, and digital health insight, she explores how AI could play a role in improving consultations, reducing information asymmetry, and supporting both patients and clinicians in making better decisions.

Together, we cover:

• Why Charlotte wrote Dr Bot and why it matters now
• How our nature as humans shapes (and sometimes limits) care delivery
• The role of technology in empathy, bias, and knowledge management
• Patients’ stories, from everyday encounters to high-profile examples like Lisa Marie Presley and Serena Williams
• Whether we can truly remodel healthcare around the patient
• The promises and pitfalls of big tech, surveillance capitalism, and regulation in health
• How AI could shift the culture of medicine, super-charge research, and reimagine the future of healthcare

Whether you’re a clinician, innovator, or simply curious about the intersection of medicine and technology, this conversation will get you thinking about the future of care.

Resources:

• Dr Bot: Why Doctors Can Fail Us and How AI Could Save Lives – available now, releasing in Australia on 11 October (pre-order available)
• Follow Dr Charlotte Blease on LinkedIn
• To win a copy of Dr Bot: rate and review the pod in your app of choice, send us a screenshot at [email protected]

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Interview: Dr Eric Topol (Part 2)
In the second half of our conversation, Dr Eric Topol discusses AI’s promise in reducing clinician burnout, forecasting disease, and reshaping prevention. He also reflects on 13 years since The Creative Destruction of Medicine, shares his favourite transformative tools, and offers advice for clinicians seeking creative careers

Australian CDC – the data angle
Australia is finally moving ahead with its own Centre for Disease Control, promising better national coordination and public health data sharing. But will it deliver transparency and timely insights—or just more bureaucracy?

AI & Fertility – SpermSearchAI delivers first UAE pregnancy
An AI tool developed in Australia, by NeoGenix Biosciences, has achieved its first pregnancy in the UAE. The technology speeds up and improves IVF outcomes, showing how Australian health innovation is going global.

US Information Blocking Enforcement
The US Department of Health and Human Services will finally enforce penalties for health providers and IT vendors who block patient access to their own records. A big step for patient rights, and a reminder of how far Australia still has to go.

Apple’s Health Tech Push
Apple’s new Watch Series 11 now measures blood pressure and the latest AirPods can track heart rate. These updates blur the line between wellness gadgets and medical devices, raising big questions about accuracy, equity, and data overload.

Eli Lilly’s AI Drug Discovery Giveaway
Pharma giant Eli Lilly is making its drug discovery language models publicly available through “Lilly TuneLab.” It’s part open-science, part strategic play—accelerating research while still funnelling insights back to Lilly.

Australian Robotics – Abi the Care Robot
Melbourne startup Andromeda has raised $23m to scale Abi, a friendly robot designed for aged care and children’s hospitals. Founder Grace Brown, just 25, has quickly become one of Australia’s standout young innovators.

Resources:

• Dr Eric Topol’s book SuperAgers Link
• Dr Eric Topol’s podcast & substack Ground Truths Link
• Medicine and the Machine podcast with Dr Abraham Verghese and Dr Eric Topol Link
• Book recommendation: The AI Valley, Gary Rivlin Link
• Recommended FREE course: AI in Healthcare from RCSI Link
• Recommended FREE course: Patient Insights Masterclass by Savvy Corporate Link

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Interview: Dr Eric Topol (Part 1)

We’re joined by Dr Eric Topol—cardiologist, scientist, author, and global digital health leader. In part one, Eric shares his journey from clinician to digital health pioneer, his vision for “SuperAgers,” and why genomics and personalised medicine could redefine how long—and how well—we live

Chatbots for Patients

We discuss the Wall Street Journal’s bold claim that chatbots could become part of the medical team. From spotting errors to translating lab results and reminding patients about medications, can they really serve as low-risk, always-on companion? Questions remain around accuracy, empathy, and whether they truly add value or just more noise.

The Human Side of Interoperability

Inspired by Amy Gleason’s LA Times op-ed, we look at the personal impact of fragmented health systems. Her daughter’s care journey shows how disconnected records hinder outcomes—and how AI uncovered a hidden opportunity. Should we lean into more personal stories to communicate to a wider audience?

Meta & Who Owns Your Health Data?

A San Francisco jury found Meta guilty of illegally harvesting data from millions of Flo app users—menstrual cycles, ovulation, even pregnancy intentions. The ruling highlights urgent questions: Who really owns health data, and what rights do patients have when tech giants treat it like ad fuel?

Patient Consent in the Age of AI

Consent forms are broken—static, outdated, and unfit for the AI era. We unpack Y. Tony Yang’s American Journal of Bioethics piece arguing for “dynamic consent,” accountability frameworks, and real patient understanding. Without rethinking consent, healthcare risks losing trust as AI tools grow more influential

Black Box for Aged Care

What if aged care had a “black box,” like aviation? Sensors, AI, and monitoring systems could flag risks before crises hit. A Pulse+IT blog argues for shifting from reactive to proactive care, but business models and adoption lag behind. We debate whether the sector can finally move from inquiry to prevention

Resources:

• Louise’s LinkedIn poll on gen AI use for health research Link
• Dr Eric Topol’s book SuperAgers Link
• Y. Tony Yang’s American Journal of Bioethics Article on Patient Consent Link
• Aged Care’s Black Box in Pulse+IT Link
• Amy Gleason’s parental perspective on the need for health data interoperability Link

Visit Pulse+IT.news to subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

Telecare Acquisition by Teladoc: US telehealth giant Teladoc Health acquires Australian virtual care clinic Telecare in a rare successful exit for the local digital health startup scene. The hosts discuss implications for Australia's startup ecosystem and the significance of this $2.57 billion company's investment in local innovation.

Boots At-Home Test Kits:  UK pharmacy chain Boots launches 13 at-home testing kits that integrate with the NHS app, raising questions about clinical utility, health equity, and the transformation of retail healthcare. The discussion explores whether consumer demand justifies bypassing traditional healthcare pathways.

BUPA Genetic Testing Initiative:  Health insurer BUPA rolls out a £300 genomic health toolkit offering medication response testing and disease risk assessment. The hosts debate whether this signals the arrival of personalised medicine or represents another way to monetise the "worried well."

FDA-Approved AI Wearable for Essential Tremor:  The Felix Neuro AI wristband receives FDA approval as the first AI-powered device to treat essential tremor through real-time electrical pulse therapy. The technology demonstrates promising results with potential applications for other neurological conditions.

AI Scribes Market Consolidation and Regulation Epic's entry into the AI scribe market is the biggest signal yet of the commoditisation of AI Scribe technology, while regulatory challenges emerge around patient consent, medical device classification, and clinical responsibility. The hosts explore how market consolidation could concentrate control among big tech players.

ChatGPT-5 in Healthcare OpenAI launches ChatGPT-5 with explicit healthcare applications, featuring training from 250 physicians and patient testimonials. The discussion examines the potential for disrupting information asymmetry between patients and clinicians while addressing concerns about bias and hallucinations.

Resources:

TGA guidance on when scribes are medical devices Link

ACSQHC Pragmatic advice for clinicians on using AI Link

Department of Health, Disability and Ageing Safe and Responsible Artificial Intelligence in Health Care – Legislation and Regulation Review: Final Report Link

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GenAI as Therapist A New York Times op-ed explores how people are using ChatGPT for therapeutic conversations and emotional processing, raising questions about whether AI companions represent innovative digital self-care or a concerning workaround for unmet mental health needs.

USA's "Make HealthTech Great Again" Pledge The White House hosted a summit with 60+ tech companies to sign a HealthTech Ecosystem pledge promoting data interoperability and AI in healthcare, though questions remain about whether this represents genuine reform or just encourages data sharing with private platforms while healthcare infrastructure gets decimated.

Australia Gets Tough on De-Identification Australia's Privacy Commissioner issued new guidance clarifying that supposedly "de-identified" health data used for AI training may still qualify as personal information, potentially ending the era of inadequately anonymised data sharing and pushing the industry toward synthetic data or on-premise learning.

OpenAI's Kenya Study: Clinical Copilot in Action OpenAI's real-world study with Penda Health in Kenya showed their GPT-4o clinical copilot reduced diagnostic errors by 16% and treatment errors by 13% across 40,000 patient visits, demonstrating measurable improvements when AI is properly integrated into clinical workflows.

George and Louise chat with Dr Danny Sands - Pioneer of participatory medicine, discusses the origins of the e-patient movement and participatory medicine, from early email communication with patients and exploring how to maintain human connection while embracing technological advancement

Connect with Danny on LinkedIn

Resources:

NY Times I’m a Therapist. ChatGPT Is Eerily Effective Link

Australian Privacy Commissioner ruling Link

Sands (2025) From Internet to Artificial Intelligence (Al) Bots: Symbiotic Evolutions of Digital Technologies and e-Patients Link

Shout outs to: Liz Salmi, ePatientDave, Danny Sands, Ian Opperman, Gavin Andrews, Dr Amit Thacker Africa Health Business

Visit Pulse+IT.news to subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

Follow us on LinkedIn Louise | George | Pulse+IT

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George and Louise chat with Dr Danny Sands - Pioneer of participatory medicine discusses the origins of the e-patient movement and participatory medicine, from early email communication with patients and exploring how to maintain human connection while embracing technological advancement

Connect with Danny on LinkedIn

Amazon launches Pathology - Amazon enters the healthcare diagnostics space with at-home blood testing services in India, leveraging their logistics expertise to challenge traditional healthcare providers.

UK Biobank - The world's largest human imaging project completes scanning 100,000 volunteers over 11 years, with AI analysing data that would have taken thousands of years to process manually.

Wearables and Regulation - The US FDA warns Whoop about their unapproved blood pressure insights while both UK and US governments push for widespread wearable adoption, highlighting the blurred lines between wellness devices and medical equipment.

OpenEvidence & Bias in Medical Research - The AI medical platform used by 40% of US doctors raises $210M but faces criticism for perpetuating gender bias, particularly around hormone replacement therapy misinformation.

AI in Everyday Healthcare - South Australian aged care provider ECH dramatically improves care plan accuracy from 35% to 92% using AI, while Monash Health seeks AI clinical coding solutions to improve efficiency and address workforce pressures.

Shout Out: 

Complete the Australian Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Survey and contribute to help shape the national AI agenda

Resources:

Wired (2010) The Blood Test Gets a Makeover Link

George Gouzounis’ AI in Aged Care Newsletter Link

Dr Danny Sands (1998) Clinical E-Mail Guidelines Link

Dr Tom Ferguson’s (2007) whitepaper e-Patients: How they can help us heal health care Link

Journal of Participatory Medicine Link

The Whole Early Catalog Link

Sands (2025) From Internet to Artificial Intelligence (Al) Bots: Symbiotic Evolutions of Digital Technologies and e-Patients Link

Visit Pulse+IT.news to subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

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