PULSE

Google's Impact on Health Report 2025 reveals the company's extensive influence on global digital health, including their Nobel Prize-winning AlphaFold 2 AI system. 

The value of watches that detect falls and raises the alarm just got a significant upgrade with Google receiving FDA clearance for "loss of pulse detection" technology for wearables that can identify sudden cardiac arrest signs remotely. 

New Australian study finds social media influencers driving demand for unnecessary health tests with limited clinical evidence. Commercialisation, misinformation and the rise in health equity gaps. Reporting by Pulse+IT. 

Tina Purnat’s BMJ Opinion Piece is a must read for those interested in the proliferation of misinformation

Was Chris Longhurst right years earlier than he predicted – the US has proposed legislation that would classify AI as a "practitioner licensed by law" with prescription capabilities, raising significant ethical and regulatory questions. 

The UK is exploring implementation of a single digital patient record system across health and social care, promising better continuity but facing logistical challenges. Will they pull this off?

Check out the Global Digital Health Partnership’s digital health repository Link

Our guest of Pulse is Dr Karen DeSalvo, Chief Health Officer at Google. Part 1 of our chat covers Karen’s impressive career trajectory and personal motivations, AI, and how Google is focused on getting correct health information into the hands of everybody. 

Follow Karen on LinkedIn Link

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Disinformation and misinformation is the topic of the moment – join George and Louise as they discuss these issues with Dr Tina Punat, consultant in global health and digital public health (ex-WHO).

Find Tina at her website on LinkedIn and say hello when she visits Australia in June for the Communicable Diseases & Immunisation Conference

We also celebrate Australia’s Share by Default Legislation being passed by parliament and the Act coming into play. Yay!

An update from New Zealand – will a law suite against the government save Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora’s Data and Digital Directorate?

We round up the state of investor funding for start-ups in Australia and the US.

Resource Links

Dr Purnat in the BMJ Link

Kara Swisher: Burn Book Link

Future AI International Consensus BMJ Link

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So it turns out that 2 weeks is a long time in the world of AI. Louise and George break down a heap of key stories and developments. AI is quickly becoming a commodity, but it will still be some time before it becomes old news. 

The European Health Data Space legislation is coming into force. What does that mean for the health sector, clinicians and citizens throughout Europe?

And we bring you part 2 of our chat with special guest of Pulse, Dr Alain Labrique, Director for the Department of Digital Health and Innovation at the World Health Organization for an exploration of the transformative role of digital health on a global scale.

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Resource Links:

European Health Data Space Legislation Pulse+IT

New Zealand’s Public Service AI Framework Pulse+IT

PatientSeek built on DeepSeek Pulse+IT

OpenNotes Guidelines for Patient-Centered Documentation in the Era of Open Notes Link

JAMA+AI Link

NEJM+AI Link

The Lancet Digital Health Link

Nature 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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In this episode, hosts Louise Schaper and George Margelis dive into the latest advancements in health and biomedical sciences, exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming our understanding of viruses, proteins, and more. Key stories include AI-driven viral evolution predictions, groundbreaking research on the human proteome-phenome atlas, and the role of AI in designing life-saving antivenoms.

The hosts also discuss global telehealth developments, patient engagement strategies, and highlight the inherent challenges of direct-to-consumer health tests. 

Special guest of Pulse is Dr Alain Labrique, Director for the Department of Digital Health and Innovation at the World Health Organization for an exploration of the transformative role of digital health on a global scale.

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Resource Links:

Plasma Proteome atlas Link

AI and virus evolution Link

Ai and anti-venom Link

Christchurch telehealth pilot Link

AI and predicting breast cancer Link

Action Plan for the Digital Patient have Link

Direct to consumer tests 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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Join Louise and George as they run through some of the hot stories in the Australian and New Zealand health sector this year.

01:31 Virtual Care and Telehealth

15:08 The biggest topic of the year - AI

24:40 New Zealand Year in Review

References for Pulse+IT 2024 Year in Review:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

New Zealand Year in Review

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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Join Louise and George as they run through some of the hot stories in the Australian and New Zealand health sector this year.

04:16 2024 Pulse+IT Year in Review

07:02 Digital Front Doors & EMRs

18:50 Business Deals & Telstra Health

23:32 Government in Action

44:36 Cybersecurity Stuff Ups

49:00 Aged Care Innovation

References for Pulse+IT 2024 Year in Review:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

New Zealand Year in Review

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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Guest Co-Host: Dr Michael Bainbridge
George is on holiday so joining Louise at the mic this episode is Michael Bainbridge, Clinical Architect for Leidos Australia.

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Special Guest: Mark Brommeyer
Mark Brommeyer shares insights from his research on overcoming organisational barriers to digital transformation, focusing on practical strategies for health service managers.

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The Role of AI in Health Insurance
Louise and Michael explore the ethical and operational challenges of AI in the insurance sector, reflecting on the controversial use of AI to deny claims and the broader implications for health systems.

PatientsLikeMe Launches AI Assistant Ella
PatientsLikeMe, a leading patient community platform, developed an AI assistant focused on women's health, highlighting the growing trend of personalised digital health tools and femtech opportunities.

Political Shifts in Ireland Impact Digital Health
The team discusses the loss of Ireland’s Health Minister and its potential to disrupt the nation's digital health momentum.

Collaboration in Irish HealthTech
Ireland’s new agreement between the Health Service Executive and HealthTech Ireland is set to enhance innovation, with lessons for global health tech integration and collaboration.

NHS Marketplace: A Digital Revolution?
The UK’s NHS Marketplace promises to streamline app development and foster innovation. Will it deliver on governance, interoperability, innovation and start-ups?

Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and 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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Prof Blackford Middleton joins us in the PulsePod studio to discuss his philosophising on the intersection of AI and healthcare, and his new publication The Ouroboros Effect: How AI Threatens Human Intellect. Link

In this episode of Pulse, Louise and George explore the hottest topics in digital health, from groundbreaking AI diagnosis studies to the collapse of a high-profile health startup, and news from UK, AU and NZ. Here’s what we cover:

Professional Identity: When Machines Outperform Doctors

We revisit a JAMA study showing ChatGPT outperformed doctors in diagnosis, even when clinicians had access to the tool. The debate heats up as commentary pours in, questioning professional identity, training gaps, and the cultural impact on medicine. Link

‘Doc in a Box’ Fails: Lessons from Forward Health’s Collapse

Forward Health, a $650M-backed US health startup, closed abruptly, leaving patients and employees in limbo. We discuss the pitfalls of tech-first healthcare models, investor errors, the importance of clinician and patient advisory roles, and the future of primary care.

NZ Sets a Goal for Digital Care

New Zealand aims for 10% of care delivered digitally by mid-2025. The timing is ambitious, but is the target?

Health Data as National Infrastructure: The UK’s Vision

A new report calls for treating health data as critical national infrastructure. We delve into its recommendations for a national health data strategy, governance, and patient benefit, reflecting on global implications for health data ecosystems. Link

ShareByDefault: Australia's Health Data Revolution

Australia’s Health Minister introduces a bill mandating the sharing of pathology results and imaging through MyHealthRecord. What does this mean for patients and clinicians?

Finally: Independent Evaluation of Generative AI

In the US the Healthcare AI Challenge Collaborative has been established to comparing the efficacy of generative AI tools for healthcare. They will produce public rankings of 9 commercial tools before Xmas. 

Follow Blackford Middleton on LinkedIn

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Elon Musk’s Grok and Crowdsourcing Medical Data – Elon Musk invites the public to submit medical images to his AI, Grok, raising serious privacy concerns and questions about AI’s role in medical diagnostics.

Australia’s Workforce Report on Healthcare Professionals – Louise and George discuss whether the Australian government’s workforce report is reductive in its vision for the role of tech.

Health Technology in Conflict Zones – Health technology innovations are transforming care in war zones, with tools like telemedicine and AI bridging gaps in access and resources for conflict-affected populations.

The First Wearable to Kill Cancer Cells – A new FDA-approved wearable device uses electric fields to target and kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells, marking a significant step forward in digital cancer treatments.

The results of the US election are in. What might be the impact on global health and digital innovation in health?

Remote monitoring in the islands off Ireland gives Kate a trip down memory lane.

World-Class Health Information Exchange – We welcome Dr. Robin Mann and Dr. Honor Magon, co-authors of a popular Pulse+IT opinion piece, to discuss the vision for a world-class Health Information Exchange and its potential impact.

Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and 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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Contrary to the campaign slogan ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’, George asks Louise to spill on how she found the HLTH Conference in Las Vegas.

Samsung Health’s New Features: From medication tracking to meal logging, Samsung’s health app upgrades are enhancing preventive care and consumer engagement. What does this mean for the future of health apps?

Virtual Health Disconnect: Deloitte's survey results highlight a growing divide between consumer demand for virtual health and health systems' priorities.

The fallout from New Zealand’s digital health budget cuts – what happens when you cut $500 million from a transformation program?

How is the UK government’s open consultation on fixing the NHS going? Is comedy going to be the only outcome?

Virtual hospitals and hospital in the home programs are hot right now. How does that compare with primary care telehealth consultations?

Guest: Fay Flevaras, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Department of Health and Aged Care shares insights on the monumental task of digitally enabling Australia’s aged care sector. Her team’s work promises to bring much-needed innovation and support to a vital sector, impacting the lives of many Australians.

Follow Fay Flevaras on LinkedIn

Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and 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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