Talking HealthTech

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Use the free Talking HealthTech Glossary for plain-English explanations of digital health terms, acronyms and concepts across the industry: talkinghealthtech.com/glossary.

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 Introduction

01:07 - 11:33 Alan Pritchard, Director EMR and ICT Services, Austin Health

11:34 - 18:37 Catherine de Fontenay, Commissioner, Productivity Commission

18:37 - 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, Healthdirect

Key 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

Mentioned in this episode:

Use the free Talking HealthTech Glossary for plain-English explanations of digital health terms, acronyms and concepts across the industry: talkinghealthtech.com/glossary.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Use the free Talking HealthTech Glossary for plain-English explanations of digital health terms, acronyms and concepts across the industry: talkinghealthtech.com/glossary.

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 Takeaways

• Technology 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

Mentioned in this episode:

Use the free Talking HealthTech Glossary for plain-English explanations of digital health terms, acronyms and concepts across the industry: talkinghealthtech.com/glossary.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Use the free Talking HealthTech Glossary for plain-English explanations of digital health terms, acronyms and concepts across the industry: talkinghealthtech.com/glossary.

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.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Use the free Talking HealthTech Glossary for plain-English explanations of digital health terms, acronyms and concepts across the industry: talkinghealthtech.com/glossary.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Niru Rajakumar, CEO of hospitals at McCrae Tech, about the company’s formation, its relationship with Orion Health, and the current direction of healthcare technology focused on AI and electronic patient records.

The conversation explores McCrae Tech’s origins as a spin-off from Orion Health after a significant acquisition, the legacy of Ian McCrae, and how the company is positioned to innovate in digital health solutions for hospitals and health data platforms.This episode was recorded during the Digital Health Festival 2025, capturing the developments and conversations at the McCrae Tech booth.Key Takeaways

• McCrae Tech was launched as an innovation hub, spun off from Orion Health following the sale of half its assets related to population health.

• Orion Health and McCrae Tech maintain close ties, sharing board members and reciprocal agreements to utilise each other's technologies.

• AI is a primary strategic focus for McCrae Tech, intending to embed AI across all business areas, from automated clinical documentation and decision support to population health analytics.

• McCrae Tech is developing its own AI tools and is looking to partner with other healthtech AI organisations to enhance interoperability and capabilities.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Use the free Talking HealthTech Glossary for plain-English explanations of digital health terms, acronyms and concepts across the industry: talkinghealthtech.com/glossary.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Catherine Lambert, Director of Clinical Operations at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse; Cailin Lowry, IT Project Manager at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse; Matthew McBride, Solutions Executive for MEDITECH Asia Pacific; and Douglas Murray, Managing Director at MEDITECH Asia Pacific.

The discussion centres around their collaborative approach to electronic medication management implementation, the phased digital transformation at Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, and the ongoing partnership with MEDITECH to improve clinical workflows and patient care. This episode was recorded live from the MEDITECH booth at the Digital Health Festival 2025 in Melbourne, Australia.

Key Takeaways

• Chris O'Brien Lifehouse has evolved from a newly established hospital to an organisation prioritising holistic cancer care, research, and wellbeing, with technology playing a central role in delivering coordinated patient services.
• The hospital’s journey with MEDITECH has spanned more than ten years, beginning with basic systems and expanding towards a comprehensive electronic medical record suite, implemented through a phased, adaptable, and collaborative approach.
• The partnership between Chris O'Brien Lifehouse and MEDITECH is strengthened by transparent communication, adaptability to feedback, and a focus on maintaining consistent clinical workflows without forcing dramatic shifts in daily practice.
• MEDITECH as a Service (MaaS) and its implementation on Google Cloud infrastructure is attracting attention across Australia, with further expansion in private and not-for-profit healthcare settings.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Use the free Talking HealthTech Glossary for plain-English explanations of digital health terms, acronyms and concepts across the industry: talkinghealthtech.com/glossary.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Shelley Thomson, Co-founder and Director of Patient Experience Agency, about embedding patient voice and human-centred design into healthcare reform.

Shelley shares Patient Experience Agency’s approach to co-designing healthcare services to deliver more personalised, outcomes-driven care, discusses the vital distinction between patient feedback and patient-reported measures, and unpacks practical strategies for clinicians and organisations to meaningfully involve patients, carers, and their families in shaping healthcare experiences.

Key Takeaways:

• “Nothing About Me, Without Me” means co-designing healthcare with patients and carers, not just collecting feedback after making decisions.

• There is a crucial difference between patient satisfaction surveys (feedback on services) and Patient-Reported Outcome/Experience Measures (PROMs/PREMs), which reflect how patients are doing and what matters to them.
• Truly personalised care focuses on what is most important to each patient, considering their life goals, needs, and circumstances, not just clinical outcomes.
• Embedding patient-reported measures requires more than collecting data; the real shift happens when clinicians use this information to tailor care and drive better outcomes.
• Behaviour change programs, including structured learning and peer support, are much more effective than isolated attempts to implement PROMs/PREMs in driving sustained improvements in patient experience and uptake.

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

Mentioned in this episode:

Use the free Talking HealthTech Glossary for plain-English explanations of digital health terms, acronyms and concepts across the industry: talkinghealthtech.com/glossary.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Shelley Thomson, Co-founder and Director of Patient Experience Agency, about embedding patient voice and human-centred design into healthcare reform. Shelley shares Patient Experience Agency’s approach to co-designing healthcare services to deliver more personalised, outcomes-driven care, discusses the vital distinction between patient feedback and patient-reported measures, and unpacks practical strategies for clinicians and organisations to meaningfully involve patients, carers, and their families in shaping healthcare experiences.Key Takeaways: