The Sparked Podcast

AI is changing healthcare fast, but behind the headlines, it’s standards like FHIR that ensure data is safe, consistent, and ready for real-world use. In this episode, they explore how robust digital health standards provide the foundation for responsible AI adoption, from clinical care to patient empowerment, while also highlighting current limits and risks.

Guests:

Josh Mandell & Michael Lawley

Key points covered:

• Why structured data matters - Reliable, structured data, enabled by FHIR, is essential for scaling AI safely and efficiently. While AI can process unstructured data, standards reduce ambiguity and errors.
• Automation, scale, and patient access - Highlighting how AI and standards can reduce reliance on manual work in healthcare, automate routine tasks, and increasingly support patient engagement with their own data.
• Governance, risk, and Sparked’s role - They discussed potential risks with rapid AI adoption, the importance of community standards, and the unique position of Sparked to bring stakeholders together and shape a safe and equitable digital health future.

This episode offers a nuanced, practical look at why standards matter in the AI era, the importance of shared context, and the role of community-led governance in shaping a safe, equitable digital health future.

What does it mean for patient empowerment when health information is truly connected? In this episode, the FHIR creator and leading health consumer advocates discuss the real-world impact of digital health standards, why interoperability matters for safety and quality, and how Sparked is working to embed consumer perspectives in technical work from the outset.

Guests:

Gillian Mason, Grahame Grieve & Pip Brennan

Key points:

• Why interoperability matters for patients - Pip explains that without connected systems, gaps in information lead to repeated tests, risks, and safety issues - contrary to public assumptions that health data already flows smoothly.
• Making consumer involvement meaningful - Grahame and Gillian discussed sustained support and genuine engagement of consumer advocates throughout standards processes, rather than token inclusion.
• Patient empowerment beyond the technical layer - They agreed that having data is only the starting point; systems must be designed so patients can help validate, interpret, and act on their own health information in partnership with clinicians.

This episode provides insights on connecting standards work to real patient needs, highlighting the practical steps required for true empowerment and partnership.

Women’s health has been historically under-represented in health data and research, leading to persistent inequities in care. As digital health evolves, there’s a unique opportunity to address these gaps, but only if innovation is grounded in strong, shared standards. In this episode, they explore how FHIR-based interoperability can help create health data that is meaningful, portable, and genuinely supports women’s health across the system.

Guests:

Dr Talat Uppal, Danielle Bancroft & Angela Ryan

Key topics discussed include:

• The Value of Standards - They talked about why embedding standards like FHIR is essential to avoid repeating old patterns of data silos in women’s health.
• Clinical Reality - Talat shares examples of disconnected care due to missing or unshared data, and how interoperable solutions improve outcomes.
• Femtech and Fragmentation - Examining how rapid innovation without foundational standards risks perpetuating bias and creating more fragmentation.
• Collaborative Design - Insights from the Sparked Technical Design Group show the benefits of involving clinicians, consumers, and technology experts to develop practical, system-wide solutions.
• Building Visibility - Standardised data is highlighted as key to making women’s experiences visible in both research and policy, leading to better service design and broader health improvements.

Listeners will gain a grounded, practical understanding of how digital health infrastructure can support lasting change for women’s healthcare, if built on the right foundations.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health relies on more than just clinical data - it depends on community, culture, and a holistic view of wellbeing. In this episode, it explores why Indigenous data sovereignty is critical to digital health reform and how current systems often fail to capture what matters in First Nations care.

Guests:

Danielle Dyall & Dr Andrew Goodman

Key topics discussed:

• Holistic health and social emotional wellbeing - Detailing how Indigenous health includes cultural, community, and spiritual factors, and why electronic medical records rarely reflect this full picture.
• Indigenous data sovereignty - Both guests explain the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ownership and control of their data, highlighting practical movements and policy reforms supporting this.
• Co-design and trust - The need for genuine co-design with communities is emphasised as essential for creating culturally safe, effective digital health systems and standards.

Throughout the episode, listeners will hear practical examples of how decontextualised data can misrepresent patient needs and why systems change must centre Indigenous perspectives from the start. Discussing the importance of aligning digital reforms with national policy commitments such as Closing the Gap, which prioritises data access and sovereignty for First Nations communities.

Australia’s journey toward interoperable digital health depends on how well states and territories can align their distinct approaches. In this episode, it focuses on the realities of FHIR adoption in complex state-based systems, the practical challenges of scaling standards, and what needs to change to truly benefit patients and clinicians at every level.

Guests:

Andrew Aho, Peter Sprivulis & Marc Belej

Key themes and takeaways:

• The critical role of state leadership - States are not just implementing national standards, they’re shaping how FHIR and interoperability are understood and operationalised at scale.
• Practical barriers to real-world interoperability - Budgeting, procurement processes, and legacy contracting can slow the adoption of standards despite wide support among clinicians and managers.
• Patient experience front and centre - True interoperability means fewer gaps, less repetition, and a better care experience as patients move across providers and settings.

This episode brings together strategy, technology, and policy insights to illustrate how state leadership and cooperation are key to a truly interoperable health system across Australia.

Australia’s digital health standards are gaining global focus as Sparked’s FHIR Accelerator puts interoperability and productivity at the centre of reform. In this episode, it examines how national priorities connect with international frameworks, and explores why standards matter for practical data exchange, system efficiency, and the safe adoption of new technology.

Guests:

Rachel Fellner & Kate Ebrill

Key themes and takeaways:

• Global Alignment and Local Implementation - Aligning Australian standards with international frameworks supports real interoperability and avoids duplicating effort, with benefits for vendors, clinicians, and patients.
• Beyond Technical Solutions: Productivity and Change Management - The real value of interoperability is realised through improved system efficiency and better patient outcomes, and requires active collaboration and change management, not just technical fixes.
• Building Strong Data Foundations for AI - High quality, standardised data is essential for safely adopting emerging technologies like AI, reinforcing the need for robust clinical and technical governance.

This episode offers practical insights for digital health leaders, informaticians, policy makers and anyone interested in how connected care is built through better data standards.

In Season 1, we introduced Sparked and explored the big-picture challenges of digital health standards in Australia and around the world.

Now, in Season 2, we’re diving deeper—spotlighting sectors like aged care, nursing, and allied health, and unpacking what interoperability beyond FHIR really means.

Join us as we explore how better data standards can transform care, one connection at a time.

FHIR alone isn’t enough to revolutionise Australia’s digital health landscape. In this episode, we explore how interoperability depends on the alignment of multiple standards—including OpenEHR and SNOMED. Our expert guests unpack what makes Patient Summaries work, how terminology supports data exchange, and why Sparked’s approach is catching global attention.

Guests: Grahame Grieve, Rachel Dunscombe, Rory Davidson

What does Sparked mean for private specialists and patients across every stage of life? From paediatrics to geriatrics, this episode explores how standards can break down silos and improve patient care across the full lifespan. Our guests reflect on why they champion Sparked and what success looks like from the clinic to the cloud.

Guests: Michael Strachan, Dr Sanka Amadoru, Dr Kim Drever

Allied health professionals are critical to patient outcomes—but are they included in the interoperability conversation? This episode dives into the opportunities and challenges of bringing allied health into the fold, and why better data exchange could revolutionise shared care, treatment plans, and patient-centred outcomes.

Guests: Bronwyn Morris-Donovan, Kath Feeley

Nurses are the backbone of healthcare, yet digital systems haven’t always worked for them. In this episode, we hear how Sparked is helping the nursing workforce shape national standards that reflect real clinical needs. From SNOMED terminology to startup innovation, this is a conversation about equity, influence, and the future of nursing.

Guests: Janette Gogler, Zara Lord, Karen Booth