Talking HealthTech

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

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 TakeawaysMcCrae 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

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 TakeawaysChris 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

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

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Elizabeth Holm Rannaleet, Head of Product for Data and Insights at Telstra Health, and Dr. Matt Burton, Lead Physician Informatician at Smile Digital Health. The discussion explores population health data in Australia, the challenges of fragmented health information, the role of data infrastructure and open standards, and the recent partnership between Telstra Health and Smile Digital Health. The guests examine how improved data sharing and the adoption of modern infrastructure can enable better health outcomes, inform policy, and support clinicians, researchers, and government agencies in Australia and globally.This episode is part three of a 4-part series by Talking HealthTech in collaboration with Telstra Health and Smile Digital Health called Connected Care: Bridging Gaps in Modern Healthcare.Key Takeaways:Defining Population Health Data: Population health focuses on the health outcomes of groups, tracking the prevalence and incidence of conditions in defined communities. Analytics in this space inform health policy and system design.Data Fragmentation Challenges: In Australia, health data is highly fragmented across general practices, pharmacies, hospitals, and government systems, making it challenging to draw timely or comprehensive insights for individual and population-level interventions.Role of Centralised Repositories: Establishing centralised population health data repositories would make it easier to identify health trends, allocate resources, perform preventative health planning, and respond to emerging health issues.Enabling Technologies and Standards: Open standards such as HL7 FHIR help connect disparate systems securely and enable meaningful, permissioned data sharing. This not only improves interoperability but also supports real-time, longitudinal analytics.Building Public Trust: Ensuring strong governance, clear consent models, robust access controls, and transparent communication is crucial to establishing public trust and realising the benefits of health data sharing.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

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Julie Sturgess, Chief Executive Officer of Country to Coast Queensland (CCQ), about democratising healthcare and driving equity in regional Australia. Julie shares her perspective on the complexities of delivering care across CCQ’s diverse region, which spans remote, rural, and outer metro areas, including Central Queensland, Wide Bay, and the Sunshine Coast.The conversation explores how data, technology, and genuine community partnerships influence new models of care, advance mental health reform, and build resilience in the face of major challenges such as disasters and homelessness.Key TakeawaysEquity as a Design Principle: Equity is not just an outcome but a foundational principle for CCQ. Achieving true health equity demands factoring in social determinants and measuring impact beyond clinical outcomes, including using sustainability frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals.Integrated, Community-led Solutions: CCQ emphasises community co-design, putting local voices at the centre of system reforms and program delivery. Data and community insights shape the priorities and development of healthcare solutions.Resilience and Preparedness: CCQ works with local agencies and communities to strengthen disaster preparedness and support recovery, recognising that building resilience is key to ongoing community health.Early Detection and Demand Management: Projects like PHASES and collecting homelessness data aim to reduce long-term systemic pressure through proactive, targeted, and data-driven approaches.Mental Health Reform: CCQ focuses on diversifying referral pathways and using data to streamline access to relevant care, recognising the need for tailored solutions in mental health support across regional Australia.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

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Nicole Allan and Federica Lanzo from Orion Health about the realities of interoperability in healthcare. Nicole, VP of Solutioning and Delivery, brings decades of experience implementing digital health systems globally, while Federica, Product Director for Interoperability, offers a technical perspective on integrating data standards and leveraging new technology. Together, they discuss what interoperability means at the point of care, why FHIR compliance is just the beginning, the practical challenges of working across sectors and geographies, the role of AI, and how initiatives like the International Patient Summary (IPS) are shaping the future of connected healthcare.Key Takeaways:🩺 Interoperability in a clinical setting is about securely ensuring relevant, accurate, and timely patient information flows between providers, reducing repeated tests, improving coordination, and enhancing safety for patients and clinicians.⚙️ The challenge of achieving true interoperability goes beyond just technical standards like FHIR; it requires broad adoption, stakeholder engagement, flexible approaches for legacy systems, and governance that aligns with local needs and realities.🏥 Real-world implementations that work are driven by phased rollouts, practical engagement with clinicians and stakeholders, and integration within hospitals and GPs and across community, social care, and justice sector settings.🌐 The adoption of standards such as FHIR and IPS is increasing momentum globally, yet transitioning from compliance to data utility means focusing on context-rich, easily consumable information tailored for clinicians and patients alike.🤝 Progress in interoperability is as much about social and organisational change as it is about technology; stakeholder collaboration, alignment on data governance, and willingness to evolve long-standing practices are essential.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

In this episode of Consumer Health Partnerships, we speak with Debra Letica, former carer and citizen leader, and Dr Viktoria Stein from the International Foundation for Integrated Care, about the Citizens Leadership Research Project. They highlight the significant role of citizen leaders in co-creating integrated care systems and the impact of genuinely involving consumers in health care reform.Debra shares her journey of becoming a citizen leader and how her personal experiences as a carer helped her advocate for better healthcare systems. Dr Viktoria Stein explains the origins of the Citizen Leadership Research Project, and their move to involve citizen leaders from around the globe. Both discuss the importance of genuine partnerships between health professionals and consumers, offering insights into how these relationships can enhance care delivery.Key Takeaways:Importance of Inclusion: Including citizen leaders from the very start of the project to shape priorities and questions.Diverse Perspectives: Recognise that different communities want and need to be involved in various ways.Mentorship Value: Mentors play a crucial role in building confidence and guiding new citizen leaders.Collaborative Networks: Leverage existing networks and international collaborations to find and engage citizen leaders.Shared Challenges: Citizen leaders worldwide face similar barriers and motivations, reinforcing the universal need for integrated, consumer-driven care.Links & Resources:Debra Letica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-l-14b79b74/Viktoria Stein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikstein/Citizen Leadership Research: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/health-and-social-care-leadership/research/citizen-leadershipRACP: https://www.linkedin.com/company/royal-australasian-college-of-physicians/posts/?feedView=allInternational Journal of Integrated Care: https://ijic.org/Consumer Health Forum Canberra (National Body) : https://www.linkedin.com/company/consumers-health-forum/posts/?feedView=allHealth Consumer Council WA : https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthconsumerscouncil/posts/?feedView=allHealth Consumers NSW: https://www.linkedin.com/company/health-consumers-nsw/posts/?feedView=allCarers WA: https://www.linkedin.com/company/carers-wa/posts/?feedView=allCarers Australia: https://www.linkedin.com/company/carers-australia/posts/?feedView=allConsumer Health Partnerships is a podcast for healthcare stakeholders that spotlights the synergistic power of partnering with consumers to share a human-centred health system. We share inspiring stories and practical strategies from healthcare professionals at the forefront of embracing a human-centred approach to patient experience and a patient-centred approach to patient experience and co-design. We are redefining care by respecting their patients’ equal place in conversations about their health.This show is a proud member of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network - the premier audio destination for cutting-edge insights and thought leadership in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Learn more at www.talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Sam Wood, Head of Product at Meddbase, and Greg Jennings, Chief Engagement Officer at Beyond Blue. The discussion centres on the current state of workplace mental health in Australia, the increasing importance of prevention and early intervention, and how technology and partnerships are reframing mental health support at work. Sam shares the story behind Meddbase's collaboration with Beyond Blue to deliver the Before Blue programme, while Greg outlines the realities facing Australian workplaces and the measurable impact of practical, data-driven solutions for mental health.Key Takeaways🧠 The prevalence of mental health issues remains high in Australia, with 1 in 5 people experiencing a mental health condition each year, and almost half the population affected in their lifetime.🛑 Prevention and early intervention are essential; initiatives like Before Blue focus on building practical skills and supporting staff before issues escalate — shifting from reactive support to proactive care.🔐 Secure data management and straightforward service design are critical for building trust in digital mental health tools, enabling measurable outcomes for individuals and organisations.🏢 Effective workplace mental health strategies require commitment from leadership, integration into company culture, and a move beyond awareness campaigns to actions with real, measurable benefits.🤝 Partnerships between technology providers and mental health organisations, like Meddbase and Beyond Blue, are delivering solutions that are accessible, evidence-based, and scalable for Australian workplaces.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

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Lily Liu, the Divisional Director of Digital Health at Western Health. They discuss Western Health's recent efforts in digital health transformation, focusing on Western Health Care Connect (WHCC), a system designed to consolidate patient medical information across various visits into a single, accessible view.Key Takeaways:🩺 Care Connect is there to make life easier for medical staff by bringing together all the important bits of a patient's record, like demographics, allergies, and visit history, into one handy view.💻 The setup tackles the usual EMR headaches like endless clicking and browsing for details by giving clinicians an easy-to-use landing page.📲 They're also working on getting info to GPs more smoothly, moving away from the old fax system to secure messaging.🌍 Western Health is stepping up and is taking tips from big players in the UK and Canada to nail the implementation of Care Connect.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