Digital Ecology Podcast Digital Ecology

In this episode of Digital Ecology, I speak with Aahuti Rai, a remarkable voice and advocate for women's health and a proponent for sustainable innovation in digital health. Aahuti shares with us her extensive experience in digital transformation across different sectors before focusing her expertise exclusively on health tech. 
With Aahuti's background in large multinational corporations, she brings a wealth of knowledge in leveraging technology to enable large-scale innovation. We navigate through a range of topics, including the pivotal role of women in healthcare innovation, the need for more female investors, and addressing the gender and sex-based disparities that pervade medical research.
Delving into the goals and formation of the Mental Health Innovation Network, which strives to foster transformative solutions in mental health by connecting a multifaceted community of innovators, researchers, and investors. This network champions diversity, uniting stakeholders from startups, the NHS, investment realms, academia, and charitable organisations to grapple with common challenges faced within healthcare innovation.
Aahuti gets to the heart of the matter by stressing the importance of first principles in women's health and recognising conditions that uniquely affect or disproportionately impact women. Shedding light on the uphill battle many women-led startups face, especially those founded by those from underrepresented backgrounds. Underscoring the need to keep women's health at the forefront of public discourse, she calls for ongoing advocacy and improvement in both national and international health strategies.

Finally, Aahuti weighs in on the sustainability of business models in digital health, suggesting systemic changes and government intervention as potential accelerators of progress. Despite the optimism for consolidation and sustainable capital flows, we touch on the risks of hype-driven innovation and the importance of maintaining foundational quality in digital health solutions.

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!
The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at Talking HealthTech.

In this episode of Digital Ecology, I have the pleasure of speaking with Natalie Hayes, the Chief Nursing Information Officer in a large acute trust in the Northwest. Our conversation centres on the impact of technology on nursing in the NHS and Natalie's experiences advocating for nurses in the digital transformation space.
Natalie has been in her role for three years and describes it as being an advocate for nurses and digital transformation, translating between nursing and IT worlds. Her responsibilities include focusing on projects, system usability, data usage, clinical safety, maintenance of existing systems, and communication with various stakeholders, making her role vital to the intersection of nursing and technology.
Natalie emphasises the tangible benefits of digital healthcare, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and shares her passion for the CNIO role. We also discuss the "We Are Not Waiting" movement in the diabetes community, where families created closed-loop pancreas, highlighting the proactive approach to using technology in managing diabetes.

Delving into the evolving role of Chief Nursing Information Officers, the digital literacy challenges facing nursing staff, and the importance of technology being people-centric and efficient in healthcare. We also explored the potential for automating more processes in healthcare, the importance of involving nurses in procuring and assessing software, and the need for system integration in nursing to reduce redundant documentation.

We conclude on a reflective note, highlighting the operational challenges in the NHS and the necessity for a more structured career path for nurses in senior digital health roles, as well as the lasting understanding of the benefits of digital healthcare and remote clinics, particularly for specific patient groups.

If you found this episode informative, don't forget to leave a review and share your thoughts. Thank you for tuning in!

The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of Digital Ecology, I delve into the dynamic world of digital health alongside my guest, Jenny Chong, a non-executive director at an NHS Trust. Our discussion traverses the myriad challenges, opportunities, and critical areas within the digital health sector, drawing from our personal experiences and insights.
We kick off the conversation by sharing our personal hurdles in seeking assistance and the importance of lending a hand in the entrepreneurial world. A significant point of discussion is the evident scarcity of female and ethnic minority leaders in senior positions, highlighting the urgent need for role models in the field. Jenny opens up about her encounters with unconscious bias and microaggressions in corporate environments, underlining the necessity to support those facing similar issues.
An essential topic we touch upon is the need for amplified investment in femtech solutions. Jenny passionately advocates for greater diversity in venture capital deliberations. We also discuss the obstacles startups face when breaking into the healthcare industry and the invaluable role of mentorship in navigating funding and technical challenges. Jenny shares her expertise in presenting digital priorities to boards, emphasising the importance of compelling storytelling and meticulous research.
We then delve into the complexities surrounding the deployment of Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems. Jenny elaborates on justifying investments in EPR, ensuring competent digital teams, and their pivotal role in cultural transformation, staff engagement, and recruiting digital champions.
Drawing from her rich experience in both the corporate world and the NHS, Jenny reflects on the similarities and disparities, particularly in attitudes towards risk and investment. She also expresses her concerns over funding digital infrastructure and the imperative to enhance digital tool experiences for staff and patients.
We wrap up the episode focusing on the importance of prioritising staff experiences, encouraging innovation, and the critical practice of actively listening to staff needs. Join Jenny Chong and me for a journey packed with insightful and actionable advice, making this a must-listen for clinicians, researchers, and professionals in the digital health arena.
The Digital Ecology Podcast is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, your go-to audio destination for the latest in healthcare delivery, innovation, digital health, healthcare ICT, and commercialisation. Discover more at talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In this episode of Digital Ecology, I speak with guest Jo Robinson, Professor and Head of Suicide Research at Orygen, a leading youth mental health service in Melbourne, Australia. Jo Robinson leads research programs on suicide prevention, specifically focusing on reducing suicide risk among young people.
Our conversation centres around Jo's work with the CHATsafe intervention, a project focused on safe online communication about suicide and self-harm. Two pilot studies were conducted to test the effectiveness of the intervention, with the first study assessing young people's confidence, skills, and willingness to communicate about suicide online, as well as adherence to CHATsafe guidelines.

Results from the initial campaign were promising, showing that the intervention was safe, feasible, and effective in increasing young people's confidence and willingness to intervene against suicide online. A second study targeted individuals who were bereaved by or exposed to suicide, producing similar positive results and further confirming the safety, feasibility, and potential effectiveness of CHATsafe.

At the time of recording, a randomised control trial is underway to test the universal campaign, with the goal of providing care and support to young people in the environment where they already spend time, potentially overcoming barriers to seeking professional help.

One of the key aspects of Jo's work is the emphasis on co-design and youth participation. Bespoke co-design workshops were conducted to ensure that the content of the CHATsafe guidelines meets the specific needs of different subpopulations, including LGBTQIA+ youth, South Sudanese communities, and Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander groups.

The development of the guidelines involved input from young people from the beginning, and the content was co-designed with their input. The resources aim to educate adults about online safety tools and functionality, empowering them to support young people in having safe conversations about suicide.

Throughout the episode, we discuss the effectiveness of social media as a tool for mental health support, the need for investment in mental health services, and the importance of addressing gaps between awareness campaigns and available care. We also touch on the challenges regarding access to healthcare for mental health and suicide prevention in Australia and the UK, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Join me and Jo Robinson in this episode as they delve into the world of digital mental health interventions and explore the potential for social media to play a role in suicide prevention among young people. 

In this episode of Digital Ecology, host Victoria Betton is joined by Kayikunmi 'Kay' Sogo, a senior product manager specialising in product management and user research. 
Kay emphasises the importance of discovery, assumption testing and working with cross-functional teams to build software. 
Kay reflects on a recent decision-making process regarding a content management system (CMS) and how they decided to build a prototype as a minimum viable product (MVP) instead. He also highlights the significance of user interface (UI) in enhancing the user experience and solving users' problems properly. 
The conversation expands to include the role of product management in creating value for users and understanding their needs and challenges. Kay also delves into the need for continuous discovery and user research, as well as the importance of regularly engaging with customers. 
Kay shares his own experience of starting an online food ordering and delivery service and the lessons learned from it. 
Tune in to this episode to gain valuable insights into the role of product in creating value for users of digital systems.
The Digital Ecology Podcast 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 talkinghealthtech.com/podcast/network.

In today's episode of Digital Ecology, I chat with James Freed, a seasoned expert in digital health. We kick off by diving into James's eclectic career journey—starting from biochemistry and oncology, pivoting into NHS cancer services, and finally making waves in digital health.
He offers wisdom on the essence of change management and even shares a personal story about how his daughter views failure as growth.
We discuss the technology time warp in the NHS back in 2000 and how this spurred James to make a difference on a national scale. He’s been instrumental in creating the Digital Academy and has done some groundbreaking work at Health Education England.
James delves into the need for a harmonised language and priorities in healthcare, based on the quadruple aim. He also touches on the challenges of recruiting digital talent in healthcare, underscoring the importance of empowerment and continuous learning.
He points out the slow uptake of tech in healthcare compared to other sectors and champions the role of user-centered design in bridging this gap.
As we look towards the future, James talks about the growing demand for digital skills in healthcare, highlighting what this means for staff development and public funding.
We wrap up with a look at the complicated landscape of healthcare policy and why digital competence isn’t just a 'nice to have' for clinical staff—it's essential for patient safety.
Don't miss this candid conversation packed with actionable insights on digital health and change management.