Talking HealthTech

Talking HealthTech
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Conversations with clinicians, vendors, policy makers and decision makers to promote innovation and collaboration for better healthcare enabled by technology. Learn about digital health, medical devices, medtech, biotech, health informatics, life sciences, aged care, disability, commercialisation, startups and so much more.

  1. 592 - Technology, Trust, and Transformation: Dr Heidi Baker on Modernising Clinical Practice

    2 DAYS AGO

    592 - Technology, Trust, and Transformation: Dr Heidi Baker on Modernising Clinical Practice

    In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dr Heidi Baker, an emergency specialist and paediatrician at Podhealth in New Zealand. The episode explores the intersection of clinical practice, digital health adoption, and technology-driven approaches to supporting neurodiversity and developmental paediatrics across New Zealand. Dr Heidi Baker shares her journey as a clinician and business owner, including her transition from emergency medicine to paediatrics and her experiences in setting up a tech-enabled health service. She also discusses her adoption of AI scribe solutions to improve clinical documentation and strengthen patient connections. The conversation dives into the challenges of balancing hands-on patient care with running a private practice, offering honest insights into delegation, workflow, and the emotional demands of generalist medicine. The episode also provides an in-depth look at how digital tools can transform the consultation room, allowing clinicians to spend more time engaging with patients and less on administrative tasks. Key Takeaways 🌏 Combining emergency and paediatric care can broaden a clinician’s skillset and approach to teamwork. 🧑‍💻 Setting up a digital health business requires clinicians to delegate non-clinical tasks, leverage tech platforms, and trust others with complementary skills. 💡 AI scribe technology is enhancing patient-clinician interaction, reducing admin burden, and enabling better capture of non-verbal cues and clinical details. 📝 Transparent communication and consent processes support the adoption of AI documentation tools in clinical practice. 🔒 Trust, data control, and careful selection of tech vendors are essential for upholding patient confidentiality and clinician confidence in digital solutions. Timestamps 00:02 – Dr Heidi Baker's background and roles 00:49 – Paediatrics and neurodiversity focus 01:13 – Skills from emergency medicine 03:17 – Starting a business as a clinician 04:13 – Choosing technology stack 06:49 – Delegating and managing capacity 07:48 – AI scribe adoption journey 09:51 – Transition and patient communication 11:47 – Benefits and workflow changes 13:49 – Impact on patient care and non-verbal cues 16:18 – Advice for clinicians starting with tech 18:47 – Balancing tech trust and regulation -------- Want to keep the conversation going? The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: View Full Article Here In the THT+ Community, our members keep the discussion going, share perspectives, and unpack what this episode actually means in practice with other people working in healthtech. If you’re enjoying the show and want access to full articles, episode discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus. And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.

    24 min
  2. 591 - Building Trust in Healthcare AI: Transforming Clinical Trials and Data

    4 DAYS AGO

    591 - Building Trust in Healthcare AI: Transforming Clinical Trials and Data

    In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Julie Hoare, VP and Regional General Manager for APAC, Angela Ryan, Lead Healthcare Executive for APAC, and Amita Malik, Senior Director and Health Sciences Product Manager at Oracle Health and Life Sciences. Together, they explore the evolution from Cerner to Oracle Health and the addition of Oracle Health Life Sciences, highlighting how these changes are shaping clinical trials, healthcare research, and patient care in Australia. The conversation examines the challenges facing clinical trials, including fragmented systems, slow recruitment, and complex regulatory processes, and how data and AI are being used to address these issues. The episode also covers the practical application of AI, the importance of trust and governance in digital tools, and the future direction of Oracle Health and Life Sciences in the region. Key Takeaways 🧩 Fragmented healthcare and research data remain a barrier to efficient clinical trials and patient outcomes, highlighting the need for unified platforms. 🤖 AI and analytics are being used to automate patient-trial matching, improve data quality, and accelerate research outcomes. 📊 Leveraging existing EHR data can transform organisations from record-keepers to research-ready institutions, facilitating faster drug development. 💡 Building trust in AI adoption is essential, emphasising the role of clinician validation and evidence-based implementation. 🌏 Oracle Health is actively collaborating with industry and government to advance the safe, effective use of AI and unified data in health. Timestamps 00:00 – Introductions & episode overview 03:23 – Challenges in clinical trials in Australia 07:54 – The evolution from Cerner to Oracle Health 12:59 – AI’s role in healthcare data & trials 18:06 – Clinical and practical use cases of AI 19:56 – Building trust in AI and digital tools 25:20 – AI Centre of Excellence and future directions --------- Want to keep the conversation going? The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: View Full Article Here In the THT+ Community, our members keep the discussion going, share perspectives, and unpack what this episode actually means in practice with other people working in healthtech. If you’re enjoying the show and want access to full articles, episode discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus. And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.

    32 min
  3. 590 - From Patient Flow to Operational Efficiency: Optimising Workflows at the Enterprise Level

    25 FEB

    590 - From Patient Flow to Operational Efficiency: Optimising Workflows at the Enterprise Level

    In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Steve Gomes, Executive Director at Rauland Australia and New Zealand. They discuss the evolution of Rauland’s concentric care platform and how it has been integrated into a variety of healthcare environments. The conversation explores critical communication, optimising clinical workflows, and strategies for implementing technology in both new and existing hospital facilities. Peter Birch and Steve Gomes also discuss data-driven approaches to enhancing patient outcomes and operational efficiency across hospitals and aged care. They dive into real-world examples of how Rauland’s concentric care platform reduces delays, improves patient flow, and supports staff, giving listeners an inside look at the practical impact of digital transformation in healthcare. This episode was recorded virtually, following up from a previous in-person interview at Rauland’s offices. Key Takeaways: 🩺 Integrating multiple systems for streamlined clinical workflows, reducing silos in hospital settings 📱 Rauland’s Reach messaging solution manages mission-critical alerts and closes communication loops 🏥 Technology adapts to existing hospital infrastructure to bring visibility and operational improvements 📊 Data from digital journey boards helps reduce patient length of stay and optimise resource allocation 🌏 Enterprise thinking supports consistency and scale across hospital networks, benefiting support and cybersecurity Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction & context 00:39 – Concentric care platform updates 02:04 – Rauland’s platform overview 03:10 – Mission-critical messaging 06:21 – Clinical workflow and emergency department example 08:25 – Deploying technology in established hospitals 11:54 – Impact in rehab and aged care 14:07 – Emergency department operations 16:33 – Importance of uptime and reliability 17:16 – Enterprise thinking across hospital networks 19:01 – Economies of scale with deployment 20:17 – Roadmap for Rauland in 2026 22:17 – Advice for hospital decision makers -------- Want to keep the conversation going? The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: View Full Article Here In the THT+ Community, our members keep the discussion going, share perspectives, and unpack what this episode actually means in practice with other people working in healthtech. If you’re enjoying the show and want access to full articles, episode discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealth.tech/thtplus. And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.

    26 min
  4. 589 - The Future of Care: Enhancing Patient Outcomes with Digital Health Collaboration

    23 FEB

    589 - The Future of Care: Enhancing Patient Outcomes with Digital Health Collaboration

    In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dr. Mina Baumgarten, Head of Business Process and Care Innovation at Vivantes, Dr Dennis Rausch, Chief Medical Officer at Dedalus, and Vinod Seetharaman, CMIO for ANZ at Dedalus. The conversation examines the challenges and strategies involved in large-scale digital health transformations, highlighting the long-standing partnership between Vivantes and Dedalus. It also explores the implementation of electronic medical records, the shift from traditional vendor relationships to collaborative transformation partnerships, and how lessons from Europe can inform Australia’s digital health journey. The discussion provides insights into interoperability, digital maturity, workflow optimisation, and the use of AI to support clinicians. It highlights real-world examples of successes and challenges, demonstrating approaches to building sustainable, adaptable, and effective digital health systems. Key Takeaways 🚀 Digital transformation relies on strategic, collaborative partnerships rather than basic buyer-vendor relationships. 🏥 Unifying multiple hospital sites under one digital system boosts scalability and efficiency. 🧩 True interoperability requires integrating numerous IT platforms to support complex care environments. 🤖 AI and automation are being used for clinical decision support, monitoring, and enhancing patient safety. 📊 Rigorous evaluation of digital and AI solutions is essential, prioritising real-world demand, measurable benefits, and strategic alignment. Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction 01:17 — Vivantes health system overview 04:40 — Dedalus' long-term partnership history 09:06 — Key elements of digital infrastructure 17:53 — Interoperability challenges in Australia 20:48 — AI and automation use cases 25:17 — Innovation implementation standards -------- Want to keep the conversation going? The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: View Full Article Here In the THT+ Community, our members keep the discussion going, share perspectives, and unpack what this episode actually means in practice with other people working in healthtech. If you’re enjoying the show and want access to full articles, episode discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus. And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.

    47 min
  5. 588 - Clinical Pathways: Improving Patient Journeys and Efficiency with Digital Health Solutions

    18 FEB

    588 - Clinical Pathways: Improving Patient Journeys and Efficiency with Digital Health Solutions

    In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Paul Eleftheriou, Principal and Co-Lead of Digital Health at Nous Group, and Rhonda Morton, Australian Director for Strategy and Partnerships at Streamliners, about the role of clinical pathways in modern healthcare. The conversation explores what clinical pathways are, why they are important, how they interact with technology like medical records, e-referrals, and AI tools, and how they can address inefficiencies and improve patient and clinician experiences across Australia. The discussion also dives into the challenges of translating evidence into practice, the impact of fragmentation in the health system, and the critical role of workforce engagement, leadership culture, and patient-centred design. The conversation provides practical insights into how clear, collaborative clinical pathways can reduce clinician burnout, promote health equity, and create a foundation for safe, smart digital innovation. It examines how evidence-based pathways interact with technology such as electronic medical records, e-referrals, and AI tools, and explores strategies to overcome system fragmentation while improving consistency, efficiency, and patient-centred care across healthcare settings. Key Takeaways ✨ Clinical pathways standardise care, providing consistent, evidence-based guidance for clinicians and supporting a seamless patient journey across fragmented health systems. 🤝 Integrating clinical pathways with digital tools improves communication, reduces inefficiencies, and helps prevent patients from falling through the cracks in a federated healthcare environment. 📉 Pathways can address “hidden taxes” on the system, such as unnecessary tests and duplicated processes, unlocking both cost savings and safer care. 👩‍⚕️ Effective pathways reduce clinician burnout by delivering point-of-care tools that streamline decision-making, and must be co-designed with both workforce and patient needs in mind. 🤖 Solid foundational systems are needed before leveraging advanced technologies like AI, ensuring that any innovations support, rather than overwhelm, clinicians and patients. Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction 00:36 — What are clinical pathways? 04:49 — Clinical pathways analogy: restaurants 06:09 — Pathways as patient journeys 07:42 — Digital’s role and “filling the cracks” 12:09 — Inefficiencies and hidden taxes 16:58 — Interoperability vs. care pathways 24:12 — Clinician burnout and enabling workforce 28:04 — AI, tech foundations, and implementation 41:20 — Future directions for Streamliners -------- Want to keep the conversation going? The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: View Full Article In the THT+ Community, our members keep the discussion going, share perspectives, and unpack what this episode actually means in practice with other people working in healthtech. If you’re enjoying the show and want access to full articles, episode discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus.

    45 min
  6. 587 - Collaboration, Equity, and Change: Driving Innovation at HiNZ 2025

    16 FEB

    587 - Collaboration, Equity, and Change: Driving Innovation at HiNZ 2025

    In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch and Rebecca McBeth from HiNZ speak with Hon. Tracey Martin, Darren Douglass, Debbie Hughes, and Alex Kemp about digital health innovation and challenges in New Zealand. This episode explores the latest developments in digital health and aged care in New Zealand, recorded during Digital Health Week in Christchurch, hosted by Health Informatics New Zealand (HiNZ). The discussion covers the digital transformation roadmap for Health New Zealand, highlighting how technology, clinical leadership, and inclusive design are shaping the future of care. The episode examines the challenges and opportunities in residential aged care, including workforce pressures, funding reforms, and the practical use of AI and digital tools to support frontline staff. The evolving role of HiNZ within the health sector is explored, including efforts to foster cross-sector collaboration, drive innovation, and provide long-term governance. The conversation captures insights from industry leaders and practitioners, offering a comprehensive view of New Zealand’s approach to digital health transformation, grounded in practical, human-centred strategies. Key Takeaways ✨ The future of aged residential care in NZ faces both political and practical challenges, with technology positioned to streamline processes and enable more human-centred care. 🧠 Co-design and direct involvement of disabled people in digital health solutions is crucial; early engagement helps address accessibility and diversity in technological development. 💼 Health New Zealand’s ten-year digital investment plan focuses on stabilising infrastructure, modernising platforms with AI and automation, and ultimately transforming clinical care and patient access. 🤝 Building trust and breaking down silos in healthcare are priority strategies for HiNZ, fostering connection and collaboration across the health sector. 👥 Leadership, change management, and digital upskilling initiatives are central to delivering sustainable transformation for NZ’s health workforce and systems. Timestamps 00:00: Introduction 00:43: Hon. Tracey Martin - Aged Care Association, NZ 07:27: Darren Douglass - Acting Chief Information Technology Officer, Health NZ 17:42: Debbie Hughes - Chief Executive, NZ Disability Support Network 22:05: Alex Kemp - Director of Engagement/CEO, HiNZ -------- Want to keep the conversation going? The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: View Full Article In the THT+ Community, our members keep the discussion going, share perspectives, and unpack what this episode actually means in practice with other people working in healthtech. If you’re enjoying the show and want access to full articles, episode discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus. And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.

    30 min
  7. 586 - Innovating Aged Care and Cancer Treatment: Inside ANDHealth Unfiltered 2025

    12 FEB

    586 - Innovating Aged Care and Cancer Treatment: Inside ANDHealth Unfiltered 2025

    In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Carmela Sergi, CEO of the Care Economy CRC, Amanda Caples, Victoria's Chief Scientist, Jeff Malone, CEO of the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery (ACMD), and Trang Nguyen, CEO and Founder of SeeTreat, about the intersection of digital health, innovation, and commercialisation in Australia. The conversations explore how health technology is designed, implemented, and scaled in real care settings, with a focus on patient outcomes, workforce realities, and practical adoption. The episode includes in-depth discussion on the future of the care economy and how co-design and end-user involvement are driving more effective, compassionate, and practical solutions. The discussion also dives into the emerging role of quantum technology in healthcare, strategies for translating research into real-world products, and how cross-sector collaboration can accelerate home-grown innovation. This episode was recorded during the ANDHealth Unfiltered 2025 event in Melbourne, Australia, and features several discussions that highlight evolving trends and front-line experiences in Australian healthtech. Key Takeaways 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The Care Economy CRC focuses on integrating technology and data to uplift productivity and outcomes across aged care, disability care, early childhood education, and more, with a major emphasis on co-design and workforce involvement. 🤝 Effective health innovation requires collaboration among government, academia, and industry, with models like ACMD and event conveners like ANDHealth driving partnerships. 📉Technology uptake in healthcare faces barriers including workflow integration, clinician overload, and the risk of unintended consequences, making co-design with end users critical to success. 🦠 Quantum technologies and advanced analytics are emerging as significant contributors to research, service delivery, and patient outcomes, with Victoria positioning itself as an ecosystem leader. 💊 Translation from research to commercialisation is improving in Australia, but ongoing focus on ecosystem navigation, workforce engagement, and industry partnerships remains essential. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 00:28 – Carmela Sergi, CEO, Care Economy CRC 08:34 – Amanda Caples, Victoria’s Chief Scientist 16:34 – Jeff Malone, CEO, ACMD 26:37 –Trang Nguyen, CEO & Founder, SeeTreat -------- Want to keep the conversation going? The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: View Full Article Here In the THT+ Community, our members keep the discussion going, share perspectives, and unpack what this episode actually means in practice with others working in healthtech. If you’re enjoying the show and want access to full articles, episode discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus. And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.

    40 min
  8. 585 - Optimising Patient Flow: Mindset, Metrics, and Continuous Improvement for Hospital Leaders

    11 FEB

    585 - Optimising Patient Flow: Mindset, Metrics, and Continuous Improvement for Hospital Leaders

    In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dr Paul Deffley and Nick White from Alcidion about their new handbook on improving patient flow within healthcare systems. The conversation explores why the handbook has been released now, its intended audience, and how its concepts can support leaders and clinicians in enhancing the movement of patients through hospitals. The discussion examines the current pressures facing hospitals, including rising patient demand, workforce challenges, and system inefficiencies, and considers why traditional approaches to patient flow are no longer sufficient. Lessons from other industries are explored, highlighting how principles such as systems thinking and Lean methodology can be adapted for healthcare. The episode emphasises the combination of real-time data, organisational culture, and continuous improvement as central to creating safer, more efficient, and patient-centred hospital systems. Key Takeaways ✅ Patient flow is more than implementing digital solutions—real change requires cultural and behavioural transformation within health organisations ✅ Real-time, system-wide visibility is critical for effective patient flow management and making data-driven decisions ✅ Adopting approaches from other industries, like Lean principles, must be tailored to the unique clinical and operational environment of healthcare ✅ Measuring a broad range of indicators beyond standard KPIs (e.g., length of stay, outliers, medically ready to discharge) provides better insights and guides improvement ✅ Practical actions like shop floor engagement and prioritising system-wide visibility can drive immediate and meaningful change Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 00:47 – Who the handbook is for and its purpose 01:33 – Why address patient flow now 02:41 – The importance of system-wide visibility 03:39 – Practical tools from the handbook 05:29 – Comparing healthcare to other industries 07:52 – Customising industry methods for clinical environments 08:57 – Differentiating patient flow discussions from electronic patient records 10:46 – The challenge of demonstrating return on investment in patient flow initiatives 14:30 – Rethinking metrics for measuring success in patient flow 17:27 – Actions health leaders can take today 19:01 – Actionable advice for immediate implementation 20:25 – How to access the handbook -------- Want to keep the conversation going? The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: View Full Article Here In the THT+ Community, our members keep the discussion going, share perspectives, and unpack what this episode actually means in practice with other people working in healthtech. If you’re enjoying the show and want access to full articles, episode discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus. And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.

    23 min
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Conversations with clinicians, vendors, policy makers and decision makers to promote innovation and collaboration for better healthcare enabled by technology. Learn about digital health, medical devices, medtech, biotech, health informatics, life sciences, aged care, disability, commercialisation, startups and so much more.

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