Talking HealthTech

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Lars Borup, Clinical Manager at Dedalus, and Andrew Mitchell, Paramedic Clinical Consultant for Australia and New Zealand, about the growing issue of ambulance ramping and the pressures facing paramedics and emergency departments.They discuss the human and operational impacts of patients waiting outside hospitals, and the complex factors driving congestion, from changing social structures to system bottlenecks.The conversation also explores digital solutions for streamlining patient handovers, including real-time data sharing, electronic patient care records, and coordinated care pathways.Drawing on both local...

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, guest host and clinician Dr Max Mollenkopf is joined by Cliffe Hodgkinson, co-founder of Updoc, to explore the rapidly evolving world of telehealth and digital healthcare in Australia.The discussion dives deep into how Updoc is reshaping access to primary care, using technology to streamline patient intake, triage, and workflow management while maintaining robust clinical governance.The episode also examines the challenges and opportunities of building a digital health business, from recruiting and engaging clinicians with flexible work models to navigating economic pressures and policy changes.The...

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, host Peter Birch speaks with Louise Shardey, CEO of Adeney Private Hospital, and William Hadden, Managing Director for Oneview ANZ.The conversation explores how a new private hospital in Melbourne is approaching digital transformation, patient-centred care, and compliance with national standards.It highlights how collaboration between hospitals, clinicians, and technology providers is shaping integrated and seamless patient experiences.Topics covered include the hospital’s “zero out-of-pocket” model, the use of real-time digital tools at the bedside, strategies for reducing waste and improving efficiency, and how technology can suppor...

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.<...

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...

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 co...

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 in...

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 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...

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...

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...

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Pete Williams, CTO of Tyro Health.The episode explores the evolution of healthcare payments, including the transition from Medipass to Tyro Health and the latest trends in digital wallets.It also covers the practicalities of surcharging, regulatory changes, integrated payment solutions, and the potential impact of technologies like stablecoin and PayTo on medical payments for clinics and patients in Australia.Peter and Pete break down what these changes mean for clinics of all sizes, from day-to-day operations to long-term strategy.They...

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Associate Professor Colman Taylor and Alasdair Godfrey from HTANALYSTS about the evolving landscape of health technology assessment in Australia.The conversation explores how regulatory change, patient engagement and real-world evidence are reshaping the way new technologies are assessed, funded and adopted.It also examines the challenges health tech companies face when bringing innovation to market in Australia and across international settings.They share practical insights into what these changes mean for innovators, clinicians and policy-makers navigating an increasingly complex system.This...

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dominique Powis, Chief Technology Officer at Infomedix, Dr John Lambert, Chief Clinical Information Officer for the Department of Health Tasmania, and Dr Jill Freyne, Health Industry Lead at Amazon Web Services.They discuss the practical applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare and explore its real-world operational impact.The conversation also includes insights from attendees during a live Q&A session, offering a unique opportunity to hear questions and challenges directly from healthcare professionals and technology leaders.The panel dives into real-world use cases...

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with a panel of healthcare experts, including Stephanie Hodgson, physiotherapist, health project manager and industry PhD candidate at ConsultMed; Dr Shoma Dutt, paediatric gastroenterologist and senior staff specialist at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead; Dr Matthew Lam, GP and clinical advisor to ConsultMed at Riverstone Family Medical Practice; Charlie Winstanley, general manager of cardiovascular at Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust; and Dalia Croxton, senior project manager for digital health and business systems at Mater Group.The conversation dives into the evolving role of advice...

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Nalaka Withanage, CEO and co-founder of Data Capture Experts, the organisation behind the Digital Health Platform DC2Vue.The discussion explores the fragmentation of data in healthcare and the importance of longitudinal care records.They also examine the evolving role of digital health platforms compared to traditional EHRs, along with the opportunities and challenges associated with artificial intelligence and data governance in healthcare innovation.Dive into the practical steps healthcare organisations can take to build strong data foundations, improve interoperability, and create workflows...

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Leon Young, CEO and Founder at Cogniss, and Dr Frank Iorfino, Associate Professor at the Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney.The discussion focuses on no-code health technology platforms, digital mental health solutions, and the challenges and opportunities in delivering predictive and preventative healthcare, particularly in youth mental health.The episode covers Cogniss' evolution, the role of digital and predictive tools in healthcare systems, and real-world applications in clinical research and practice.The conversation offers insights into how health professionals can use...

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch sits down with Brad Gwyther, Principal Consultant at Imprivata, to explore the evolving landscape of secure access and identity management in clinical settings. The conversation focuses on the New Zealand healthcare ecosystem while highlighting trends and challenges that resonate globally.Brad and Peter discuss the daily struggles clinicians face with password management, the risks of weak access controls, and the impact of inefficient authentication on both patient safety and clinical workflow.They also examine modern approaches to secure access, including passwordless authentication, biometric logins, single sign-on, and...

In this audio-only episode of Talking HealthTech, Dr Max Mollenkopf, a Newcastle GP and practice owner, speaks with Tim Doyle, founder and CEO of Eucalyptus, about the evolution and future of primary care in Australia.The discussion explores Eucalyptus’s digital health model, how it is changing patient experiences, supporting clinicians, and connecting with traditional general practice.The conversation covers key challenges facing healthcare today, including continuity of care, regulatory considerations, clinician engagement, and the shifting expectations of patients in a digital era.They share candid insights on scaling digital clinics, balancing technology wi...

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch sits down with Dr Vienna Tran, Professor Gordon Cable, and Dr Lisa Brown to explore the fascinating intersection of healthcare and space.The discussion focuses on space medicine and how clinicians care for astronauts living in microgravity, exposed to radiation, and operating far from Earth’s hospitals.Learn about the unique challenges of human physiology in space, from fluid shifts and bone loss to immune changes and heightened cancer risks.The panel also examines how technologies developed for astronauts, including wearable health monitors, AI-driven diagnostics, te...