Telehealth

PerfectServe plans to integrate Telmediq’s technology into its cloud-based care team collaboration platform.  

Wellth’s apps employ various behavioral economics strategies to engage patients and help them achieve optimal outcomes, says Neha Gavai, head of business development.

"There have been key moments when being a woman was not an advantage," she says.    

St John Ambulance WA is now using mobile and virtual reality in its first aid training, allowing people to use virtual reality to learn how to respond to an emergency, hone lifesaving skills and make first aid more available. The non-profit is pioneering a technology called First Aid Skills which uses mobile app or a virtual reality headset to guide users through three training simulations – CPR, defibrillation and the DRSABCD action plan using a Medical Information Assistant (MIA) that offers step-by-step instructions throughout the training. Additionally, sensors are linked to a resuscitation manikin to provide feedback on things like the correct rate of compression during CPR and breathing frequency. St John CEO Tony Ahern said the mobile and virtual reality technology is “a breakthrough” in helping introduce more people to first aid. “This is truly groundbreaking technology that will allow more West Australians to develop or practice the skills needed to save a life,” he said. “Our education pods are durable and mobile, meaning people can undertake training at their own pace, and at their workplace, school or public event. The technology itself is immersive, fun and equips users with the confidence to effectively respond in an emergency.” A smartphone and tablet app has also been developed to deliver on the same training offered by the virtual reality version. [Read more: Virtual field hospital shows role for augmented reality in disaster relief | How VR is helping paramedics prep for natural disaster response] Ahern said the technology puts users in an environment that more closely reflects real-life scenarios, teaching them to maintain composure in high-stress situations. “Short, cost-effective training will allow us to conduct training all over WA. Think remote regional towns, while you are waiting for a plane at the airport, anywhere.” He added that the launch of St John Skills comes off the back of the success of the St John WA First Responder App, which has and continues to enable people to help someone in need and ultimately, save more lives.

Australia’s healthcare industry and government stakeholders need to focus on four key areas – technology development, regulation, investment and implementation – to stimulate a thriving digital health industry. A report released by digital business health accelerator ANDHealth, Digital Health: Creating a New Growth Industry for Australia, outlined these as next steps needed to create a cohesive and collaborative digital health industry. ANDHealth CEO Bronwyn Le Grice said that with the global digital health market expected to reach US$206 billion by 2020, driven by the mobile and wireless health market, Australia needs to pursue innovation in technology, such as AI, immersive simulation, big data and IoT. And in order to fully realise the industry’s full potential, there needs to be in place an integrated ecosystem that supports the growth and establishment of the industry. The report highlighted the significant investment to date by all levels of government in developing core components of the national health and health technology infrastructure, including supply chain interoperability, terminology standards, health identifiers and data repositories, such as the My Health Record system. But it identified that for fit-for-purpose regulation, reimbursement and procurement practices and supportive public policies, strong infrastructure is needed to contribute to a viable platform for digital health technology commercialisation and implementation. “Australia is ready to take the next step in creating a cohesive and collaborative digital health industry. Australia is considered a global leader in health and medical research. We’re also early adopters of new technology and have an abundance of innovative ideas,” Le Grice said. “These are the key ingredients needed to nurture commercially viable and resilient fast-growth companies in emerging sectors, like digital health. “However, in order to succeed, there needs to be widespread understanding that the digital health sector goes beyond health information technology and infrastructure, and that digital health is not a subset of the medical devices sector,” she said. [Read more: A futurist predicts what healthcare will look like in the late 2020s | What’s needed to drive innovation and improve affordability in healthcare?] The report also recommended six steps for the healthcare industry: Recognise that digital health is a sector, which sits alongside traditional bio-pharmaceutical/life sciences and medical devices, and is a key driver of both health and economic outcomes for Australia in the future. Support and incentivise industry-led innovation support programs to provide innovators with access to professionals and advisors with demonstrable track records of success throughout the commercialisation pathway. Address challenges relating to access to capital to retain equity and foster company growth within Australia until later in the company lifecycle. Leverage investment in national infrastructure and facilitate access to it for innovators, technology developers and growth companies, in a structured way. Act to implement necessary changes to the broader healthcare environment, specifically with respect to regulation, reimbursement and procurement. Recognise the need for specialised expertise to support digital health companies to develop their international commercialisation plans and identify and support programs that provide this. MTPConnect CEO Dr Dan Grant said these steps aim to influence the direction of the future of the Australian digital health environment. “There’s no doubt that a fully fledged Australian digital health industry can be a key driver of both health and economic outcomes for Australia,” Dr Grant said. “With the right incentives in place, improved access to capital and development of adaptive regulatory frameworks, we can realise our potential as a global digital health leader.” The ANDHealth report was prepared in collaboration with industry partners including CSIRO, the Australian Digital Health Agency and MTPConnect.

Among his pre-show predictions? It's finally telehealth's time to shine. "It's the overnight success story that was 30 years in the making."

Almost 40 per cent of Australian healthcare professionals have nominated better information sharing as their number one wish for improving population health. Commissioned by Philips, the Telehealth: delivering value across institutional and geographical borders report revealed that the rate of adoption of telehealth solutions worldwide is still relatively slow, despite an increase in attitudes favouring connected care technologies.  Specifically, in Australia, 38 per cent of healthcare professionals said accessible, secure information sharing platforms between healthcare professionals would have the most positive impact on Australians taking care of their health. In Australia, a barrier to using telehealth was identified to be the “human touch” aspect of care, with only 14 per cent of the population saying remote appointments using hologram doctors in their home would have the most impact on improving healthcare today. Local healthcare professionals that do use telehealth are primarily interested in interacting with their patients online for scheduling appointments (74 per cent), receiving test results (67 per cent) and video consultations (52 per cent), indicating there is some interest in remotely communicating with patients. In addition, 74 per cent said IT-based cloud solutions around communication, record management and reporting will have a positive impact on primary care, hospital or healthcare staff.  But only 23 per cent of the Australian general population and 17 per cent of Australian healthcare professionals think the health system in Australia is very or completely integrated.  Almost three quarters agreed that connected care devices should be standardised so that all devices can interact with all parts of the health system no matter who makes them. And of those who have used connected care technology, 60 per cent said they have shared their data or health information with a healthcare professional, with 22 per cent saying that they do not understand the easiest way to share data with a healthcare professional. The study also showcased the adoption landscape across 16 countries. Despite the ever-growing number of case studies linking telehealth to more effective care and lower costs, the adoption landscape across these countries is mixed. [Read more: Call for Medicare to catch up, as the momentum of telehealth uptake grows | HealthEngine survey shows patients want on-demand convenience and calls for GPs to sign up to new teleheath platform]  The report identified five key factors that are potential, though not insurmountable, barriers to widespread telehealth adoption, which include outdated reimbursement and payment models, inadequate technological infrastructures, restrictive policies, cultural attitudes and a lack of financial incentives. According to Philips ASEAN Pacific CEO Caroline Clarke, these five factors indicate the success of value-based care systems. “A key function of telehealth is connecting people, data and systems. This ensures that patients, no matter when or where they are, can access quality care,” Clarke said.  “[The] report plays an important part in helping countries such as Australia identify the key barriers to the adoption of telehealth solutions, and find solutions to ensure our healthcare system is operating optimally and the health of the general population continues to progress. “As with other aspects of connected care, success in telehealth will ultimately be based on the involvement of multiple actors – healthcare professionals, the general population, payers, regulators and the private sector – together with the recognition that healthcare is, at heart, a human field that depends on people,” Clarke said.

MedicalDirector CEO Matthew Bardsley shares digital predictions for medical professionals going into 2019.

NewYork-Presbyterian, UPMC and Thibodaux executives discuss the advantages and imperatives of creating wide-ranging telehealth programs.