Workforce

More and more health systems are taking steps to "fully unleash nurse innovators at the leadership level," a new report shows, tapping their specialized expertise for technology deployment, process improvement, patient experience and more.

It’s a matter of change management – and there are some applicable best practices.

Grant Thornton's Stacy Tselekis discusses opportunities for women in the digital space, the importance of mentorship and the real value of inclusion.

The Women in Health IT initiative is growing and expanding, says Nancy Green, Global Healthcare Business Development & Strategy executive leader at Verizon Enterprise Solutions.

As the cloud IT company continues its post-acquisition merger with Virence Health, the consolidation means job losses for some 200 employees.

Two Australian organisations have joined forces in a bid to improve remote healthcare delivery and attract more doctors to rural and remote communities across Australia. Swinburne University of Technology has partnered with CSIRO startup Coviu to embed digital health technology in the classroom, clinic and research by using the latest telehealth technology to treat Australian's remotely. The partnership will see Coviu, a company which specialises in online health consultations by using AI to connect doctors with hard-to-reach patients, provide access to its technology for Swinburne students, researchers and clinical services to redefine models of healthcare. Swinburne will embed Coviu technology into the curriculum of nursing, occupational therapy, psychology, dietetics, health science, and digital health and informatics. These will be taught at Swinburne’s new Health Precinct. The technology will also be implemented into Swinburne’s new Master of Physiotherapy, and Graduate Certificate in Teleaudiology, set to launch from mid-2019. Coviu CEO and Co-Founder Dr Silvia Pfeiffer said the partnership enables Swinburne students to break down the distance and barriers between healthcare professionals and patients. “The distance between healthcare providers and those they serve can require enormous amounts of effort, time, and money to overcome. Coviu aims to knock down this barrier by making video visits the new standard of care,” Pfeiffer said. “Our goal is to bring fairer access to healthcare for all citizens, regardless of their location, and this partnership takes us one step closer.” According to Pfeiffer, research has shown that up to 80 per cent of clinician visits can be provided online with comparable clinical outcomes and that it’s essential for the next generation of medical professionals to be equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to make online consultations effective. “Beyond geographical constraints, there’s often a stigma attached to seeking support for certain health services; for example, mental health. However, for many people, this disappears when they can do it from the comfort and privacy of their own home. This makes telehealth a fantastic solution for those seeking aid, regardless of location," she added. [Read more: Deakin Uni launches Institute for Health Transformation | Murdoch Uni launches new research centre for precision medicine] Swinburne University of Technology Digital Health and Informatics Academic Director Dr Mark Merolli said health and digital technology go hand in hand, and this partnership reflects Swinburne’s commitment to leading digital health and its passion for innovation in all aspects of teaching, training and research. “Having our students prepared for a workforce where healthcare is increasingly delivered remotely, is imperative and something that is at the core of digital health’s future in Australia. We need graduates that are comfortable using this technology and Swinburne will produce them,” he said.

Providers there also don't have to wait 28 days for access to Epic and other systems, and now receive full rights within two days.

Hospitals and health systems are seeing their clinical and operational processes reshaped by the same forces as the rest of the economy, says Deloitte: AI and robotics, automation, virtualization, the 'gig economy' and more.

Swinburne University of Technology, a public university located in Melbourne, Australia, has partnered with Coviu, a telehealth software platform, to further embed digital health technology in the classroom, clinic and research. What’s it about The partnership will engage students studying health-related courses, and the wider community, in using the latest telehealth technology, equipping them to treat Australians remotely and redefine models of healthcare. Coviu, a company that specialises in online health consultations, will provide access to its technology for Swinburne students, researchers and clinical services. Coviu is also a finalist and winner of the 4th Innovations Challenge Award for their PhysioROM solution at the HIMSS AsiaPac Conference in 2018. Students will learn how to break down the barriers created by distance between healthcare professionals and patients. Swinburne will embed Coviu’s technology into the curriculum of nursing, occupational therapy, psychology, dietetics, health science, and digital health and informatics. These will be taught through Swinburne’s new Health Precinct, which utilises the latest in technology and facilities. The technology will also be implemented into Swinburne’s new Master of Physiotherapy, and Graduate Certificate in Teleaudiology, set to launch from mid-2019. On the record “Having our students prepared for a workforce where healthcare is increasingly delivered remotely is imperative and something that is at the core of digital health’s future in Australia. We need graduates that are comfortable using this technology and Swinburne will produce them,” said Dr Mark Merolli, Academic Director of Digital Health and Informatics at Swinburne in a statement. “Health and digital technology go hand in hand, and this partnership reflects Swinburne’s commitment to being a leader in digital health and our passion for innovation in all aspects of teaching, training and research,” he added. “Research has shown that up to 80 per cent of clinician visits can be provided online with comparable clinical outcomes. We’ve worked hard to make our telehealth technology simple to use for both patients and providers, however it’s absolutely essential that the next generation of medical professionals are equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to make online consultations as effective as possible. Our partnership with Swinburne will ensure that this process takes place,” said Dr Silvia Pfeiffer, CEO and co-founder of Coviu.