The latest news from the Digital Health CRC
October, 2023
Message from our CEO
Annette Schmiede
As Spring arrives across our vast country, we are entering the final week to the Voice Referendum. It has been gratifying to see strong support for a Yes vote from across Australia’s health and medical research community. Health is one area where there is confidence the proposed Voice will enhance government decision making to ultimately improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The DHCRC commenced an important project in the Northern Territory late last year which is looking to deploy digital tools to remote Indigenous communities to improve access to primary care. Through working with our Aboriginal colleagues on this project there has been a great deal of learning about the importance and need for listening when working with Aboriginal communities. When we listen carefully to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander colleagues we can learn a lot about how body, mind, spirit, culture and country fit together to integrate health and wellbeing.
On a personal note, I finally managed to take a long planned two-week holiday travelling from Broome to Darwin along the Kimberley coast. This area is among the most remote and pristine environments in the world. The geology, wilderness and wildlife are spectacular and tell a very different story to our heavily populated coastal communities. The long history and evidence of Aboriginal habitation and adaption to this harsh environment over millennia tells a story that all Australians need to hear.
Last month also included a trip to Canberra, and Parliament House, to meet a range of people including Members of Parliament from all political parties including Independents and those in policy and advisory roles. With significant investment in digital health technology in this year's Budget, it is important that the impact of this digital health investment is well understood to support policy and legislative requirements. Digital Health and AI are cross portfolio responsibilities and with the release of the Discussion Paper – Supporting Responsible AI, by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources coordinating with the Department of Health and Aged Care is important.
The release of this AI Discussion Paper led a group of research, government, and industry leaders to convene a National AI in Healthcare Policy Workshop in August under the sponsorship of the Australian Alliance for AI in Healthcare (AAAiH), DHCRC and CSIRO to discuss the safe and responsible use of AI in healthcare. Without doubt AI will have a major impact on Health. We are already seeing this in practice across several of our DHCRC Research Projects. More on this on this Workshop is shared below.
An important role of the DHCRC is to improve the translation and implementation of our Research and Development program. Policy Advocacy and Thought Leadership are important tools to bring to this role and briefing policy makers is one way to reinforce awareness, engagement, and support for continuing digital health investment. Many of the challenges faced by the digital health sector from workforce capability through to interoperability will require a coordinated national approach. We will continue to advocate for a unified framework that supports the implementation and adoption of digital health initiatives across all parts of the Australian health system.
Finally, I am pleased to share some news about the future of the DHCRC. Over recent weeks we have begun to engage with our Core Participants (18) on plans to apply for an unfunded 18-month extension to the DHCRC. The DHCRC was originally established with a seven-year term which is due to expire on 30 June 2025. While this is still over 18 months away, we can already see that we will need additional time to realise the full benefits from our burgeoning project pipeline. Covid-19 presented many challenges and opportunities. A number of our research projects were delayed or cancelled, access to hospitals was limited, and research priorities were diverted. Equally, it demonstrated the undeniable need for, and benefit of, digital health. As I have said previously, we saw more than a decade worth of innovation in less than two years. The digital health landscape has changed dramatically, in many unforeseen ways since the establishment of the DHCRC. Given these changes, and the opportunities we see ahead, we have begun exploring the possibility of extending the term of our Commonwealth Agreement for a further 18 months beyond 30 June 2025. We believe we have a strong case to extend our current term as we look to maximise the impact and translation of our program of work, and we have received encouraging feedback from the Commonwealth in this regard. We will of course keep you, our partners, participants and supporters, updated as this application progresses.
In the meantime, thank you for your ongoing support and engagement. We feel very privileged to be working at the intersection of technology, healthcare and research to build a resilient and robust health system for the future.
Warm regards,
Annette Schmiede
Latest News
The DHCRC was part of a group of research, government and industry leaders that recently met in Sydney to develop recommendations on the safe and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.
Convened by the Australian Alliance for AI in Healthcare (AAAiH) and facilitated by Dr Noman Swan AM, The National AI in Healthcare Policy Workshop, held at Macquarie University, was also supported by the Australian Institute of Health Innovation (AIHI), CSIRO’s Australian e-Health Research Centre (AEHRC), RMIT, the Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH).
Attendees at the workshop included representatives from the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, as well as Federal, State and Territory Departments of Health, and representatives from key stakeholder and regulatory bodies.
The policy recommendations discussed at the workshop will be released later this year to help inform government policy around AI in healthcare.
Health Research Data UK: Gearing an entire country for health data science
DHCRC is excited to be supporting the visit to Australia of Professor Andrew Morris, Director of Health Research Data UK.
Join us for an EXCLUSIVE webinar discussion on the establishment and development of the UK's national institute for health data science.
Using technology to meet Care Minute targets in aged care
Care minutes are now mandatory, and aged care homes must deliver a sector average of 200 care minutes per resident per day, including 40 minutes of registered nurse care.
Nick Hansen, CEO of Aged & Community Services at Anglicare Southern Queensland, is ahead of the game and leveraging technology such as Mirus Australia’s Care Minute Manager tool help his eight residential care homes effectively plan, track, and report their compliance to care minutes.
Read more here on how aged care organisations can leverage technology to proactively ensure care minute targets are met
The typing is on the wall
The DHCRC has contributed to a paper published this month by the Australian Health Review. The perspectives paper titled: The typing is on the wall: Australia’s healthcare future needs a digitally capable workforce recognises Australia’s healthcare future needs a digitally capable workforce.
It looks at lessons learned from the global experience of rapid digital transformation of health workforces, including the need to foster a culture of learning, ensure accreditation and recognition, and adopting a transdisciplinary approach.
The paper argues Australia must take a national approach and strategically leverage strong collaborations across sectors including healthcare, education and government to ensure a consistent, regulated and sustainable digital workforce capability.
In conversation with… Len Gray, The University of Queensland
In this edition we speak with Professor Len Gray, Professor in Geriatric Medicine and a Senior Researcher within the Centre for Health Services Research at the University of Queensland. Len brings a lifetime of experience in practice and research in the aged care sector. He is now lead researcher in the flagship DHCRC project Aged Care Data Compare.
To read the full conversation, click here...
Education Update
Public health innovation is needed to improve obesity prevention. Emerging data (e.g., electronic medical records) and digital technologies (e.g., interactive dashboards and artificial intelligence) hold a key to unlocking new intelligence to precisely target individuals and communities at high-risk for obesity - the right preventive intervention for the right person at the right time.
This webinar, presented by Digital Health CRC Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Oliver Canfell, will showcase a multidisciplinary research program in Queensland, that is using digital health as an enabler for obesity prevention at scale. Supported by the Digital Health CRC, the Queensland prevention effort is leveraging the power of collaboration across academia, government and industry.
Unlocking Heart Health Secrets: Melissa Pelly's AI Revolution
Digital Health CRC PhD candidate Melissa Pelly's research tackles a pressing issue: the alarming rise in heart disease cases. With almost half of Australians at risk, her work introduces AI as a game-changer in early detection and personalised care.
What sets Melissa's research apart is her commitment to involving patients and health professionals in its development. Their invaluable insights can help ensure that AI solutions cater to real-world needs, reducing anxiety and enhancing patient outcomes.
Join Melissa on her quest to find out how AI may hold the key to better heart health and learn more about her transformative research on the Big Thinkers Forum.
Dr Oliver Canfell Brings Digital Excellence to Clinical Excellence
Dr Oliver Canfell is a Digital Health CRC Emerging Leader, a Research Fellow at The University of Queensland, and is clinically trained as an Accredited Practising Dietician.
Dr Canfell was recently interviewed by Peter Birch from Talking HealthTech, sharing the shifting need to prevent diseases rather than treat them and questioning if data and technology are the solutions the Australian health industry needs.
Listen to Dr Canfell’s full podcast interview with Talking HealthTech, here.
Telehealth Awareness Month
October 2023 is Telehealth Awareness Month where telehealth and virtual care are highlighted and recognised throughout the month. The theme for this year’s telehealth awareness month is “Telehealth: enabling sustainable healthcare” recognising the many benefits of telehealth access.
Telehealth Awareness Month coincides with Digital Health CRC’s final Effective Telehealth Delivery microlearning pilot. The course commences on 23 October following the great success of the May and July 2023 components of the pilot program.
For more information and to register your interest to participate in the Digital Health CRC’s Effective Telehealth Delivery microlearning pilot, click here.
Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: Practice Implications
A new microcredential course, delivered by The University of Sydney’s Professor Tim Shaw and Dr Anna Janssen, will empower healthcare professionals with the knowledge to use AI technologies safely and effectively in healthcare.
The six-week online course will explore the organisational and human factors that facilitate adoption of these technologies, and provide a foundational understanding of clinical governance of AI and how emerging products like ChatGPT4 present unique challenges.
Project Update
A leap forward in supporting Australians injured in motor vehicle accidents
This month we unveiled a new research project with Leap4ward (LeapForward), NRMA Insurance and The University of Sydney that is looking at the benefits of using digital engagement to support people getting back to health, life and work after a motor vehicle accident.
The University of Sydney will study a sample of approximately 100 participants who have been injured after a motor vehicle accident and will look to understand the use, engagement and acceptability of LeapForward’s digital engagement platform.
LeapForward Founder and CEO Libby Roberts said: “LeapForward’s virtual health coach teaches participants skills to overcome the unhelpful thoughts and behaviours that are holding them back and gives them daily support on their recovery journey. It is exciting to build further evidence for the impact of our novel approach to supporting recovery, specifically in the area of motor accident recovery.”
Upcoming Events
Practice Analytics Summit 2023
Date: 20 October 2023
Location: The University of Sydney
Practice Analytics is an emerging field within health care exploring how varied electronic health data sets can be harnessed to understand the value and quality of care. The exciting 2023 program will explore how data can be leveraged to improve or change practice; motivations for using data for reflective practice; and the legal, ethical and organizational considerations using data in practice analytics.
Victorian Healthcare Week
Date: 18-19 October 2023
Location: Melbourne Convention & Expo Centre
Step into the future of healthcare at the highly anticipated Victorian Healthcare Week (VHW), where innovation and forward-thinking collide to shape the healthcare landscape of Victoria and beyond. This premier event, in alignment with the visionary agenda of the Victorian Government's healthcare transformation, invites you to be part of a ground-breaking journey towards revolutionising healthcare.
AI in Healthcare Readiness Forum
Date: 25 October 2023
Location: Ivy Sunroom, Sydney
The AI in Healthcare Readiness Forum is a highly specialised event designed to explore the important considerations around AI adoption in healthcare and weigh the readiness in different contexts and clinical settings.
We already have AI being used within healthcare, but how ready are our health systems?
Through a case study and discussion-led agenda, this one-day summit will explore the importance of getting some of the basics right and understanding the “tools in the kit” before embarking on your journey with AI.
