Bridging the gap: Thought leaders advocate for comprehensive policies to maximise the potential of digital health

MedTech & Diagnostics News: At yesterday’s Medinfo23 conference, industry experts gathered to unveil the new MTAA report Digital Health: Breaking Barriers to Deliver Better Patient Outcomes. The event served as a platform for in-depth discussions among thought leaders, highlighting the pressing need for comprehensive policies and collaborative initiatives to harness the full potential of digital health.

Lyn Davies, Managing Director of Tunstall Australia, Chair of MTAA Connected Health Advisory Group (CHAG) addressed key stakeholders, stating, “It will take leadership and stakeholder collaboration to build and sustain new and efficient models of care that change how we support patients and communities and those who care for them.”

Diving into the implication of the report, Libby Day, Director of Advocation led a panel with Deidre Mackechnie, Executive Director, Australian Patient Advocacy Alliance, Andrew Wiltshire, Healthcare Policy Lead, Public Policy APJ of Amazon Web Services, Dr Rob Grenfell, Chief Strategy & Regions, Grampians Health and Dr Teresa Anderson, Chief Executive, Sydney Local Health District.

The panellists unanimously recognised the potential of digital health technologies in revolutionising healthcare services. Ms Mackechnie emphasised that technology should be patient-centric and empower individuals to take control of their health. She also stressed the importance of equitable access to care, particularly for disadvantaged patient cohorts, stating, “Ensuring that equity underpins the way in which we introduce this digital technology is a really important consideration to ensure that those patient cohorts have the same levels of access as people that live in metropolitan areas.”

Dr Anderson highlighted the exciting possibilities that digital health offers, emphasising the need for integration with existing care models and the importance of evaluation and clinical trials to ensure meaningful impact. She stated, “Digital health doesn’t stand alone. It is part of the models of care; it has to be integrated into models of care. It’s not a substitution model. It’s a complementary model.”

Dr Grenfell added “Digital health is most definitely the glue. That is the future for us in the sense of actually joining the tangible hardware of healthcare for people and other products.”

The panel also discussed the need for a national interoperability framework and standardisation in digital health. Dr Anderson emphasised the importance of cybersecurity and privacy protection, as healthcare systems are prime targets for cyber attacks. Dr Grenfell noted the need for seamless integration and minimal disruption to existing workflows for healthcare providers when adopting digital tools. Mr Wiltshire stressed the need for government intervention to set standards and provide guidance for compliance with privacy regulations and security requirements.

The discussion also touched on the impact of current funding systems on patient outcomes and healthcare efficiency. Dr Anderson highlighted the challenges in funding remote patient monitoring and the need for innovative funding models. Mr Wiltshire pointed out that the current payment systems in Australia do not cater to digital healthcare solutions, making it difficult for startups to navigate the system.

Overall, the panellists agreed that digital health transformation is crucial for improving patient outcomes, reducing costs, and advancing research efforts.

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