Medtech, academia and government unite: Breaking down silos to deliver the power and promise of digital health to patients

MedTech & Diagnostics News: In an interview with Health Industry Hub, Annette Schmiede, CEO of Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC), and Rob Wood, Senior Director of Research & Development at Stryker, discussed a new partnership to advance digital health solutions for Australian patients.

The collaboration between multinational medtech company Stryker, DHCRC and University of Technology Sydney (UTS) aims to develop a personalised digital platform in streamlining healthcare delivery and tailoring solutions to patients’ individual needs.

“This project is a great example of how health technology solutions can be developed right here in Australia. It could lead to a reduction in product and production lead times, ideally lower hospital and patient costs, and lead to better healthcare outcomes,” explained Mr Wood.

He added “There’s also the potential to expand and upscale this model to a commercially and technically viable, digitally enabled production system that can be expanded outside of Australia.”

Regarding roadblocks, the duo highlighted challenges integrating digital technologies into clinical workflows and emphasised the need for a skilled workforce to effectively utilise these advancements. Funding for implementing digital health solutions emerged as a significant challenge, with Ms Schmiede advocating for national government investment in a comprehensive digital infrastructure.

Finally, the interview touched on the need for policy reforms, particularly addressing interoperability issues among disparate data sets in the healthcare sector.

“We’ve seen some very good signals this year [from the government], particularly with the allocation in this year’s health portfolio budget to invest significantly in digital transformation…Policy changes particularly around interoperability is the magic that is going to deliver on improved efficiencies…There is a need for national policy to be developed and legislated,” stated Ms Schmiede.

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