Medtronic VP urges essential funding and policy shifts to fully unlock AI potential: Reimagining Healthcare senior leadership series

MedTech & Diagnostics News: In the latest interview for the Reimagining Healthcare senior leadership series, Liz Carnabuci, Vice President and Managing Director of Medtronic ANZ & Vice President, Diabetes Group APAC, delved into the transformative potential of digital health and artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of healthcare in Australia.

“The vision when we think about AI and digital technologies, is this real connectedness for the patient, clinician, and our healthcare system,” she said.

Carnabuci emphasised that while the pandemic accelerated technological adoption, a cultural shift towards fully embracing digital health and AI remains a significant hurdle.

“The different systems, the different infrastructures that don’t really speak to each other – we really need to address these items. Another key part is around privacy…and that’s quite a significant piece,” she emphasised.

“The financial restraint and reimbursement gap to achieving that universal integration are quite significant too,” she added.

The rise of AI, exemplified by tools like ChatGPT, has captured the public’s imagination, but Carnabuci cautioned that its application in healthcare must be underpinned by robust evidence of efficacy, safety and privacy to “help us enhance accuracy, efficiencies and more importantly personalised patient outcomes”.

Addressing the role of governments and regulatory bodies, Carnabuci called for a more “harmonised” approach to regulation that keeps pace with the rapid advancements in digital health and AI. She stressed the need for evolving policies that can accommodate and guide the integration of these technologies into healthcare systems without stifling innovation.

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