In 2022, Distinguished Professor Gordon Wallace AO and Professor Mukherjee jointly established Beyond Science as a clinician led, academically supported and clinician run Australian-first medical technology translation program.
The program is aimed at early career researchers and clinician-scientists working in medical device research specifically in otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat), head and neck surgery.
Vishaal Kishore, a Professor of Innovation and Public Policy at RMIT in Melbourne, serves as the Executive Chair of the RMIT-Cisco Health Transformation Lab and RMIT’s Director of Impact. Led by the RMIT-Cisco Health Transformation Lab, the National Industry Innovation Network (NIIN) Health Alliance combines the best minds, technologists, industry capabilities and academic resources to solve pressing industry and social challenges through technology-driven innovation. The NIIN aims to pool insights and expertise to address national health challenges, marking its first vertical focus on health.
In 2017, Dr. Omar Zuaiter and Alaa Habeb launched Dentroid, a dental technology startup with a mission to make dentistry a kinder and friendlier experience for patients and dentists using photonics (using laser technology) and robotics, as alternatives to needles, drills and sprays. The vision for the startup is to have dentistry adopt laser technology, addressing the root causes of dental pain & anxiety, and create a pain-free dental experience.
Launched in 2022, the Australian Teletrial Program is an initiative designed to improve access to clinical trials for people living in regional and remote areas of Australia. It uses telemedicine and digital technologies to enable patients to participate in clinical trials without needing to travel long distances to major metropolitan centres, which can often be a barrier to participation for those in rural and isolated locations.
Recently Australian Health Journal met with Kaye Hewson, Director, Australian Teletrials Program, who spoke about the program’s recent achievements.
Drawing from GE’s 125-year legacy in healthcare, Amit Yadav, CEO GE HealthCare ANZ is leading efforts to integrate AI into medical imaging devices and optimise workflow efficiencies. He stresses the importance of leveraging the vast amount of untapped healthcare data, with an emphasis on automating manual processes to enhance productivity. Additionally, his focus extends to utilising AI for workflow optimisation and ensuring compliance with local regulations and standards to prioritise safety.
Dr Marina Berbic is a genetic pathologist and the Deputy Director of Genetics at Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology – a laboratory based in Sydney and part of Sonic Healthcare. The genetics department at Douglass Hanly Moir offers a wider array of genetic tests across many domains, and the medical leadership model ensures the highest possible standard of care and commitment to patient safety.
In June 2023 the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) launched The Value of MedTech Report – a major study quantifying the difference the MedTech industry makes to the lives of Australian patients, the healthcare system and the Australian economy.
Australian Health Journal spoke with MTAA CEO, Ian Burgess and MTAA Policy Manager, Pravin Siriwardena about the report and its key findings.
Dementia care is one of the critical issues facing the aged care industry. About 500,000 Australians currently live with the brain disorder condition, and this is tipped to rise to 1.1 million in a generation.
How to effectively provide quality care for people living with dementia was a key element of the royal commission into aged care, which found the complex care required was an ongoing challenge for the industry.
In March 2022, the Australia government announced $350 million of funding over 4 years to employ on-site pharmacists in residential aged care, starting July 2023. In April 2023, the government made changes to the proposed on-site pharmacists, where the new program will now be delivered by and through community pharmacies. Regardless of how the model will be implemented, the goal remains the same – to improve quality use of medicines and medicines safety for aged care residents.
Former Johnson & Johnson ANZ Managing Director, Gavin Fox-Smith on working in large & small MedTech companies
