Episodes

  • Joining us in the Pulse Pod studio this week is Rachel Dunscombe, CEO of OpenEHR International and Director at the ECHA Alliance. Rachel is a key figure in advancing digital health systems globally, working with governments all over the world to advance their digital health agendas. She recently addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on the topic of "Leveraging AI for Global Healthcare Delivery".

    It's a longevity, healthspan, preventative health focused data week on the pod. George and Louise discuss:

    Are governments spending enough of their health budget on preventative health? Are we taking advantage of digital health to enable a proactive and healthspan focused approach to healthcare?

    Have humans already maxed out our expected longevity? What happens with our aspirations don’t align with the science?

    The Commonwealth Fund ranks the performance of health systems in 10 countries. Where did Australia land? What happens when you look under the hood of the headlines? Which country ranked the worst?

    We predict that AI will revolutionise patient triage. The question is not will it, but when will it? What does this mean for consumers, patients, clinicians and the broader workforce?

    Two thirds of Australian GPs reckon they are innovators and early adopters.

    The Aussie government is making waves in aged care and charging ahead in digital health, including measuring digital maturity in primary care and residential aged care.

    Follow Rachel Dunscombe on LinkedIn

    Resources:

    Study on public health funding of preventive health. Link

    Nature Ageing study on life expectancy limits. Link

    Diagnostic accuracy study. Link

    Commonwealth Fund report. Link

    AI and patient triage at UK GP practice. Link

    Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

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    Send us your questions [email protected]

    Production by Octopod Productions | Ivan Juric

  • Our special guest of Pulse is known online as e-Patient Dave. Dave Debronkart is a leading light of determined patient advocacy for individual access to their own health information. Dave joins us in the PulsePod studio to explore a new movement he is championing - #PatientsUseAI

    OpenAI's Transformation and AI Transparency

    OpenAI's shift from a non-profit to a for-profit corporation raises concerns about AI transparency, accountability, and the concentration of power in tech. How does this impact healthcare?

    ChatGPT Use in Healthcare

    A recent UK study reveals that 20% of surveyed GPs use generative AI tools in clinical practice, highlighting the need for education on both benefits and risks.

    Patient Data Sharing Controversy

    Australia's largest medical imaging lab, i-Med, faces scrutiny for sharing patient scans with AI startup Harrison AI. Is this all a bit overblown?

    AI Consultation in Australia

    The Department of Health and Aged Care is running a public consultation on Safe and Responsible AI, with healthcare as a priority area for reform. Listeners are encouraged to participate in the consultation and attend the upcoming webinar hosted by the Australian Alliance for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare (AAAiH).

    Epic vs Particle: Interoperability & Patient Access to Records

    A lawsuit between EMR provider Epic and data integration company Particle Health highlights the ongoing debate about patient access to health information and interoperability. The outcome of this case could significantly impact the future of health data sharing and the balance between data protection and patient empowerment.

    Real World Testing of AI-enabled General Practice

    Hunter, New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network has launched a new project to test and trial AI tools in 10 of its practices and act as a showcase for these tools.

    Resources:

    Follow ePatientDave on LinkedIn | X | Substack

    Govt AI consultation: Submissions link & Webinar link

    Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

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    Send us your questions [email protected]

    Production by Octopod Productions | Ivan Juric

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  • Matthew Holt, Founder of The Health Care Blog and resident Silicon Valley digital health expert, joins us in the PulsePod studio to talk about the US election, what’s happening in health start-ups and venture capital; and what other countries can learn from the US’s experiments in the retailisation of healthcare.

    George and Louise discuss Apple’s big health updates - not only is Apple listening, they are helping us hear! Google is experimenting with bioacoustics - by listening to us, can they diagnose respiratory illnesses?

    Do you live in a country where insurers can discriminate against you on the basis of your genetics? Thankfully, in Australia that is no longer the case.

    Louise experiments with AI to do an analysis of Lord Darzi’s report into the NHS.

    The Australian government has a plan to keep older people at home for longer. How will technology enable this?

    Resources:

    Follow Matthew Holt on LinkedIn | X | The Health Care Blog

    Follow Keith Grimes on LinkedIn & play with his Custom GPT here

    Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

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    Send us your questions [email protected]

    Production by Octopod Productions | Ivan Juric

  • We are living in the future! AI generated drug development is here. George and Louise discuss the significance of this development.

    There’s lots of stuff happening in the aged care sector – from clinical information system standards to virtual nurses.

    Would you form an intimate relationship with a chatbot? We introduce the topic of sextech on the pod.

    The British Medical Journal Open has published a study on life expectancy in high income English-speaking countries. Guess which country comes out on top, and which one comes in dead last?

    Our special guest of Pulse is Dr Chris Longhurst, the Chief Clinical and Innovation Officer at UC San Diego Health. Chris is a leader in transforming the way AI is integrated into medicine and how we make healthcare smarter and more compassionate. Follow Chris on LinkedIn

    Resources:

    BMJ Open Life Expectancy LinkKate McDonald’s article on Dr Chris Longhurst, ‘Pyjama time, generative AI and the rise of the chief health AI officer’ Link

    Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

    Follow us on LinkedIn Louise | George | Pulse+IT

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    Send us your questions [email protected]

    Production by Octopod Productions | Ivan Juric

  • Today’s episode features part 2 of our extended interview with Daniel McCabe, First Assistant Secretary for the Medicare Benefits and Digital Health Division at the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. We dissect the government’s ambitious agenda and their determination to put patients/consumers in the centre of healthcare innovation.

    Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

    Follow us on LinkedIn Louise | George | Pulse+IT

    Follow us on X Louise | George | Pulse+IT

    Send us your questions [email protected]

    Production by Octopod Productions | Ivan Juric

  • Today’s episode features part 1 of our extended interview with Daniel McCabe, First Assistant Secretary for the Medicare Benefits and Digital Health Division at the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. We dissect the government’s ambitious agenda and their determination to put patients/consumers in the centre of healthcare innovation.

    Louise tries to convince George they should join the Ozempic gold rush. Will George consent?

    The British Medical Journal has published a piece entitled “Patients need access to their medical records—now”, adding a loud voice to the move to share by default health records with patients.

    What should be the role of tech in treating mental health conditions? The government is under fire for spending precious budget dollars on the wrong things.

    Now you can get a blood pressure test while you shop for DIY items and munch down on a sausage sizzle. Will the vegans invade that oh-so-precious Australian institution of a sausage in the Bunnings car park?

    Patient portals are not yet universal in Australia, but they will be if Kath Feely, Chief Allied Health Information Officer across Melbourne’s Parkville hospital precinct has anything to do with it. (Go allied health!)

    Medical AI scribes are getting traction - can they be used to effortlessly create a version of the clinical note for patients? What do Pulse+IT readers think?

    And yay to our friends in Canada who have launched the first patient-mediated International Patient Summary in North America. It’s kind of a big deal! Will Australia be following their lead?

    Be a Sparked Founding member and join government, healthcare providers, established big software companies and some startups too. Join up before 30 August to be considered a Founding Member. More info here.

    Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

    Follow us on LinkedIn Louise | George | Pulse+IT

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    Send us your questions [email protected]

    Production by Octopod Productions | Ivan Juric

  • The PulsePod team are in Brisbane Australia for the annual HIC conference, where there are a number of announcements from large software companies, plus the future of interoperability seems to be FHIR all the way baby!

    What does Rock Health’s latest report tell us about US investor sentiment in digital health startups?

    Investing in women founders is so rare, should we refer to that as the real unicorn in start-up land?

    US based personal genomics company 23andMe – from highs to lows, what’s next for personal genomics?

    It’s all about the patient! Simple things like the convenience of online patient appointment booking are still a rarity in the land of medical specialists – one guy is wanting to change that!

    A visit into the Pulse+IT archives: Kate McDonald wrote about Chris Longhurst and Mike South’s HIC2018 keynote on why clinician burnout related to the EMR is not as prevalent a problem in Australia vs US.

    Louise & George talk with Liz Salmi, Communications & Patient Initiatives Director for OpenNotes at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the US about her research and patient advocacy work, and what does happen when patients get bad health news from reading it in online first

    Paper: When Bad News Comes Through the Portal

    Keynote: Getting Ready for Open Everything, MedInfo 2023

    Follow @TheLizArmy on LinkedIn | X

    Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

    Follow us on LinkedIn Louise | George | Pulse+IT

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    Send us your questions [email protected]

    Production by Octopod Productions | Ivan Juric

  • Oh the irony – a software tool designed to offer cyber protection against systems going down, causes the biggest cyber outage the world has ever seen. Healthcare was not except. The conspiracy theorists think it could be the start of SkyNet. Good grief!

    Australia and the US making moves to improve cybersecurity in health.

    Will Tony Blair convince Labor it can save the NHS by creating a new national purpose around leading the biotech revolution? Tony Blair Institute report ‘A New National Purpose: Leading the Biotech Revolution”

    Sharing is caring - Love to our friends in Ireland progressing a legislative agenda around sharing health information.

    Our friends head to Canberra to convince politicians we need rules and regulation to ensure patient safety is paramount in the development of use of AI.

    Louise & George talk with Peter O’Halloran, Chief Digital Officer, Australian Digital Health Agency ADHAon the exciting announcements around modernising Australia’s digital health infrastructure.

    Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

    Follow us on LinkedIn Louise | George | Pulse+IT

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    Send us your questions [email protected]

    Production by Octopod Productions | Ivan Juric

  • Unless EMRs have become sentient and we missed the memo, humans are ultimately the cause of an ‘EMR error’ South Australia Health is currently investigating.

    What’s required to save the NHS? There’s a new sheriff in the town that is the United Kingdom and he’s a big fan of tech. Can he course correct the NHS?

    Should we be worried about life expectancy numbers going in the wrong direction? George and Louise discuss longevity science and healthspan and the role of digital, data and where the Kardashians sit on the hype curve.

    Our guest today is Catherine de Fontenay, Commissioner at the Productivity Commission discussing their newly released report Leveraging Digital Technology in Healthcare.

    Tis the season for all things strategy! This week Pulse+IT Editor in Chief, Kate McDonald has an update on the plethora of digital health strategies across the planet, including a pretty good one on aged care by the Australian government.

    Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

    Follow us on LinkedIn Louise | George | Pulse+IT| Catherine de Fontenay

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    Send us your questions [email protected]

    Production by Octopod Productions | Ivan Juric

  • Well it’s finally here! George and Louise managed to coordinate their calendars to bring you this inaugural episode of Pulse. They lift the lid on a range of hot topics, from AI, Ozempic, the telehealth wars and even Southpark gets a mention. They also share their own career journeys that led them to digital health – they might have been younger, but their passion for all things health and innovation has only grown stronger! This week they are joined by Pulse+IT Editor in Chief, Kate McDonald.

    Link to the IMF Report discussed

    Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

    Follow us on LinkedIn Louise | George | Pulse+IT

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    Send us your questions [email protected]

    Production by Octopod Productions | Ivan Juric

  • Two Australians who’ve been at the heart of digital health since before it was called digital health - Dr Louise Schaper and Dr George Margelis, join forces to bring you Pulse. Pulse lifts the lid on all things innovation and tech in healthcare. With expert analysis, breaking news, and some idle banter, you’ll feel at home tuning in to hear these digital health legends and their friends discuss the key stories that are happening today, which will have profound impact on the health system of tomorrow.

    Visit Pulse+IT.news to learn more, engage in this rapidly growing sector, and subscribe to breaking digital news, weekly newsletters and a rich treasure trove of archival material. People in the know, get their news from Pulse+IT – Your leading voice in digital health news.

    Follow us on LinkedIn Louise | George | Pulse+IT

    Follow us on X Louise | George | Pulse+IT

    Send us your questions [email protected]

    Production by Octopod Productions | Ivan Juric