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What Does Innovation in Australian Healthcare Look Like?

Ausmed Editorial Team

Last updated: 25 August 2024

What Does Innovation in Australian Healthcare Look Like?

Ausmed Editorial Team

Last Updated: 02 May 2022

cover image

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Australia's Impact on Global Healthcare Innovation

Australia has always been at the forefront of modern healthcare innovation and research. CSL, Cochlear, and many others have paved the way not only for Australian healthcare organisations but also for organisations all over the world, to the extent that they now sport multi-billion dollar deals with governments and investors alike.

However, there are always new frontiers in healthcare, one of which is complex tech. While technology has admittedly been around for a long time, the research – and funding – that health technology development requires has finally caught up with the market. We’re seeing AI in more medical arenas, in-home automated support is a new possibility, and surgery can be less hands-on and more robot-arms-on than ever. Given that this is such an interesting area, Ausmed has done some digging to keep you up to date on the latest innovations in Australian healthcare and see if any might be a good fit for your organisation.

So what are some of the most interesting things being developed in Aussie med-tech? Think AI, 3D-printed organs and massive – yes, massive – databases.

AI: Remote-controls and diagnostic robots (kind of)

AI is undergoing massive growth, and not only in healthcare: online banking, mobile navigation and virtual assistants are all hinged upon constantly-developing AI technology. However, when it comes to AI in healthcare, there seem to be just as many opportunities for innovation as all the other areas combined.

While smaller health-oriented AI startups could be put off by the funding required to get off the ground, this doesn’t seem to stem the growth of Australia’s crowd of ground-level innovators. For example, Endogene has delved into the world of AI by developing its patented ‘Parascope’, a self-advancing endoscope that removes the risk of pushing an endoscope through the patient’s bowels (Endogene, 2019). Instead, the Parascope can be controlled remotely to navigate the entire gastrointestinal tract (Endogene, 2019). If you’re interested, read more here: Endogene’s Parascope.

One of the larger leading Australian healthcare AI companies is harrison.ai: this organisation is a clinician-led development firm that transforms medical insights into new AI software that makes it easier to provide great care to more people (harrison.ai, 2019). For example, one of their biggest projects has been ‘annalise.ai’ – a diagnostic imaging tool built in 2019 that helps radiologists detect inconsistencies and diseases in patients (harrison.ai, 2019). Founded in Sydney, the company’s intimate knowledge of clinician workflows has given them an edge when figuring out what needs AI and how it can be implemented (harrison.ai, 2019). Find out more here: Introducing annalise.ai Diagnostic imaging AI.

Since the original article was published, Harrison.ai has continued to make significant strides in developing, commercialising and deploying AI tools that support clinicians and clinical diagnosis.

Want to know more? We have a whole article exploring the wonderful world of AI in the Australian healthcare sector. Have a look here: What does AI mean for healthcare in Australia?

Surgery: Virtual reality and 3D-printed organs

We’ve isolated surgery as it’s own area in this collection because it’s such a fertile soil for innovation: it’s instrument-based, patient-facing and incredibly complex. In short: it’s exactly what would attract Australia’s next med-tech geniuses!

So what’s happening in the world of surgical technology? Virtual reality is taking up a larger portion of training than ever before: in an incredible step forward, Professor Shafi Ahmed removed bowel cancer from a patient at the Royal London Hospital while livestreaming to the public (Davis, 2016). Though largely novel at the moment, these sorts of broadcasts could become an integral vehicle for the transfer of knowledge and skills in an area of healthcare that has incredibly high stakes and a very slim margin for error. How long until we see this sort of thing in Australia? Unfortunately, it’s likely to be a while. Governance bodies must analyse and interrogate the ethical implications of the new tech as well as the possible health benefits to the potential patients that will be involved. While Australia waits, read more about Professor Ahmed’s amazing feat here: Cutting-edge theatre: world’s first virtual reality operation goes live.

Another great new element of Australia’s surgery landscape is Bioprinting – AKA the 3D-printing of human organs. The University of Western Australia’s ‘VascLab’ bioprints 3D organs for cardiovascular implants (EMS Marketing Team, 2020). In short, various hydrogel blends, called bioinks, are used to “provide structural integrity to the organs and tissue, making them compatible with the human body.” (EMS Marketing Team, 2020) This is a huge collaborative effort with experts aiming to bring this technology to hospitals all around Australia (EMS Marketing Team, 2020). Read more about this amazing technology here: Bioprinting.

Info-tech: The world’s largest health information exchange

In a massive step forward, Orion Health – an organisation that specialises in health data and information accessibility – has started to build the world’s largest health information exchange (Orion Health, 2022). This exchange will harvest information from over 5,000 governmental and private healthcare services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the purpose of itemising each consenting individual’s health information: it will be a one-stop-health-information-shop for over 32 million people (Orion Health, 2022). Ultimately, this will help clinicians make informed decisions based upon their patients' entire medical reality rather than just snippets.

This information exchange will work similarly to Australia’s My Health Record, but – based on the initial briefing documents – Orion Health plans to make the Saudi Arabian information exchange a much more person-centred and autonomous system than any we’ve seen before (Orion Health, 2022).

Read more about Orion Health’s huge undertaking here: Orion Health to deliver the world's largest health information exchange in Saudi Arabia

The Expanding Role of AI in Australian Healthcare

According to CSIRO's "AI Trends for Healthcare" report (2024), the integration of AI in Australia’s healthcare sector is inevitable and rapidly accelerating. Dr David Hansen from the Australian e-Health Research Centre (AEHRC) points out that AI's role in healthcare is crucial, especially in areas like clinical decision support and administrative tasks. The digitalisation of Australia’s EMRs is creating a robust platform for implementing AI technologies, which can enhance imaging, diagnosis, treatment, and administrative processes such as report reconciliation or clinical data analysis.

Emerging Australian Innovations in AI Healthcare

Since the original article was published, a surge in digital data within the health sector, amplified by increases in computing power and the availability of sophisticated AI tools, has catalysed a wave of innovation in Australian healthcare. Here are some of the standout Australian companies making waves:

  • SimConverse: This innovative startup uses AI to simulate patient interactions for medical, nursing and healthcare training, providing realistic scenarios for students to practice and enhance their key skills such as communication (SimConverse, 2024).
  • Heidi: Offers AI-driven tools for health data analysis, enabling healthcare providers to deliver more personalised patient care based on predictive analytics (Heidi, 2024).

The Use of AI Scribes in Healthcare

AI scribes, such as tools like Heidi, are reshaping medical documentation by automating the transcription of doctor-patient interactions into clinical notes, as highlighted by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) (RACPG, 2024). These tools, also known as digital or virtual scribes, help reduce the administrative load on healthcare professionals, allowing them to focus more on patient care during consultations. However, the RACGP underscores that AI scribes are not infallible; general practitioners must carefully review their outputs to ensure accuracy and completeness. As AI scribes continue to integrate into healthcare settings, they offer significant efficiencies but require diligent oversight to safeguard patient health records and support informed clinical decisions.

What do these innovations have to do with you?

Reading about people inventing new ways to save and improve lives can be an incredible experience, but one that ends when you close the tab. At Ausmed, we believe that the more you know, the greater care you can provide – and this doesn’t just apply to patient-facing healthcare practitioners. On the administrative and developmental side of health services, countless opportunities arise on a daily, weekly and monthly basis that you and your peers could use to further your organisation. But to grasp those opportunities, you have to be able to see what’s applicable to you.

So, when you read about scientists at the University of Western Australia Bioprinting hearts for surgical use, you could consider: does my friend who runs the cardiovascular surgical unit know about this? Maybe one of the doctors supervising that lab used to work at your organisation: could they come and give a lecture to your staff of all levels?

Or when you read about massive health information exchanges, are you reflecting on whether your organisation is using a functional health exchange?

In short: let yourself be inspired. There’s always room to grow, and maybe you can use these sorts of technologies in your organisation at some point!

References

Author

Ausmed Editorial Team

Ausmed Editorial Team 

Ausmed’s editorial team is committed to providing high-quality, well-researched and reputable education to our users, free of any commercial bias or conflict of interest. All education produced by Ausmed is developed in consultation with healthcare professionals and undergoes a rigorous review process to ensure the relevancy of all healthcare information and updates to changes in practice. If you have identified an issue with the education offered by Ausmed or wish to submit feedback to Ausmed’s editorial team, please email ausmed@ausmed.com.au with your concerns.

Subscribe to the L&D Toolbox

Our latest Podcasts, Guides, Training Requirements and Thought Leadership pieces delivered weekly to your inbox.

Outcomes Podcast
Guides
Training Requirements
Thought Leadership

What Does Innovation in Australian Healthcare Look Like?

Ausmed Editorial Team

Last updated: 25 August 2024

What Does Innovation in Australian Healthcare Look Like?

Ausmed Editorial Team

Last Updated: 02 May 2022

cover image

Subscribe to the L&D Toolbox

Australia's Impact on Global Healthcare Innovation

Australia has always been at the forefront of modern healthcare innovation and research. CSL, Cochlear, and many others have paved the way not only for Australian healthcare organisations but also for organisations all over the world, to the extent that they now sport multi-billion dollar deals with governments and investors alike.

However, there are always new frontiers in healthcare, one of which is complex tech. While technology has admittedly been around for a long time, the research – and funding – that health technology development requires has finally caught up with the market. We’re seeing AI in more medical arenas, in-home automated support is a new possibility, and surgery can be less hands-on and more robot-arms-on than ever. Given that this is such an interesting area, Ausmed has done some digging to keep you up to date on the latest innovations in Australian healthcare and see if any might be a good fit for your organisation.

So what are some of the most interesting things being developed in Aussie med-tech? Think AI, 3D-printed organs and massive – yes, massive – databases.

AI: Remote-controls and diagnostic robots (kind of)

AI is undergoing massive growth, and not only in healthcare: online banking, mobile navigation and virtual assistants are all hinged upon constantly-developing AI technology. However, when it comes to AI in healthcare, there seem to be just as many opportunities for innovation as all the other areas combined.

While smaller health-oriented AI startups could be put off by the funding required to get off the ground, this doesn’t seem to stem the growth of Australia’s crowd of ground-level innovators. For example, Endogene has delved into the world of AI by developing its patented ‘Parascope’, a self-advancing endoscope that removes the risk of pushing an endoscope through the patient’s bowels (Endogene, 2019). Instead, the Parascope can be controlled remotely to navigate the entire gastrointestinal tract (Endogene, 2019). If you’re interested, read more here: Endogene’s Parascope.

One of the larger leading Australian healthcare AI companies is harrison.ai: this organisation is a clinician-led development firm that transforms medical insights into new AI software that makes it easier to provide great care to more people (harrison.ai, 2019). For example, one of their biggest projects has been ‘annalise.ai’ – a diagnostic imaging tool built in 2019 that helps radiologists detect inconsistencies and diseases in patients (harrison.ai, 2019). Founded in Sydney, the company’s intimate knowledge of clinician workflows has given them an edge when figuring out what needs AI and how it can be implemented (harrison.ai, 2019). Find out more here: Introducing annalise.ai Diagnostic imaging AI.

Since the original article was published, Harrison.ai has continued to make significant strides in developing, commercialising and deploying AI tools that support clinicians and clinical diagnosis.

Want to know more? We have a whole article exploring the wonderful world of AI in the Australian healthcare sector. Have a look here: What does AI mean for healthcare in Australia?

Surgery: Virtual reality and 3D-printed organs

We’ve isolated surgery as it’s own area in this collection because it’s such a fertile soil for innovation: it’s instrument-based, patient-facing and incredibly complex. In short: it’s exactly what would attract Australia’s next med-tech geniuses!

So what’s happening in the world of surgical technology? Virtual reality is taking up a larger portion of training than ever before: in an incredible step forward, Professor Shafi Ahmed removed bowel cancer from a patient at the Royal London Hospital while livestreaming to the public (Davis, 2016). Though largely novel at the moment, these sorts of broadcasts could become an integral vehicle for the transfer of knowledge and skills in an area of healthcare that has incredibly high stakes and a very slim margin for error. How long until we see this sort of thing in Australia? Unfortunately, it’s likely to be a while. Governance bodies must analyse and interrogate the ethical implications of the new tech as well as the possible health benefits to the potential patients that will be involved. While Australia waits, read more about Professor Ahmed’s amazing feat here: Cutting-edge theatre: world’s first virtual reality operation goes live.

Another great new element of Australia’s surgery landscape is Bioprinting – AKA the 3D-printing of human organs. The University of Western Australia’s ‘VascLab’ bioprints 3D organs for cardiovascular implants (EMS Marketing Team, 2020). In short, various hydrogel blends, called bioinks, are used to “provide structural integrity to the organs and tissue, making them compatible with the human body.” (EMS Marketing Team, 2020) This is a huge collaborative effort with experts aiming to bring this technology to hospitals all around Australia (EMS Marketing Team, 2020). Read more about this amazing technology here: Bioprinting.

Info-tech: The world’s largest health information exchange

In a massive step forward, Orion Health – an organisation that specialises in health data and information accessibility – has started to build the world’s largest health information exchange (Orion Health, 2022). This exchange will harvest information from over 5,000 governmental and private healthcare services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the purpose of itemising each consenting individual’s health information: it will be a one-stop-health-information-shop for over 32 million people (Orion Health, 2022). Ultimately, this will help clinicians make informed decisions based upon their patients' entire medical reality rather than just snippets.

This information exchange will work similarly to Australia’s My Health Record, but – based on the initial briefing documents – Orion Health plans to make the Saudi Arabian information exchange a much more person-centred and autonomous system than any we’ve seen before (Orion Health, 2022).

Read more about Orion Health’s huge undertaking here: Orion Health to deliver the world's largest health information exchange in Saudi Arabia

The Expanding Role of AI in Australian Healthcare

According to CSIRO's "AI Trends for Healthcare" report (2024), the integration of AI in Australia’s healthcare sector is inevitable and rapidly accelerating. Dr David Hansen from the Australian e-Health Research Centre (AEHRC) points out that AI's role in healthcare is crucial, especially in areas like clinical decision support and administrative tasks. The digitalisation of Australia’s EMRs is creating a robust platform for implementing AI technologies, which can enhance imaging, diagnosis, treatment, and administrative processes such as report reconciliation or clinical data analysis.

Emerging Australian Innovations in AI Healthcare

Since the original article was published, a surge in digital data within the health sector, amplified by increases in computing power and the availability of sophisticated AI tools, has catalysed a wave of innovation in Australian healthcare. Here are some of the standout Australian companies making waves:

  • SimConverse: This innovative startup uses AI to simulate patient interactions for medical, nursing and healthcare training, providing realistic scenarios for students to practice and enhance their key skills such as communication (SimConverse, 2024).
  • Heidi: Offers AI-driven tools for health data analysis, enabling healthcare providers to deliver more personalised patient care based on predictive analytics (Heidi, 2024).

The Use of AI Scribes in Healthcare

AI scribes, such as tools like Heidi, are reshaping medical documentation by automating the transcription of doctor-patient interactions into clinical notes, as highlighted by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) (RACPG, 2024). These tools, also known as digital or virtual scribes, help reduce the administrative load on healthcare professionals, allowing them to focus more on patient care during consultations. However, the RACGP underscores that AI scribes are not infallible; general practitioners must carefully review their outputs to ensure accuracy and completeness. As AI scribes continue to integrate into healthcare settings, they offer significant efficiencies but require diligent oversight to safeguard patient health records and support informed clinical decisions.

What do these innovations have to do with you?

Reading about people inventing new ways to save and improve lives can be an incredible experience, but one that ends when you close the tab. At Ausmed, we believe that the more you know, the greater care you can provide – and this doesn’t just apply to patient-facing healthcare practitioners. On the administrative and developmental side of health services, countless opportunities arise on a daily, weekly and monthly basis that you and your peers could use to further your organisation. But to grasp those opportunities, you have to be able to see what’s applicable to you.

So, when you read about scientists at the University of Western Australia Bioprinting hearts for surgical use, you could consider: does my friend who runs the cardiovascular surgical unit know about this? Maybe one of the doctors supervising that lab used to work at your organisation: could they come and give a lecture to your staff of all levels?

Or when you read about massive health information exchanges, are you reflecting on whether your organisation is using a functional health exchange?

In short: let yourself be inspired. There’s always room to grow, and maybe you can use these sorts of technologies in your organisation at some point!

References

Author

Ausmed Editorial Team

Ausmed Editorial Team 

Ausmed’s editorial team is committed to providing high-quality, well-researched and reputable education to our users, free of any commercial bias or conflict of interest. All education produced by Ausmed is developed in consultation with healthcare professionals and undergoes a rigorous review process to ensure the relevancy of all healthcare information and updates to changes in practice. If you have identified an issue with the education offered by Ausmed or wish to submit feedback to Ausmed’s editorial team, please email ausmed@ausmed.com.au with your concerns.

Subscribe to the L&D Toolbox

Our latest Podcasts, Guides, Training Requirements and Thought Leadership pieces delivered weekly to your inbox.