Discussions

The Internet of Things has revolutionary capability to create a precise and personalized health care system. Although the IoT is relatively new, applications include the monitoring of health conditions using vital signs and medical devices, collecting personal biometric and tracking data through wearable devices, opportunities for real-time monitoring, smart home technologies and devices that can provide feedback for physical and mental health conditions. It also includes sensors and internet-enabled devices including smartphones, that are interconnected and intelligent with the ability for algorithm based decision making.

Is it innovative to digitise the activities we already do? New technologies, data exchange and associated governance models allow us to think differently about system innovation and the provision of services in the digital age. It is believed the accelerating pace of change will be driven by the health consumer, and those funding and delivering services need to innovate to meet consumer needs or be left behind. The question now is how to shift our focus to above-the-line innovation and redefine how we deliver those services.

Those working in healthcare for a while know that there is a lot of innovations and valuable research within healthcare. A lot of this though is untapped, fragmented and siloed. Translation of knowledge and innovations across healthcare continues to be a challenge. If we are investing considerable funding and effort into these areas, how much are we benefiting? How can be innovative with data science and analytics with vast amounts of data that research and evidence is generating? What would be required to fast track change and build scale to things we know that work or potentially work? How do we implement innovative change into a large scale and conservative delivery environment?

In a time when disruption and health system change is constantly being highlighted and discussed, how can we learn from innovative models of healthcare. Increasingly the private sector is developing new business services and models of care which challenge traditional service delivery. How do we learn from, harness and scale these innovative business models? At the same time, a customer experience focus and patient experience is increasingly being brought to the front of our thinking. User experience, user design, co-design are all words used to describe how we should be planning for future services. This begs the question “do you know who your customer is?”.

How do we embrace innovation and practical change in healthcare in a time of digital disruption? The Innovating Health Series to date has highlighted the need for stronger leadership, understanding the potential of digital, allowing space for creativity and innovation, highlighting the need to work collaboratively, and ensuring the need for health practitioner and consumer engagement as a critical piece in creating new value in the digital age.

Whilst the health system strives to provide equal access to treatment and care for everyone, we know that some people and population groups have poor access to both health and social care services generally leading to worse health outcomes. As the Australian digital health ecosystem of payers, providers and digital intermediaries grows in capability and capacity, how does it target deprived populations? We know historically, cookie cutter approaches to health service provision have not improved health outcomes for deprived populations. In fact, the ‘worried well’ have been the fastest adopters of digital health.

How can we better link hospital discharge to aged care services and residential aged care facilities? Working with a real-life practical case example this executive lunchtime session will allow a strategic discussion on the application, benefits and considerations of introducing better digital platforms and connecting systems in the transition of people from hospital to aged care facilities (both private and not-for-profit).

Enabling the clinical coding workforce to adapt and drive intelligent coding to support improved revenue and cost management for healthcare organisations is becoming increasingly relevant as artificial intelligence (AI) and smart algorithms become available and more pervasive.