Category: Community

DIGITAL HEALTH BOOTCAMPS FIT FOR IDEAS

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]ANDHealth, Australia’s digital health business accelerator, has been awarded $250,000 to deliver intensive Digital Health Market Success Bootcamps for up to 40 Australian digital health companies.

MTPConnect CEO Dr Dan Grant says ANDHealth’s focus is on equipping digital health innovators with the skills needed to turn ideas into commercially successful products.

“Through ANDHealth’s intensive, five-day focused curriculum, representatives from digital health companies will take a deep dive into clinical evidence, regulation, business models, intellectual property, partnering, attracting investment and exploring new international markets,” Dr Grant says.

“These are the real-world skills that underpin successful companies, allowing them to build the capital they need to continue innovating, market their products to the world and employ more Australians.

“Extending ANDHealth’s program through our Project Fund Program recognises its significant successes and lays the ground work for it to continue.”

ANDHealth has been operating for two years, helping cohort digital health companies prepare for investment and international market entry. Since October 2017, ANDHealth+ cohorts have raised over $14 million, undertaken 9 new market launches, generated $2.4 million in revenue, created 63 new jobs, commenced 10 clinical trials and studies, secured 115 new customers, and served 12,857 patients.

Earlier this month, ANDHealth+ alumni DoseMe, which developed a real-time precision dosing software system, was acquired by US-based Tabula Rasa HealthCare for up to US$30 million. Founder Robert McLeay is staying with the company as Chief Scientific Officer and will remain based in Brisbane.

ANDHealth Managing Director Bronwyn Le Grice says the funding will boost the business acumen of digital health companies.

“ANDHealth is the only organisation in Australia focused specifically on supporting digital health companies prepare for investment and international market entry. With this renewed support from MTPConnect, we will be able to expand our impact across a greater number of companies, from earlier in their evolution,” she says.

“The funding will allow us to leverage our existing skills and programs and the capabilities of our members, partners and global networks to continue building a vibrant, evidence-based digital health industry in Australia.”

ANDHealth’s Digital Health White Paper produced with support from MTPConnect, shows how Australia can create a fully-fledged digital health industry.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

BACK TO SCHOOL FOR EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES WITH A HELPING HAND

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Wairoa School provides a comprehensive education for children aged 5 to 18 years of age who have moderate to severe disabilities and may also have additional support needs related to autism, physical and sensory disabilities.

The Edwards’ team arrived before school started and once they had hats, sunscreen and gloves in place they got straight into it.

This isn’t the first time Edwards employees have done voluntary work at the school. Last year, over two days, a collective total of 78 hours was volunteered by staff to action the garden vision of the school side entry grounds.

Edwards says it aspires to have 100% of their employees do at least one charitable activity every year.

Employees completed the new garden with a feeling they really contributed and made a positive impact in the lives of the kids and their families.

Managing Director of Edwards Lifesciences ANZ, Pat Williams said “the physically demanding work our volunteers did over Friday and Saturday at Wairoa School for the severely handicapped was truly phenomenal – I’m confident that the staff and students will appreciate the work to improve this area of the school.

“Our commitment to charitable giving is one of the defining elements of our culture. We’re fortunate to be able to support many health- and community-focused programs through grants to non-profit organisations around the world from the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation.”

This year the Wairoa School was successful recipient of $5,000 from the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation.

Edwards believes that through their actions they will become trusted partners with customers, colleagues, and patients – creating a community unified in its mission to improve the quality of life around the world.[/vc_column_text][vc_images_carousel images=”2640,2641,2642,2643″ img_size=”large” speed=”10000″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

$23 Million Funding Boost For Peak Health Groups

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Liberal National Government will provide the nation’s peak health groups and advisory bodies with $23.5 million over three years to help build a healthier Australia.

Organisations such as the Australian College of Nursing, the Consumers Health Forum, Lifeline and the Rural Doctors Association will receive funding through the Health Peak and Advisory Bodies Programme so they can continue to contribute engaged, robust and constructive participation.

Established in 2016, the Health Peak and Advisory Bodies Programme supports a wide range of organisations, and a total of 23 organisations have been provided funding over three years.

This will enable the organisations to play their part in informing the Government’s health agenda through impartial advice, thus contributing to improved health outcomes for Australians.

This can include consulting and sharing information with their members, the wider health sector, the community and the Government, providing sector knowledge and expertise and providing education and training to health practitioners to improve the quality of health services.

These organisations are integral to building a better health care system for the nation.

Their voices are important – and those voices wouldn’t be heard without the funding the Government provides under this program.

Several of these organisations also receive funding to deliver specific health programs under different funding streams. This funding is in addition to the Health Peak and Advisory Bodies Programme.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

Organisation Name Total funding
Australian College of Nursing $1,125,000
Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations $1,125,000
Consumers Health Forum of Australia $1,125,000
Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia $652,062
Allied Health Professions Australia $459,075
Asthma Australia $667,851
Australian Association of Practice Managers $622,866
Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association $558,300
Continence Foundation of Australia $1,125,000
Haemophilia Foundation Australia $585,000
Heart Support-Australia $819,000
Hepatitis Australia $1,125,000
Lifeline Australia $525,000
Macular Disease Foundation Australia $1,125,000
Metabolic Dietary Disorders Association $537,000
Mental Health Australia $1,650,000
National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS $1,125,000
National Rural Health Alliance $2,910,000
Palliative Care Australia $1,125,000
Public Health Association of Australia $1,125,000
Rural Doctors Association of Australia $1,125,000
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia $1,125,000
Vision 2020 The Right to Sight Australia $1,125,000
Total HPAB funding $23,486,154

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MEDTECH MEDIA STORM, FAIR AND BALANCED?

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The campaign, coordinated by a U.S.-based media group, launched a barrage of negative stories that sought to question the safety and integrity of regulatory processes for medical devices around the world. Here in Australia, local media outlets used the opportunity to share the stories of specially selected patients who alleged their medical devices were not functioning as intended and questioned the robustness of Australia’s regulatory processes.

The association representing MedTech innovators in Australia, the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA), was quick to slam, what it described as an “inaccurate and sensationalist” campaign adopted by Australian media outlets.

In a statement, MTAA CEO, Ian Burgess, voiced his disappointment at the irresponsible tone and the inaccuracies of the media coverage.

“It’s disappointing to see Australian media outlets, such as the ABC, calling into question the integrity of the TGA, MedTech innovators and the dedicated Australians who work in the industry, by choosing to go down the path of sensationalism and biased reporting,” Mr Burgess said.

As PulseLine covered last week in our feature story, Australia has one of the most highly regulated and robust assessment systems in the world for MedTech. Considering the millions of MedTech devices Australians have successfully implanted, or come into contact with each year, it’s hard not to see the regulatory process has a strong track record for safety.

If you’re asking yourself ‘doesn’t selective reporting by the media undermine the confidence people have in the system?’ You would be right.

Unbalanced stories, specifically orchestrated for coordinated media campaigns like this one, can create unwarranted fear in the community, causing someone, who would benefit from a medical device, to avoid seeking treatment that could otherwise improve their quality of life.

Following the media storm Australia’s federal Minister for Health, Greg Hunt, requested Australia’s regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), to investigate whether additional measures are needed to improve the safety of medical devices.

While it is still too early to know what sort of harm this negative campaign will have on patients’ decisions to forgo the benefits of medical devices, one thing is for sure, Australian media outlets should avoid the pitfalls of the type of sensationalist reporting that is all too often common practice in other parts of the world.

Australians can, and should, be proud of the professionalism of the hardworking men and women who work in the TGA and the MedTech industry who work day-in and day-out to ensure Australians have access to the most innovative and life-changing medical technologies in the world.[/vc_column_text][vc_zigzag][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

DID YOU KNOW:

Global advances in medical technology over the past 20 years has led to a 56% reduction in hospital stays, 25% decline in disability rates, 16% decline in annual mortality and an increase in life expectancy of approx. 3.2 years?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

MEDTECH INNOVATORS DESCEND ON SYDNEY

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Kicked off by MTAA’s board Chair, Gavin Fox-Smith, the two-day event was packed with a long list of guest speakers and panel discussions that ranged from politics, software and cybersecurity to patient empowerment and philanthropy.

The organisers stepped up the interactivity this year by inviting the audience to participate in the panel discussions by submitting and voting for questions from their smartphones. Suffice to say the questions were coming thick and fast throughout the panel discussions, but even more so during the first two panels on politics and the next NSW and Federal Election.

Mingling among the sponsor displays during the intermissions PulseLine spotted Stryker South Pacific’s Maurice Ben-Mayor chatting to MTAA’s CEO, Ian Burgess. One can only assume they might have been discussing Stryker being awarded the best place to work for 2 years running, or even Ben-Mayor’s thoughts on CVs that he laid out in a viral LinkedIn post (read it here).

Also, in attendance was Edwards Lifesciences’ Managing Director Pat Williams speaking with MTAA’s outgoing Government Relations and Communications Manager, Polo Guilbert-Wright (a contributor to PulseLine). We understand Polo was head-hunted by Edwards Lifesciences who are looking to leverage his public affairs experience as the government enters an uncertain election period.

This year’s conference also raised the stakes by partnering with the Actuator’s Buzz Palmer and Vishaal Kishore to bring MedTech’s Got Talent (MTGT) to the stage. The top 20 MTGT participants faced off in a one-minute rapid fire round where they pitched for a chance to progress to the Finals Gala event where they will be given the chance to pitch for up to $200,000 in seed equity investment. Needless to say, the participants were nervous, and the audience was enthralled with the innovative solutions these start-ups were presenting. Stay posted for more on this story.

We can’t wait to see how they’ll be able to top 2018’s MedTech Conference next year, but as we have done in the past, PulseLine will bring you all the latest news, insights and interviews from the event.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_images_carousel images=”2536,2537,2538,2539″ img_size=”full” autoplay=”yes” wrap=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

ACCOLADE, AWARDS AND ADMIRATION FOR AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The awards, now in their 16th year, pay tribute to the efforts and energy of some of the sectors highest achievers and some of the most promising innovators in health and medical research.

Research Australia’s CEO, Nadia Levin, said the impact of the working being one across the country and internationally proves Australia’s research sector is a force to be reckoned with.

“We were joined by over 250 people who tirelessly work to improve the health and wellbeing of our wider community, and it was an honour to acknowledge their work,” Ms Levin said.

This year’s winners showcased their ground-breaking discoveries and innovation that represent the promise of better healthcare for all Australians.

The evening’s most prestigious award, the Peter Wills Medal, was awarded to Laureate Professor Nicholas Talley AC, from the University of Newcastle, a global authority in the field of neurogastroenterology, for his pioneering work into unexplained gut disorders that affect millions of people worldwide.

In a wonderful acknowledgement of generosity that has spanned two generations, the Great Australian Philanthropy Award was presented to the Burges Family Trust for its high impact and transformative quality to Australian health and medical research.

Ms Levin said the nominees for each award category were an incredibly high calibre, which is a great sign of things to come.

Research Australia’s Health and Medical Research Winners for 2018 included:

  • The Research Champion Award was awarded to Matthew Grounds, CEO of UBS, for his advocacy work through a range of roles including Chair of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, member on the Samuel’s review of independent medical research institutes, and at the helm of a consortium to advocate for a strengthening of NSW’s cardiovascular research capacity;
  • The Griffith University Discovery Award was awarded to Dr Sarah Best from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research for her remarkable discovery that could change the way lung cancer is diagnosed and treated;
  • The Data Innovation Award was awarded to Dr Craig Dalton from the University of Newcastle, for his FluTracking platform, the largest in the world. The platform collects public health information in real time and on a scale never seen before, helping in the detection of flu outbreaks;
  • The Leadership in Corporate Giving Award was presented to MACA for their contribution to the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research through it world renowned participation of the Ride to Conquer Cancer. As the title sponsor for the Ride, MACA have been directly responsible for funding ground-breaking research at the Perkins;
  • The Health Services Research Award went to Professor Sue Kildea from the University of Queensland for her work in ‘closing the gap’ in maternity care practices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and building capacity within the midwifery workforce; and
  • The GSK Award for Research Excellence went to Professors Georgina Long and Richard Scolyer from the Melanoma Institute Australia for their exceptional contribution to medical research that has transformed melanoma treatment and patient care.

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First Australian Hospitals Reach International Best Practice for Digital Health

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]St Stephen’s Hospital Hervey Bay (UnitingCare) and The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne are being accredited as Stage 7 – the most advanced stage of the HIMSS Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). St Stephen’s Hospital Hervey Bay has achieved EMRAM Stage 7 for its inpatient facilities and The Royal Children’s Hospital has achieved Outpatient EMRAM (O-EMRAM) Stage 7 for its outpatient clinics.

According to John Daniels, Global Vice President of HIMSS Analytics, the awards represent the first time that any hospital in Australia has reached this advanced stage of digital healthcare and could lead to significant improvements in patient care.

“Technology is a tool that, when put in the right hands, can change lives. Australia is beginning to realise a future where integrated, more personalised care is a reality,” said Mr Daniels.

“Historically, Australian doctors and nurses faced vast challenges from systems that didn’t communicate with each other, lost records, and information accessibility. This is a major step towards overcoming these issues.”

“These hospitals are showing Australia what digital transformation can achieve – and the outcomes it delivers for Australian patients – and we’re delighted to be part of their journey.”

The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Melbourne uses technology to support the treatment and care of all children, particularly those with complex and chronic disorders, requiring care by multiple specialties. The technology allows clinicians to have a more holistic view of the care that each patient needs and receives: any clinician can receive a real-time, single view of the entire patient journey and the interplay between disciplines.

Prior to the introduction of the EMR, clinicians needed to hand write patient information, which had a number of challenges, particular with timeliness, communication across clinical disciplines, and when patients had multiple and simultaneous clinical needs. With the new electronic medical record system, it is much easier to see every single aspect of a patient’s care, from hospital operations, to outpatient services. This allows staff to provide safer care and improve outcomes.

Along with improved clinical outcomes through a more coordinated delivery of clinical record keeping, the RCH has also opened this transparency up to patients and families. A new patient portal has strengthened the partnership between clinicians and patients’ families, enhancing the hospital’s ability to deliver patient and family centred care.

“We have invested significantly in upgrading our healthcare technology to improve outcomes for patients and their families, and we are seeing the benefits through clinical outcomes, hospital efficiencies and enhancing the transparent healthcare partnership between clinician, hospital, patient and family,” said Jane Miller, Chief Operating Officer of The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne.

Queensland’s first digitalised hospital; St Stephen’s in Hervey Bay has improved efficiencies and patient safety through the utilisation of electronic barcode scanning of blood and medication products. The new system also provides access to online data to monitor and improve care and share data with other health care providers caring for the hospital’s patients.

“Achieving the HIMMS Stage 7 accreditation has been a significant journey. Not only did we demonstrate how we were utilising the technology within our hospital, we were also assessed on our consistency of use, which showed a real behaviour shift by our team.

“For St Stephen’s, the rewards of following the EMRAM process has extended past the utilisation of technology; it has strengthened our ongoing commitment to providing innovative health solutions for the safety and care of our patients,” said Darren Rogers, General Manager St Stephen’s Hospital.

HIMSS Analytics developed the EMR Adoption Model in 2005 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of electronic medical record systems for hospitals in the HIMSS Analytics™ Database. The O-EMRAM was developed in 2012 as a methodology for evaluating the progress and impact of EMR systems at outpatient facilities. These models consist of eight stages (0-7) that measure a hospital’s implementation and utilisation of information technology applications. The final stage, Stage 7, represents an advanced patient record environment. The validation process to confirm a hospital has reached Stage 7 includes a site visit by an executive from HIMSS Analytics and former or current chief information officers to ensure an unbiased evaluation of the Stage 7 environments.

“Around the world, adopting electronic medical records has been shown to help healthcare organisations to save lives by using data and analytics to improve high-quality care, safety, and efficiency,” Mr Daniels said.

“Stage 7 is really the tipping point that allows hospitals and patients to see the true benefits of EMRs. The real goal across Australia is for all organisations to reach this Stage and achieve better health through information and technology.”

“HIMSS will continue to work with State and National Governments to provide clear direction and help Australian healthcare organisations reach this level nationally.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

FUTURES MEDICAL SHOWCASES LATEST EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WITH NEW DIGITAL HOSPITAL SYMPOSIUM

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Taking place at Device Technologies’ education facility in Sydney, NSW, on Monday November 5th, the event invited multiple hospital groups and organisations together to collaborate on the most effective ways in which medical education can be accessed.

With face-to-face, on-the-job training becoming an ever important part of clinical education, the need to incorporate more efficient means of sharing and building knowledge has become an issue that all healthcare professionals need to address.

Digital education options have become increasingly available and utilised, helping to build a foundation that provides health care professionals with the opportunity for rapid learning and information retention.

The symposium aimed to address this topic, allowing hospitals, university groups, industry and government representatives to come together for a hands-on experience, and to collaborate on the latest medical education technologies.

Being an industry-first event, the delegation had the opportunity to have a hands-on experience using the latest digital education technologies. These included virtual reality courses for operating room and hospital procedures, clinical augmented reality courses, digital conferencing, Live-Point-of-View remote support (for regional and remote locations) and video production and e-learning for operating theatres.

Among the delegates who were invited to the event included representatives from the NSW Health Education and Training Institute (HETI), Ramsay Healthcare, and Southern Cross Hospitals in New Zealand.

The event also featured multiple speakers and experts in the field of digital health education, including Futures Medical Business Manager Andy Hansen, and a virtual reality contingent from the University of Newcastle. The event was opened by Device Technologies’ CEO, Michael Trevaskis.

“The day was a great success, particularly the round table discussion in the afternoon,” elaborated Hansen.

“This provided a rare forum for representatives from private and public hospital groups in Australia and NZ, academics, clinicians, educators and technology creators to come together to discuss challenges and the potential solutions.

“The wealth of cutting edge technology present on the day left everyone feeling optimistic about what can be achieved”.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”2526″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row]