Talking HealthTech: 346 – Healthcare Innovation in Wollongong Showcase

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During the recent school holidays in Australia, Peter Birch from Talking HealthTech visited Wollongong University to record a special episode. This thriving city in Dharawal Country is home to a diverse community and an innovative startup scene. This article provides an overview of the healthcare innovators featured on the podcast, offering insight into their work and how they are driving advancements in the HealthTech sector.

Dr Anthony Cadden – HealthMemmo

Dr Anthony Cadden is an orthopaedic surgeon and co-founder/CTO of HealthMemmo. With a background in both medicine and computers, Anthony identified the need for better communication between patients and clinicians, leading to the creation of HealthMemmo. This cloud-based platform, with native apps for Android and iPhone, consolidates messaging, instructions, reminders, and appointments, making it easier for patients and practices to communicate effectively.

HealthMemmo has broadened its scope, now catering to various healthcare professionals, including podiatrists, physiotherapists, and psychologists. The platform is designed to be simple and user-friendly, with plans for expansion outside of Wollongong and even across Australia.

Beraldo Lilli – Physiotherapist

Beraldo Lilli is an experienced physiotherapist who has been practising in Wollongong for over 30 years. Beraldo’s practice has evolved over time, from general sports physiotherapy to focusing on shoulder and spine issues, reflecting the changing demographics and needs of the Wollongong population.

Beraldo’s practice incorporates the latest technology, such as digital data capture and measurement tools, to improve patient outcomes. He acknowledges the balance between technology and hands-on patient care, recognising the importance of both in providing effective treatment.

The Changing Landscape of Physiotherapy and Telehealth

Technological advancements have significantly impacted physiotherapy practices, with many clinicians now using exercise-based interventions and digital tools. However, striking the right balance between technology and hands-on care is essential, as too much reliance on data collection can detract from patient engagement.

Telehealth has proven to be a valuable tool during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is expected to continue playing a role in patient care. While some patients still prefer face-to-face consultations, telehealth offers an effective and convenient alternative, particularly for monitoring and managing certain conditions.

Advice for HealthTech Vendors

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, technology vendors should focus on addressing key challenges, such as developing virtual reality solutions for pain and function, creating improved range-of-motion measurement devices, and designing wearables for monitoring activity performance and range of movement. By concentrating on these areas, vendors can help healthcare professionals enhance patient outcomes and provide the best possible care.

Matty Redpath – Ericom

Introduction to Matty Redpath and Ericom

Matty Redpath is the Director of Digital Health at Ericom, a solution architect passionate about using technology to solve problems. Ericom has over a hundred team members spread across offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Wollongong, each catering to different demographics. For instance, the Wollongong office focuses on health, while the Sydney office works with larger corporations and executives.

Ericom’s Solution for Deaths in the Prison System

Ericom addresses a variety of client issues, including deaths in custody. They use wireless non-wearable radars to monitor heart rate and breathing, aiming to centralise this solution within the prison system for a medical team. The company plans to develop a more predictive model in the future.

Challenges in Healthcare for Prisoners

Prisoners, like the general population, may suffer from health issues due to drug- or alcohol-fueled lifestyles. However, their access to healthcare is more limited, making solutions like Eircom’s particularly valuable.

Customised Solutions by Ericom

Ericom focuses on delivering bespoke solutions by engaging in conversations and research to understand clients’ problems. Their affinity for predictive technology and fall detection is particularly beneficial within the aged care sector, helping to prevent falls and monitor vital signs.

Building Relationships to Add Value

Redpath emphasises the importance of developing relationships with clients to create tailored solutions that cater to their specific needs. It is essential to have the right team behind the solution and collaborate with partners to achieve common goals.

Predictive Solution in Acute Healthcare

Predictive health solutions in acute healthcare settings could save time, allow patients to go home earlier, and enable remote measuring and AI integration. As funding is often an issue in hospitals, these solutions could be particularly beneficial.

The Wollongong Demographic and Future Focus

Wollongong has a mixed population of young and old, with remote work enabling more young professionals to remain in the area. Ericom’s staff is similarly dispersed across Australia. In the future, the company plans to work with larger corporations and collaborate with university researchers on AI projects.

Evangelos Pappas – University of Wollongong

Introduction to Evangelos Pappas

Evangelos Pappas is an Associate Dean and Professor at the University of Wollongong. With a background in physiotherapy, orthopaedic biomechanics, and academia, he works on developing the Health and Wellbeing Precinct at the Innovation Campus.

Innovative Research at the University of Wollongong

The University of Wollongong has a long-standing tradition of innovative research in healthcare. Current projects focus on sports injuries, motion capture technology, and capturing physical activity and heart rate measures. The recent acquisition of a markerless motion capture system has accelerated research in orthopaedic biomechanics, with applications for sports injury prevention.

Collaboration and Practical Solutions

Pappas highlights the importance of balancing robust research, ethics, and practical solutions that can be applied in real-world situations. Collaboration between the university and the local health district facilitates this process.

The Future of Innovation in Wollongong

Pappas and his colleagues plan to continue their cutting-edge research, focusing on projects involving the AI-powered markerless motion capture system, sports injury prevention and rehabilitation, and collaborations with Wollongong’s foot and ankle centre. They also aim to secure funding for their endeavours.

Leo Stevens – University of Wollongong

Leo Stevens’ Role in Commercialisation

Leo Stevens supports university researchers in developing commercial research projects and works on the university’s commercialisation and IP portfolio. He also hosts a podcast called Lab Notes, which covers the science commercialisation journey.

Commercialising Research Ideas

Universities and researchers dedicate time and resources to build deep knowledge in various fields. The commercialisation unit at the University of Wollongong helps identify opportunities to start companies based on this research or collaborate with existing incumbents.

Embracing the Entrepreneurship Pathway

Australia has seen a cultural shift in recent decades, with universities, the government, and investors showing greater interest in the entrepreneurial pathway. This has fostered a growing ecosystem for research commercialisation, knowledge exchange, and entrepreneurship.

Projects and the Entrepreneurial Path

The entrepreneurial path chosen depends on individual researchers and their work. Pharmaceuticals often end up in big pharma, while smart devices in IoT for wearables lead to startups like ResMed.

The Growing Ecosystem and Collaboration

A thriving ecosystem requires collaboration among universities, governments, investment groups, and mentors. This collaboration is crucial for the successful commercialisation of research projects.

Investing in Innovation and Growth

Innovation and growth take time and patience, with developers needing to focus on funding for research and development. As projects mature, developers will need to consider the client side and customer payment models.

Collaborating with The University of Wollongong

The University of Wollongong invites industry partners, especially SMEs and larger companies, to collaborate in areas such as wearables, IoT device monitoring, molecular and material science in biotech, animal models, and clinical trials.

April Creed – ExSitu

April Creed, who previously appeared on the podcast, continues to develop ExSitu, an advanced care planning software as a service. ExSitu focuses on putting people’s values at the centre of care planning, enabling better decision-making for those unable to communicate their preferences.

Providing Support in Difficult Situations

ExSitu aims to create a cognitively soft approach to support individuals with disabilities or cognitive decline. The cloud-based system utilises a card-based interface, allowing users to express their values easily and generate documents that strengthen their voice.

Progress Through and After COVID

During the pandemic, ExSitu concentrated on enhancing its app’s user interface and building relationships within the aged care sector. They have also been collaborating with lawyers and insurance companies to ensure the integration of personal values in legal and financial planning.

What’s on the Horizon for ExSitu?

ExSitu plans to expand its reach, improving the lives of more individuals and their carers in the coming months.

Ashleigh Westling – University of Wollongong

Ashleigh Westling, a PhD student at the University of Wollongong, is researching the impact of online chat-based peer support communities for substance use.

How Online Communities will Impact Healthcare

Preliminary research suggests that online, self-paced programs are effective in providing support for individuals with substance use issues. These chat-based communities offer anonymity, lower entry barriers, and round-the-clock availability.

Providing Effective Support in an Anonymous Environment

Online support communities ensure user privacy while offering crucial support. In cases where a participant poses a risk to themselves or others, contact details and IP addresses can be traced.

The Role of AI in Chat-based Online Support Communities

Westling envisions a future where AI-driven chatbots facilitate online support communities, providing seamless and efficient help to those in need.

Dr Tamantha Stutchbury – iAccelerate

As the director of iAccelerate, Dr Tamantha Stutchbury assists entrepreneurs in transforming their ideas into successful start-ups, particularly within health, aged care innovation, energy, and sustainability.

What Makes this Innovation Ecosystem Successful?

iAccelerate’s success stems from the strong sense of community in Wollongong. The one-university town boasts a connected ecosystem, with industry experts, mentors, and alumni working together to foster growth and innovation.

The Future for iAccelerate

iAccelerate aims to extend its support to the University of Wollongong’s undergraduate community and strengthen connections between start-ups, industries, and research in key regional areas.

Conclusion: Shaping the Future of Healthcare in Wollongong and Beyond

As the Talking HealthTech podcast’s special episode on Wollongong’s healthcare landscape comes to a close, it is evident that two days barely scratch the surface of the amazing innovations and support provided to various stakeholders in healthcare. The episode explored the work of healthcare providers caring for the local residents, students conducting impactful research, university staff working on commercialization, and the startup ecosystem fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.

The interconnected ecosystem of Wollongong, which includes researchers, entrepreneurs, healthcare professionals, and the local health district, is making a meaningful impact on the future of healthcare. With plans for a healthcare precinct and countless innovations waiting to be discovered, there is a strong desire to revisit Wollongong and delve deeper into its healthcare landscape.

This concept of exploring healthcare innovation in a community serves as a model for similar efforts in other parts of Australia. The Talking HealthTech platform aims to bring people together within the HealthTech ecosystem one conversation at a time, fostering collaboration and the sharing of ideas. If you know of a university or ecosystem where a similar exploration could be conducted, don’t hesitate to reach out and help create connections within the HealthTech community.

_{Source talkinghealthtech.com}