Talking HealthTech: 380 – A new horizon of precision health, Oliver Canfell

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch is joined by guest Oliver Canfell, a Research Fellow in Digital Health at The University of Queensland and clinically trained as an Accredited Practising Dietitian. 

Oliver shares his journey from being confronted with the reality of patients struggling with obesity to their realisation of the need to treat people earlier and pursue a PhD in research to prevent unhealthy weight. 

The conversation covers the successes and challenges of public health, the concept of precision in public health, and the role of digital health in predicting and preventing health issues. 

Precision in Public Health

Precision has emerged as a cornerstone in contemporary healthcare practices. In the context of public health, precision refers to the use of accurate data to identify at-risk individuals or communities, allowing for proactive interventions. Advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics have opened doors to predicting health outcomes with significant accuracy. By integrating a range of factors such as social habits, behaviour, genomic markers, and environmental aspects, healthcare professionals can develop individualised support systems and intervention measures.

The Significance of Preventative Strategies

In a world overwhelmed by burgeoning healthcare costs and increased incidences of chronic diseases, preventative healthcare is more than just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. Utilising predictive models and comprehensive data analytics, healthcare providers can enact effective interventions that tackle the root causes of health issues. It’s essential, however, that the data accessed for these interventions be accurate and exhaustive for the strategies to be genuinely effective.

Digital Health: A Transformative Force in Healthcare

There is an ongoing shift from traditional paper-based healthcare systems to digital counterparts. Digital health, especially AI-driven solutions, offers unparalleled opportunities for revolutionising healthcare. By utilising vast amounts of data from disparate sources, advanced analytical methods can be applied to derive actionable insights and innovative care models.

Transitioning to a Predict-and-Prevent Healthcare Framework

Historically, the healthcare sector has operated on a “break-fix” model: diagnosing and treating conditions as they arise. However, the there is increasing importance in transitioning to a proactive, preventative model of care. Through statistical methods like regression analysis and machine learning, predictive analytics can give healthcare providers the foresight needed to offer personalised healthcare plans that aim to minimise risk and optimise overall well-being.

Overcoming the Obstacles to Disruptive Change in Healthcare

Changing entrenched systems is never an easy task, as exemplified by the gradual shift from paper medical records to electronic formats. Nevertheless, progress is possible. 

Leveraging Real-Time Data for Policy Formulation

The utilisation of digital technologies and data analytics offers a transformative advantage for healthcare policy creation. Real-time data collection and analysis provide a more robust and timely foundation for decision-making compared to traditional survey methods. This empowers policy architects with accurate and current data, enabling more effective and targeted interventions.

The Impending Healthcare Revolution

Increasingly there is an urgent challenge of chronic disease prevention amid a rapidly ageing population. A failure to shift the healthcare paradigm towards prevention could be catastrophic for health systems worldwide. Preventative healthcare is not merely an individual’s obligation but demands a coordinated, strategic approach at the population level to be truly effective.

This episode is part of an ongoing series of Talking HealthTech episodes, produced in partnership with the Digital Health CRC. 

Peter Birch speaks with the digital health leaders of tomorrow who are expressing their ideas, solutions, and opinions from a basis of evidence. 

The Digital Health CRC invests in research and development to support the growth of a strong digital health industry, improve patient outcomes and experience and deliver sustainable digital health solutions, and a core focus for the Digital Health CRC is around education and capacity building to support the next generation of emerging digital health leaders and deliver new and innovative learning opportunities for the sector. 

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