Talking HealthTech: 441 – Celebrating Clinical Entrepreneurship – Whitney Luxford, Amy Wallis, A/Prof Fiona Brownfoot

The healthcare sector is experiencing unprecedented digital transformation, revolutionising patient care and system efficiencies. This episode of Talking HealthTech dives into the innovative approaches by healthtech entrepreneurs in Australia who participated in the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program (AUSCEP), highlighting the remarkable contributions of three pioneers: Whitney Luxford, Amy Wallis, and Fiona Brownfoot. Their insights shed light on the promising intersection of technology and healthcare practices.

From Clinical Expertise to Tech Pioneers

Each entrepreneur discusses their journey and challenges as they transition from traditional clinical roles to spearheading technological advancements. Fiona Brownfoot is a clinical scientist, obstetrician, and founder of Kali Healthcare, a wearable technology for monitoring women during pregnancy and labour. Unlike current hospital-based monitoring, which requires a midwife or obstetrician to place the monitor directly over the baby’s heartbeat, this new device can be worn on the abdomen, allowing it to pick up the baby’s heartbeat anytime and anywhere. This innovation makes fetal monitoring more accessible, particularly for high-risk pregnancies. 

Whitney Luxford, a paramedic who specialised in aviation medicine, has introduced Fit 2 Fly, an automated system poised to replace the outdated, manual process of medical clearances for air travel. Fit 2 Fly aims to address critical delays and inefficiencies, potentially reshaping patient management in aviation and beyond. On average, 1 in 604 flights worldwide experiences an inflight medical event daily. Individuals with medical conditions—such as heart, lung, or neurological issues, recent surgery, or pregnancy—should obtain medical clearance to ensure they are fit to travel. This precaution is crucial for their health and the safety of others on the flight, as well as airline operations. Clinicians are encouraged to register on the platform to assist in providing necessary medical clearances when needed.

Amy Wallis, an occupational therapist and cofounder of Selsus, a telehealth service, emphasises the need for accessible survivorship care post-cancer treatment. While the medical system effectively manages the acute phase of cancer treatment, patients often lack guidance and support post-treatment. To address this gap, they are developing a telehealth service complemented by a digital platform. This initiative aims to help cancer survivors reclaim and rebuild their lives, promoting self-management and survivorship care to empower them to live well after treatment.

Economic Impact and Long-term Viability

Financial challenges remain a significant barrier to the widespread adoption of healthtech innovations. It is important to have sustainable business models that align with patient care objectives, so integrating technology in healthcare addresses immediate clinical needs and brings economic efficiency and scalability into the fold, which are critical elements for long-term viability.

Telehealth and Beyond: Innovations Shaping the Future

The future of healthtech innovations lies in technologies like AI diagnostics, wearable technologies, and telehealth platforms. These tools are transforming healthcare delivery and setting new standards for patient engagement and care continuity.

As we enter a new phase in healthcare, embracing technological innovations and supporting clinical entrepreneurship as shown by Whitney, Amy, and Fiona will be essential. Their work demonstrates how human ingenuity can harness the power of technology to tackle some of the most persistent challenges in healthcare. 

As these innovations become more integrated into everyday health management, they will lead to more efficient and patient-centred healthcare systems.

_{Source talkinghealthtech.com}