Australian Healthcare Week 2024 showcased the transformative potential of technology in healthcare, emphasising the importance of digital tools in enhancing patient experiences and operational efficiencies. Key discussions included the integration of AI, virtual care, and digital consent pathways, which collectively address healthcare access and improve patient outcomes. Experts like Dr. Emily Kirkpatrick and Tim Deveson highlighted the necessity of modern funding models and omnichannel engagement to meet diverse patient needs. This event underscored the critical role of collaboration and continuous innovation in achieving patient-centric care, making our upcoming Victorian Healthcare Week an essential opportunity for healthcare professionals to explore these advancements and drive the future of healthcare.

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Australian Healthcare Week (AHW) had the honour of sponsoring and attending the 2024 Sydney Innovation Week, a dynamic event showcasing groundbreaking initiatives aimed at improving patient outcomes and staff wellbeing across the Sydney Local Health District (SLHD). Our team was delighted to support and participate in this celebration of innovation and excellence in healthcare.

The Australian Healthcare Week (AHW) team had the privilege of connecting directly with the incredible clinicians and frontline healthcare workers at Westmead Hospital and across the Western Sydney Local Health District.

Aged care workers are the frontline witnesses to the reality of how such reforms, so laudable on paper, are faring in practice. This Reality Check: Workers’ Views on the Impossibilities of Aged Care report reveals a stark gap between the well-intentioned ideals of our aged care reform agenda, and the alarming reality.

Sunshine Coast Health, like many global healthcare organizations, grapples with the challenge of increasing service demand while balancing clinician-patient time and essential clinical documentation. This common healthcare industry dilemma necessitates addressing to ensure high-quality patient care. To enhance patient care transfer and continuity while supporting clinician workload, Sunshine Coast Health collaborated with 3M to explore options for extending their transcription platform capabilities. Read the case study to learn more.

Pharmaceutical Press is promoting a new Drug Compatibility Checker tool through a webinar, which explains how the tool works and provides quick access to compatibility guidance at the point of care. The webinar also covers the key features of the tool and how to use it through patient case studies. Additionally, information on accessing over 25 evidence-based products through MedicinesComplete is provided.

Back in 2020, when COVID-19 was first running rampant, Cybernet presented SA Health with their medical cart computers. This mobile antimicrobial solution facilitated use by many clinicians across different shifts and ensured workflow optimisation. Read more about SA Health's unique Cybernet solution here. 

The current healthcare system is built around treatment rather than prevention. 80% of all deaths are caused by chronic disease which could have been prevented through early lifestyle intervention, and only 1.34% of Australia’s $195 billion healthcare spend goes towards prevention.

We’ve compiled insights from over 100 Australian healthcare professionals to uncover how their investments and priorities have been shaped by the pandemic and to glean insight into the investment priorities transforming healthcare in 2022 and beyond.

To address drastically declining sperm health in developed countries, Cool Beans Underwear offers a patented solution to support couples' fertility.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused untold damage to both the physical and mental health of many Australians. From loneliness among the elderly to anxiety in schoolchildren, many fear that we face a mental health pandemic now too. According to the, 2020-2021 National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing (NSMHW) 15% of Australians experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress and with lockdown, isolation and uncertainty. Emphasising that further support is needed.

As the capacity of computers and AI programs to store and parse information grows, so does our ability to work with huge volumes of data. Today, 'big data' analytics can help us to track patterns, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions in various aspects of healthcare and medicine. Here are four ways to use data and analytics to transform your approach to healthcare.

HPA, the Platinum FF&E Partner at Australian Healthcare Week was recently announced as the 2022 New South Wales winner in the Championing Health Award category for the Telstra Best of Business Awards. The Championing Health category spotlights healthcare enterprises that are focused on innovative solutions capable of improving health outcomes for every Australian. HPA's win recognises the company's ability to continuously provide outstanding solutions and service to customers. Read more about HPA's success at the Telstra Best of Business Awards and come check out their award winning solutions at stand #69 during Australian Healthcare Week next month

Healthcare has long since been one of Australia’s most in-demand industries, a trend that’s expected to continue according to the Australian government, particularly the demand for nurses. Health Workforce Australia is estimating that there will be a shortage of over 100,000 nurses by 2025 and more than 123,000 nurses by 2030.

In May 2021, ConvaTec brought together a panel of experts at a symposium event as part of the Wounds Australia conference to discuss the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety that related to wounds. The panel included three of Australia’s leading minds in aged care and wound care – Dr. Michelle Gibb, Associate Professor Geoff Sussman and Dr. Mark Hohenberg. Insights and commentary from this discussion forum provided the basis of this White Paper.

The latest Bureau of Health Information quarterly report shows even prior to the extraordinary strain of the current COVID-19 outbreak, public hospital emergency departments were facing record-high attendances and patients were waiting longer. Healthcare Associations are calling on the state government to fast-track the remainder of a nursing and midwifery workforce ‘boost’, following the release of hospital data outlining the widespread pressures across public hospitals.

In the health sector, it's important that patients have a good experience – they are more likely to feel comfortable seeking treatment when they next need it. We also know that if patients have a good experience in hospital, their treatment is more likely to succeed and they are less likely to be readmitted or have complications.

An international study comparing healthcare costs and death rates across similar patient groups in 10 OECD countries has revealed that Australia’s healthcare system is ahead in global comparison.

AI, or artificial intelligence, has gone from the pages of a science fiction novel to a tool we use every day in the healthcare sector. With greater accuracy, processing power and capabilities than ever before, this new technology brings countless opportunities. Artificial intelligence systems can be used to examine data, find insights and connections and speed up processes across the sector.

Adelaide BioMed City, located at the western end of North Terrace in Adelaide CBD, is one of the largest health science clusters in the southern hemisphere of its kind. Through proximity the City facilitates collaboration on research, education, clinical care and business development. 

Most Australians are counting down to a festive season with newfound freedom surrounded by family and friends. Meanwhile, front-line health workers are bracing for a potential summer surge in COVID cases and hospitalisations.

Find out how My Emergency Doctor's Telemedicine FACEMs were able to assist Maryborough District Health Services in Victoria support their workforce and provide local 24/7 care for their community.

In the last few months, we surveyed 120 leaders from across the Australian healthcare industry to uncover how they are responding to COVID-19, and the forces of change set to transform healthcare now, and in the years to come.

Explore how Canberra Hospital expansion project leaders are incorporating end-user feedback into hospital design and redevelopment to ensure stakeholder engagement and project success.  

In response to the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, Rockpool, a Queensland based residential aged care provider developed a strategy to repurpose a new residential wing in order to better manage pandemic response.

Albury Wodonga Health have two campuses, one in NSW and one in Victoria. During COVID-19, they were faced with the unique challenges of border closures and disseminating information from two state authorities. We spoke to Virginia Boyd, Executive Director of People, Workforce and Support at Albury Wodonga Health to learn more. 

In the Spotlight with Nilmini Wickramasinghe, Professor Digital Health, Deputy Director Iverson Health Innovation Institute Swinburne University of Technology/Epworth Healthcare. Nilmini explores the importance of telehealth during COVID-19 and how it can be harnessed to drive efficiency and improve care outcomes. Below, Nilmini shares her insights into this and more.

The prediction as early as 2019 has transpired, with the latest statistics (01 April 2021-30 June 2021) showing there are 40,973 registered GPs (1) to service a population of around 25,825,438.

Those figures equate to one GP per approximately 630,000 people across rural, remote, and metropolitan areas of Australia.

Compare this to 12 months previous where there were more GPs (44,574) to service a lower population (25,687,041).

What can we do to lessen the impact on our communities?

https://www.interitehealthcare.com.au/blog/the-crisis-of-the-doctor-shortage/  

The last 12 months have been like none other for the Australian healthcare sector. The emergence of COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of digital health technologies and amplified the need for healthcare leaders to create seamless digital experiences to make life easier for clinicians and patients.

The shift in medical design globally has been both significant and remarkable over the past decade. A true indicator that designing to the patient’s emotional and rational needs are essential to delivering the best healthcare and patient experience. Crisp and cold clinical concepts are no longer. The integration of workplace and patient culture and a true balance between human lifestyle and functional needs are essential in the design of your medical space. This is a Human Centred Design approach.

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To scale up South Australia’s vaccination rollout, Portable Partitions Australia (PPA) was approached by SA Health to urgently provide 78 vaccinations booths across the northern and central mass vaccination sites. The Adelaide Showground (Wayville) now has 36 booths and the Playford Civic Centre (Elizabeth) has 42 booths.

Pandemics are not a new concept and, given our increasing global population, we should prepare ourselves and our health systems for a higher frequency of such events in the future. Several studies have indicated that SARS-CoV-2 can spread via aerosol transmission, meaning that control over airflows in healthcare facilities is critical.

Technological advancement in healthcare has led towards significant development in patient care especially in nurse call systems, however, having too many systems that don’t integrate can be inefficient.

A rapid shift to remote working was a monumental challenge for the world’s IT systems and infrastructure. Within a short timeframe, workers had to be set up, securely connected and ready to work from home. 

Technology is revolutionising the hospital environment, making it more efficient and safer for healthcare workers and patients.

Projections forecast that one million Australians will have dementia by 2056 — more than double current figures for the condition. In light of this estimation, Dr Terence Chong, psychiatrist and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, and colleagues have highlighted that dementia prevention needs to be Australia’s next public health area of focus. Read more: http://hospitalhealth.com.au/content/aged-allied-health/news/dementia-forecast-highlights-urgency-of-prevention-349396154#ixzz6qAy2Mzwr

Award-winning aged-care provider Whiddon employs more than 2700 staff, caring for more than 2100 older Australians in regional and rural NSW and Queensland. 

HPA has introduced UV Angel Clean Air™ System to Australia and New Zealand, for use in Healthcare, Aged Care, and workspaces.

Global solutions provider Ascom has introduced a modular, scalable patient-response system to Australia and New Zealand: Ascom Telligence. Designed to elevate nurse call for optimum patient-centric care, Ascom Telligence allows caregivers to access relevant information at the point of care and throughout the care process. 

ICT experts at Bairnsdale Regional Health Services (BRHS) wanted to improve security and communication systems across the health service, including their aged-care facility.

“Prior to Vocera, our aged-care facility was working with two wireless IT phones, which were carried by the Nurse in Charge and Co-ordinator,” BRHS ICT Manager Peter Binding explained.

Hear why our partner GWI believes Australian Healthcare Week 2021 is the must attend event of the year!

Researchers at New York University have come up with a novel way to help foretell COVID-19 surges before they materialise — an approach that could cost-effectively restrain viral spread until vaccination programs are complete. 

Businesses and aged-care facilities in Australia and New Zealand will be able to operate with improved safety, following a collaboration between healthcare procurement and technology company HPA and US company UV Angel. 

A new South Australian Government initiative that provides hospital-level care in your own home is currently being trialled across metropolitan Adelaide to eligible South Australians.

2020 — Year of the Nurse and Midwife — was intended to be a global celebration of the critical and central role nurses and midwives play in health care. But a global pandemic saw celebration plans put on ice, as Australia’s largest healthcare workforce instead worked tirelessly in gruelling and unprecedented circumstances to fight for the lives of their patients. 

GPs have played an integral role in Australia’s response to COVID-19, a new study featured in AJGP has found.

Carekorp’s range of antimicrobial treated basins, hand rails and shower seats have been specifically designed for aged and healthcare environments and can play an important role in aged care infection control strategies to help reduce the risk of cross contamination. Bathrooms harbour potentially high levels of bacteria. Research shows the most contaminated area is the basin followed by taps and handrails. By improving the hygiene of key high touch point surfaces our antimicrobial products help make those spaces easier to keep hygienically clean. 

Albury Wodonga Health have two campuses, one in NSW and one in Victoria. During COVID-19, they were faced with the unique challenges of border closures and disseminating information from two state authorities. Read on below to learn how the leadership team quickly pivoted the workforce to remote working, adapted face to face training to be conducted on-line and opened additional communication streams to ensure staff felt supported throughout the pandemic.

In this video interview, we chat to Tobi Wilson, General Manager at Prince Of Wales & Sydney Eye Hospitals, who shares insights into the Hospital's $740m redevelopment.

In this interview with Dr Anjali Jaiprakash Robologist and Advance QLD Research Fellow - Medical and Healthcare Robotics Group, Queensland University of Technology, learn about the emerging concept of “factory-like” hospitals and plans for large-scale role changes for the humans working in a future robotic environment.

In this interview, David Gillatt, Director of Medical Services, Macquarie University Hospital explores how new and emerging technologies - like 3D printing - can be harnessed to improve patient care.

Child Support Enforcement organisations are challenged with managing increasing caseload volumes and mandates to improve closure rates while at the same time meeting federal regulations and performance indicators. It's little wonder that document communications usually receive only minimal attention. In fact, for most child support enforcement agencies today, manual processes, “homegrown” software and aging mainframes are the norm for document communication systems. The continual pressure of limited resources, mandated regulatory compliance, legacy infrastructure investments and the drive to reduce costs fosters a reliance on systems that are proving to be ill-equipped to provide the flexibility and scalability needed to address the increasing complexity and volumes of critical documents.

In mid-March, when most of us went into isolation, Silvia Pfeiffer was running on adrenaline and minimal sleep. The telehealth start-up she'd been working on since being hired by the CSIRO in 2012 was suddenly part of the Federal Government's strategy in fighting COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced us into a battle on two fronts, with a deadly virus and a national security issue that can’t be ignored – the issue of manufacturing and our capacity to supply product during a crisis. Many Australian companies, while trying to trade as normal, or even up-scale or adapt in reaction to the pandemic, found themselves in hot water due to severe interruptions in supply chains.

Crown Furniture recognise the importance of fit for purpose furniture and the increasing demands on aged care operators to maintain a clean, safe and more hygienic environment for residents, staff, and family.

There is mounting evidence of the viral transmission of coronavirus via small airborne microdroplets released when sneezing, coughing, talking, singing etc. These microdroplets become aerosolised and suspended in air. Studies have shown that aerosols and can linger for considerable lengths of time and travel considerable distances from their point of origin, thus imposing significant risks of airborne transmission, particularly within poorly ventilated buildings.

Crown Furniture recognise the importance of fit for purpose furniture and the increasing demands on aged care operators to maintain a clean, safe and more hygienic environment for residents, staff, and family.

As we continue to see the impacts of a global pandemic day by day, the wider community are increasingly aware of the vulnerability of our elderly residents and the spread of infection in aged care facilities. With this in mind and our commitment to continuous improvement, we have introduced a new innovative coating to assist with the task of infection control.

Healthcare facilities designers have a leading role in creating safer spaces in a post-COVID-19 world. Here are five areas of focus to address when rethinking facility layout.

Simulation is an incredibly valuable activity when testing new processes, tools or designs, to determine functionality and usability. In May 2020, Mater Education created a prototype simulation on the newly designed endoscopy cleaning galley.

Nurses are the backbone of every healthcare system; however, they are also a vulnerable group. A study stated, 75% of nurses reported that they were either verbally abused or physically assaulted while on the job [1]. Healthcare workers are exposed to workplace violence four times more frequently than private-sector employees.

ANDHealth has released a report demonstrating that Australia’s emerging digital health industry is in a strong position to tap into growing global demand for digital health solutions.

In the beginning of June TOPdesk hosted its very first hackathon called ‘Hack COVID-19’.

This was one of the ambitious innovation experiments of TOPdesk that resulted with 2 promising concepts ready to be further developed and implemented to help ‘hack’ COVID-19.

The challenging times of the corona crises brought to the surface the worst and the best in us. Besides fear and despair, the need for contribution and helping others also appeared more than ever before. Same goes for people in the tech industry. At TOPdesk we wondered how we might use our skills, talents and resources to help?

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a transformative global situation, requiring fresh thinking and increased safety precautions when hosting events.

The dictionary defines Noise as “a sound, loud or unpleasant or that causes disturbance” Noise is often perceived more of an annoyance than as a health issue but research over the last decade indicates noise in a hospital setting adversely affects patient health and the healing process. This is especially of concern in Intensive care and particularly serious in Neo Natal care.

Healthcare professionals are always looking for effective and safe ways to improve the level of care, comfort and wellbeing of their patients. Whether it’s the most leading-edge gene therapy or hospital beds with a wireless network of sensors designed to reduce decubitus ulcers (bed sores), we all want to find ways to incrementally improve the quality and success of health care. It is widely recognised that, when patients are actively involved and engaged in their own health situation, the quality of their outcomes is better and the amount of resources can be reduced. They can literally watch where they are going and not fall as often.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented situation for everyone. It is understandable you may have concerns about how to keep your teams and customers safe and ensure all WHS measures are achieved and exceeded. There are a number of practical steps you can take to manage the risk of exposure to COVID and meet your legal obligations. COVID-19 spreads through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. A person can acquire the virus by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes.

While priorities have changed for organisations during the Covid 19 pandemic, consumer experience will again be at the forefront of organisations focus. But what does the future of consumer experience measurement look like in healthcare and aged care?

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented situation for everyone. As a small business it is understandable you may have concerns about how to keep your teams and customers safe and ensure all WHS measures are achieved and exceeded.

There is a growing demand for aged care in Australia, thanks to our ageing population, increased life expectancy and longevity.

“Since covid-19 hit, animations have become one of the hottest trends in content marketing.”- Alex Black, TVC Group, London

With COVID-19 bringing filming to a virtual standstill, health and medical marketers have turned their attention to animation. It is safe, effective, engaging and offers organisations endless creative scope to bring their messaging to life.

Digital technologies are accelerators of innovation.

Technology will improve efficiency, power new products and services, enable new business models, and blur the boundaries between industries. It is obvious though that there are challenges and opportunities for the acute care and Aged Care sector arising from the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting lockdown across health care sectors.

Napier Care organisations across the industry including acute care, chronic care management, hospice, episodic post-surgery care, Home Care and others, are transforming the way they provide and deliver care to their patients.

Ashleigh Woods is a Registered Nurse and Midwife at The Tweed Hospital. She is just one of the many nurses and other staff now braving the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Matthew (Matt) Mason MACN is a lecturer in nursing on the Sunshine Coast and one of the key infection prevention and control specialists within the ACN Tribe. The ACN recently caught up with Matt to discuss his nursing career in this field and his advice for nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the past month online healthcare support and services have been rapidly scaled up around Australia.

After a careful review of the current situation with COVID-19 and extensive consultation with the Australian Government Department of Health and key event stakeholders – including exhibitors and partners – Victorian Healthcare Week has been rescheduled to July 2021.

One way the nursing sector can retain nurses as well as attract people to the profession is to keep them engaged, happy in their job and looking forward to the start of every day, he says. Levitt, a professor, writer and gerontologist, is concerned that in a world where we have more seniors than children and approximately one quarter of nurses worldwide will leave the workforce in five years, workplaces are not putting enough effort into their culture.

A group of female doctors are calling for the end of ‘manels’ (or panels filled with only men) at medical conferences, and are creating a database of female experts to remedy the gender imbalance that is so often experienced in healthcare.

With infrastructure being traditionally male-dominated, it can be hard for women to spot the opportunities and rise up the ladder. Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2021, we speak with Sandy Chamberlin, Executive Director at Goulburn Valley Health, on how they are addressing the gender imbalance and changing cultural needs.

As female entrepreneurs within the corporate structure – or in other words, “intrapreneurs” – we need to learn how to sell and package our unique skills, perspectives and experiences to be the galvanising force that creates innovation.

Gentec’s Graeme Bunt and Vanessa Beever talk through 2 Australian firsts in hygiene for healthcare.

Following her talk “The Robot Doctor Will See you Now” at Australian Healthcare Week 2019, Dr Anjali Jaiprakash caught up with Australian Health Journal’s Anne Dao to present her insights into automated healthcare.

HPA's Shawn Wigham talks through innovative designs that combine medical mounting solutions with technology and medical furnishings.

Startup company Lumin was a Pitch Fest Finalist at last year’s Australian Healthcare Week Expo in Sydney. Lumin helps the connection to care providers, family members and duress monitoring services in a device that has been designed for those with dementia, vision impairment or find complex devices difficult to use.

With culture slowly forming in the growing organisation (approximately 70% of staff having been at Northern Health less than 4 years), there is opportunity for clinical staff at Northern Health to accelerate their career and improve the overall workplace environment. We catch up with Michelle Fenwick, Executive Director of Northern Health to discuss challenges of urban growth over the past 3 years.

 Kylie Ward, CEO of Australian College of Nursing speaks on the vital role of the nursing profession and how it's adapting to future technology.

Teleheath startup company Coviu was a Pitch Fest Finalist at last year's Australian Healthcare Week Expo in Sydney. We catch up with co-founder and CEO Silvia Pfeiffer about the company and platform’s journey to date, and its longer term goals

Despite recent global developments with COVID-19, based on guidance from the Australian Government Department of Health, the risk to individuals here in Australia remains low and the 10th Annual Australian Healthcare Week (AHW) will continue as planned from 25-26 March 2020 at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Sydney.

Discussing medical procedures and explaining them in a way the patient understands can be difficult when you’re running a busy practice. The challenges involved in gaining consent may have you wondering if you’ve consented your patients properly, and whether you’re at risk of medical litigation. That’s where Consentic comes in. Consentic is an online platform for medical and dental consent.

South Western Sydney Local Health District's Executive Director of NUrsing and Midwifery Sonia Marshall highlights the mission of delivering Safe Quality Healthcare at all times.

According to the World Health Organisation, the world needs 9 million more nurses and midwives if it is to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. Educating the next generation of nurses and midwives is vital in ensuring vulnerable communities have access to quality healthcare. World Youth International has been working to improve health outcomes for women and children vulnerable communities, such as Odede, Kenya.

In this exclusive article with Dr. Takanori Shibata, he shares how he invented a therapeutic robot 'PARO', to help fill the workforce gap in the aged care sector in Japan. Read the article to see just what this PARO can do!

Hobart-born and Sydney-raised Simon comes to the role with 18 years’ experience working in the healthcare and Health IT industries, most notably 9 years at software giant Microsoft. During his time based in Redmond, USA, he actively drove innovation, emerging trends and new models of care across the globe. Prior to joining Microsoft, Simon worked with Intersystems and Cerner as they implemented some of the largest e-Health initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ahead of the Free Nursing and Midwifery event at Autralian Healthcare Week 2020, we speak with Kylie Ward, CEO of Australian College of Nursing. In this interview, Kylie chats with us about the impact of informatics, artificial intelligence, changing social norms and clinical specialisation will shape the future of nursing.

The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) has assured that the nation’s nurses are well trained and ready to protect the community in the event of a coronavirus outbreak in Australia.

Kylie Hasse MACN is an Australian Army nurse who was inspired to apply for the Mid-Career Nurse Leadership Program after a conversation with ACN Director of Strategy Tania Dufty FACN at an ACN event in Canberra. ‘’I saw the program as a formal way of working out my leadership style,” she said. Participating in the program has greatly assisted Kylie in formulating her own understanding of nurse leadership. “The program solidified confidence in my own leadership ability and gave me practical tools and touch points of people to go to for advice,” she said.

This year is the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife – but why and what does it mean? Read the question and answer section below to find out.

In this report we've compiled insights from over 100 Australian healthcare professionals, find out what they think are the major innovations, challenges and opportunities that will fundamentally transform healthcare and patient experience in the coming years.

The $1.76 billion, 750-bed tertiary Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH) is part of a major expansion of health services for the Gold Coast community. The site covers an area of almost 20 hectares and replaces the existing Gold Coast Hospital, which was built in the 1970s. The hospital is co-located with Griffith University, forming a valuable health and knowledge precinct for the Gold Coast and attracting students to build a lasting workforce.

As people continue to live longer and longer, it’s no surprise that the healthcare system across Australia is facing considerable strain.

With factors such as a steadily ageing population, evolving technology and an increase in chronic long-term diseases set to shape healthcare delivery, what steps can the sector take to confidently lead change and prepare for the increasing demand for health services in the future?

Nurses see change is needed within our health care system and they are willing to be the agents of change. There is no contesting that there is such a huge diversity in nursing, from nurse practitioners, paediatric nurses, nurse researchers, nursing mangers, equipment specialists. This is why I continue to be a nurse and have plans to continue for many years to come as long as the profession and patients will have me. I would encourage anyone, man or woman, to look beyond the traditional framing of nursing and see its translation into modern health care, love for people and willingness to challenge the status quo.

The word leadership is used frequently, but do we actually know what it means to be a leader? The Australian College of Nursing (ACN) believes there are many ways to display leadership. With this in mind, we asked some of our Emerging Nurse Leaders (ENL) to provide a short response on what leadership means to them.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is enabling people and machines to work collaboratively, thereby changing the very nature of healthcare work.

Former journalist Kylie Miller was recently a patient at the Bairnsdale Regional Health Service. She has written a powerful piece thanking the hospital staff for the exceptional level of care and support they provided during her hospital stay.

Huge leaps in technology are taking place, bigger than anything we have yet experienced. Global digitisation has affected Healthcare with the likes of AI augmenting processes and is producing incredible results.

Australia’s population is living longer, but how healthy are men and women throughout the Nation? Unfortunately, the reality is that we are living in an environment of rising chronic illness, with half the population living with at least one chronic condition.

The Morrison government has unveiled a major quality and safety aged-care reform package. The new standards apply to all Australian Government funded aged-care services — including residential care, home care and flexible care — as well as those services under the Commonwealth Home Support Programme.

In the lead up to Victorian Healthcare Week 2019, we caught up with Nicole Thibodeau, Chief Nursing Officer of Healius Ltd. In this interview, Nicole chats with us about improving patient care by investing in the nursing workforce.

Australian nurses and midwives are required to develop professional portfolios as evidence of their continuing professional development (CPD). The CPD registration standard applying to all registered nurses and midwives was updated in 2016. 

Confirming our professional identity in the eyes of the general public: why our language and stories are so important.

Currently, Australia is experiencing a huge increase in demand for more nurses, paramedics and health specialists to keep up with the ageing population and changing patient demands. With the Health Workforce Australia (HWA) estimating that there will be a shortage of over 100,000 nurses by 2025, it is imperative to develop a strategy to ensure that patient care is not impacted as a result.

Every medical centre, hospital or aged care facility at some time faces the issue of upgrading or fitting out new departments. The range of items involved can be vast - from medical equipment, through to hardware, furniture for waiting rooms and administration, and even software.

More work needs to be done to reduce unconscious bias and elevate women within the healthcare and startup sectors, with research showing they are underrepresented in executive positions and receive far less capital investment.

For the first time, Australian Healthcare Week is holding an all day Women in Leadership event, bringing together inspiring leaders to celebrate successes and move the gender diversity momentum forward.

ANDHealth is an industry led national digital health initiative established by a consortium of commercial and government partners to facilitate and support the development & commercialisation of clinically validated digital health technologies across Australia.

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019 we chat to Bronwyn Le Grice, Managing Director and CEO at ANDHealth 

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019, we chat to Kenny Wong, who won the major prize at AHW 18 - a brand new car! 

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019, Stephen Wallance from Astris Lifecare explores why AHW 2019 is a must attend event for anyone in the healthcare space. 

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019, Nithia Nagan from Oneview explores why AHW 2019 is a must attend event for anyone in the healthcare space. 

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019, Juliet Graham, Assistant Director of Nursing at Queensland Health explores why AHW 2019 is a must attend event for nurses and clinicians. 

In this video interview ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019, Drew Dwyer, Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Uni of Queensland explores why AHW 2019 is a must attend event for nurses and clinicians. 

Queensland Health is currently implementing 400 nurse navigators and utilising them in a myriad of settings. This will not only help coordinate patient centred care but also improve patient outcomes and facilitate systems improvement. Learn more in this video interview with Shelley Nowlan, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Queensland Health

At the intersection between innovators, providers, insurers and health industry professionals is DigitalHealthX, a shared platform to connect the ecosystem and push forward healthcare —  by improving technology awareness, education, and opportunity.

Over the past decade, the way hospitals are designed, built and operated has evolved with many projects exploring new ways to deliver innovative and cost effective models of care.

But despite such progress, one question has remained constant: whose voice should be prioritised when funding and designing hospitals and health services? The Patient, or the Clinician?

Video is no longer an additive piece of advertising, it is a vital digital asset that is as defining feature of twenty first century marketing strategy. Continue reading to learn about the benefits of video content for your healthcare business. 

Much has been written about the danger of alarm (or alert) fatigue as it relates to patient safety. Often overlooked, however, is the extent to which productivity is negatively impacted when caregivers are overwhelmed by unending alarms, many of which are nuisance or non-actionable events. This paper looks at the ways in which alarm fatigue impedes efficient care. It also offers a solution in the form of intelligent middleware—easily integrated software that can overcome those challenges and promote optimal caregiver productivity

ANDHealth is an industry led national digital health initiative established by a consortium of commercial and government partners to facilitate and support the development & commercialisation of clinically validated digital health technologies across Australia.

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019 we chat to Brownywn Le Grice, Managing Director and CEO, ANDHealth about the digital health revolution. 

When one of the largest local health districts in NSW embarked on a transformation project designed to make it the safest in the state, it had to bring a lot of people along for the ride.

With over 15,000 staff serving a population of about one million residents, South Western Sydney Local Health District’s ambitious ‘Transforming Your Experience’ (TYE) is a culture change program at scale.

The uptake of technology among providers, digital literacy of staff and resident mental health are among key areas the royal commission needs to address on technology, a forum hosted by the Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council has heard.

The poor state of food served in hospitals is often the most critiqued of the hospital experiences and can be a sore point for patients. In an effort to improve quality and streamline services, NSW Health is harnessing technology as the special ingredient in improving food delivered to patient bedsides.

Since its pilot program in 2014, the state’s My Food Choice has overturned 30 years of practice and streamlined meal production processes, changing the stereotype about hospital food along the way. 

Imagine a time when an ambulance will respond to a Triple-0 call-out and drive itself. Satellite imagery and artificial intelligence will calculate the fastest path, paramedics will work in the back performing life-saving interventions, other cars on the road will be alerted of its approach, collision avoidance technology will reduce the risk of an accident along the route, and essential patient data will be distributed to clinicians, all before the vehicle parks itself at the emergency department door.

That time isn’t far away and health systems, governments, regulators, insurers and even urban planners are being urged to prepare now for the disruption autonomous vehicles (AVs) will create.

In 2016 the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre transitioned operations into a new building which brought with it a number of new technologies that have changed the environment and overall workflows, especially for nurses. 

Now, a year and a half down the track, staff and patients are finally settling into their new environment, with digital systems being utilised to their best advantage to actually improve processes and experience for both nurses and patients, not hinder them. 

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019 we chat to Damian Gould, CEO at Building Queensland  who shares his insights into the biggest trends and innovations shaping the future of hospital design and care delivery.

An age-friendly hospital is a hospital promoting health, dignity and participation of persons of older ages, valuing health, humanity, and human rights. In this video, and ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019 Dan Levitt, MSc. CHE. Executive Director at Tabor Home Society in Canada explores rethinking and innovating aged care, and the importance of creating age friendly hospitals and health serivces.

Learn more here

2018 has been a year of rapid development and change for the Australian healthcare sector. With healthcare faring well in a number of State Budgets, and the Federal Budget announced earlier this year, we’re seeing billions of dollars injected into designing, developing and modernising healthcare nation-wide. 

Anyone working in Aged Care and Home Care would agree that times are changing and changing quickly and aggressively. Some things will remain constant: it’s still all about delivering quality services and caring for people. However, a number of major challenges are either here right now or on the horizon.

Like the light of Florence Nightingale’s lamp, digital hospitals are beginning to light the landscape of healthcare in the Information Age.

As terms such as “smart hospital”, “hospital of the future” and “paperless hospital” become commonplace with every new hospital build, design needs to evolve to keep pace with this technological revolution.

Effective communication between healthcare providers and patients and their families is essential to safe, quality care. 

The creation of a social change campaign to promote a workforce that currently feels “persecuted and undervalued” is among the recommendations of a key aged care workforce report released by the federal government.

How are global trends in aged care changing and how can aged care leaders best respond? Dan Levitt, Executive Director at Tabor Home Society explores the shifting attitudes towards aged care and Tabor Home Society’s innovative new approaches to senior residential living.   

Australian nurses and midwives are required to develop professional portfolios as evidence of their continuing professional development (CPD). The CPD registration standard applying to all registered nurses and midwives was updated in 2016. 

Confirming our professional identity in the eyes of the general public: why our language and stories are so important.

A positive workplace environment is paramount to ensure exemplary health care services for patients. An environment plagued by a bad work culture can serve to negatively impact staff which causes subsequent risks to patients under their care. 

As a result, executive staff must guarantee that health care workers are operating in an environment that drives through notions of respect and collaboration so that patients get the best care possible. 

Workforce planning needs to facilitate workforce change and innovation if we are to transform our system and improve the health outcomes it delivers. Helen Finneran, Workforce Planner in the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria shares the steps they’re taking to develop new approaches to workforce planning that ensure the future supply of skilled health care workforce but also lead to new roles and workforce models in Victoria. 

Every medical centre, hospital or aged care facility at some time faces the issue of upgrading or fitting out new departments. The range of items involved can be vast - from medical equipment, through to hardware, furniture for waiting rooms and administration, and even software.

More work needs to be done to reduce unconscious bias and elevate women within the healthcare and startup sectors, with research showing they are underrepresented in executive positions and receive far less capital investment.

For the first time, Australian Healthcare Week is holding an all day Women in Leadership event, bringing together inspiring leaders to celebrate successes and move the gender diversity momentum forward.

ANDHealth is an industry led national digital health initiative established by a consortium of commercial and government partners to facilitate and support the development & commercialisation of clinically validated digital health technologies across Australia.

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019 we chat to Bronwyn Le Grice, Managing Director and CEO at ANDHealth 

In this video interview ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019, Drew Dwyer, Associate Professor, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Uni of Queensland explores why AHW 2019 is a must attend event for nurses and clinicians. 

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019, Juliet Graham, Assistant Director of Nursing at Queensland Health explores why AHW 2019 is a must attend event for nurses and clinicians. 

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019, Nithia Nagan from Oneview explores why AHW 2019 is a must attend event for anyone in the healthcare space. 

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019, Stephen Wallance from Astris Lifecare explores why AHW 2019 is a must attend event for anyone in the healthcare space. 

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019, we chat to Kenny Wong, who won the major prize at AHW 18 - a brand new car! 

At the intersection between innovators, providers, insurers and health industry professionals is DigitalHealthX, a shared platform to connect the ecosystem and push forward healthcare —  by improving technology awareness, education, and opportunity.

Queensland Health is currently implementing 400 nurse navigators and utilising them in a myriad of settings. This will not only help coordinate patient centred care but also improve patient outcomes and facilitate systems improvement. Learn more in this video interview with Shelley Nowlan, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, Queensland Health

Video is no longer an additive piece of advertising, it is a vital digital asset that is as defining feature of twenty first century marketing strategy. Continue reading to learn about the benefits of video content for your healthcare business. 

Over the past decade, the way hospitals are designed, built and operated has evolved with many projects exploring new ways to deliver innovative and cost effective models of care.

But despite such progress, one question has remained constant: whose voice should be prioritised when funding and designing hospitals and health services? The Patient, or the Clinician?

When one of the largest local health districts in NSW embarked on a transformation project designed to make it the safest in the state, it had to bring a lot of people along for the ride.

With over 15,000 staff serving a population of about one million residents, South Western Sydney Local Health District’s ambitious ‘Transforming Your Experience’ (TYE) is a culture change program at scale.

ANDHealth is an industry led national digital health initiative established by a consortium of commercial and government partners to facilitate and support the development & commercialisation of clinically validated digital health technologies across Australia.

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019 we chat to Brownywn Le Grice, Managing Director and CEO, ANDHealth about the digital health revolution. 

Much has been written about the danger of alarm (or alert) fatigue as it relates to patient safety. Often overlooked, however, is the extent to which productivity is negatively impacted when caregivers are overwhelmed by unending alarms, many of which are nuisance or non-actionable events. This paper looks at the ways in which alarm fatigue impedes efficient care. It also offers a solution in the form of intelligent middleware—easily integrated software that can overcome those challenges and promote optimal caregiver productivity

The uptake of technology among providers, digital literacy of staff and resident mental health are among key areas the royal commission needs to address on technology, a forum hosted by the Aged Care Industry Information Technology Council has heard.

Imagine a time when an ambulance will respond to a Triple-0 call-out and drive itself. Satellite imagery and artificial intelligence will calculate the fastest path, paramedics will work in the back performing life-saving interventions, other cars on the road will be alerted of its approach, collision avoidance technology will reduce the risk of an accident along the route, and essential patient data will be distributed to clinicians, all before the vehicle parks itself at the emergency department door.

That time isn’t far away and health systems, governments, regulators, insurers and even urban planners are being urged to prepare now for the disruption autonomous vehicles (AVs) will create.

The poor state of food served in hospitals is often the most critiqued of the hospital experiences and can be a sore point for patients. In an effort to improve quality and streamline services, NSW Health is harnessing technology as the special ingredient in improving food delivered to patient bedsides.

Since its pilot program in 2014, the state’s My Food Choice has overturned 30 years of practice and streamlined meal production processes, changing the stereotype about hospital food along the way. 

Ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019 we chat to Damian Gould, CEO at Building Queensland  who shares his insights into the biggest trends and innovations shaping the future of hospital design and care delivery.

In 2016 the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre transitioned operations into a new building which brought with it a number of new technologies that have changed the environment and overall workflows, especially for nurses. 

Now, a year and a half down the track, staff and patients are finally settling into their new environment, with digital systems being utilised to their best advantage to actually improve processes and experience for both nurses and patients, not hinder them. 

An age-friendly hospital is a hospital promoting health, dignity and participation of persons of older ages, valuing health, humanity, and human rights. In this video, and ahead of Australian Healthcare Week 2019 Dan Levitt, MSc. CHE. Executive Director at Tabor Home Society in Canada explores rethinking and innovating aged care, and the importance of creating age friendly hospitals and health serivces.

Learn more here

Like the light of Florence Nightingale’s lamp, digital hospitals are beginning to light the landscape of healthcare in the Information Age.

As terms such as “smart hospital”, “hospital of the future” and “paperless hospital” become commonplace with every new hospital build, design needs to evolve to keep pace with this technological revolution.

Anyone working in Aged Care and Home Care would agree that times are changing and changing quickly and aggressively. Some things will remain constant: it’s still all about delivering quality services and caring for people. However, a number of major challenges are either here right now or on the horizon.

2018 has been a year of rapid development and change for the Australian healthcare sector. With healthcare faring well in a number of State Budgets, and the Federal Budget announced earlier this year, we’re seeing billions of dollars injected into designing, developing and modernising healthcare nation-wide. 

Effective communication between healthcare providers and patients and their families is essential to safe, quality care. 

How are global trends in aged care changing and how can aged care leaders best respond? Dan Levitt, Executive Director at Tabor Home Society explores the shifting attitudes towards aged care and Tabor Home Society’s innovative new approaches to senior residential living.   

In this video, presenter Stephen Claney explores Dementia Australia’s Virtual Forest, Virtual Dementia Experience, EDIE and Dementia-Friendly Home App with Dementia Australia CEO Maree McCabe speaking about the benefits of the technology.

The creation of a social change campaign to promote a workforce that currently feels “persecuted and undervalued” is among the recommendations of a key aged care workforce report released by the federal government.