More than 140 regional health representatives attended the annual Regional Health Innovation Showcase. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Leaders in medical innovation and governance in the Murrumbidgee region have combined to understand the latest technology in the health sector.
Attending the second annual Regional Health Innovation Showcase, medical organisations such as Murrumbidgee Local Health District, Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network, Business NSW and the University of NSW looked to build an understanding of what technological advances will be utilised in the future of health.
The major focus of this year’s showcase was firmly around AI and how it could be used in admin and providing results at a faster pace for patients and practitioners.
Business New South Wales Regional Director for Riverina Murray Serena Hardwick said the conference drew more than 140 representatives from institutions across the state.
“Bringing everyone together and making sure that we’ve got shared outcomes, shared understanding of what our region looks like and its needs, is the foundation for having conversations about how we can deliver services better right across our region, including our regional, remote communities,” she said.
“We’ve got 140 representatives from the health industry and its counterparts as well, all coming together to discuss AI.
“This is an emerging topic in the area and across all businesses at this point in time.
“I think the maturity we’ve seen in business approaches to AI in the last 12 months has increased significantly. As we look at efficiencies and productivity, this is definitely something we should be talking about.”
Chairman of research and innovation at Murrumbidgee Health and Knowledge, Professor Sandy McColl, said there were a lot of misconceptions about the use of AI, and the purpose of this year’s forum was to educate institutions on its practical uses.
“Today we had a panel of renowned speakers who will talk about its uses, its applications. We even had speakers who are active in the field of developing applications with AI,” he said.
“AI is presently being used. It’s used for pathology. It’s used for radiology. It’s also used in the administrative side of medicine.
“With this comes some misconceptions and some fears. Hopefully, by just staying informed and up to date, we can point out the future directions of AI and put to rest some of those misconceptions.”
Prof McColl explained the importance of utilising these technologies in regional settings to draw experts and practitioners to regional areas.
“It’s important to keep up to date with this technology and showcase things such as AI,” he said.
“It’s bringing in experts, people in the field that maybe are not local, but bringing them in and keeping everyone up to date on the topics of interest.
“I think both UNSW and the Health and Knowledge Precinct have done a wonderful job of keeping everyone up to date. It’s been a real collaborative effort for the community.”
