Talking HealthTech

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch sits down with Dan Burke, Managing Director at Magentus, and Ben Richardson, CEO at Labflow, for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of pathology in Australia and the broader Asia-Pacific region.
With half a billion pathology tests processed in Australia every year and a workforce of only 2,500 pathologists, the sector is under significant pressure.
Dan and Ben unpack what that means for labs trying to modernise without disrupting the critical services that clinicians and patients depend on every day.
The discussion covers the growing role of artificial intelligence in diagnostic settings, exploring where AI is already delivering practical value and where human oversight remains non-negotiable.
The episode also digs into the challenge of legacy technology, making the case for incremental, modular modernisation over risky large-scale overhauls that can put operations at risk.
Beyond the technology, the conversation explores how consumer expectations are reshaping pathology, from the direct-to-consumer testing boom across Asia-Pacific markets to the rise of genomics and personalised medicine.

Key Takeaways
🔬 The pathology sector in Australia faces a significant workforce shortage and increasing test complexity, putting pressure on digital transformation in labs
🧩 Incremental modernisation and interoperability are addressed as more practical than full system replacements for pathology lab infrastructure
🧑‍⚕️ AI in diagnostics is positioned as a support tool for clinicians and administrative workflows, rather than replacing human experts
🌏 Consumer-driven demand, particularly in APAC markets like India and Malaysia, is accelerating digital adoption and expectations for health data access
🧬 The falling cost of genomics and genetics is setting the stage for personalised preventive healthcare and more targeted diagnostics

Timestamps
00:00 - Introductions & episode overview
00:54 - What is Magentus?
01:55 - The origin of Lab Flow
03:48 - The pathology landscape in 2026
08:42 - Fragmentation & technology challenges
13:58 - Incremental modernisation explained
17:38 - Interoperability & complexity in labs
19:05 - Role of AI in laboratory services
25:57 - Social perspectives on AI in healthcare
29:25 - Genomics, personalisation, and the future

Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.
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Mentioned in this episode:
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Paula Stephenson (Executive Director of Clinical Excellence, Mercy Health), Bianca Todd (Improvement Innovation Advisor, Western District Health Service), The Hon. Victor Dominello (CEO, Future Government Institute), and Dan Michelson (CEO, RLDatix).
The conversation explores the evolving landscape of healthcare compliance, workforce management, and digital transformation across the health sector.
It also examines the practical impact of AI and emerging technologies on healthcare delivery, organisational change, and patient care.
The discussion highlights the growing importance of accessible and meaningful data in improving quality, safety, and patient outcomes, alongside the challenges organisations face when modernising legacy systems and fragmented workflows.
Speakers reflect on the role of interoperability, digital maturity, and leadership in shaping more connected healthcare environments, while also examining how AI is influencing decision making, workforce planning, and service delivery.
The episode also delves into the cultural side of technology implementation, including change fatigue, clinician engagement, and the importance of building values-driven teams that can support long-term transformation.
This episode was recorded at the RLDatix Connected Health and Care Summit for Asia Pacific in 2026, capturing discussions from healthcare leaders and technology innovators during the event.

Key Takeaways
💡 Patient-centred care is the focus of digital and AI innovation in healthcare.
💡 Transitioning from paper to digital systems brings both challenges and opportunities for compliance, efficiency, and workforce management.
💡 Change management and team engagement are crucial for successful technology adoption in clinical environments.
💡 Breaking down data silos is essential for harnessing the full value of AI in healthcare.
💡 Organisational values and a customer-obsessed approach drive better outcomes in healthcare technology projects.

Timestamps
00:00 – Peter Birch: Episode and event introduction
00:42 – Paula Stephenson, Executive Director, Clinical Excellence, Mercy Health
07:57 – Bianca Todd, Improvement Innovation Advisor, Western District Health Service
16:08 – The Hon. Victor Dominello, CEO, Future Government Institute
21:29 – Dan Michelson, CEO, RLDatix

Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.
If you’re enjoying the show and want access to exclusive healthtech discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealth.tech/solo_shownotes
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Mentioned in this episode:
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Melvin Chen, CEO and founder of Care GP, about the evolving role of automation and artificial intelligence in primary care administration.
The conversation digs into the very real administrative pressures facing Australian GP clinics today and how Care GP is working to address them in practical, measurable ways.
Melvin walks through the development and growing uptake of Care GP's products, Samantha and Veronica, sharing firsthand insights into how these tools are being received by practices on the ground.
Their discussion also explores broader themes around workforce efficiency, technology adoption, and what it truly means to build technology that fits the way clinics actually work.
The episode further explains why AI-driven admin solutions are becoming an essential part of the future of general practice in Australia.

Key Takeaways
💡 Administrative costs are a significant burden in healthcare, making up to a third of overall spending; automating these processes leads to major efficiency gains.
💡 Care GP’s solutions, particularly Samantha for document processing and Veronica for voice automation, are being rapidly adopted, with customer demand driving product focus.
💡 Clinics have realised direct workforce cost savings—up to $55,000 per year at mid-sized sites—by automating document management tasks.
💡 The conversation highlights that technology is not about replacing staff, but about redeploying people to higher-value tasks and enabling practice growth.
💡 Customisation for medical workflows and continuous user feedback are essential for the successful implementation of AI-based admin tools in healthcare.

Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction & Care GP recap
02:11 - Admin burden in primary care
05:06 - Launch and adoption of Samantha
14:05 - IT budget vs workforce savings
22:41 - Veronica voice agent demonstration
31:07 - What's next for Care GP

Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.
If you’re enjoying the show and want access to exclusive healthtech discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealth.tech/solo_shownotes
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Mentioned in this episode:
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dr Catherine Skellern, Dr Nancy Cibotti and Dean Mills about the adoption and impact of Heidi Health technology in clinical and community health settings.
The conversations cover clinician-driven implementation, reducing administrative burden, and transforming the way healthcare professionals engage with patients and families.
The discussion explores how AI documentation tools are reshaping daily clinical workflows, relieving the cognitive load that has long contributed to burnout and attrition across the sector.
From the experiences of a consultant paediatrician to insights from a US-based Chief Medical Information Officer and a community services technology leader, the episode draws on a breadth of perspectives to examine what responsible, effective AI adoption looks like in practice.
This episode was recorded at Heidi Unlocked in Melbourne, Australia and features a selection of conversations Talking HealthTech captured during the event with healthcare professionals, clinicians and technology leaders.

Key Takeaways
🔹 Clinician-led adoption of technology is critical for effective implementation in healthcare settings.
🔹 AI scribes like Heidi can reduce documentation burden and cognitive load for clinicians and social workers.
🔹 Technology enables healthcare providers to focus more on patient interaction and less on paperwork.
🔹 Addressing privacy and risk assessment is essential when implementing AI in healthcare.
🔹 Grassroots demand from users can accelerate the adoption and scaling of new digital tools.

Timestamps
00:00 - Peter Birch: Introduction
00:36 - Dr Catherine Skellern, Child Development Network
06:30 - Dr Nancy Cibotti, Heidi Health
10:27 - Dean Mills, Anglicare Victoria

Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.
If you’re enjoying the show and want access to exclusive healthtech discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealth.tech/solo_shownotes
And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.
Mentioned in this episode:
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Simon Taylor Cross, Chief Commercial Officer, and Dr Daniel Stiglitz, Director & Co-Founder at Atidia Health.
Together, they explore the realities of perioperative care today, including the challenges created by variability in pre-surgery patient management and what that means for both patient safety and system performance.
The conversation looks closely at how Atidia Health’s Patient Optimiser Platform (POP) uses clinical decision support and AI to identify risk earlier, support more consistent care, and help clinicians make better-informed decisions without disrupting existing workflows.
It also unpacks what it actually takes to implement technology in real hospital settings, from change management and clinician engagement to aligning stakeholders across complex health systems.
Along the way, the episode highlights a broader question facing healthcare today: how can we reduce preventable harm while systems grow more complex and clinicians face increasing pressure?
This discussion offers practical insights into the intersection of clinical practice, digital health, and real-world implementation, highlighting how smarter, evidence-based approaches can support safer and more reliable patient outcomes.

Key Takeaways
🔍 Variability in preoperative care leads to inconsistent patient outcomes, with a significant proportion of complications being preventable
🤝 Embedding clinical expertise with technology and commercial strategy is essential for building effective solutions like POP
⚙️ POP is designed to work within existing healthcare workflows, ensuring support rather than disruption for clinicians and staff
💡 Early identification and intervention using data-driven decision support can prevent adverse events and system inefficiencies
🚀 Effective change management, cross-disciplinary partnerships, and clear return on investment are critical for successful technology adoption in health settings

Timestamps
00:01: Introductions & Atidia Health overview
03:23: Preventable complications in perioperative care
09:57: Example: Patient risk identification with POP
12:29: Integrating technology with clinical workflows
16:35: Role and limits of AI in healthcare
25:43: Large-scale implementation & change management
32:28: Lessons in partnership for healthcare leaders

Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.
If you’re enjoying the show and want access to exclusive healthtech discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealth.tech/solo_shownotes
And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.
Mentioned in this episode:
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.
THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit
Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.