Last November we launched our sister site, HTN International (HTNI) – a place to share news, interviews, research and more on health tech from across the globe. Since then, we’ve looked into international health tech from Canada to New Zealand, South Africa to Norway; and now we’re hosting our first virtual panel, bringing together three health tech experts from Bermuda, Spain and the UK to discuss global learnings, innovations, and more.
We will be welcoming Keltie Jamieson, chief health information officer at Bermuda Hospitals Board; Tino Marti, digital health facilitator at European Health Telematics Association; and Penny Kechagioglou, chief clinical information officer and deputy chief medical officer at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire.
The panel will take place via Teams at 10am (BST) on Wednesday 24 April: click here to register for your free ticket.
So what have we been sharing on HTNI in recent weeks?
Deep dive into digital healthcare transformation in Japan
The latest edition in our deep dive series sees us take a look at reports, plans, news and research from Japan to gain insight into the digital health landscape.
We looked at Japan’s digital policy, the Medical DX Reiwa Vision 2030 plan from the Japanese government, an update on electronic health records in Japan, and more.
Click here to read in full.
Launch of a smart AI health assistant
We recently covered the news that the World Health Organisation launched S.A.R.A.H (Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health), described as a “digital health promoter prototype with enhanced empathetic response powered by generative artificial intelligence”.
S.A.R.A.H can provide information across health topics such as mental health and healthy habits and is capable of engaging with users 24 hours a day, in eight different language. Powered by generative AI, S.A.R.A.H is desired to provide accurate responses in real-time and “engage in dynamic personalized conversations at scale that more accurately mirror human interactions and provided nuanced, empathetic responses”.
Find out more here.
$50m grant for Australian plans around a ‘Total Artificial Heart’
We shared the news that a $50 million grant has been given to the Australian Artificial Heart Frontiers Program from the Albanese government, with the aim of helping to develop and commercialise its ‘Total Artificial Heart’.
The heart utilises magnetic levitation technology, which is said to have improved durability, leading to hopes that the tech can support an improved quality of life for patients. The ultimate hope is for the artificial heart tech to “halve deaths from heart failure” globally.
Read the story in full here.
Opportunities for international start-ups
In the past week we have covered two international opportunities for health tech start-ups, including one from Tampa Bay Wave, a tech start-up support organisation based in Florida, which announced the opening of applications for its 2024 HealthTech|X Accelerator programme, aiming to “fuel innovation and support high-potential healthtech startups in Tampa and beyond”.
We also highlighted an acceleration programme for start-ups focusing on the femtech sector, launched by Italy-headquartered Zambon through their research venture Zcube. Applications are encouraged around the development of products and services to address “major medical needs” and improve women’s health and wellbeing, with targeted areas including gynecology, endocrinology, mental health, reproductive health, and more.
Digital Health Collaborative launches in the US
We reported on the launch of a Digital Health Collaborative in the US, which will bring together 14 organisations including the American Medical Association, the American Telemedicine Association, and the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions.
The collaborative will share collective learnings and collaborate on research and programs to “help raise confidence and adoption in digital health”, as well as offering a Research and Impact Fund to offer funding to “aligned research and programs”.
Meg Barron, managing director of engagement and outreach at the Peterson Health Technology Institute, has commented that the new collaborative is “raising the bar for guidance, research, and resources that can accelerate the adoption of solutions that work and are worth it”, with a focus on “moving the industry forward at a critical crossroads”.
The full story can be found here.
Got an international digital health story you think we could cover on HTNI? Email amy@htn.co.uk to let us know.
