A new health research centre has been recently launched with improved age care and telehealth on top of its agenda.
The Flinders Digital Health Research Centre is a newly formed multidisciplinary research facility, established as a cornerstone in Flinders University’s expansion into the field of digital health technology. Located at Tonsley research and innovation hub, the centre is headed by two digital healthcare experts – Professor Anthony Maeder and Professor Trish Williams as co-directors. Prof Maeder is currently chair of Digital Health Systems and founder of the Telehealth Research and Innovation Laboratory, while Prof Williams is Cisco Chair and an internationally recognised expert on medical information security.
As reported by The Advertiser, the centre will test the capabilities of new ICT technologies to enable innovative health services and realise new models of care delivery beyond the conventional healthcare provider settings, such as at home or office, mobile roaming in the community, as well as remotely.
Health areas to be addressed
According to Professor Maeder, digital health is one of the most exciting areas in healthcare and has incredible potentials to improve health services and drive healthcare reforms across Australia, especially for the country’s ageing population.
“Healthy ageing is critical to the South Australian and national agendas. The centre will initially focus efforts on digital health projects that enable smart living, leveraging new ICT technologies to enable new health services and realise new models of care delivery,”
-Prof Maeder quoted from Australian Ageing Agenda.
Furthermore, the centre will attempt to address a wide range of health areas, including ageing and disabilities, preventive health and wellbeing, rural and remote health, population and public health, chronic disease management and integrated care, telehealth and telecare.
“The centre is looking to do a lot of things around assistive technologies and medical device partnering with a particular interest in aged care,”
-Prof Williams.
The project will also involve smart homes and the use of assistive technologies, medical devices, and the Internet of Things to help improve the health of individuals.
The new research facility is jointly funded by the South Australia Government and Cisco Systems Australia. It works in close collaboration with Flinders University’s Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, the Faculty of Science and Engineering, the Medical Device Research Institute, and other industry partners.
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