582 - North Star vs Shiny Star: Supporting Healthcare Workers and Patient Outcomes with AI
Wed Feb 04 2026
In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dominique Powis, Chief Technology Officer at Infomedix, Dr John Lambert, Chief Clinical Information Officer for the Department of Health Tasmania, and Dr Jill Freyne, Health Industry Lead at Amazon Web Services.
They discuss the practical applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare and explore its real-world operational impact.
The conversation also includes insights from attendees during a live Q&A session, offering a unique opportunity to hear questions and challenges directly from healthcare professionals and technology leaders.
The panel dives into real-world use cases of AI, including diagnostics, predictive analytics, improving patient outcomes, and boosting administrative efficiency.
They also examine the critical importance of governance, privacy, and practical implementation when integrating AI into everyday clinical workflows.
This episode was recorded live at AWS in Sydney, Australia, and is supported by Infomedix, providing an up-close look at how healthcare AI is being applied in local and global contexts.
Key Takeaways
⭐ Clear problem definition, high-quality data, and context-specific solutions are crucial to successful AI applications in healthcare
🤖 Predictive AI currently offers proven impact in areas such as diagnostics and early detection, while generative AI introduces unique challenges
🧑⚕️ Human-centred design, usability, and workflow integration are critical to successful technology adoption and patient benefit
🔒 Privacy, compliance, and ethical guardrails must evolve with technological advancements, particularly in data handling and patient confidentiality
🌏 Sustainability, change management, and continuous improvement are essential considerations in deploying and scaling AI across the health ecosystem
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction & event overview
02:00 – Panellist introductions & AI use cases
06:35 – AI pattern recognition benefits
08:39 – Sniff test for viable AI solutions
10:23 – Administrative AI applications
12:45 – Impact opportunities: patient & clinician
14:28 – Administrative vs clinical AI focus
15:35 – Evidence and business cases for ambient scribes
20:06 – Guardrails and governance in AI
22:35 – Change management for AI rollouts
26:30 – Practical advice: North Star vs shiny distractions
32:09 – Audience Q&A: patient privacy, data use
37:39 – Use of AI in culturally diverse aged care settings
44:06 – AI risks, safety, technical guardrails
48:11 – Sustainability and long-term impact
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The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: View Full Article
In the THT+ Community, our members keep the discussion going, share perspectives, and unpack what this episode actually means in practice with other people working in healthtech.
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Mentioned in this episode:
This episode is supported by Vanta - the platform trusted by 14,000+ companies to get SOC 2 and ISO audit-ready...
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In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Dominique Powis, Chief Technology Officer at Infomedix, Dr John Lambert, Chief Clinical Information Officer for the Department of Health Tasmania, and Dr Jill Freyne, Health Industry Lead at Amazon Web Services. They discuss the practical applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare and explore its real-world operational impact. The conversation also includes insights from attendees during a live Q&A session, offering a unique opportunity to hear questions and challenges directly from healthcare professionals and technology leaders. The panel dives into real-world use cases of AI, including diagnostics, predictive analytics, improving patient outcomes, and boosting administrative efficiency. They also examine the critical importance of governance, privacy, and practical implementation when integrating AI into everyday clinical workflows. This episode was recorded live at AWS in Sydney, Australia, and is supported by Infomedix, providing an up-close look at how healthcare AI is being applied in local and global contexts. Key Takeaways ⭐ Clear problem definition, high-quality data, and context-specific solutions are crucial to successful AI applications in healthcare 🤖 Predictive AI currently offers proven impact in areas such as diagnostics and early detection, while generative AI introduces unique challenges 🧑⚕️ Human-centred design, usability, and workflow integration are critical to successful technology adoption and patient benefit 🔒 Privacy, compliance, and ethical guardrails must evolve with technological advancements, particularly in data handling and patient confidentiality 🌏 Sustainability, change management, and continuous improvement are essential considerations in deploying and scaling AI across the health ecosystem Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction & event overview 02:00 – Panellist introductions & AI use cases 06:35 – AI pattern recognition benefits 08:39 – Sniff test for viable AI solutions 10:23 – Administrative AI applications 12:45 – Impact opportunities: patient & clinician 14:28 – Administrative vs clinical AI focus 15:35 – Evidence and business cases for ambient scribes 20:06 – Guardrails and governance in AI 22:35 – Change management for AI rollouts 26:30 – Practical advice: North Star vs shiny distractions 32:09 – Audience Q&A: patient privacy, data use 37:39 – Use of AI in culturally diverse aged care settings 44:06 – AI risks, safety, technical guardrails 48:11 – Sustainability and long-term impact ---------- Want to keep the conversation going? The full article and extended show notes for this episode are available inside the THT+ Community here: View Full Article In the THT+ Community, our members keep the discussion going, share perspectives, and unpack what this episode actually means in practice with other people working in healthtech. If you’re enjoying the show and want access to full articles, episode discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealthtech.com/thtplus. And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps. Mentioned in this episode: This episode is supported by Vanta - the platform trusted by 14,000+ companies to get SOC 2 and ISO audit-ready...