Diabetes affects one in 20 people. An important initiative to set up a ‘virtual’ emergency department designed for people living with diabetes has launched in Melbourne, Victoria during National Diabetes Week, with the aim of preventing unnecessary trips to hospital.

The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department-Diabetes Service will be added to the existing Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) giving patients 24/7 online video access to emergency nurses and doctors. As a world first, this new model of care will add a roster of diabetes specialists on weekend and evening shifts, when diabetes patients are most likely to present to a hospital emergency department.

Joining the podcast to talk about this new initiative is endocrinologist Professor Elif Ekinci, Director of Diabetes at Austin Health, Head of Department of Medicine at University of Melbourne, and Director of the Australian Centre for Accelerating Diabetes Innovations(ACADI). ACADI was established in 2022 through MRFF funding from the Australian Government’s Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA) program, delivered by MTPConnect.

Also joining the discussion is Northern Health’s Dr Loren Sher, an emergency specialist who led development of Australia’s first virtual emergency department model, now operating as a Victorian state-wide service. Loren has been instrumental in working with Elif to get the diabetes service up and running.

Hosts are Caroline Duell, MTPConnect’s Director Media and Communications and Lauren Kelly, Senior Director of the TTRA program.

ARM Hub is a technology adoption hub based in Brisbane, with a focus on robotics, AI and design for manufacture for biomedical, energy and defence industries.

The not for profit was recently appointed as one of four AI Adopt Centres by the Government to provide a service for SMEs that demonstrates how data and AI can modernise business, build skills and boost productivity. ARM Hub is also leading the Australian Manufacturing Capability Network (AMCN) as an Industry Partner Organisation for the Industry Growth Program to help participating small and medium businesses bring new products and services to market.

Podcast host Caroline Duell caught up with ARM Hub’s Chief Operating Officer Samuel Jesuadian at BIO 2024 in San Diego, where MTPConnect and ARM Hub unveiled a joint accelerator to help biomedical companies harness the power of data and artificial intelligence (AI).

The Biomedical AI Sprints Accelerator will provide matched funding up to $50,000 to upskill a selected number of high growth companies in the use of AI and data analytics, provide access to affordable data management infrastructure, and create a tech-ready workforce. Find out more about the program and how to apply – EOIs close 30 July 2024.
Visit the ARM Hub website.

The Clinical Translation and Commercialisation Medtech (CTCM) program aims to boost commercialisation of home-grown medical products. It is delivered by MTPConnect on behalf of the Medical Research Future Fund.

WA-based VitalTrace is one of the companies participating in the CTCM program and developing a groundbreaking medical device to revolutionise fetal monitoring during childbirth. The company has set up an Australian-based manufacturing facility, received FDA Breakthrough device designation and will soon start its first clinical trial with mothers and babies.

Joining host Caroline Duell on the podcast is Dr Chuong Phan, VitalTrace’s Manufacturing Lead, to share more about the progress and translation of DelivAssure, a unique biosensor innovation.

This episode comes to you from a special medtech event held in Melbourne and hosted by MTPConnect’s CTCM program and QUT’s The BridgeTech Program. The Design to Manufacturing Tours brought together a number of medtech startups to visit some of Australia’s leading medical manufacturing operations.