MedTech Bites August 2018 – edited by Jeanette Donnelly
Technology is changing our industries at a pace that is breathtaking and that includes healthcare. Uber and Amazon have forced the transport and retail industries to rethink itself to remain relevant and this change will eventually arrive at the doorstep of healthcare.
New Zealand released its first health research strategy in 2017 (see article below). The vision is ultimately an improved health and wellbeing for New Zealanders underpinned by a world-leading health research and innovation system. This is a challenge to all the stakeholders in the medtech community to collaborate and build a robust, ethical and forward looking health system. Alongside this should also be a health technology industry that continues to grow and prosper.
New Zealanders certainly have the imagination, ideas, willpower, expertise and networks to do this looking back at our global contributions in medical technologies which spans the disposable syringe invented by veterinarian and pharmacist Colin Murdoch, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare’s respiratory and sleep apnea systems to humanized AI doctors, the product of a collaboration between Soul Machines and iMoko.
The 2018 New Zealanders for Health Research poll results released recently showed that we value health and medical research. The top priority for New Zealanders is making our health system more efficient and effective, which circles back to the national health research strategy objectives.
Clinical trials are an essential part of health technology innovation and commercialisation. Discussion at the Clinical Trials Workshop held in during Healthtech Week in May, pointed to challenges in navigating the requirements and networks to undertake trials in New Zealand. Two websites that hold useful resources are “Clinical Trials in NZ” recently relaunched by Callaghan Innovation (https://clinicaltrials.health.nz/), and the NZ Association of Clinical Research pages (http://www.nzacres.org.nz/).
Finally the editor of the first three issues of MedTech Bites, Kanmani Balasubramaniam has moved to new adventures and handed over the mantle to Jeanette Donnelly. We thank Kanmani for her contributions and look forward to working with Jeanette.
Dr Diana Siew
CMDT Co-Chair &
Associate Director MedTech CoRE
IN THE NZ MEDTECH WORLD…
Design-led Manufacturing to Create Our Future
Design is a key component for all objects including medical devices. Ideally every medical device should be friendly to end-users and will provide the health outcomes predicted. Professor Simon Fraser forecasts his thoughts for the future of manufacturing.
Read more here
Walking On A Journey to Clinical Reality
Personalized rehabilitation programmes given to you while you’re at home – now wouldn’t that be nice? Associate Professor Thor Besier and Professor BJ. Fregly are developing a system that will involve patients to wear small and lightweight inertial measurement units to help do just that.
Read more here
Initiatives to Implement the NZ Health Research Strategy
New Zealand now has its first national health research strategy aimed at developing a world-leading health research and innovation system by 2027.
Read more here
Hating those pesky doctor appointments in the middle of the day? Have no fear, Doctor2Go is here! Doctor2Go is allowing you to contact a doctor via video call in the comforts of your own home or at the office.
Read more here