UniSA’s global research collaboration drives digital healthcare innovation in South Australia

From anticipating patient needs to reducing medication errors, the integration of advanced digital technologies—such as artificial intelligence (AI), telehealth and electronic health records—offers immense potential to transform our healthcare sector.              

As healthcare systems worldwide navigate digital transformation, South Australian experts are proactively addressing these challenges through collaboration with global healthcare innovators.

To advance the state's digital health capabilities, UniSA and industry partner CMAX Clinical Research engaged Visiting Research Fellow Professor James Batchelor from the UK’s University of Southampton.

Thanks to a sponsorship from CMAX, Prof Batchelor has delivered insights on international best practice to help align South Australia’s healthcare with global standards.  

“South Australia already has excellent infrastructure in place, including the world-class biomedical precinct in Adelaide," Prof Batchelor says.

“The key now is to unlock the full capabilities of these innovations, which could fundamentally enhance healthcare delivery across the state."

Caption: UniSA Professor Marion Eckert and her collaborators are exploring how advanced digital technologies, like artificial intelligence, could transform South Australia's healthcare sector.  

Leading this digital evolution is Professor of Health Innovation and Enterprise and Director of UniSA’s Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre Marion Eckert.

Prof Eckert highlights that the healthcare system in South Australia "generates vast amounts of data across multiple areas", including high-risk incidents in emergency departments and metrics on healthcare worker well-being.

"We’ve identified three major healthcare challenges: medication errors, patient falls and violence and aggression... and we could see significant improvement to these issues with the right digital solutions, including AI," Prof Eckert says. 

"Through an optimised approach to data, we will save time, reduce costs and be able to anticipate and prevent harm to both patients and staff."

UniSA’s collaborative, interdisciplinary approach aims to build a robust healthcare ecosystem where data-driven insights enhance safety, efficiency, patient care and translational research

As Prof Eckert explains, the collaboration between UniSA, the University of Southampton, CMAX and other industry players will trigger a huge shakeup in South Australia's healthcare industry.

"Professor Batchelor's fellowship at UniSA has strengthened our long-standing research relationship with the University of Southampton," Prof Eckert says.

"We're excited to continue working with their digital health experts to build on our collective expertise and advance healthcare innovation here in South Australia.

"This collaboration has led to the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre becoming Australia’s first Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health (Hub), showcasing the value of knowledge-sharing and the vital role of visiting fellowships in sparking new ideas and strengthening global networks.

"We’re confident our collaborations will help break down silos in the healthcare system and foster greater cooperation among health professionals, researchers, industry and patients

"Together, we aim to position South Australia as a global leader in digital healthcare.” 

 Learn more about the Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre.