A number of start-up companies visited Bendigo Health on Tuesday to demonstrate how technology and healthcare have worked together to develop products that improve patient care.
The 11 start-ups are part of the 2019 cohort of the Melbourne Health Accelerator (MHx), which provides companies access to hospitals to test products and develop ideas.
Bendigo Health will run its own accelerator program (BHx) in May 2020, and the MHx visit was designed to inform the BHx program.
Startups will be based at Bendigo Hospital for a 13-week period, where they will be able to access clinicians, data, toolsets and technology.
Products presented on Tuesday were split into three categories: Devices and diagnostics, better patient and family care, and digital health.
They included:
Curatek, who are developing a sensor patch for respiratory rate monitoring
Glia, who are revolutionising the detection of traumatic brain injury through a blood test
Lenexa Medical, who are in the early proto-type stages of developing a smart sheet to detect and prevent pressure injuries.
Rural Health Connect, who are in the early stages of setting up a unique telehealth service for better access to mental health support for people in rural Australia.
Consentic, who are revolutionising medical consent using video animations, interactive checklists and secure, electronic consent forms.
Bendigo Health CEO Peter Faulkner said: “We are currently building the foundations on which to support the health start-ups that will be recruited into the Bendigo Health Accelerator and we are excited at the potentials for both external start-ups as well as for our very own home grown innovation talent.”
The accelerator program also gives clinicians and researchers exposure to entrepreneurial possibilities within a structured framework.
“I am sure that we have some hidden ‘intrepreneurs’ who will happily seize the opportunities that the Bendigo Health Accelerator will provide to improve the health and wellbeing of our region,” Mr Faulkner said.
Executive Director of Innovation and Digital Services, Bruce Winzar said the visit had created a lot of interest, in particular from other regional hospitals in attendance.
“For me with a background in technology, it really warms your heart to see a lot of new ideas that is going to shake up the healthcare industry,” he said.
The 2019 MHx & 2020 BHx are supported by LaunchVic.
