Dr Lachlan Henderson, Professor Gavin Lambert, Professor Nilmini Wickramasinghe, Louise O'Connor and Professor Nikolajs Zeps at the partnership launch.
In summary
- Swinburne has partnered with Epworth HealthCare
- Partnership will focus on improving digital health technologies to address critical health issues and benefit patients
- Health data will be analysed and provided to researchers
A new research partnership between Swinburne University of Technology and Epworth HealthCare will look at better leveraging digital health technologies to address critical health issues and benefit patients.
The newly signed three-year agreement will focus on health informatics management with an emphasis on digital health research. As part of the partnership, health data will be analysed and provided to researchers.
This is the first formal health research collaboration between Epworth and Swinburne. It will develop health research capabilities around technology solutions to benefit patients across the country.
"I am excited to look to the future of health alongside Epworth Healthcare. This partnership will leverage both organisations' strengths in health research, technology and teaching," says Professor Gavin Lambert, Director of Swinburne's Iverson Health Innovation Research Institute
"As we continue to respond to our growing need for health professionals and health solutions, strengthening our relationships with healthcare industry leaders remains key."
Swinburne researcher and Professor of Digital Health, Nilmini Wickramasinghe, will be the Epworth Chair of Health Informatics Management under this partnership.
"This collaboration enables us to move digital health forward so that we can look at research to develop superior patient-centred solutions that support high quality care," says Professor Wickramasinghe.
Key activities will include analysing health data and evaluating tech solutions to improve the value of patient-focused healthcare and clinical outcomes with particular attention being placed on:
- How unplanned hospital readmissions can be reduced and effectively managed through the use of analytics and AI
- How health data can be better analysed and managed with a focus on providing better outcomes for patients
- Evaluating and assessing current health technology systems in place in hospitals and other health contexts
- Investigating critical aspects of robotic surgery at Epworth and how these assets can be used in other forms of surgery
"The agreement is a wonderful example of Epworth's commitment to developing partnerships that can improve the quality of care provided to our patients," says Epworth Eastern Executive Director, Louise O'Connor.
"It is through research and technological innovation that we will improve the way we can deliver modern health care so that we can achieve a more positive, meaningful and sustainable impact on the health and wellbeing of our community."
Swinburne students have also benefitted from Swinburne's relationship with Epworth. In 2018, more than 160 Swinburne students from nursing, psychology, occupational therapy and applied statistics took part in formal placements and research projects at Epworth.
