National Telehealth & Virtual Care Conference
2-3 April 2025
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The National Telehealth & Virtual Care Conference will take place on the 2-3 April 2025 at the Hilton Sydney. Meet a variety of different people outside your existing network, discuss common challenges and exchange learnings about telehealth and virtual care in Australia – present and future.
This event will gather a diverse mix of people from public hospitals and LHDs, PHNs and primary care providers, aged care, allied health, private health providers, health insurers, government departments and agencies, telehealth companies, telehealth technology and software providers and many more.
KEY TOPICS INCLUDE:
- Emerging technologies in telehealth – AI, VR, Remote Monitoring, etc.
- Staff engagement on virtual care
- Telehealth in rural and remote areas
- Policy, funding, and patient engagement
- Addressing how we link public, private and primary care
- Ways to provide more comprehensive virtual care services
- Privacy, security and legal considerations
- Interdisciplinary approaches to telehealth
- Success stories in telehealth implementation
- Telehealth for chronic disease management, pediatrics, corrections, mental health, first responders, etc.
- Future trends
Connect Virtual Care
The event will take place as part of 2024’s CONNECT VIRTUAL CARE event. We’re bringing together three related, but distinct events which will be co-located at the Hilton Sydney. One pass gives access to all three conferences
2025 Speakers
Dr Teresa Anderson AM
Chief Executive, Single Digital Patient Record Implementation Authority
Dr Sharon Hakkennes
Chief Digital Health Officer,
Victorian Department of Health
Richard Nankervis
Chief Executive Officer, Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network
Dr Melanie Smith
GP Consultant, Co-Clinical Lead, SA Virtual Care Service, SA Health
Dr Marija Kirjanenko
Emergency Physician, Victorian Virtual Emergency Department & Eastern Health, Melbourne
Phil Greenup
Telehealth Program Officer,
Queensland Health
Dr Matt Vickers
Clinical Director,
Eucalyptus
Ryan Hutton
Manager – Provider Networks,
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Adeola Bamgboje-Ayodele
PhD, Research Fellow, Human Factors, The University of Sydney
Dr June Song
Medical Director, Hospital in the Home Adult, Monash Health
Julia Conway
Director, Hospital Policy and Projects, Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority
Donna Parkes
Stream Lead, Virtual Care, NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation
Dr Konrad Kangru
General Practitioner, Whitsunday Doctors Service; Medical Advisor, Office of Rural and Remote Health; Qld Representative, RACGP Rural Faculty; Board Director, North Qld PHN
Michelle Dobie
Principal Advisor Digital Health Systems & Projects, Royal Flying Doctor Service (SA/NT)
Mirela Prgomet PhD
Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University
Brenton Jones
Senior Digital Health Officer, Western NSW Primary Health Network
Niranjan Bidargaddi
Professor of Digital Health,
Flinders University
Eunice Tong
Research Associate, MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation, Singapore
Anna McFadgen
Chief Executive Officer, St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney
Sarah McRae
Chief Executive Officer, Calvary Amplar Health Joint Venture
James McDonald
Head of Telehealth Operations, Bupa
Dean Jones
National Director, St Vincent’s at Home & St Vincent’s Virtual
Rachel Griffiths
Manager Strategic Policy, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Ella Cannon
Principal, Hive Legal
AGENDA
08:15
Registration & Morning Coffee
08:50
DAY ONE OPENING
08:55
Opening remarks from the Chair
09:00
OPENING KEYNOTE | Striking a balance between easy access and quality care
Anna McFadgen, Chief Executive Officer, St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney
Dean Jones, National Director, St Vincent’s at Home & St Vincent’s Virtual
09:30
KEYNOTE | Single Digital Patient Record as enabler for care provision
Dr Teresa Anderson AM, Chief Executive, Single Digital Patient Record Implementation Authority
10:00
Virtual Psychologist Pilot Program
Richard Nankervis, Chief Executive Officer, Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network
10:30
Regulating in the digital health age: challenges and opportunities
- Current guidance about virtual care – an overview of how professional obligations in codes of conduct, and guidelines for the health professions apply when delivering safe and effective virtual care services
- The regulatory landscape for virtual care – including the roles of different regulators, how regulation is responding to evolving models of care, and emerging regulatory issues such as the use of AI in healthcare
- Practical insights about where professional conduct sometimes fall short in virtual care, and what we can do to support safe professional practice.
Rachel Griffiths, Manager Strategic Policy, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
11:00
Networking Break & Morning Tea
11:30
Towards Uniform Safety and Quality Standards for Telehealth
Australia still does not have uniform, government-endorsed accreditation standards for online telehealth clinics. This unfortunately sets them apart from hospitals, day clinics and GP clinics in Australia, and sets Australia apart from comparable jurisdictions such as the UK. This gap exists despite telehealth as a model of care representing an increasingly high proportion of GP and nurse practitioner consultations in the country. While we await a resolution of this gap from the government, Eucalyptus has partnered with experts to propose its own industry standards.
Dr Matt Vickers, Clinical Director, Eucalyptus
11:55
CASE STUDY | Digital Emergency Healthcare for Remote Communities
Launch of a 24/7 unstaffed facility with capability to support remote patients access to diagnosis, advice, and treatment. Remotely supported by RFDS staff and local community medical Chest custodians.
Michelle Dobie, Principal Advisor – Digital Health Systems and Projects, Royal Flying Doctor Service SA/NT
12:25
CASE STUDY | Statewide Virtual Emergency Service in SA
Aspects of the innovative work we have been doing in supporting regional sites, aged care, disability residential care, community nursing and our consumer front door via HealthDirect.
Dr Melanie Smith, GP Consultant, Co-Clinical Lead, SA Virtual Care Service, SA Health
12:55
Session Spotlight: Patient follow up and recalls – who is legally responsible?
13:20
Networking Lunch
14:20
Role of Telehealth in Australian Primary Care and Sustainability
Long held as a critical enabler of primary health care service delivery across rural and remote Australia, Telehealth utilisation saw exponential growth during the Covid19 Pandemic. It has now become a permanent fixture of how General Practice operates, but ow can we best manage this modality to ensure sustainability for our system, while also ensuring optimal health care to our communities?
Dr Konrad Kangru, General Practitioner, Whitsunday Doctors Service; Medical Advisor, Office of Rural and Remote Health; Qld Representative, RACGP Rural Faculty; Board Director, North Qld PHN
14:50
PANEL | Advancing Telehealth: Expanding the Boundaries of Virtual Care Delivery
- What emerging technologies are enhancing telehealth models showing proven value?
- What can current technology platforms do, and what are their limitations?
- Future outlook?
Brenton Jones, Senior Digital Health Officer, Western NSW Primary Health Network
15:30
Networking Break & Afternoon Tea
The below sessions will host both Telehealth & HITH audience
16:00
PANEL | Overcoming healthcare barriers through Virtual Pathways
- How can we avoid hospitalisation? Can we incentivise hospitals not to keep inpatients?
- Key considerations when designing virtual pathways that cater to diverse patient populations
- How can data from virtual pathways be leveraged to enhance clinical decision-making and patient outcomes?
- Emerging trends and future? Regulatory and policy considerations?
Ryan Hutton, Manager – Provider Networks, nib
Niranjan Bidargaddi, Professor of Digital Health, Flinders University
16:40
DEBATE | Virtual Care is a component of HITH
This debate will try to define what HITH v/s Virtual Care and if they are indeed the same or not? This subject allows for exploration of how virtual care enhances the effectiveness of HITH models versus arguments about the potential drawbacks of integrating the two.
- Opening statements (10 mins)
- Rebuttals from each side (10 mins)
- Audience Q&A (10 mins)
- Closing statements (10 mins)
Virtual Care Speakers
Dr Shaun Hosein, Clinical Director – Virtual and Integrated Care, Metro South Hospital and Health Service
HITH Speakers
Sarah McRae, Chief Executive Officer, Calvary Amplar Health Joint Venture
Dr June Song, Medical Director, Hospital in the Home Adult, Monash Health
17:20
Closing Remarks from the Telehealth Chair
17:25
End of Day 1 & Networking Drinks
08:30
Registration & Morning Coffee
09:00
DAY TWO OPENING
09:05
Opening remarks from the Chair
09:10
OPENING KEYNOTE | Victorian Virtual Care Strategy
Dr Sharon Hakkennes, Chief Digital Health Officer, Victorian Department of Health
09:40
INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE | Telehealth-enabled Care Redesign: Opportunities in Pre-Emergency/Hospital Care for Avoidance of Inappropriate Emergency Department Visits and Emergency Medical Services Use.
Eunice Tong, Research Associate, MOH Office for Healthcare Transformation, Singapore
10:10
Convenient care: How health programs are supporting Bupa customers on their health journeys
When it comes to health care, consumers increasingly want more convenience and choice. Bupa is now supporting thousands of its customers annually through a range of hospital substitution and chronic disease management programs that are delivered virtually. And while the demand is strong, scaling such programs is not without its challenges.
James McDonald, Head of Telehealth Operations, Bupa
10:40
Networking Break & Morning Tea
11:10
Sponsor Spotlight: Latest technologies that enhance the quality of Virtual Care
11:40
Empowering consumers – Is virtual care right for me and my family?
- A Virtual Care Consumer Suitability Toolkit has been codesigned to provide consumers with the information and tools they need when deciding if virtual care is right for them.
- Information is consumer friendly
- Encourages conversations between health care providers and consumers, their family and carers.
Donna Parkes, Stream Lead, Virtual Care, NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation
12:10
What impact does Virtual Care have on patient attendance rates?
Comparisons of no-show rates between virtual and in-person models of care are commonly reported during evaluation, indicating how coveted improvements in attendance are to health service providers. This study seeks to synthesise the data from studies that make these comparisons, providing a more accurate indication of what can be expected from virtual care models.
Phil Greenup, Telehealth Program Officer, Queensland Virtual Hospital, Queensland Health
12:40
Approaching Refusal of Care in Virtual Space – Possible Framework for Clinicians
With a consistent percentage of people refusing care—around 15%, and no data on refusal of care in the virtual space, it’s clear we need a new approach. From personal experience, at least one person on my shift would refuse indicated care. It’s important to note that, up to date, there is no clear approach to refusal of care in virtual space. Drawing from clinical experience and ethical concepts, I propose a framework that helps clinicians approach refusal of care consistently and safely.
Dr Marija Kirjanenko, Emergency Physician, Victorian Virtual Emergency Department & Eastern Health, Melbourne
13:10
Networking Lunch
14:10
BREAKOUT – INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLES (This will host both Telehealth & HITH audience)
Join us for an engaging roundtable (RT) discussion featuring 2 to 3 esteemed featured speakers and a skilled moderator. Each RT session will delve into innovative strategies for addressing current and future challenges in Virtual Care. The discussions are meant to be very organic, interactive and aims to foster exchange of ideas, highlight best practices, and explore top 3 to 5 actionable solutions. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the conversation, ask questions, and contribute their perspectives.
INDUSTRY RT1
Legal and regulatory considerations for telehealth and HITH services + data privacy
Ella Cannon, Principal, Hive Legal
INDUSTRY RT2
Integration of Telehealth & HITH
Dr Konrad Kangru, General Practitioner, Whitsunday Doctors Service; Medical Advisor, Office of Rural and Remote Health; Qld Representative, RACGP Rural Faculty; Board Director, North Qld PHN
INDUSTRY RT3
Policy and Funding – what’s next? + addressing reimbursement issues
Julia Conway, Director, Hospital Policy and Projects, Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority
INDUSTRY RT4
Research Spotlight
Session 1: Data on telehealth use trends in general practice from over 800 practices across Victoria and NSW
Mirela Prgomet PhD, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health Systems and Safety Research, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University
Session 2: Evaluating the learnability of virtual care technologies used in residential aged care homes
Adeola Bamgboje-Ayodele, PhD, Research Fellow, Human Factors, The University of Sydney
15:00
Someone from Industry RT sessions share the top 3-5 strategies for each issue that was discussed in their RT
15:20
Closing Remarks from the Chair
15:25
Closing of the Conference & Afternoon Tea
Venue
Hilton Sydney
488 George St
Sydney NSW 2000
Event Code of Conduct
We want everyone who comes to our events to have a great experience. This code explains our expectations and rules, which includes general good practice behaviour, and how to report anything witnessed or experienced that goes against them. Read our Event Code of Conduct here.
ConnectMe + Streamly
ConnectMe • Networking enhanced
All of our events utilise a bespoke dynamic smartphone app, ConnectMe – which guarantees attendees a premium event experience. Logins are sent prior to the conference commencement allowing you to check who’s attending, schedule in meetings and catch ups, participate in live Q+A and interactive polls, and much more. ConnectMe ensures you never miss a beat prior, during and post event.
Streamly • On-Demand video vault
Streamly is a new video platform from Informa Connect – hosting hours of session recordings from our events and more. Select the Streamly add-on at the checkout to receive an annual subscription to exclusive On-Demand session recordings from all of our related healthcare events*. Login information will be sent post event.
* Note: In a minority of cases, speakers may request their sessions to be excluded from Streamly access.