08:30

Registration & Morning Coffee

09:00

DAY ONE OPENING

09:05

Opening remarks from the Chair

Shane Delves, A/Stream Manager Virtual Care, NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation

09:10

INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE | Real-world evaluations of virtual care and out of hospital care

Sarah will summarise recent real-world evaluations from across the Health Innovation Network across England, focusing on equity of access, staff experience of innovative ways of delivering care, and evidencing impact to ensure sustainability of innovations. The presentation will cover a breadth of health conditions.

Dr Sarah Robinson, Director of Delivery, Health Innovation East, Implementation Lead, NIHR ARC East of England

09:40

CASE STUDY | Learnings from the world’s oldest and longest running telehealth service

• Delivering healthcare to patients in the most remote parts of Australia
• Learnings from providing services which require multiple logistics and aircraft
• 24hr access to emergency telehealth and telepharmacy
• Latest virtual care projects

Dr Meg O’Connell, Medical Lead – Telehealth, RFDS Queensland Section

10:10

FIRESIDE CHAT | Counting and costing virtual care activity

• Understanding and working through the challenges of classifying, counting, costing, and funding virtual care
• What are the recommendations, guidance and advice to ensure that virtual care activity is reflective of current virtual care service models and responsive to future innovative care?
• As the sophistication of VC increases and moves at scale away from a “purely” telehealth focussed model.
• How the activity for virtual care is collected and subsequently funded.

Julia Conway, Acting Director, Hospital Policy, IHACPA
Joshua Tatham, Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Activity Based Management
Health System Support Group, NSW Health
Moderator: Shane Delves, A/Stream Manager Virtual Care, NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation

10:40

Networking Break & Morning Tea

11:25

Virtual Care, a Reality not a Dream! Cambridge University Hospital Virtual Ward Implementation Model

• CUH Virtual Ward @ home (Cambridge University Hospitals)
• Challenges CUH faced/why implemented VW?
• The journey so far and working with stakeholders (the concept and stakeholders)
• What is the equipment needed and platform/technology selection
• The daily management: referral, onboarding, care plan…. How do we manage telephone and video, workforce
• Performance and pathways
• Patient experience
• Challenges and obstacles overcome
• Next steps

Gemma Czech, Clinical Nurse Lead for Virtual Wards, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
Andy Bailey, Operations Manager Virtual Wards, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

11:50

Integrating virtual care into services – lessons learnt

• An overview of the NSW Virtual Care Strategy (2021-2026) and overarching outcomes
• Background overview of the Virtual Hospital in the Home initiative, the measures for success and governance
• Key identifiable lessons learnt for successful implementation, including foundations for sustaining and scaling the initiative

Jen Wilson, Principal Policy Officer, Virtual Care Unit, NSW Ministry of Health
Susan Massey, Senior Policy Officer, Virtual Care Unit, NSW Ministry of Health

12:20

CASE STUDY | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander – Telehealth Foot Service

• A continuity-of-care approach to improving outcomes for diabetes-related foot complications in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• How the telehealth High-risk foot services (HRFS) work
• Key achievements of the service
• Future steps

Joseph Agius, Aboriginal Health Practitioner, Multi-disciplinary Foot Telehealth Team, Central Adelaide Local Health Network – Royal Adelaide Hospital
Sonja Rogasch, High Risk Foot Coordinator, Central Adelaide Local Health Network – Royal Adelaide Hospital  

12:50

A word from our Connect Virtual Care Lunch Sponsor: Masimo

Maree Devitt, Country Manager, ANZ, Masimo

13:00

Networking Lunch

14:00

To AI or Not To AI.. that is the question

• Is using AI always the right choice
• What to consider when using AI in a virtual care setting
• Guardails to safeguard the use of AI
• Asking the right questions

Mona Thind, Director, Strategy, Investment, Strategy and Architecture, eHealth NSW

14:30

PANEL | Enhancing telehealth – exploring ways to provide a more comprehensive telehealth service

• What are some of the emerging devices and technologies which can enhance TH models of care? i.e. Remote monitoring, VR, AR, ChatGPT and other technologies
• What is emerging from a virtual care perspective that has shown value?
• Technology platforms – what they can do and what they can’t
• How are these emerging technologies being implemented and what are the barriers to implementation?
• Do all the emerging technologies work for all patient groups? Where are they a help and where are they a hindrance?

Kristen Short, Director Partnerships and Innovation, South Western Sydney PHN
Shannon Wallis, Nurse Unit Manager, Preventative Integrated Care Service, West Morton Health
Mona Thind, Director, Strategy, Investment, Strategy and Architecture, eHealth NSW
Ilma Rahmathullah, Business Solution Analyst, Catholic Healthcare
Dr Peter Baird, Senior Medical Advisor, Amplar Health
Moderator: Shane Delves, A/Stream Manager Virtual Care, NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation

15:15

Afternoon Networking

15:40

PHN-commissioned mental health services: Consumer and provider experiences of telehealth

• How do mental health consumers use telehealth?
• Does rurality or acuity affect the quality of service?
• What are the barriers and enablers for consumers and service providers?
• Is telehealth just phone and video appointments?
• Opportunities for remote monitoring of consumers’ mental health

Alanna Sherry, Project Coordinator, Mental Health, COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN

16:10

CASE STUDY | First responders and keeping patients in the community

• Police and Ambulance video consults with mental health clinicians – does the patient need to come to the facility?
• Virtual options which help patients stay closer to home
• What really happens with this on the ground?

Mandy Smith, Mental Health First Responder & Virtual Care Coordinator, Hunter New England Mental Health
Luke Wiseman, Chief Superintendent, Associate Director Clinical Operations, Hunter New England Sector, NSW Ambulance
Jonathan Holt, General Manager Mental Health Services, Hunter New England Health

16:40

PANEL | HITH Vs Virtual Hospitals

• What is the difference?
• Is language preventing us from thinking more broadly about innovative care?
• Who is responsible for what?
• Where are we headed?

Chenyao (Jerry) Yu, General Manager, Virtual Care and Hospital in the Home Services, Northern Sydney Local Health District
Dr Joanna Lawrence, Consultant Paediatrician, Researcher and VVED Paediatric Clinical Lead, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne
Sarah McRae, Chief Executive Officer, Calvary Amplar Health Joint Venture
Voni Leighton, Board member, HITH Society of Australasia
Moderator: Shane Delves, A/Stream Manager Virtual Care, NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation

This session will host both the HITH conference and the telehealth audience

17:25

Networking drinks & end day 1