A Reflection on the 2025 Digital Health Festival

Written by Alexandria Joknic, National Therapy Development Manager, Peritoneal Dialysis

The Digital Health Festival (DHF), held in Melbourne from May 13th to 14th, attracted over 200 exhibitors, 400 speakers, and 8,000 attendees. The event provided a unique opportunity for professionals across the healthcare and technology sectors to network and exchange insights with industry and government representatives.

As the National Therapy Development Manager for Peritoneal Dialysis at Vantive, I had the privilege of attending this event. While my expertise lies outside the digital health space, the breadth of discussions provided valuable insights into various facets of the Australian healthcare system.

Many of the sessions I attended focused on leveraging digital health solutions to address real-world challenges and enhance the patient experience. Of particular relevance to both the healthcare system and patient care, were the sessions “Beyond Hospital Walls” and “Virtual Care and Remote Monitoring”.

Transforming healthcare through connection

Day 1

I attended the “Beyond Hospital Walls” session, co-presented by Associate Professor Amir Ghapanchi from Victoria University and Josephine Stevens from Western Health. This session explored the implementation of human-centric technology to scale hospital-in-the-home (HITH) models, particularly in the face of hospital bed shortages. A Deloitte report revealed that, over the past 30 years, the number of hospital beds in Australia has decreased by 56%, while the demand for care continues to rise, exacerbated by the aging population. HITH offers an innovative solution by enabling eligible patients to receive hospital-level care in the comfort of their homes, thus addressing both bed shortages and the strain on hospital infrastructure.

Professor Ghapanchi highlighted the critical role of remote patient monitoring (RPM) and automation technologies in delivering care at home, offering patients full transparency while alleviating pressure on healthcare staff, hospital beds, and budgets. Although HITH currently supports acute-admitted patients, there is potential for expanding these models to include other specialties, such as dialysis, through the integration of remote patient monitoring and automation.

Day 2

I attended the “Virtual Care and Remote Monitoring” session, which featured a panel discussion with industry representatives and a consumer. This session emphasised the critical role of consumer involvement in the development and implementation of RPM solutions. Glenda Gartell, a consumer representative, communicated that RPM technologies must be accessible and user-friendly, particularly given the aging population and the varying levels of digital literacy. It was evident that consumers are increasingly demanding more personalised care options, greater autonomy in health management, and improved access to digital health services.

 

 

Following two days of insightful presentations and networking, it is clear that both government bodies and the private sector are aligning their efforts toward the common goal of enabling patients to receive care at home through digital health solutions.

I look forward to the possibility of Vantive representatives, and perhaps even consumers, being included in future DHF panels to contribute to ongoing discussions and innovation in the healthcare sector.