In a significant step toward digitally enabled care, an australian homecare has launched a pilot program using an AI-powered voice assistant to enhance in-home aged care services. The trial, initiated in partnership with Australian health tech firm Talius, introduces CuriousThing—an AI virtual assistant—designed to improve appointment coordination and client communication. This development signals a broader shift in the health sector, as providers increasingly adopt artificial intelligence to deliver more responsive and scalable care. Alongside this, several other healthcare innovations are reshaping service delivery across Australia and New Zealand.
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AI Voice Assistant Trial to Streamline Home Care Visits
Silverchain began testing the AI assistant in June with a select group of home care clients in Western Australia. The three-month pilot focuses on improving communication around appointment scheduling. According to the organisation, CuriousThing will place outbound calls to confirm, reschedule, or postpone care visits.Tamra Bridges, Executive Director of Research & Innovation at Silverchain, stated that the initiative aims to address frequent concerns about scheduling clarity. “This pilot is about using AI in an innovative way that puts people receiving care in the home in control of their care, while simultaneously freeing up our teams to focus on what matters most—providing the best care,” she said.
The AI assistant is designed to offer real-time alerts on clients’ conditions to care providers and can also send personalised reminders for medication, wellness checks, and appointments. The system was co-developed by Talius to reflect the preferences of clients, carers, and families. Depending on the results of this pilot, a national rollout across Silverchain’s care network may follow.Graham Russell, CEO of Talius, emphasized the broader impact of the collaboration. “Our AI voice assistant demonstrates how technology can support independence and safety for older Australians,” he said, noting that smart automation is helping clients “live well at home, for longer.”
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Te Whatu Ora Activates Emergency Response Module
Across the Tasman, New Zealand’s Te Whatu Ora has started implementing a mobile emergency response module on the Medtasker platform. This addition is now live at Whangārei Hospital, with further deployment scheduled at eight hospitals in the Northern region.Medtasker said the new module enhances response coordination by delivering location-specific alerts and enabling real-time visibility for emergency teams. This transparency, the company noted, reduces delays and ensures the correct personnel are mobilised efficiently.
NSW Ambulance Explores Aeromedical Drones
In New South Wales, drone technology is being tested to support search and rescue efforts. NSW Ambulance recently completed a two-month trial known as the Remotely Piloted Aeromedical Clinical Systems project. The initiative trained seven critical care and special operations paramedics to operate drones equipped with live video feeds, thermal imaging, searchlights, and loudspeakers.
The drones are also capable of transporting emergency supplies such as blood products and defibrillators to remote areas. Conducted in partnership with Toll Aviation, the trial received support from the NSW Health Sustainable Futures Innovation Fund.
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Screening of Lung Cancer (Nepean Diagnostics Use AI)
In step with the national Australian lung cancer screening plan due to go into effect in July, this year, Nepean Diagnostics has installed South Korean Coreline Soft AI software. Pulmonary nodules, emphysema as well as coronary artery calcification can be detected by the technology using advanced imaging analysis.The imaging centre is among the biggest in New South Wales and the first in the area to use the AI tool. Coreline Soft recently launched its business in Australia through a strategic partnership with ParagonCare earlier on this year. The company has already provided such systems to medical facilities in other parts of Europe and the UK.
Alfred Health Unveils Command Centre Using AI
Alfred Health has opened an AI-driven command facility in Victoria that is provided by GE HealthCare. It becomes the initial institution to use this system in Australia which has close to real time data integrating across networks.It allows an optimal choice on complex cases and the patients are de-centrally matched with available beds in the hospital. Such visibility helps in more efficient flow of the patients and allocating resources.
Online Directory of Digital Health Courses is Now Live
Investing into a digitally competent health workforce, Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC) has introduced an online directory of digital health courses. The tool is a filtering system of educational courses taught in Australian Universities so that a student can search or compare the offerings that meet his or her career objectives.According to Annette Schmiede, the platform CEO at DHCRC, the platform has increased access to pertinent education and has aided the digital empowerment of healthcare.
The directory is consistent with the larger activities, such as universities collaborating and the newly released action plan by the Australian Council of Senior Academic Leaders in Digital Health, to enhance the capacities of digital health in Australia.All these initiatives represent a swift transformation of healthcare service delivery, and the integration of AI, automation, and digital learning into the daily routine emerges as the key mechanisms of transforming the system on a scale.
