Driving Digital Health Innovation: Monash team recognised with Faculty of IT Research Team of the Year
L-R: Dr Laura Bird, A/Prof Peter Poon
A collaboration spanning Monash University’s Faculty of IT, the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, and partners across healthcare has been awarded the Faculty of IT Dean’s Award for Research Team of the Year 2025.
The project brought together a diverse, multidisciplinary team to design and implement a telehealth clinical tool that enhances patient–clinician communication and improves clinical documentation. The software enables clinicians to generate real-time consultation summaries during telehealth sessions, which can then be reviewed jointly with patients, ensuring clarity, supporting shared decision-making, and providing a tangible record of care.
The tool has now been integrated into HealthDirect Australia’s national video-call platform, supported by the Digital Health CRC and in line with government healthcare policies. Find out more about the tool.
Dr Laura Bird, postdoctoral researcher in the Supportive and Palliative Care Unit at Monash Health and the School of Clinical Sciences, said the innovation is already making a difference in patient-centred care:
“Sharing and jointly reviewing consultation summaries, management plans, guidance or test results in real time helps ensure patients fully understand their care. It also gives them the chance to ask questions, and improves later recall of important medical information.”
Associate Professor Peter Poon (project clinical lead, School of Clinical Sciences and Monash Health), reflected on the significance of the team’s recognition:
“As a small research team based in supportive and palliative care, we are extremely proud and humbled to have played a significant role in this work. Producing and implementing a product on HealthDirect Australia’s national platform is an incredible highlight, and ensures this work will benefit healthcare patients and practitioners across the country.”
The award-winning collaboration brought together:
- From Monash SCS and Monash Health: A/Prof Peter Poon, Dr Laura Bird, Emmy Trinh
- From Faculty of IT, Monash University: Prof Rashina Hoda (project lead), Prof Christopher Bain, Dr Wei Zhou, Andy Li
- From the University of Melbourne: Prof Wendy Chapman, Dr Mahima Kalla, Dr Teresa O’Brien
- From HealthDirect Australia: Sam Georgy
- From the Victorian Department of Health: David Bevan
- From the Digital Health CRC: Dr Joycelyn Ling
- Additional valued contributors included Dr Catriona Parker, Dr Heather Craig, Isabella Hall, and Dr Xiao Chen.
The accolade reflects a research journey that spanned co-design, software development, feasibility testing, and real-world implementation, demonstrating the power of cross-disciplinary and multi-sector collaboration to drive digital health innovation.
About Monash University
Monash University is Australia’s largest university with more than 80,000 students. In the 60 years since its foundation, it has developed a reputation for world-leading high-impact research, quality teaching, and inspiring innovation.
With four campuses in Australia and a presence in Malaysia, China, India, Indonesia and Italy, it is one of the most internationalised Australian universities.
As a leading international medical research university with the largest medical faculty in Australia and integration with leading Australian teaching hospitals, we consistently rank in the top 50 universities worldwide for clinical, pre-clinical and health sciences.
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