MedTech Conference 2022 Review
Review published in MTAA Annual Report.
The MedTech22 Annual Conference brought together MedTech professionals from across industry, government and academia to discuss the key issues affecting industry. After a 2-year absence, this was the first major in-person event hosted by MTAA and the appetite for face-to-face was obvious with the conference selling out 2 weeks prior to launch. Twentytwo sessions took place with over 40 international and local presenters over the 2 days.
Day 1 of the Conference opened with Dr Jordan Nguyen, a leading Australian biomedical engineer, inventor and inspiring keynote speaker, who captured the imagination of the entire room. He highlighted the relationship between humanity and technology, what drives its evolution into the future, and shared heartfelt examples of how life-changing technology can transform the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians. Following his opening keynote, Dr Nguyen joined senior leaders in healthcare for a panel discussion on the transformation of healthcare post-covid, its critical role in Australian society and put to question the funding models, burnout and sustainability of the existing healthcare system.
The day continued with sessions on interoperability and how it can improve existing healthcare systems, an in-depth conversation with TGA looking into their thought-process to decision-making, closing the morning session was a one-on-one discussion with Sydney Local Health District exploring the challenges and lessons learned from integrating and using medical devices in frontline health services during the pandemic. The afternoon sessions discussed MDR impacts on clinical studies in Australia, building a cyber community to protect healthcare, and closing the day featured a panel discussion on the benefits of implementing a reconciliation action plan for organisations.
The political update opened day two of the conference with Dr Mike Freelander MP and Melissa McIntosh MP sharing insights into how to best engage with Government while facing a dynamic political operating environment. For the first time publicly, MTAA and a local and international panel discussed the rise of ESG and sustainability requirements witnessed aboard, its increased adoption in Australia and the work that is progressing corporate responsibility.
As the day continued, the concurrent sessions took over with highlights including 2 PL reform discussions featuring the Department of Health, post-covid talent opportunities, the benefits to deeper engagement with the local innovation ecosystem, how private health insurance can support future models of care and much more. The day ended on an emotional high as the audience heard from product specialists and the patients they supported. They shared their story of how medical technology has impact their lives – a kind reminder for the many device suppliers in the room of how important their work is and the technology they provide to help patients around the world.