18 February 2026 - Top Stories

Australia’s healthtech scene is moving fast, with AI-assisted imaging and remote care tools edging into frontline workflows, even as formal validation standards struggle to keep up.

A world-first scoping review from the University of Adelaide finds there are no formal guidelines for silent AI trials in health settings. The paper, published in Nature Health, shows wide variation in testing designs and metrics, with some trials chasing AI-focused measures that lack clinical relevance and limited reporting on real-hospital performance.

The sector faces workforce pressures that digital health can address. About 460,000 workers operate across aged care and related services, with nearly a quarter aged 55 or older. As population ageing climbs, demand will rise while some regions lose capacity, underscoring the role for scalable remote care and analytics. The Australian College of Nursing is pushing for a nationwide digital nursing credential to smooth mobility and enable nurse-led care.

Primary care is being reshaped by practical pilots and diagnostics governance. Western Australia is expanding its Enhanced Access Community Pharmacy Pilot with 40 more pharmacists trained to diagnose and treat simple conditions, supported by about 1.26 million AUD, bringing total trainees to 90, including 34 in rural areas. Separately, calls to curb unnecessary groin ultrasounds aim to reduce costs; rebates in 2018 were about 39.8 million AUD.

On funding and consumer information, the PBS expanded Wynzora and Forxiga access, potentially benefiting about 141 000 and 65 000 Australians respectively, with Wynzora costing around 65 dollars per script without subsidy. Health Star Ratings will become mandatory front-of-pack labelling in AU and NZ, standardising consumer information and enabling health-data tools to better analyse nutrition data.

• Establish formal silent-trial standards for health AI to ensure safety and transferability
• Invest in workforce analytics and remote care to offset ageing care demands
• Accelerate university spinouts with seed funding and VC partnerships to speed clinical adoption
• Scale pharmacist prescribing with governance and data sharing for rural access
• Pursue digital nursing credentials and reform MBS access to enable nurse-led care
• Monitor and adapt to payer decisions on high-cost therapies to inform health tech strategy