24 February 2026 - Top Stories

Australian health tech is shifting from support tools to platform-level decision aids, with AI moving into routine clinical workflows.

Heidi Health is outlining a broader AI strategy, unveiling Heidi Evidence as an evidence-based decision layer and purchasing Automedica to bring an AI framework into its platform. The plan is to evolve from transcription help to a care partner that sits inside daily practice, supported by integration with Streamliners’ clinical pathways.

Streamliners is also joining forces with Heidi Health to embed HealthPathways guidance within the AI assistant. The aim is to surface trusted, local pathways at the point of care, speeding evidence-based decisions and helping clinics standardise care as Heidi scales its decision-support suite.

Remote care continues to test resilience in Australia’s regions. In Utopia, Starlink-backed connectivity underpins telehealth delivered by Urapuntja Health Service across 16 communities over about 3,500 square kilometres. The model relies on a hybrid workforce and strong governance to maintain continuity of care, despite uneven connectivity and staff turnover. It could offer a replicable approach for remote Aboriginal health services.

In rural New South Wales, the CareZen virtual care pod in Tenterfield is delivering bulk-billed psychology sessions via HealthBright. The private, internet-enabled pod sits on site at EP Health Centre and provides confidential consultations, aiming to broaden regional access and ease demand on traditional services.

Domestically, data from the Medicare Urgent Care Clinic rollout shows the program is reshaping care delivery. About 130 clinics are active, with 87 analysed between 2023 and 2025, logging 1.82 million presentations. Non-life-threatening ED visits fell by up to 10%, though waiting times were not consistently improved and some presentations may have been better served by GPs. cervical screening is also evolving, with self-collection rising to 26.9% of tests by end-2023 after eligibility expansion and the option to use self-collection alongside clinician sampling, widening access and shaping follow-up workflows.

• Heidi expands AI care platform with Heidi Evidence and Automedica acquisition
• HealthPathways embedded in Heidi AI via Streamliners integration
• Starlink-enabled telehealth supports remote Aboriginal health in Utopia
• CareZen pod bulk-billed psychology expands rural NSW access
• UCC rollout data shows up to 10% drop in non-urgent ED visits
• Self-collection HPV screening reaches 26.9% of tests, broadening equity