616 - Inside Lyrebird at DHF26: The Rapid Growth of AI Tools in Australian Healthcare
Talking HealthTechShow Notes
In this episode of Talking HealthTech, recorded live at the Digital Health Festival 2026 (DHF26), Peter Birch speaks with Kai Van Lieshout, CEO and founder of Lyrebird Health, and Dr Ray Boyapati, Chief Clinical Officer at Lyrebird Health and a practising gastroenterologist at Monash Health. The discussion explores the evolution of Lyrebird Health's AI-driven tools for clinicians, the importance of clinical involvement in product design, and the rapid adoption of AI across Australian general practice. Kai and Ray also unpack what's driving this shift in attitude among clinicians, many of whom were previously wary of new digital health tools, and why this generation of AI is proving different. The conversation covers approaches to maintaining safety and clinical rigour while meeting increasing demand from clinicians. It also looks ahead to where clinical AI may be heading next, from ambient documentation to decision support, and what that means for the future of patient care, clinical workflows, and the relationship between doctors and patients.
Key Takeaways 🤖 Lyrebird Health’s AI tools have been made freely available to most Australian GPs, significantly increasing adoption among clinicians. 🩺 Embedding practising clinicians like Dr Ray Boyapati within the Lyrebird team ensures clinical rigour and relevance in product development. 🏥 Clinicians are more willing to adopt technology that demonstrably improves their workflow, as seen with AI-powered medical scribe tools. 🚦 Rapid AI adoption in healthcare brings risks, making deliberate, safety-focused implementation essential. 🌏 The timing of AI integration in healthcare is critical, shaping future clinical practice and patient care.
Timestamps 00:00 - Episode and guests' introduction 00:40 - Lyrebird Health’s mission and product updates 01:39 - Team growth and bringing on Dr Ray Boyapati 03:12 - Dr Ray Boyapati’s background and experiences 04:38 - Chief Clinical Officer responsibilities 07:08 - Clinician technology adoption and impact
Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website. If you’re enjoying the show and want access to exclusive healthtech discussions, meetups, and member-only content, you can learn more about becoming a THT+ Solo Member here: talkinghealth.tech/solo_shownotes And if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps. Mentioned in this episode: Use the free Talking HealthTech Glossary for plain-English explanations of digital health terms, acronyms and concepts across the industry: talkinghealthtech.com/glossary.
More from Talking HealthTech
In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Carey Campbell from Amalga, Dr Sheila Bond and Christian Cella from Wolters Kluwer, Victor Stulen from Philips, and Teodor Stoev from Harrison.ai. Together, they discuss healthcare technology innovation, the integration of AI into medical workflows, and digital transformation across the Asia-Pacific region. The guests discuss the rise of mobile-ready electronic patient records, the importance of building AI into the systems clinicians already use, and the need for trusted, evidence-based clinical knowledge as AI-generated information spreads. They also explore how radiology is becoming a testbed for clinical AI, why hospitals are rethinking their workflows instead of bolting on new tools, and how cloud adoption is helping health systems scale. Language support, cultural awareness and the challenge of choosing the right technology without being locked in are also part of the discussion. This episode features a handful of the conversations that Talking HealthTech captured on the floor of HMA26. Each guest offers a practical view of what hospitals and clinicians across Asia need from digital health now and in the years ahead.
In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Sergei Shutov, Don Woodlock, Dr Tullawat Pacharapha, Dr Apichai Chaiyaroj and Dr Trent Dean to discuss hospital digital transformation, regional innovation, interoperability and AI integration in healthcare across Asia-Pacific. The episode, recorded live during InterSystems Asia READY 2026 in Bangkok, provides a snapshot of conversations with healthcare executives and technology partners on their strategies for modernisation, collaborative approaches, and the challenges and opportunities unique to the region. Their discussion includes the role of integration in building a strong digital foundation, the importance of bringing clinicians into the design of new systems, and the rise of AI scribes and ambient documentation. The guests also discuss the promise of the FHIR standard for data interoperability, the gradual journey of building trust in AI, and the need to keep patient experience, privacy and safety at the centre of every decision. They also share how hospitals in Australia and Asia are approaching the shift from reactive to proactive, preventive care.
In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Brett Sellars, Head of Clinical Solutions, and Chris Reid, Platform Specialist, from Healthcare Logic. The conversation looks at data-driven decision-making in healthcare, the evolution and real-world use of command centres, and how the strategic use of information can improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency. The trio discusses the importance of clinician-led co-design, balancing technology with human factors and the challenges of introducing new solutions across diverse healthcare settings. They also cover why dashboards and alerts need to be tailored to each role, how change fatigue affects hospital staff and why AI and automation should be approached with care. The episode also touches on the value of connecting hospitals in Australia and overseas so lessons learned in one setting can help improve care in another.
In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Andrew Pearce from HIMSS, Lily Liu, Director of Digital Health at Western Health, Aurel Qian from SenseTime Medical, and Dr Jong-Soo Choi from Samsung Medical Center about digital transformation, AI, and healthcare system innovation across the Asia-Pacific region. The conversation covers approaches to digital benchmarking, connected care, shadow AI, AI adoption infrastructure, and robotics in hospital logistics. Recorded during HIMSS26 Asia Pacific in Singapore, this episode brings together a range of perspectives from across the region, each guest offering a different lens on what it takes to modernise healthcare at scale. From navigating legacy hospital systems to building the networks and standards that support safe, sustainable AI adoption, the discussions explore what's really driving digital transformation on the ground. They also look at what still needs to be solved before technology can deliver on its promise for patients and staff alike. This episode is part of our HIMSS26 APAC coverage, recorded live in Singapore. Catch the rest of the conversations in the Talking HealthTech @ HIMSS26 APAC on YouTube, or on your favourite podcast platforms.
In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Jacqueline Leeds, CEO of Rauland Australia and New Zealand, alongside a panel of leaders working across digital health. Panellists include Tim Leen, Acting Director at the Office of Medical Research and Innovation, WA Health, Claire Lake, Chief Nursing Information Officer at Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Brad Guelfi, Senior Solution Architect at St John of God Healthcare, and Vickie Knight, General Manager, Clinical Services at Rauland. The discussion explores digital transformation in healthcare as Western Australia enters the largest health system expansion in its history. The panel looks at the integration of technology across hospitals, lessons learned from real-world system deployments, and why bringing clinicians and end users along from the start is so important. They also share their views on workflow mapping, communication, governance and the importance of collaboration between clinicians, executives and technology providers. This episode was recorded live at an event hosted by Rauland Australia & New Zealand in Kings Park, Perth, on Wednesday, 12 August 2026.