Improving healthcare delivery with AI

Advancements in remote monitoring technology are making a significant impact in patient care. It allows for early detection of health complications, as well as continuous monitoring and management of health conditions for chronically ill, elderly and remote patients who are unable to easily visit a health provider.

Esther and her Connected Health Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) team are developing AI-based support systems that will enable patient health metrics to be monitored remotely. The aim of this VIP project is to reduce the rate of hospital re-admissions by accurately monitoring and managing patient metrics such as heart rhythm.

Why did you choose to study your degree? 

I’m currently in my third year studying software engineering and biomedical engineering. I chose this degree with the aim of getting into the biomedical industry, as I’m interested in pursuing a career that will improve the lives of many people in a tangible way! Science and technology are great tools on their own, but I'm especially interested in how it can be applied to the delivery of healthcare. I also chose to study software as I enjoyed coding in high school, and it will help me to bring a specialised set of skills into the biomedical field. 

What Vertically Integrated Project are you doing? What is involved? What have you enjoyed the most?

I am part of the Connected Health VIP team, where our goal is to develop technologies that assist in remotely monitoring the health metrics of patients. This year, the focus is on developing deep learning and large language models to annotate ECGs. I'm enjoying learning about artificial intelligence and how it can be utilised to improve the quality of healthcare. 

What attracted you the most to join a VIP?

I think VIPs are a great way to be involved in a longer-term project, compared to shorter projects for other university courses. You also get to work within a team and contribute to research that has real-world impact. I wanted to learn and work on something meaningful while at university, and this project was a fantastic opportunity to do just that. 

What is your biggest learning experience from doing a VIP so far?

This is my first time doing a VIP, and currently we’ve been doing a lot of research and scientific literature analysis. I've learnt a lot over just a few weeks, and it's exciting to be able to understand so many interesting topics such as arrhythmia, ECGs, and AI on a more advanced level. Through the research process, I've also gotten better at reading scientific papers!

Why should students get involved in a VIP?

There are plenty of reasons! It’s a great opportunity to study a topic that isn't covered by your core courses, as well as get a taste of working in industry. You also get to challenge your problem-solving skills, improve your independent research skills, and help develop a product/system that will benefit real people. Plus, I hear it looks pretty good on a resume! Whatever the reason, I would say it's worthwhile to at least check out the wide range of projects on offer and see if any of them catches your interest!

Learn more about Connected Health and other Vertical Integrated Projects on offer.