Expo highlights emerging opportunities in ehealth

Emerging opportunities across the three key areas of ehealth, elearning and ebusiness will be the topic of a presentation by Southern Cross University’s Professor Peter Croll at T.H.E Exchange expo on Wednesday.

T.H.E Exchange, hosted by Regional Development Australia – Mid North Coast, is being held at the C.ex Coffs Harbour on Wednesday, from 9am to 5pm. It aims to showcase the benefits of higher broadband speeds and the use of technology to businesses, individuals and the entire community.

Professor Croll is a Professor of Information Technology/Information Systems and spearheaded the campaign for the early rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) in Coffs Harbour.

He will be providing an outline of the plans for The GoBroadband eDemonstration Centre, which will be opened in the Coffs Harbour CBD later this year. The Centre is an initiative of Southern Cross University that has been funded by a state government Industry and Investment (I&I) grant. The Coffs Harbour City Council is the principal partner in the Centre, along with other local industry organisations.

Professor Croll said the eDemonstration Centre would be a one-stop shop, showcasing the potentional of highspeed broadband for individuals and businesses. It will focus particularly on the three key areas of ehealth, elearning and ebusiness.

“The introduction of highspeed broadband will provide opportunities to transform how we live and work,” Professor Croll said.

“Our aim is to ensure that the rollout of highspeed broadband through the NBN will boost our economic and social advantages. Our seminar, together with the exhibition, will illustrate how this is realisable for our many entrepreneurs in regional Australia.”

In the health industry, Professor Croll said recent changes in legislation would provide new incentives for the use of telehealth centres by general practitioners in rural and remote areas. Legislation was also under review for personally-controlled health records.

“The eDemonstration Centre will give individuals and businesses the opportunity to see this new technology at work,” he said.

“It’s way of connecting with industry so we can research into critical issues to do with the useability and acceptable of technology. For projects like NBN to be successful, we have to ensure we have take-up not just among elite group of early adopters, but across the whole population."

Southern Cross University’s head of Coffs Harbour campus, Professor David Lynch, will also be presenting at the expo, with Barry Davis from the Coffs Harbour City Council.

Professor Lynch said the rollout of the broadband network provided a unique opportunity for the city.

“This gives us the chance to transform Coffs Harbour into a truly networked, socially inclusive community. Southern Cross University will be working ways with its partners, and most importantly with its community, to create a University town. That is, a town in which each person has the opportunity to realise their aspirations,” he said.


Photo: Professor Peter Croll.