- Announcements, Research
- 2 min read
Monash Health and Heidi are partnering to co-develop and evaluate an artificial intelligence (AI) language translation tool that will be trialled across hospitals and clinics, supporting real-time communication between patients, their families and treating clinicians, and making care more accessible and equitable.
The collaboration aims to reimagine healthcare through AI by significantly improving patient and staff experience, quality of care and clinical outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse communities across Monash Health’s catchment, where 45% of patients speak a language other than English at home.
The new clinical-grade tool will support real-time translation initially across 10 commonly spoken languages, enabling clearer and more equitable communication between patients and healthcare staff during clinical consultations, inpatient care and other care interactions.
‘At Monash Health, we know how important communication is to our patients. Communication allows our clinicians and those in our care to build trust, and ensure patients feel empowered in their own care journey,’ said Adjunct Professor Robin Mann, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Monash Health.
By supporting patients and clinicians to better understand one another in the moment, the technology seeks to enhance safety, reduce misunderstandings, and improve shared decision-making.
Adjunct Professor Robin Mann
Currently being evaluated in real-world clinical settings, the application is designed to meet the stringent requirements of hospital and health service environments, including privacy, security and clinical safety standards.
‘Heidi exists to give Australian clinicians back the capacity to focus on their patients. When a clinician and patient can truly understand each other in their own language, the quality of that care goes up. Trust builds faster, decisions get made together, and patients leave feeling genuinely heard. Partnering with Monash Health means we’re building this with the evidence and rigour it deserves,’ said Dr Thomas Kelly, CEO and Co-Founder of Heidi.
The partnership reflects Monash Health’s ambition of leading health innovation and digital enablement across the globe, and Heidi’s mission to build clinician-first AI technology that reduces administrative burden while improving the quality of care delivered.
‘Through co-development, testing and proof in practice, Monash Health and Heidi will jointly explore how advanced language and AI-enabled technologies can be responsibly applied to support inclusive, patient-centred care at scale,’ said Prof. Mann.
Professional interpreters will continue to play a critical role at Monash Health, especially when a patient’s care is complex, or a sensitive conversation is required.
