607 - Bringing Consistency to Complexity Through AI-Driven Decision Support

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch speaks with Simon Taylor Cross, Chief Commercial Officer, and Dr Daniel Stiglitz, Director & Co-Founder at Atidia Health.Together, they explore the realities of perioperative care today, including the challenges created by variability in pre-surgery patient management and what that means for both patient safety and system performance.The conversation looks closely at how Atidia Health’s Patient Optimiser Platform (POP) uses clinical decision support and AI to identify risk earlier, support more consistent care, and help clinicians make better-informed decisions without disrupting existing workflows.It also unpacks what it actually takes to implement technology in real hospital settings, from change management and clinician engagement to aligning stakeholders across complex health systems.Along the way, the episode highlights a broader question facing healthcare today: how can we reduce preventable harm while systems grow more complex and clinicians face increasing pressure?This discussion offers practical insights into the intersection of clinical practice, digital health, and real-world implementation, highlighting how smarter, evidence-based approaches can support safer and more reliable patient outcomes.Key Takeaways🔍 Variability in preoperative care leads to inconsistent patient outcomes, with a significant proportion of complications being preventable🤝 Embedding clinical expertise with technology and commercial strategy is essential for building effective solutions like POP⚙️ POP is designed to work within existing healthcare workflows, ensuring support rather than disruption for clinicians and staff💡 Early identification and intervention using data-driven decision support can prevent adverse events and system inefficiencies🚀 Effective change management, cross-disciplinary partnerships, and clear return on investment are critical for successful technology adoption in health settingsTimestamps00:01: Introductions & Atidia Health overview03:23: Preventable complications in perioperative care09:57: Example: Patient risk identification with POP12:29: Integrating technology with clinical workflows16:35: Role and limits of AI in healthcare25:43: Large-scale implementation & change management32:28: Lessons in partnership for healthcare leadersCheck 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_shownotesAnd if this episode was useful, leaving a review or sharing it with someone in the industry always helps.Mentioned in this episode:Sign Up to the Free Talking Healthtech NewsletterSign up to the free Talking HealthTech newsletter for weekly digital health news, events, jobs, partner updates and Pete’s take on what matters across the sector: talkinghealthtech.com/newsletter