Telehealth Research and Innovation Lab (THRIL)

The aims of THRIL are to create a research entity of National prominence in Telehealth and eHealth. This rapidly emerging Health-ICT niche area is critical to the future strength of our Health System and aligns with Australian Health Reform and National Broadband agendas.
 
Established in Jan 2011, the Telehealth Research and Innovation Laboratory (THRIL) operates on a multidisciplinary collaboration model drawing on the academic expertise of a number of key member participants from the Schools of Computing & Mathematics, Biomedical & Health Sciences, Medicine, Nursing & Midwifery, as well as a number of other strong University of Western Sydney research groups. Equipment and computational capabilities were contributed from an existing Smart Space facility at University of Western Sydney’s Campbelltown campus, to establish a computationally sophisticated networked and reconfigurable sensor-rich environment for conducting innovative health informatics research.
 
The overall strategy of THRIL is to progress research and collaboration using intelligent and innovative ICT methods supporting new models of Health care in areas such as aged care & independent living, chronic disease management, and physiotherapy & rehabilitation. The ICT dimension will consist of three elements:

• Data Management and Analysis: e.g. database/eResearch tools, data mining, modelling, visualisation, linking/annotating data, health records
• Software/Hardware for Telehealth/eHealth: e.g. deision support, health workflow and patient journey modeling, health business process ehngineering design/development methodology
• Intelligent Automated Systems and Human Factors: e.g. user interaction, virtual/aware environments, assistive technologies, monitoring devices/sensors, natural language processing, image/video, visual attention.

All are underpinned by current or recent funded research activities and existing expertise and research momentum.