616 - Inside Lyrebird at DHF26: The Rapid Growth of AI Tools in Australian Healthcare

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, recorded live at the Digital Health Festival 2026 (DHF26), Peter Birch speaks with Kai Van Lieshout, CEO and founder of Lyrebird Health, and Dr Ray Boyapati, Chief Clinical Officer at Lyrebird Health and a practising gastroenterologist at Monash Health.

The discussion explores the evolution of Lyrebird Health's AI-driven tools for clinicians, the importance of clinical involvement in product design, and the rapid adoption of AI across Australian general practice.

Kai and Ray also unpack what's driving this shift in attitude among clinicians, many of whom were previously wary of new digital health tools, and why this generation of AI is proving different.

The conversation covers approaches to maintaining safety and clinical rigour while meeting increasing demand from clinicians.

It also looks ahead to where clinical AI may be heading next, from ambient documentation to decision support, and what that means for the future of patient care, clinical workflows, and the relationship between doctors and patients.

Key Takeaways

🤖 Lyrebird Health’s AI tools have been made freely available to most Australian GPs, significantly increasing adoption among clinicians.

🩺 Embedding practising clinicians like Dr Ray Boyapati within the Lyrebird team ensures clinical rigour and relevance in product development.

🏥 Clinicians are more willing to adopt technology that demonstrably improves their workflow, as seen with AI-powered medical scribe tools.

🚦 Rapid AI adoption in healthcare brings risks, making deliberate, safety-focused implementation essential.

🌏 The timing of AI integration in healthcare is critical, shaping future clinical practice and patient care.

Timestamps

00:00 - Episode and guests' introduction

00:40 - Lyrebird Health’s mission and product updates

01:39 - Team growth and bringing on Dr Ray Boyapati

03:12 - Dr Ray Boyapati’s background and experiences

04:38 - Chief Clinical Officer responsibilities

07:08 - Clinician technology adoption and impact

Check out the episode and full show notes on the Talking HealthTech website.

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THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit

Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.

THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit

Explore the free THT+ Digital Health Career Toolkit, a five-day email series to help you clarify where you fit in digital health and take your next step: talkinghealth.tech/toolkit.