Faces of Digital Health

Ambient documentation is becoming normal in clinics. But the most interesting “voice” capability may not be transcription at all.In the latest episode of Faces of Digital Health, Henry O'Connell (Canary Speech) explains why voice biomarkers stalled for decades: the field analyzed words, not the neurological signal behind speech production.Canary’s approach focuses on the “primary data layer”—how the central nervous system drives respiration, vocal cord vibration, and articulation in real conversational speech.

A few details that stood out:

⏱️ ~45 seconds of conversation can be enough for assessment

🎛️ 2,590 voice features analyzed every 10ms (millions of data points)

🎯 Reported accuracy: 98%+ for progressive neurological conditions (e.g., Parkinson’s/Huntington’s/Alzheimer’s), while behavioral health tends to be lower (often in the 80s)

🌍 Validation is repeated per language/culture—no “deploy and hope” model

🧭 Use cases go beyond diagnosis: screening in primary care, clinical trials outcome tracking, and even in-room aggression risk signals to help protect staff

One line that captures the idea: it’s about measuring what’s present in the moment—objective signals that complement clinical judgment.

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction to Voice Biomarkers in Digital Health

01:48 Historical Context and Evolution of Voice Analysis

06:52 Innovative Approaches to Voice Data Analysis

08:54 Technical Insights into Voice Analysis

16:07 Accuracy and Efficacy of Voice Biomarkers

28:27 Challenges and Acceptance in Clinical Practice

35:04 Ethical Dilemmas in Genetic Testing

36:32 Understanding Genetic Information and Its Implications

37:58 Objective vs. Subjective Assessments in Mental Health

39:59 Proactive Care and Early Detection of Cognitive Decline

42:43 Technology in Wellness and Employee Mental Health

45:18 Data Privacy and Ethical Considerations in Health Tech

49:06 Remote Monitoring and Clinical Trials

01:00:57 Future of Health Technology and Global Expansion

Youtube: https://youtu.be/662VfHhdSFQ?si=t80_PblCf1L6dv4V

Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.com

Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

The conversation explores the impact of robots on mental health and their role in healthcare. Anthropologist Tanja Ahlin and Faces of digital health host Tjasa Zajc discuss the fascination with robots, the ambiguous identity of robots, their use in elder care, the challenges of integrating robots, the global perspective on robots, and the misconceptions and realities of robots. The conversation explores the impact of technology on different generations, the role of individual choices in technology use. The speakers also talk about concerns about children and technology, the role of parents, and the impact of technology on human development and creativity. It also emphasizes the importance of optimism and flexibility in adapting to technology.

Chapters


02:00 The Fascination with Robots


15:01 Robots in Elder Care


14:15 The Global Perspective on Robots


20:46 Misconceptions and Realities of Robots


29:57 Technology and Generational Sensitization


35:19 The Role of Technology in Creativity


44:28 The Societal Impact of Technology


51:54 The Biological and Psychological Impact of Technology

In this episode, Dipak Kalra, President of the European Institute for Innovation through Health Data, joins Faces of Digital Health to break down the real progress (and real gaps) in European health data, from legacy “hybrid” paper/digital workflows to the underused potential of clinical decision support that depends on structured data.

We explore what EHDS changes—especially the promise of a standardized, downloadable patient dataset—and what it could unlock for patient-facing apps, analytics, and more active self-management. We also tackle the hard questions: how to protect citizens from misuse and scams, how opt-out choices might create bias in research and AI, why “beating clinicians with a stick” won’t fix data quality, and why delays aren’t just bureaucratic—they can translate into avoidable harm.

02:00 The State of Healthcare Data in Europe
07:59 Challenges in Data Interoperability
12:31 The Role of Patients in Data Management
16:37 AI and Data Privacy Concerns
22:01 Patient Consent and Data Usage
28:00 Optimism for the Future of Health Data
31:03 Optimistic Futures for EAGDS
33:02 Preparing for EHDs: Readiness and Challenges
35:48 Data Quality and Workforce Challenges
37:58 Delays and Future Discussions on EHDs
39:53 The Urgency of Health Data Readiness
42:38 The Evolving Role of Patients in Healthcare
50:19 Building Trust Among Healthcare Stakeholders
57:58 The Future of Healthcare Data Discussions

Ali Parsa is a serial entrepreneur known for founding companies that challenge traditional models of healthcare delivery. Over two decades, he has built organizations at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and systems redesign—each shaped by an ambition to make care more efficient, accessible, and equitable. In this episode, Tjasa Zajc and Ali Parsa explore how agentic AI is redefining healthcare and what it really takes to build transformative companies in a fast-shifting world.Ali dives into why healthcare remains stuck in an economic imbalance—unlimited demand but constrained clinical supply—and why autonomous, real-time AI agents may finally rebalance the system by taking over 20–30% of routine clinical tasks. He explains how Quadrivia builds agents that can talk to patients, follow multi-step workflows, and operate within strict guardrails to avoid hallucinations and workflow drift.But this episode goes far beyond technology. Ali opens up about entrepreneurship:• why speed is the only real advantage startups have,• how to hire “missionaries, not mercenaries,”• why products must be excellent from day one,• how processes must be simplified and rebuilt for speed,• and why losing control—even briefly—can cost a company everything.
04:00 The Quest for Differentiation in Healthcare

09:21 AI Agents: Revolutionizing Clinical Tasks

12:42 Building a Reliable Knowledge Base

15:17 Ensuring Workflow Integrity in AI

19:46 Global Expansion Strategy of Quadrivia

22:58 Navigating Trust and Cultural Differences

26:04 Competing with Giants in the AI Space

30:22 Agility in Decision Making

31:15 Lessons from Babylon's Legacy

33:08 The Importance of Speed in Entrepreneurship

35:59 Navigating Failure and Success

39:44 Optimizing People, Product, and Processes

41:25 The Role of Luck in Entrepreneurship

47:14 The Birth of Quadrivia

49:04 Insights from Global Healthcare Markets

www.facesofdigitalhealth.com

http://fodh.substack.com/

In this episode of Faces of Digital Health, we sit down with Anne Forsyth, Hospital leader in clinical applications from Women's College Hospital in Canada, to explore how AI — especially generative AI — is reshaping daily clinical practice. Over the past two years, enthusiasm for AI has skyrocketed inside hospitals, with clinicians themselves requesting new tools rather than resisting them.

We discuss the cautious but deliberate rollout of AI scribes, the still-emerging trust in decision-support AI, and the safety and change-management considerations that mirror (and sometimes exceed) traditional IT implementations. Anne offers an honest look at the financial challenges of sustaining AI tools in publicly funded health systems and shares practical advice for hospitals navigating funding models, clinical buy-in, and responsible innovation.


Show notes:

01:50 – Current AI Implementations

03:21 – Safety and Risk Considerations

04:00 – Comparing AI Rollouts to Traditional IT Tools

05:10 – The Business Equation: Funding AI in Public Healthcare

06:20 – Advice for Hospitals on Sustainable AI Adoption

06:40 – Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in Clinical Applications

www.facesofdigitalhealth.com

https://fodh.substack.com/