Health Daily - 20/01/2026

• The global clinical data analytics market, valued at approximately USD 132.9 billion in 2026, is expected to surge to around USD 930 billion by 2034, expanding at a strong ~27.6% CAGR over the period.
• Rapid growth is being driven by increasing volumes of healthcare data from electronic health records (EHRs), mobile health apps, and remote monitoring, alongside continued integration of AI, machine learning, cloud computing, and real-time analytics that enable predictive modeling and personalized care.
• Large enterprises currently dominate the space, with cloud-based solutions leading deployment because of scalability and accessibility — while small and medium organizations are also expanding their analytics capabilities.
• North America holds a major share due to strong EHR adoption and IT investment, while Asia-Pacific is rapidly expanding due to digital health initiatives. Key end users include pharmaceutical and life sciences firms, as well as public health sectors seeking to improve patient outcomes through data-driven decision-making.

• Researchers developed an artificial intelligence model called DiaCardia that can identify individuals with prediabetes using only electrocardiogram (ECG) data, eliminating the need for traditional invasive blood tests.
• The model achieved strong predictive accuracy (e.g., AUROC around 0.85) in both internal and external testing, demonstrating its ability to generalize across different patient datasets.
• Remarkably, DiaCardia performs nearly as well using a single-lead ECG (like those from wearable devices such as smartwatches) as it does with full 12-lead clinical ECGs, opening the possibility for widespread, scalable screening.
• Because ECG signals are easy to obtain and can even be captured through wearable health tech, this approach could make prediabetes screening more accessible and frequent, potentially aiding early intervention and diabetes prevention without blood draws.

• The Australian Digital Health Agency’s National Digital Health Strategy 2023‑28 and its roadmap mention AI but condition its use on achieving fully interoperable, high‑quality health data, a stance the author deems overly cautious. 
• The author contends that AI tools like ChatGPT Health can sidestep existing data‑silo barriers by giving patients instant, AI‑driven analysis of lab results, imaging reports and other records, shifting decision‑making power to the patient. 
• Low adoption of My Health Record, illustrated by the author’s own difficulty signing up—highlights current access hurdles, even as platforms such as Epic, HotDoc and HealthEngine already house rich patient data that AI could exploit. 
• Recalling a 2002 pivot that turned legacy publishing data into a $90 million business via Google AdSense, the author warns health systems will fall behind if they don’t adopt AI‑enabled data sharing with comparable speed.

• Australian engineers are increasingly specifying PEEK polymer for critical fasteners and components in chemical and medical manufacturing because of its exceptional strength, chemical resistance, and thermal stability. 
• PEEK eliminates corrosion, reduces particle generation, and withstands repeated sterilisation, providing lighter yet robust parts for cleanroom and medical equipment. 
• Essentra Components offers a growing range of PEEK fasteners, caps, and cable‑management accessories with local CAD support and supply, streamlining design and production in Australia. 
• The material is moving from niche to standard, becoming a key enabler of next‑generation Australian‑made equipment in advanced manufacturing and med‑tech sectors. 

• A soft, flexible choker-style wearable captures ultra-sensitive signals from throat muscle vibrations and heart rate to help stroke survivors with speech impairment communicate more naturally.
• The device uses two AI systems: one reconstructs words from silently mouthed speech fragments, and the other interprets emotional and contextual cues (e.g., time of day, mood) to expand short phrases into full sentences in real time.
• In a small trial of five patients with dysarthria (a common post-stroke speech difficulty), the device showed a low word and sentence error rate and participants reported about a 55% increase in communication satisfaction.
• Unlike current assistive technologies that require slow input methods or invasive implants, this wearable provides seamless, real-time speech support and could aid rehabilitation, with future clinical studies and broader language support planned.