Anmelden

Transform Gov - the digital government podcast· Staffel 2· Folge 74

Could drones deliver your medicine?

Dienstag, 16. Juni 2026 · 28 min

MP3

Shownotes

What if the biggest challenge in healthcare wasn't medicine...

...but getting the right people to work together?

In Part 1 of this fascinating conversation, Professor Derek O'Keeffe — consultant endocrinologist, engineer and founder of the Hive Lab at the University of Galway — explains why solving healthcare problems often starts outside the hospital.

From delivering medicines by drone after Storm Ophelia, to creating smart connected medical devices and bringing engineers and clinicians together, this is a story about practical innovation that is already changing lives.

In this episode:
• Why Derek calls himself a "physicianeer"
• Why healthcare is full of engineering problems
• The remarkable drone medicine delivery project
• Why regulation is often a bigger challenge than technology
• The story behind the "digital stent"
• Why the best innovations start with a real human problem

This isn't a conversation about gadgets.

It's about using technology to make public services work better.

Transform Gov is part of the Ireland eGovernment Awards and is brought to you in partnership with Accenture.

Find out more about this year's Leadership Summit and Awards at:
www.digitalgovawards.com

If you enjoy the episode, please like, subscribe and share.

Chapters

Introduction
What is a "physicianeer"?
From engineering to medicine
Why healthcare is full of problems to solve
Why technology isn't the difficult part
"The technology is easy. The people are hard."
The idea that led to medicine delivery by drone
Aviation, pharmacy and regulation
Building the Hive Lab
Collaboration between engineers and clinicians
The digital stent project
The garden hose moment
Why innovation often stays in the drawer
Making technology work for people
Final thoughts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anmelden oder registrieren

Jetzt

0:00 / 0:00