Innovation in General Practice - Reflections from the RACGP Hackathon 2025

What happens when you bring GP's, technologists and entrepreneurs together for three days?

You get bold ideas, working solutions, and the kind of collaboration that can re-shape the future of primary care. 

It was a privilege for our Founder, Dr. Angela Kwong, to be a participant in the inaugural RACGP Hackathon, where six teams came together to design innovative, validated and commercially viable solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing General Practice today.

 

The Problem Statement

'Australian General Practitioners are increasingly constrained by fragmented systems, administrative burden, and inadequate digital integration, leading to reduced time for patient care, provider burnout, and compromised healthcare outcomes.'

 

Despite rapid technological advances, there remains a lack of cohesive systems that bridge clinical care, practice efficiency, and business sustainability - and that's exactly what this Hackathon set out to change. 

 

Introducing Team Continuo

Dr. Angela had the honour of working alongside an inspiring and multidisciplinary team: 

• General Practitioners: Dr. Reno Riandito, Dr. Mani Arutchelvan and Dr. Phoebe Holdensen-Kimura; 
• Software Developer: Faisal Taibi
• Innovator: Richard Skimin

Together, they shared a mission to design a solution that reinforces the value of continuity of care in a rapidly fragmenting healthcare environment. 

They recognised a common issue: patients increasingly receiving care across multiple platforms and providers, leavings GP's - who are best placed to provide whole-of-life care - often disconnected.

Even initiatives like MyMedicare, which aim to anchor patients to their regular practice, can bring significant administrative overhead for already stretched teams. 

The solution aimed to keep the patient's regular practice top of mind during care delivery, offering a streamlined patient-centred system to strengthen relationships, reduce fragmentation, and support sustainable preventive care. 

Thank you to the Visionaries 

This event would not have been possible without the vision, energy and leadership of so many passionate individuals and organisations:

• The RACGP Digital Health Specific Interests Group leads: Dr. Amandeep Hansra, Dr. Darran Foo, Dr. Janice Tan and Dr. Sean Stevens.
• The RACGP Leadership: Georgina van de Water, Dr. Michael Wright, Dr. Ramya Raman.
• The Events Team: Annette Harris, Lydia Sandercock, Steve Carrol, The RACGP Events Team. 
• The Facilitators: Dr. Louise Schaper, Greg Moran. 
• The Judges: Dr. Michael Wright, Dr. Ramya Raman, Dr. Marcus Tan, Dr. Nirvana Luckraj. 
• The Partner who made the event happen: Microsoft, Avant Mutual, Best Practice, Bupa, Cubiko, HealthEngine, Innowell, HotDoc, UNSW Founder, Lyrebird Health, HealthShare, ASI Solutions.

The RACGP Hackathon was more than an event - it was a catalyst. 

A reminder that when people from different backgrounds come together with a shared purpose, real change is possible.

Congratulations to all the participating teams: 

• MediNow
• Plexus
• ReadyMedic
• Isbar
• G'day Health - Winners!
• and ... Continuo!

Something special has started here. we're excited to see where this spirit of innovation in General Practice will lead next.