My Reflections on SFT-26 Conference: Lived Experience in Telehealth......Brisbane 5-6 November 2026

On 5 November, I had the privilege of serving as Co-facilitator of a panel session at the SFT-26 Successes and Failures in Telehealth International Conference in Brisbane.\{that is my head on the screen on the extreme left of the panel\}

As a Consumer Representative with the Centre for Online Health at The University of Queensland, it was a particular honour to contribute to an event of such stature.

With a distinguished history spanning 26 years and attracting delegates from thirteen countries, the conference has established itself as one of the leading international forums for discussion, research, and innovation in telehealth.

The session, titled "Lived Experience in Telehealth," featured an panel comprising So Tian, Peter Button, and myself, with the session co-chaired by Dr Jaimon Kelly.

It was especially pleasing that this was the conference's first panel session and was held in the main hall rather than as a side event.To me, this reflected the growing recognition that the perspectives of consumers and carers are central to the future of healthcare and telehealth.

The conference itself was exceptionally well organised. The audio-visual presentation, technical support and overall event management were of the highest standard.Equally impressive was the audience, which was engaged, thoughtful and highly receptive throughout the discussion.

Our conversation explored lived experience with telehealth, our perceptions of its future in Australia, and the opportunities and challenges that emerge from the patient and carer perspective.

Each panel member brought a unique voice to the discussion.Peter spoke as a carer for his wife and as an advocate who has worked extensively with governments and policymakers on health-related legislation and reform. So, Tian shared valuable insights as a consumer representative and advocate within the Vietnamese community. I contributed my perspective as a stroke survivor and long-term consumer advocate.

The discussion generated considerable interest, and the questions from the audience were thoughtful, challenging, and constructive. Overall, it was a highly successful session that demonstrated the value of bringing lived experience directly into conversations about healthcare innovation, service delivery, and policy development.

I had five requests in my mailbox for subsequent contact and future involvement, from conference attendees by the end of the day.

For me, the most encouraging aspect of the session was the clear acknowledgement that consumers and carers are increasingly being recognised not simply as recipients of healthcare services, but as essential partners in their design, delivery, and evaluation.

In a conference of international stature, attended by delegates from thirteen countries and supported by leaders in digital health from around the world, that message was both powerful and timely.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Professor Anthony Smith, Centre Director, Centre for Online Health, The University of Queensland, together with Dr Jaimon Kelly, Senior Research Fellow, Medical School, The University of Queensland, for their invitation, encouragement and ongoing support.Their commitment to meaningful consumer involvement continues to create opportunities for lived experience to be heard, respected and valued.

It was both a privilege and an honour to contribute to this important international event and to help ensure that the voice of lived experience remained at the centre of the discussion.

As a stroke survivor, consumer advocate and representative of the Centre for Online Health, I left the conference encouraged by the progress that has been made and optimistic about the future of telehealth when consumers and carers are recognised not as observers of change, but as partners in creating it.

The experience reinforced my belief that some of the most important advances in healthcare occur when clinical expertise, research excellence, and lived experience come together in genuine partnership.

SFT-26 demonstrated that this partnership is not only possible but increasingly recognized as essential to the future of healthcare in Australia and beyond.

Brian A,Beh=Stroke Survivor.