How AI is helping improve heart health in rural Australia

How AI is helping improve heart health in rural Australia

Australia is home to one of the world’s best healthcare systems, but where you live within the country is still a primary predictor of your health outcomes. In fact, people living in remote Australian communities are 60% more likely to die from heart disease than those living in metropolitan areas. 1

That’s why we’re partnering with some of Australia's top health organizations on a new program. By combining Google’s AI with on-the-ground community care, we’re helping change how support is delivered to the people who need it most.

A partnership for preventative and proactive care

We’re proud to launch this initiative — a first for the Asia-Pacific region — alongside Wesfarmers Health and its SISU Health business, the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute and not-for-profit private health insurer Latrobe Health Services.

Supported by a $1 million AUD investment from Google Australia’s Digital Future Initiative (DFI), this collaboration uses Google for Health’s Population Health AI (PHAI). Currently a proof-of-concept available to select partners, PHAI acts as an advanced analytics engine that helps identify hidden health risks within communities. The goal is to equip our partners with insights that could help them shift from treating problems to proactively managing chronic condition risks.

Seeing the full picture with AI

Health is influenced by more than just doctor visits; it’s shaped by our environment, proximity to care, access to fresh food, the air we breathe, etc. To capture this complexity, PHAI uses Google Earth AI's Population Dynamics Foundation Models (PDFM), alongside other key Google Maps Platform datasets like air quality, pollen and places insights that help connect the dots.

By analyzing diverse, de-identified and aggregated datasets — ranging from clinical records to geographic factors — the model uncovers hidden patterns at a community level while safeguarding individual privacy. This allows health organizations to move beyond a "one-size-fits-all" approach, tailoring interventions to the specific needs of a postcode or town.

Modeled using aggregated and publicly available data

Bringing screenings to where they’re needed most

This technology will lead to real-world action. Supported by the DFI, SISU Health plans to conduct over 50,000 new health screenings in remote areas.

SISU Health will also use PHAI to analyze trends across its unique dataset of de-identified and consented records. Combining this data with the new screenings — all with user consent — will help us better understand local health challenges and propose tailored interventions.

A future without barriers

Our goal is simple: to promote health wherever people live. By combining Google’s AI capabilities with the deep clinical expertise of our partners, we’re working toward a future where every Australian has access to the personalized care they deserve.