2024 was a massive year for the Theratrak team!
Read more below about our product updates, events we participated in, award nominations, research projects, and useful blogs we’ve shared.
Snapshots from the range of events, blogs, research and product updates from 2024.
Theratrak Product Innovation & Updates
Throughout 2024, the team has been working on some major updates to the Theratrak platform. Some of these bigger updates are coming in early 2025 - but we were so glad we’ve been able to push a bunch of new updates live.
+200 Pre-loaded Speech Pathology exercises
In May, we added over 200 pre-loaded Speech Pathology exercises to the Theratrak platform for any therapist to prescribe within home programs. Now any clinic who uses Theratrak can prescribe activities on a wide range of Speech Pathology activities including:
Early Language, Receptive Language, Expressive Language, Phonological Awareness and Speech Sounds, Stuttering, Higher Level Language Skills, High Level Literacy, Feeding Skills, and Social Communication.
Learn more about the Speech Pathology activities on Theratrak here.
Accessibility App Updates
In April, we made some major Theratrak platform product updates to improve accessibility features:
We upgraded our colour contrasts across both the therapist and participant apps ensuring better visibility for everyone! The colour contrast meets AAA WCAG standards which are widely accepted as the world-wide standards for digital accessibility.
We added dark mode options within the apps for users who need extra readability or who might have vision impairments.
We added a screen reader within the apps for extra support for both therapists and participants in case of visual impairment.
Engaging & Insightful Conferences & Events
2024 was packed with engaging events with our fellow allied health professionals.
American Occupational Therapy Association: AOTA INSPIRE Conference in Florida, USA
In March, Theratrak Founder Laura Simmons was invited back to the AOTA INSPIRE conference. In 2023, Laura won the Inventor Showcase and had the opportunity to return in 2024 to share Theratrak updates one year on from the win. Laura shared some of the research we’ve been working on, our app updates, (including optional therapist-participant asynchronous feedback, extra security, and more helpful training videos for therapists). Read more about the AOTA INSPIRE conference here.
Occupational Therapy Australia OT Exchange in Perth, WA
In the lead up to June, Theratrak Founder Laura Simmons supported the Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA) team to integrate more innovation within the OT Exchange program. There were almost 700 attendees in-person at the conference centre in Perth and another 100 attendees online - all passionate Occupational Therapists or allied health professionals who enjoyed sessions on the latest research, innovations and insights. The conference included almost 200 abstracts and ePosters, and over 75 exhibitions - including the Theratrak team! Laura also helped judge the Pitch It competition. Read more about the OTX here.
The night before the OTA Exchange kicked off, Theratrak hosted an Entrepreneurial Meetup with inspiring OTs, innovators, founders and supporters. We traded game-changing ideas with 30 forward-thinking health professionals, including:
Carly Treloar - Living Without Boundaries, Patrick Sikombe & Matthew Wong - LusioMATE, Clare Batkin - Your OT Tutor, Angie Contreras - Inclusive OT, Aidan Talijancich - Simplafy, Therese Sullivan - Optimal Therapy, Rebecca Scott - easilee and Jacintha Bell - LifeWorksOT.
It was really inspiring to be in another room with inspired people working to solve big problems. We exchanged ideas around how to bring more innovation into clinics, how to increase digital adoption in clinics, and how we can encourage everyone in clinics to be more ambitious with the impact we're making through therapy. We also opened up a Facebook Group for innovative and entrepreneurial OTs across Australia!
SARRAH Rural & Remote Conference in Mildura, VIC
In October, we travelled to Mildura to connect with rural and remote allied health professionals at the SARRAH Conference. We loved connecting with dedicated leaders from regional communities, listening to their challenges, and brainstorming with them new ways of providing more support for participants in remote areas. Theratrak Founder Laura Simmons presented twice at the conference discussing: Supporting Waitlists with Digital Home Practice Solutions, and Future-Proofing Therapy in Regional Communities. Read more of our insights from the conference here.
Ready-Set-Innovate in Sydney, NSW
In July, Theratrak Founder and OT, Laura Simmons, had the opportunity to engage in meaningful 1:1 conversations about how Theratrak can streamline workflows and make a bigger impact in therapy. These One Community events are a highlight for us because of their personal format, allowing us to deep dive into the real challenges and solutions that can transform the way therapy is delivered. It was fantastic to be featured alongside other assistive tech innovators like: Scanning Pens Australia, BD, Vegepod, MePACS, and Acorn StairLifts.
Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program celebration evening as 2023 alumni
As a 2023 alumni of the Australian Clinical Entrepreneur Program, Theratrak Founder Laura Simmons was invited to attend the celebration evening at Fishburners in Sydney. This celebration event was a great opportunity to celebrate the progress of the +100 clinicians pursuing entrepreneurship.
Snapshots from the range of events, blogs, research and product updates from 2024.
Theratrak’s Awards & Acknowledgements
Women’s Agenda Leadership 2024 Awards Nomination for Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year & Feature for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day
At this year’s Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards, Laura Simmons was a finalist for the Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year award - acknowledging Laura for her drive, ambition and dedication to sparking positive change across the allied health industry.
Later in the year in honour of Women’s Entrepreneurship Day on the 19th of November, Theratrak Founder Laura Simmons was recently featured in a Women’s Agenda article as the lucky last of 10 women in leadership to watch. Laura was acknowledged for her decade of experience helping kids thrive, and her passion for transforming therapy with Theratrak. We’re so proud to have Laura leading change in digital health, and we’re excited to keep celebrating her incredible journey.
Regional Finalist in the Sydney Business Awards for Excellence in Innovation
Theratrak was named as 2024 Regional Finalist in the Sydney Business Awards for Excellence in Innovation. Led by Business NSW in partnership with the City of Sydney, these awards acknowledge commitment to excellence, sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and leadership.
Australian Disability Service Awards - Finalist Assistive Technology Award
In November, Theratrak Founder Laura Simmons attended the 2024 Australian Disability Service Awards night by One Community. It was a privilege to be acknowledged as a Finalist for this year’s Assistive Technology Award sponsored by NGO Training Centre. A huge congrats to our fellow finalists creating groundbreaking solutions that transform lives around Australia, including:
Category winner Pavely (SA), fellow nominees Lusio Rehab (NSW), Virtetic (VIC), Virtual Reality Therapy Australia (SA)
Hacking Health Podcast Interview
Early in the year, Theratrak Founder Laura Simmons was interviewed on the Hacking Health podcast episode by Sarah Bartholomeusz. Laura’s shared lessons from working in paediatric occupational therapy and pioneering innovation across the allied health-tech sector. Learn how Theratrak is revolutionising healthcare with digital tools that streamlines workflows and enhances patient care, as well as improves clinician mental health and reduces burnout. Learn more about the Hacking Health episode here.
Research Projects & Partnerships
AT Still University Research Partnerships
In 2024, we expanded our research partnerships outside of Australia. We’re already conducting research with Western Sydney University and several allied health clinics in Australia. In April this year we announced our next ground-breaking research partnership with A.T. Still University (ATSU), a leader in healthcare sciences. This collaboration with ATSU is set to explore innovative approaches in occupational therapy, leveraging Theratrak's digital platform to enhance therapy outcomes and service delivery. We'll be undertaking two in-depth studies, including:
a 12-month longitudinal study at a pro bono clinic, and a capstone project on using digital tools in therapy.
Read more about the AT Still University research partnership here.
Blogs & Useful Insights for Allied Health
Theratrak Insightful Blog Posts
On the Theratrak blog, we shared a bunch of blogs to support allied health professionals to learn more about digital tools and home programs.
Dive into some of our most popular blogs below:
Acknowledging Hard Work in 2024 & Looking Ahead to 2025
Here’s what Theratrak Founder & CEO Laura Simmons said about the 2024 year:
“This year has been incredibly fun. We’ve met so many people around Australia and the world keen to support their participants with fun and engaging home programs to help them reach their independence goals. We’ve learnt so much, and I can’t wait to share what we are working on in the background.
I’m so thankful to the Theratrak team and all of the hard work they put in so that Theratrak can have the impact it’s having in the community.”
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