Bell P1
1CDU
Biography:
Paul Bell is the Discipline Lead for the Post Graduate Aeromedical Retrieval postgraduate courses at the Charles Darwin University School of Medicine and an experienced Flight Nurse and Midwife with the Royal Flying Doctor Service SA/NT. His career spans critical care, midwifery, hyperbaric nursing, psychiatric nursing, and remote practice, including service as a Single Nurse Practitioner in the Kimberley and Torres Strait. Paul has held senior clinical, training, and governance roles across the Australian Army, including deployments to Afghanistan’s Role 3 Trauma Centre. His current focus is on safe AI in health and strengthening aeromedical retrieval systems across remote Australia.
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming clinical practice, operational coordination, and system governance across Australian healthcare, with particularly significant implications for aeromedical and remote retrieval services. The new AI in Healthcare Unit, offered by CDU, is designed to equip clinicians, managers, and system leaders with the knowledge and critical capabilities required to safely and effectively integrate AI technologies into high‑acuity, resource‑limited, and culturally diverse environments.
The course provides a structured exploration of AI architecture, data flows, and model development, enabling learners to understand how AI systems generate predictions, support decision‑making, and influence patient outcomes. Participants examine the distinctions between human, augmented, and machine learning, alongside the emerging roles of large language models and generative AI in documentation, triage, predictive analytics, and communication. A strong emphasis is placed on ethical, legal, and governance considerations, including transparency, explainability, bias, cultural safety, and equitable model performance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and remote populations. Real‑world case studies from aeromedical retrieval, telehealth, and emergency care illustrate both the opportunities and risks of AI‑enabled practice. By the time they complete the course, learners are equipped to critically assess AI tools, identify safe and appropriate use cases, and contribute to responsible, future‑focused innovation across the aeromedical continuum.