AUDIENCED

Digital tools help hospitals reduce missed appointments

Nicole Nixon, CEO of Five Faces, says the Brisbane-based digital experience and software platform company is helping hospitals make outpatient and perioperative patient journeys easier for both patients and clinicians.

In an interview with the Australian Health Journal filmed at Australasian Institute of Digital Health (AIDH) recent HIC26 conference in Sydney, Nixon explains how Five Faces’ digital front door platform supports patients from the moment an appointment is created, providing information about appointments, preparation, hospital facilities and wayfinding. Patients can also complete digital forms and receive timely notifications, reminders and resources designed to reduce missed or cancelled appointments.

Influence of gut microbes and inflammation on brain function and behaviour in autism

Third-year PhD candidate Angela Jimenez is part of the Gut-Brain Axis Laboratory at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Angela holds a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience (Honours) from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and her doctoral research is currently supported by the RMIT–Mexico International Scholarship program.

LIVED EXPERIENCE: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Lachlan Thorpe has shared his experience of living with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), highlighting the profound impact the condition had on his life and the difference medical technology has made to his recovery.

In an interview with the Australian Health Journal, Thorpe explained that his CRPS developed following an ankle injury sustained while playing rugby for Sydney University Rugby Club in late 2024. After undergoing surgery and rehabilitation for the injury, he began experiencing severe pain, swelling and sensitivity despite there being no further orthopaedic damage.

Cost of living relief for students training in national skills shortage fields

The Australian Government is expanding the Commonwealth Prac Payment to eligible students in 10 additional frontline allied health disciplines, providing financial support during mandatory university placements.

From 1 July 2027, eligible students studying audiology, pharmacy, radiography, clinical psychology, physiotherapy, rehabilitation therapies, occupational therapy, podiatry, speech pathology and paramedicine will be able to access the payment.

Gerontological physiotherapy in falls prevention and prehabilitation

Dr Rik Dawson is a gerontological physiotherapist and health leader dedicated to improving healthy ageing through evidence-based physiotherapy, digital health and health system reform. As a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney, and President of the Australian Physiotherapy Association, he combines research and policy to improve access to high quality care for older people.

Greater flexibility in medicine safety programs delivered by pharmacists

Addressing delegates at PSA26, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia’s (PSA) yearly conference, the Minister for Health and Ageing, the Hon. Mark Butler MP, announced negotiations are progressing on the First Pharmacy Programs Agreement (1PPA), and that from 1 November, follow-up services for Home Medicines Reviews (HMRs) and Residential Medication Management Reviews (RMMRs) programs will be able to be delivered via telehealth.

Reframing women’s health as a system-wide agenda across innovation, regulation, workforce and policy

The Hologic Global Women’s Health Index is one of the largest global reports dedicated exclusively to women’s health and wellbeing. Now in its fifth year, the Index tracks women’s health across five dimensions , Preventive Care, Emotional Health, Opinions of Health and Safety, Basic Needs and Individual Health – across 144 countries and territories, covering 97 per cent of the global adult population.

Global Women’s Health report identifies concerning drop in Australian breast cancer screening

The Hologic Global Women’s Health Index is one of the largest global reports dedicated exclusively to women’s health and wellbeing. Now in its fifth year, the Index tracks women’s health across five dimensions , Preventive Care, Emotional Health, Opinions of Health and Safety, Basic Needs and Individual Health – across 144 countries and territories, covering 97 per cent of the global adult population.

Launch of Paediatric Eye Care Training

Drawing on almost two decades of experience in paediatric ophthalmology, alongside her research into childhood myopia, Dr Loren Rose explained that the program reflects both her clinical expertise and her long-standing passion for education. She said the rapid advances in myopia management have created a need for practical, accessible learning resources that busy clinicians can easily incorporate into practice.

Applying artificial intelligence to medical imaging for cardiovascular disease detection

Parmida is a software engineer and biomedical scientist whose research focuses on translating novel medical imaging technologies into clinical practice to improve the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease.

Her current work applies advanced deep learning techniques to retinal polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) imaging, aiming to generate clinically meaningful biomarkers and predictions of cardiovascular disease. Parmida’s collaboration partners include Fiona Stanley Hospital in Murdoch, Western Australia.

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