ANZ news

A doctor in a virtual consultation with a patient
By  Adam Ang 06:42 pm November 10, 2024
New telehealth feature on MedAdvisor patient app Pharmacy-focused MedAdvisor has announced the launch of a new telehealth functionality on its mobile patient application. The telehealth feature allows patients to book virtual consultations with providers, receive e-prescriptions, and pre-order medications and receive purchase renewal reminders from preferred pharmacies.  Early this year, the ASX-...
Company officials shake hands to close a business deal
By  Adam Ang 02:35 am October 18, 2024
Presagen divests IVF AI line to Japanese manufacturer Adelaide-based Presagen has sold its line of AI solutions for in vitro fertilisation to Japanese assisted reproductive technology manufacturer, Astec. The Life Whisperer series assesses embryo and oocyte images. It features AI algorithms that determine an embryo's likelihood of leading to pregnancy and being genetically normal, evaluate its...
A person using a virtual reality lens
By  Adam Ang 06:09 am October 17, 2024
A project from the University of New South Wales could be the first in the world to deploy virtual reality tools to help address trauma in rural and regional indigenous communities. Based on a media statement, the project will work with Aboriginal communities in developing culturally informed tools that can be used to provide psychosocial support and address intergenerational trauma. VR tools...
Echo IQ's heart disease diagnosis support AI software
By  Adam Ang 08:48 pm October 8, 2024
ASX-listed Echo IQ has obtained regulatory approval in the United States for its AI-driven solution that supports structural heart disease diagnosis. WHAT IT'S ABOUT Two years since coming to the US, the company has now received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for EchoSolv AS, which is specifically indicated to support the diagnosis of severe aortic stenosis (a form of...
A young person using their smartphone
By  Adam Ang 04:01 am September 30, 2024
Despite growing up with technology and the internet, young people of New Zealand have expressed a strong preference for in-person help when it comes to their mental health.  Research led by the University of Otago, Wellington explored the views of people aged 15-30 on digital mental health supports.  FINDINGS  A survey was conducted online in 2022 and culled complete responses from 1,471...
Screenshot of Harrison.rad.1 interface
By  Adam Ang 08:44 pm September 22, 2024
Radiology genAI unveiled Harrison.ai has recently introduced a radiology-specific vision language model.  Called Harrison.rad.1, the dialogue-based model can perform open-ended chat related to X-ray images. It can detect and localise radiological findings and generate reports, all with an emphasis on clinical safety and accuracy.  Unlike existing generative AI models trained on general and open-...
A doctor on the phone with a patient while checking their medical record on a laptop computer
By  Adam Ang 06:47 pm September 17, 2024
After opening up its specialty database to researchers globally, the Australian not-for-profit organisation Crohn’s Colitis Cure is now working to reach more people by developing and implementing a mobile application for individuals dealing with inflammatory bowel disease.  Early this year, CCCure launched subscription-based access to its IBD database – said to be one of the largest in the world...
Photo of a baby's feet
By  Adam Ang 08:57 pm September 2, 2024
A federal government grant-backed trial in Queensland will be testing an intravenous treatment monitoring system on hospitalised babies.  The monitoring system involves attaching a near-infrared sensor to a baby's skin near the IV site to monitor continuously the surrounding tissues. It sets off alarms when it detects a volume change in those tissues.  WHY IT MATTERS In Australia, over 18,000...
A doctor using a practice management software
By  Adam Ang 10:09 pm August 15, 2024
Latest GP platform incorporates AI in care planning, documentation A new AI-driven practice management platform has been launched in Australia. The system called MediPortal automates tasks and offers smart suggestions for optimising a GP business. Based on a media release, it has features such as medical billing, an AI-powered care plan generator, and an AI scribe.  The software has been...
A doctor reviewing a patient record on a desktop computer
By  Adam Ang 09:25 pm August 13, 2024
The Royal Australian College of GPs, the peak body for general practices in Australia, has released guidance for practitioners looking to adopt AI scribes to support clinical documentation. An AI scribe captures audio speech from a clinical encounter to convert it into text that becomes part of a patient's health record.  WHAT IT'S ABOUT RACGP initially suggests developing a policy on...