Already a trailblazer in the US wellness industry, Next Health Australia is set to expand its footprint with 20 new sites over the next six years. This expansion is underpinned by a master franchise agreement, entrusted to an Australian team led by Dr. Kelly Francis in the role of Chief Medical Officer. Margie Baldock, CEO of Next Health Australia and a seasoned biohacker of 20 years, alongside Graham Staerk, a professional with four decades of experience in political campaigning, corporate lobbying, and public relations, will spearhead public relations and marketing.

Their collective expertise spans the medical, property, marketing, and government relations sectors. The inaugural Next Health centre is on track to open in 2024, promising to revolutionise the Australian wellness industry.

Scott Svilich, COO of Next Health and an expert in franchise development, is guiding this expansion. He shared his excitement about the venture: “I’m thrilled that we’ve found the ideal operating partners who also share our core values and mission to bring Next Health to Australia. With their dedication and aligned mission, I’m confident that our collaboration will be a great success. We look forward to introducing Next Health’s pioneering longevity services to 20 key Australian markets.”

Next Health’s rise in popularity in the longevity field is in part due to its cutting-edge facilities, which offer a fresh take on traditional healthcare environments. These spaces are designed to be universally appealing, merging wellness with modern aesthetics. Clients benefit from a data-driven approach to health and access to a range of advanced medical services. Next Health’s model is unique, based on membership and a proprietary customer journey, leading to strong economic performance per unit.

In light of the Australian expansion, Next Health Founders, Dr. Darshan Shah (CEO) and Kevin Peake (President), expressed their enthusiasm: “People globally are placing an unprecedented emphasis on their overall health well-being. Our Australian partners recognise this burgeoning demand for diagnostic and preventative health solutions, and we’re thrilled to introduce our best-in-class approach and technologies to Australia, marking a new era in wellness and longevity. Witnessing the life-changing results in the United States has been immensely rewarding. We’re dedicated to helping individuals achieve their optimal health and well-being, and we’re confident that our expansion into Australia will bring about remarkable changes in the lives of many.”

The impact of Next Health is evident, with endorsements from notable figures like Orlando Bloom, a long-term client, who has recently invested in the company. This investment highlights the transformative effect Next Health has on its clients and its growing prominence.

The first Next Health Australia location is expected to open its doors in 2024, with potential sites including prime retail areas in the Gold Coast and Sydney.

How age impacts fertility

There is no denying the fact that as we grow old, our bodies lose a lot of their regenerative capabilities. One of them is that of reproduction. Women are born with a finite number of eggs in their ovarian follicles, often referred to as the ‘ovarian reserve’. From the age of 30, this egg count starts to decline. Additionally, the quality of the egg also declines which can result in complications during pregnancy.

Similarly, for men as they grow older, sperm count, motility, and sperm quality declines (albeit slower), adding another potential barrier to conception. These changes can all make conception a bit trickier.

Do health issues also impact fertility?

It’s normal to assume that when the time is right, and you are ready to start a family, you’ll get pregnant without any issues. But the truth is that this isn’t always the case. Many women aren’t aware that certain health conditions can impact fertility. If you are someone who has ongoing health issues such as endometriosis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), any chronic or genetic health condition(s), it is possible that your fertility could be impacted.

Studies have shown that women with health conditions such as endometriosis may face an infertility diagnosis. Endometriosis is a condition where endometrial tissue (the lining of the uterus) grows outside of the uterus, causing adhesions and scarring. The cells from the uterine lining can grow around the fallopian tubes and ovaries – even other organs. This condition can also cause inflammation, which impacts gamete production and ovulation. Moreover, it can also prevent transport of the egg through the fallopian tubes and may even result in implantation failure, which reduces your chances of conception significantly.

When consulting with a fertility doctor, it is important to share your full medical history so they can plan your fertility journey accordingly and suggest the best treatment options for you.

Lifestyle factors affecting fertility

If you thought your fertility levels were only dependent on age and health, think again. Another important factor during any pregnancy journey is the lifestyle an individual or couple is leading.

In this day and age, it is almost impossible to live a life without stress. Whether it’s from your professional life or personal life, any sort of stress can increase your cortisol levels which can in turn impact your reproductive system. Studies have shown that stress negatively impacts the health and quality of both egg and sperm.

For many people, the easiest way to deal with stress is smoking or alcohol. If you are someone who belongs to this group, you may be surprised to know that this is even more harmful for your body. Practising techniques such as meditation, mindfulness, journalling or a walk jog in the park, can help you reduce stress and clear your mind while providing additional benefits for your overall wellbeing.

Couple this with a balanced diet which is rich in nutrients such as zinc, folate and proteins to really support your fertility.

Your fertility levels can improve

If you are facing trouble getting pregnant, fret not, because your fertility can improve with the right guidance. Your fertility specialist may suggest additional testing to diagnose any problems. Most fertility doctors will recommend a fertility test for women called the Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) test. This is a great place to start as it gives an idea of your ovarian reserve (how many eggs you have). They may also suggest an aqua scan and/or transvaginal ultrasound scan. These can assist your fertility doctor in ruling out underlying conditions that may be preventing you from conceiving.

If you’re concerned about your fertility at all, accepting that you may need help can feel overwhelming and disheartening, but it’s an important first step to your dreams becoming a reality.

Data Security in Dental Data Warehousing

1. Encryption:

One of the fundamental measures to ensure data security is encryption. All data at rest and in transit should be encrypted. It means that data stored in the data warehouse and when transmitted between systems should be protected with strong encryption protocols. Encryption helps prevent unauthorized access and protects patient information from breaches.

2. Access Control:

Dental data warehouses should implement robust access control measures. Access should be restricted to authorized personnel only, and role-based access control should be in place. It ensures that employees can only access the data necessary for their specific roles, minimizing the risk of data leaks and unauthorized access.

3. Data Backups:

Regular data backups are essential for data security. Dental practices should implement automated and frequent backup processes to ensure data availability in case of data loss or a security incident. These backups should also be securely stored and encrypted.

4. Intrusion Detection and Prevention:

Deploying intrusion detection and prevention systems can help identify and thwart potential security threats. These systems monitor network traffic, alerting administrators to any suspicious activities and taking preventive actions when necessary.

5. Employee Training:

Dental practices must educate their staff about data security best practices. Human error is one of the leading causes of data breaches. Training programs can help employees recognize phishing attempts, avoid sharing sensitive information, and follow security protocols.

6. Regular Security Audits:

Conducting regular security audits and vulnerability assessments is critical to identify weaknesses in the data warehousing system. These audits should be performed by qualified professionals to ensure that the data warehousing infrastructure remains secure and compliant.

Compliance in Dental Data Warehousing

Data Retention Policies:

Dental practices must establish and follow data retention policies in accordance with regulatory requirements. These policies dictate how long patient records should be retained and when they can be securely destroyed. Adhering to these policies helps maintain compliance and minimize legal risks.

Consent Management:

Obtaining patient consent is a critical component of data compliance. Dental practices should have a systematic approach to obtaining and managing patient consent for data use and sharing. Transparent communication with patients about how their data will be used is essential.

Audit Trails:

Maintaining comprehensive audit trails is essential for compliance. This includes tracking who accessed patient data, when, and for what purpose. It helps in demonstrating compliance with regulations and ensures transparency in data handling.

Data Breach Response Plan:

A well-defined data breach response plan is necessary in case of a security incident. Dental practices must be prepared to report breaches, notify affected individuals, and work to remediate any damage promptly. This is a regulatory requirement and demonstrates a commitment to data security.

Conclusion

Ensuring data security and compliance in dental data warehousing is of paramount importance. Dental practices are responsible for protecting patient information and complying with healthcare regulations. By implementing robust security measures, adhering to HIPAA and other relevant regulations, and having comprehensive data management policies in place, dental data warehousing can offer a secure and compliant environment for patient data, building trust and ensuring the best possible patient care. Dental professionals should continuously evaluate and enhance their data security and compliance strategies to stay ahead of evolving threats and regulations in the healthcare industry

AI’s role in diagnostic imaging and the use of real-world data is crucial for enhancing patient care and transforming healthcare systems globally. Smart Reporting offers necessary solutions for this transformation, including a voice-enabled synoptic reporting solution that allows for automation and actionable data collection. This vendor-neutral offering is applicable across various clinical areas, integrating outputs from AI for automated workflows and extracting relevant information from major manufacturers’ systems.

Smart Reporting’s software, available in nine languages, is used by over 16,000 clinicians worldwide, offering time efficiency through AI and automated workflow integration.

The collaboration with 3M HIS strengthens Smart Reporting’s presence in English-speaking countries, especially in North America, Australia, and the UK. 3M Fluency for Imaging, a leader in radiology reporting and workflow management, is ranked #1 Best in KLAS for Front-End Speech Recognition Imaging for multiple years.

Professor Wieland Sommer, founder and Co-CEO of Smart Reporting, expressed his enthusiasm: “We are very excited about this deeper collaboration between our two companies. 3M Fluency for Imaging complements our portfolio and enables us to better serve U.S. and international clients and patients.”

Peter Vanovertveld, Co-CEO of Smart Reporting, added, “Our both solutions span the entire clinical documentation lifecycle, which means the drive to quality without compromising efficiency is central to all our services. Together we are forming a basis for successful worldwide distribution – for the benefit of our clients and patients.”

Michael Ristau, 3M HIS Vice President Global Marketing and International Growth Officer, highlighted the partnership’s aim: “We are focused on bringing greater efficiency and innovation into the reporting workflow and this collaboration increases the number of radiologists who can benefit from our leading-edge solutions worldwide.”

Radiologists often struggle with inconsistent and incomplete manual reports and unstructured, non-machine-readable data that hampers proactive treatment planning. The integration with Amazon Bedrock enables SmartReports to offer:

• A significant reduction in the number of words needed to create reports through automatic impression suggestion.
• Improved research and organisational efficiency with structured, machine-readable findings, enhancing data quality for clinical decision-making by 60% and increasing report accuracy and detail by 150%. [1, 2] According to previous studies, structured reporting in pathology can reduce patient mortality by 4.3% [3]. These new features will be integrated into Smart Reporting’s portfolio, and from 2024, US customers can update their SmartReports to access AI-assisted functionalities.

Prof. Wieland Sommer, founder and CEO of Smart Reporting, stated: “We are always looking for ways to make radiology reporting faster and more efficient. We have been open to technology and vendors and are working agnostically to broadly integrate LLMs into our software. By building on Amazon Bedrock, we are able to leverage their state-of-the-art AI technology to enhance our radiology reporting solution. With automated impression suggestion, we will provide our customers with faster, better, and smarter reports that ultimately benefit patients.”

Dr. Razvan Ionasec from Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL added, “Healthcare professionals can benefit from seamless and efficient AI-enhanced reporting experience, spend less time on documentation and focus more on delivery of person-centered healthcare with improved outcomes.” Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Dominik Nörenberg remarked, “Integrating cutting-edge AI into our reporting paradigm has been nothing short of revolutionary.”

Visitors to RSNA in Chicago will be able to see demonstrations of this LLM-powered automated impression suggestion at both the Smart Reporting and AWS booths.

The IAIP demonstration will cover realistic clinical situations in both emergency and long-term care, featuring 20 vendors and 28 innovative products. Attendees will be guided through the radiology workflow to observe AI tools, health IT standards, and reporting solutions at work.

Key stages in the radiology workflow, where AI can be effectively utilised to support radiologists, boost efficiency, and improve care quality, will be emphasised. These stages encompass radiologist scheduling, imaging examination ordering, acquisition protocoling, image interpretation with AI clinical decision support at the point of care, synoptic reporting, and EHR integration.

“As a leader in HealthTech, we are excited to join the IAIP demonstration at RSNA 2023. This collaborative effort underscores our commitment to advancing the field of radiology through the integration of cutting-edge AI solutions. We believe that by leveraging AI technology within the radiology workflow, we can empower healthcare professionals to provide faster input, achieve better output, and ultimately deliver smarter care to patients”, says Philipp Matthies, Head of Research & Innovation at Smart Reporting.

Smart Reporting’s contribution, SmartReports, will be a vital part of a live demonstration that includes the entire radiology workflow, featuring tools such as Worklist, PACS, AI Orchestrator solutions, an AI findings viewer from Fovia, and AI solutions from Siemens Healthineers and Qure AI. After AI findings are reviewed by users, coded findings crucial to reporting will be automatically transmitted to SmartReports using HL7 FHIR. In SmartReports, the synoptic reports will be pre-populated, altered, finalised, and sent to downstream systems for broader access.

IAIP is a joint effort involving industry partners, radiologists, and imaging informaticists, facilitated by standards like DICOM, HL7 FHIR, the IHE framework, CDE reporting, among others.

Everyone is encouraged to visit the Smart Reporting team at RSNA 2023 (South Hall Level 3, Booth 4953) to explore SmartReports and experience the future of radiology.