Procurement and supply chain managers in the health and aged care sectors are continuously searching for opportunities to deliver better outcomes for all their stakeholders – especially patients. [ + ]

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The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) was signed this week, with 12 countries including Australia agreeing to a trade deal which now needs to pass their relevant government processes for final approval. [ + ]

I’m sure I’m not the only one surprised by the announcement that half of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has gone to a researcher who spent her entire career researching traditional Chinese medicine. Based at the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing (now the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences) since 1965, scientist Youyou Tu, her colleagues, and home institution may well be just as stunned today as I am. [ + ]

You have almost certainly heard the news by now: Queensland cancer survivor Yvonne D’Arcy has won an extensive battle against US biotech company Myriad Genetics. The Australian High Court ruled that the BRCA1 genetic mutation patent could not be owned by Myriad or any other company, allowing breast cancer sufferers access to diagnostic tests without exorbitant fees from private companies. [ + ]

Why do some smokers avoid lung disease and some non-smokers develop it? Researchers in the UK have found the genetic link to cardio-pulmonary disorders (COPD) incuding bronchitis and emphysema which indicates the way lungs grow and respond to injury. [ + ]

New research presented at the 2015 European Cancer Congress has found that in a study of cancer patients in the Netherlands, a daily dose of aspirin can improve the life expectancy of those experiencing cancers of  the gastrointestinal tract. [ + ]

It’s a mantra repeated by health providers Australia-wide: breast is best. And while we’ve always known that there is something about mother’s breast milk that causes a baby to thrive, it has taken until 2015 to discover why that is. [ + ]

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Aged-care funding creates dependency and lowers well-being of residents [ + ]

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Currently in Australia, over 322,000 people suffer from dementia, with one in ten of Australians over the age of 65 affected by the condition. However, the Australian population is rapidly aging: the number of Australians aged 65 is expected to increase from 2.5 million in 2002 to 6.2 million in 2042, with only 2.5 people of working age supporting each person aged over 65 as opposed to 5 people in 2002. With this increase in the aging population, based on projections from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the number of people with dementia will reach almost 400,000 by 2020, and around 900,000 by 2050. According to Jon Kontopos, CEO of Dementia Caring, as the population in Australia ages, there will be an increasing pressure on the healthcare system to cater for those needing aged care, especially those who will be affected by conditions like dementia which require a high level of care. [ + ]

For the Spring 2015 issue of Australian Hospital and Healthcare Bulletin we have discovered an industry-wide leaning towards involving patients in their own care, from infection control, hospital design, meal planning and through the monitoring of their own health via smart technology and wearables. [ + ]