Articles
Ethics and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Patients
Discussion of health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia tends to focus on closing the gap in on the social and health disadvantages – the comparatively poor life expectancy and the disproportionately high burden of chronic illness such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases. [ + ]
Dr Mukesh Haikerwal Appointed Chairperson of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Eminent doctor and leader in the medical profession, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, will be the new Chairperson of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. [ + ]
Call for Evidence Regarding Health Effects of Water Fluoridation
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has called for submissions from the Australian public on evidence regarding the health effects of water fluoridation. [ + ]
Pharmacists Invited to Assist with Review of Competency Standards
The Pharmacy Practitioner Development Committee (PPDC) is commencing a review of the Australian pharmacy profession’s competency standards. [ + ]
Hepatitis Report Card Released for World Hepatitis Day
A Hepatitis Report Card released for World Hepatitis Day today shows 250,000 Australians with untreated hepatitis B or C are aged over 40 years and have reached the critical age-point where liver scarring accelerates and the risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure dramatically increases. [ + ]
Dr Len Notaras: Industry Q & A
Dr Len Notaras has recently been appointed the Chief Executive Officer for the Northern Territory Department of Health. His new position has overarching responsibility for the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (NCCTRC) of which he was recently Executive Director. [ + ]
Smart Phone Apps Could Improve Health Outcomes for Mothers and Babies
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have shown new media technologies such as smart phone apps may be an effective means of improving health outcomes for new mothers and their babies. [ + ]
Future For Family Doctors in Local Communities Depends on Attracting Students
The future for family doctors living in and serving local communities in sufficient numbers depends on the capacity to attract medical students to pursue general practice, and to be able provide quality training experiences within general practice, according to AMA President, A/Prof Brian Owler. [ + ]
RANZCOG Mourns Tragic Loss of a Colleague in MH17 Disaster
Fellows, members and staff of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) were extremely saddened to hear of the death of their friend and colleague, Liam Davison and his wife Frankie. [ + ]
GPs Encouraged to Address Psychosocial Needs of those Living with Diabetes
Australians living with diabetes are not getting the mental and emotional health support they need from the health care practitioners and are struggling in silence, according to a Diabetes NSW member survey. [ + ]
Study Shows Antibiotics are Overused in Aged Care Facilities
Antibiotics are being overused in residential aged care facilities (RACFs), and more integrated efforts to improve antibiotic prescribing practices need to be introduced, researchers say. [ + ]
Rural Placements can Improve Student's Attitudes to Country Practice
Short-term medical rural placements can transform metropolitan medical student attitudes towards medical careers in the bush, a University of Melbourne study has found. [ + ]
Standard 7: Blood and Blood Products
NSQHS Standard 7: Blood and Blood Products describes actions for ensuring safe and appropriate use of blood and blood products in health services. [ + ]
Standard 5 - Patient Identification and Procedure Matching
NSQHS Standard 5: Patient Identification and Procedure Matching describes the systems and processes which need to be in place to correctly identify individual patients, to transfer their care using the correct identification processes and to ensure they are accurately matched to their intended care. Although patient identification and procedure matching are routine processes, risks to patient safety can arise when there is a mismatch between a given patient and components of their care (i.e. diagnostic, therapeutic or supportive). Errors which involve the wrong patient or wrong procedure can result in death or major permanent loss of function.1,2 [ + ]