UPDATE: Dental Infection Control Breaches Exposes 10,000+ Patients to HIV and Hepatitis

A chain of Sydney dental practices has been found in breach of infection control practices including cleaning and sterilisation. The Gentle Dentist clinics in Campsie and Sussex Street in Sydney’s CBD; Surry Hills and Bondi Junction are listed with Aids Council of New South Wales (ACON) as a provider of  "HIV-friendly" bulk-billed dental work.

Focus on JulEYE and Top 5 Eye Conditions

As the aging population sets to increase and the number of people suffering from chronic disease escalates, the importance of early detection and diagnosis of eye conditions is of uttermost importance. This month we are using the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Opthalmologists (RANZCO) Eye Foundation's JulEYE as a month to advocate for eye health and the community of eye health professionals. We have invited Allanah Crameri and Vivan Law who are specialist Orthoptists with Orthoptics Australia to share the top 5 eye conditions people commonly suffer from and some handy tips on what to look out for.

Indigenous Eye Health On Track and Online

In a report published by the Medical Journal of Australia, support for Indigenous eye care is improving according to 42 recommendations made in a roadmap aiming to close the gap in health services. University of Melbourne researchers Dr Marian Abouzeid, Mitchell Anjou and Professor Hugh Taylor said that progress has been made to increase services, improve efficiencies and support better Indigenous patient engagement with the eye care system.

Detention Centre Medical Workers to be Jailed for Speaking Out

Today The Guardian Australia published a piece reporting on Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s new legislation and the gag order it, in effect, places on the terrible conditions medical staff are witness to in Australia’s detention centres. This legislation is the Border Force Act and comes into effect from tomorrow 1 July.

Antibiotic Resistance and Australia's New Superbug

At current UK government estimates, we could see up to 10 million deaths per year by 2050 from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, taking us back to the days when people died of simple infections.

Is 2015 Shaping Up to be Our Worst Flu Season?

This year’s flu season is being hyped to be the worst yet, according to numerous reports distributed throughout medical and public media.

Melanoma Immunotherapy gains PBS Support

Melanoma drug Keytruda (pembrolizumab) will be available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits scheme from September this year, according to an announcement from the Commonwealth Government over the weekend.

Egg-Freezing Not the Answer for Young Women's Fertility Insurance

Women have been encouraged to freeze their eggs (or cryptopreservation) for a variety of reasons for some time now: as a pre-cursor to fertility-ending treatments, for assistance during long and drawn out fertility treatments, and even for social reasons centred around family planning.

Towards Self-Care in Healthcare

Pharmacies across Australia have been working on the Health Destination Pharmacy model, an initiative the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia says promoted a ‘stronger focus on patient self-care, increased delivery of evidence-based professional services (particularly focusing on assisting patients with minor ailments), leading to greater patient loyalty and increased sales.’

A Man Walks Into a Bar … and Picks up a Superbug

The NPS MedicineWise short film competition #SaveTheScript run in conjunction with Tropfest was held in Sydney last night, with the winners announced. Participants were briefed to make a 45-second film about the threat of antibiotic resistance, and the winning film by OneWay Pictures entitled The Pick Up is an amusing and sexy take on a serious situation.

A Patient Perspective of Diagnostic Imaging: Challenges for Patients

Indexation and the Patient Gap The freeze on diagnostic imaging Medicare rebates has had a significant impact on the affordability of diagnostic imaging for patients. Currently in its 17th year, the freeze on indexation has resulted in the real value of diagnostic imaging Medicare rebates falling, in some cases, by almost 50 per cent. This has resulted in patients paying consistently higher gaps each year, making diagnostic imaging service costs increasingly prohibitive.  Figure 4 reveals the rise in patient gaps for each modality, with the average patient gap rising by over 50% in the last six years.

Hospital Spending in Australia

Recurrent hospital expenditure in Australia for public and private hospitals combined topped $55 billion in 2013–14, according to a report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

A Patient Perspective of Diagnostic Imaging: The Right to Access

Diagnostic imaging has changed the face of medicine in the field of diagnosis and treatment. What began with the humble X-Ray has expanded to include modalities such as Ultrasound, Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and most recently nuclear medicine examinations such as the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan. Millions of Australian patients access diagnostic imaging services each year for a whole myriad conditions, ranging from a broken bone to cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring. It is therefore no surprise that diagnostic imaging is at the forefront of early diagnosis and early treatment of many conditions which if left undetected would not be treatable.

Medical Community Tackles Domestic Violence

Emergency departments personnel, general practitioners and community nurses are often the first to see signs of abuse, and so the Australian medical profession is committing its resources to addressing domestic violence in the community.

Understanding Restrictions on Access to Medicare-Funded Diagnostic Imaging