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

Wellness at Work: Time to be Selfish

Just because you are looking after the wellbeing of patients and their families doesn’t mean you can ignore your own health. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can ignore your patient mid-seizure to have a coffee break but it does mean taking the time to prioritise your own wellbeing in order to bring your best to everything you do. We have recruited the help of a careers coach Christopher Paterson from ALCHEMY Career Management to pass on some advice for finding and retaining wellness in everything you do.

More is not always better

Managing Anxiety: Smartphone Apps

Anxiety has a tendency to take over our thoughts when we most need to be focusing on other things. Whether it's giving a patient or their family our full attention, performing our tasks or enjoying time with family and friends, worry and stress has a way of making life so much more difficult than it needs to be.

The Conversation: Three Ethical Ways to Increase Organ Donation in Australia

Australia’s organ donation levels are low by international standards. At least twenty countries achieve better donation rates than Australia’s 16.1 donors per million population (DPMP), including Belgium (29.9 DPMP), the United States (25.9), France (25.5) and the United Kingdom (20.8).

Suicide Prevention Training for Emergency Department Staff

Queensland Emergency Department staff in public hospitals will be receiving patient suicide prevention training as part of a new tailored package rolling out over the next 12 months. It will provide welcomed improvements on the current training which requires full or half-day attendance and is generally targeted at mental health professionals.

Department of Health Slashes Prices of PBS Generics

Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley last night announced agreements with the Generic Medicines industry Association (GMiA) and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia which will reduce the price of generic medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) and lead to a greater involvement in public health service consultations on the part of pharmacists.

Medicines Australia appoints Abbott Press Secretary

Medicines Australia, the pharmaceutical industry representative body primarily responsible for the drugs listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) has announced two key appointments today, both of whom hail from an Abbott government background.

What the 2015 Budget Holds for Australian Health

Yesterday’s 2015-16 Federal Budget announcement held a lot of news for the medical sector. While we will be exploring each of the sections in further details over the next few days, here is a summary of the key points from the Government’s proposal to reduce national debt and stimulate the economy.

Tropfest Competition Focusing on Antibiotic Resistance

Calling all filmmakers: This year’s Tropfest has teamed up with the NPS MedicineWise to run a community service announcement film competition educating the public on the issue of antibiotic resistance. The winners will share a prize pool of $10,000 in cash.

NPS Choosing Wisely: A Case Study

The NPS MedicineWise Choosing Wisely campaign was unveiled this week and while we will be covering it in our upcoming print edition, we have obtained an op-ed discussing the reasoning behind the initiative.

Viral Video Encourages Testicular Cancer Checks

An X-rated video campaign encouraging men to check for testicular campaign has been viewed over half a million times, in a cheeky Game of Thrones parody entitled Game of Balls. It was produced by Australian charity Blue Ball Foundation.