Health
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TIM WOODRUFF. My Health Record: Major Concerns Continue Despite Backdown By Health Minister.
The Federal Government has finally realised that there are major problems with its implementation of the My Health Record. Continue reading »
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PETER DAY. No womb in the Inn.
Too often the issue of abortion is couched in terms of women’s rights only – “It’s my body. It’s my choice – back off!” Continue reading »
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RUTH ARMSTRONG and TRENT YARWOOD . Staying in or opting out: My Health Record goes viral for all the wrong reasons (Croakey, 17.07.18)
Ruth Armstrong writes: After years of relative obscurity and sluggish engagement, Australia’s attempt at transitioning the population to the use of individual digital health records via My Health Record was all anyone could talk about yesterday. Continue reading »
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ELIZABETH HLAVINKA. High Opioid-Use Counties Voted Trump in 2016 (Medpage Today 22/6/2018)
Opioids are symptom, symbol of ‘larger social and economic problems’. Counties with the highest rates of chronic prescription opioid use were far more likely to back Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election, a new study of Medicare claims data found. Continue reading »
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TERRY BARNES. Pharmacy power is a paper tiger (AFR 4/7/2018)
If something looks, walks and acts like a duck, it’s a duck. In the case of pharmacy giant Chemist Warehouse, however, it’s anything but. Continue reading »
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MICHAEL MULLINS. Treatment of the mentally ill as ‘the next civil rights issue’
Humour touching on mental health is a delicate undertaking that can either enhance or destroy the dignity of those living with mental illness. Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. Domestic violence is a greater threat than terrorism .
Last week in Sydney we saw the tragic death of two teenagers as a result of domestic violence. We know that over 12 months on average one woman is killed every week in Australia by a current or former partner. Yet national effort and resources are directed overwhelmingly to counter terrorism where in the last Continue reading »
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GREG AUSTIN: Counter-terrorism lessons for family murders
It is time to police family violence perpetrators as rigorously as we police terrorists. We can learn from the country’s successes in counter-terrorism work and perhaps apply some lessons to the family violence challenges. Continue reading »
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IAN WEBSTER. Government and the medicalisation of disabilities
Each year two thirds of applications for a Disability Support Pension are rejected; a rejection rate which has doubled in 8 years (Christopher Knaus, Guardian, 8 June 2018). Continue reading »
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TIM WOODRUFF. Health, Class Warfare, and Social Justice
Class warfare has been with us forever. It could be called a fight for social justice. Indeed, it would seem to be integral to the stepwise progress we have made over centuries as we have moved to a society which outlaws overt slavery, has a moderately progressive tax system, provides a wide range of public Continue reading »
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CHARLES LIVINGSTONE. The Melbourne casino, and irresponsible gambling
Allegations by whistleblowers about the way poker machines are operated at the casino in Melbourne have underlined how Victoria’s Casino Control Act allows pokies to operate in ways that encourage harmful gambling. Continue reading »
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DOUG TAYLOR. Kicking goals in the fight against drugs
The heroics of Cristiano Ronaldo at the World Cup puts Portugal on the world stage. But behind the bright lights of the soccer World Cup, Portugal is leading the world in another arena: its efforts to curb drug abuse. Continue reading »
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STEPHEN LEEDER. Reviewing the Book of Kells’ schedule of medical fees.
Government contributions to medical fees are set out in a large book of rules. It is under review. But are rules for individual fees for individual services the way to go? Fee-for-service may be running out of date. Continue reading »
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JOHN DWYER. Health care reform – Part 2.
Without acceptance of a ten year plan and the creation of an instrument to implement that plan we will not be able to engineer the evidence based structural reforms to our health care system that will improve quality, equity and cost effectiveness. Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. Coalition legacies.
There are six major issues that dominate public life today and require resolution. Those issues are –the dire consequences following the Iraq invasion, tax cuts during the mining boom that result in continuing budget deficits and debt increases, the threat of climate change and increased carbon pollution, the NBN debacle, hostility to refugees and asylum Continue reading »
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JENNIFER DOGGETT and LOUISA GORDON Out-of-pocket costs for healthcare are a problem for all Australians
Editor: Jennifer DoggettAuthor: Louisa Gordon (introduction by Jennifer Doggett)on: June 13, 2018In: Co-payments, health financing and costs, Healthcare and health reform Out-of-pocket health costs (OOPs) are a major challenge facing the Australian health system. Australians pay for a higher proportion of total health care in OOPs than do citizens of almost all OECD countries. In Continue reading »
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JOHN DWYER. Health care reform – Part 1.
Without acceptance of a ten year plan and the creation of an instrument to implement that plan, we will not be able to engineer the evidence-based structural reforms to our health care system that will improve quality, equity and cost effectiveness. Continue reading »
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JOHN DWYER. “Health Care Homes”, set up to fail and doing so spectacularly.
Touted by Minister Hunt as the biggest health care reform initiative since the introduction of Medicare, the “Health Care Home” model for the better management of patients with two or more chronic diseases is floundering, beset with predictable organisational and resource inadequacies. As is so often (too often) the case with health policy initiatives, a Continue reading »
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RUTH ARMSTRONG. Four Corners- Mind The Gap episode: a one dimensional look at a multifaceted problem.
A single tweet put Monday night’s Four Corners episode into perspective for me. I’d been trying to put my finger on what seemed out of kilter with the whole segment and there it was: the program had virtually ignored the bedrock of Australian health care, the public hospital system. Continue reading »
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JENNIFER DOGGETT. Health Budget Gaps.
Prevention, out-of-pocket costs, and oral health. Continue reading »
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MICHAEL PASCOE. Profit-rich private health insurers burning billions on non-health costs
Australian capitalism’s sheltered workshop, the private health insurance industry, is burning billions of dollars a year unrelated to Australians’ health. Continue reading »
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TIM WOODRUFF. A budget for inequality, worsening health outcomes and decreased productivity.
As a financially comfortable part-time medical specialist, I will be in the group receiving the highest tax cut immediately, whilst my daughters working full time at much lower income will receive about one third of that. It’s of even more concern that, in seven years’ time, the major beneficiaries of the government plan will be Continue reading »
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Profit trumping professionalism! All too often the case in Australian pharmacies
On May 3, Health Minister Greg Hunt spoke at a conference organised by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. This is the pharmacy owners association (all pharmacists) which in 2011, notoriously, entered into a deal with the vitamin and supplement provider, Blackmores, to have 5000 pharmacies try and sell a Blackmores’ product to clients picking up Continue reading »
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JOHN MENADUE. Are pharmacists professionals or shop keepers?
Pharmacists are the most under-utilised health professionals in the country. The Australian Pharmacy Guild is happy to keep it that way. Continue reading »
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MICHAEL THORN. Corporate power unchecked: Time to redress a dangerous imbalance
Are corporate interests too powerful? Are vested interests beyond democratic control? Are our political institutions even concerned to do so? Continue reading »
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PHILLIP BAKER, MARK LAWRENCE. Sweet power: the politics of sugar, sugary drinks and poor nutrition in Australia.
Unhealthy diets and poor nutrition are leading contributors to Australia’s burden of disease and burgeoning health-care costs. In 1980, just 10% of Australian adults were obese, today that figure is 28% – among the highest in the world. And yet, as shown on Monday night’s Four Corners’ episode – which was a stunning expose of Continue reading »
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JAMES FERNYHOUGH. Revealed: Australia’s richest professionals and the suburbs they live in.
If you’re a surgeon living in one of the opulent suburbs on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, then congratulations: you are a member of the highest paid group in Australia. This will come as no surprise for people who have experienced fee gouging by surgeons and anaeshetists Continue reading »
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ALEX WODAK. Why is the drug policy debate in Australia stuck?
Drug policy in Australia has been debated for decades but doesn’t seem to be getting close to resolution. However some progress is being made. Examples include the Victorian government’s decision in 2017 to establish a Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Melbourne and the ACT government’s in principle decision in 2017 to allow a trial of pill Continue reading »
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STEPHEN LEEDER. Home (not so) sweet home
Medical homes, where you as a patient are known personally by name and history and where a team of health professionals, generally led by a general practitioner, arrange and provide your care, have not taken off as expected. Why? Continue reading »
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PETER MARTIN. It’s time for sweetest tax of them all.
Never before has a tax been such an instant success. I am talking about what happened in Britain last Friday. That’s when new so-called sugar tax sprung into life, with much of its work already done. The whole idea was to cut the consumption of sugar, something we have just as much need to do Continue reading »