Article Types
Perspectives
Enhancing hepatitis C treatment in the custodial setting: a national roadmap
Even in settings with well developed infrastructure, few potentially eligible prisoners get hepatitis C treatment
Michael M Mina MB ChB(Hons), MRCP, MIPH(Hons) · Paul J Clark MB BS(Hons), PhD, FRACP · Holly M Beasley BSc, PostGradDip (IntHealth) · Lilie Herawati MD, MPH · Tony G Butler MSc, PhD · Andrew R Lloyd MB BS, MD, FRACP
China and the organ trade
The organ transplant community are urged to pressure China into banning the harvesting of organs from executed prisoners
Jeremy R Chapman MD, FRACP, FRCP
Suicide and self-harm prevention for people in immigration detention
What we do for asylum seekers while they are in detention has the potential to prevent future loss of life
Nicholas G Procter PhD, MBA, RN · Diego De Leo AO, DSc, PhD · Louise Newman AM, MB BS(Hons), PhD, FRANZCP
Women Deliver 2013: taking a gender lens to the new global health and development agenda
Investment in women is central to future global development
Catherine R Bateman-Steel MB ChB, BSc, MSc
How should we interpret hospital infection statistics?
Infection control data as presented on the MyHospitals website should not be used to rank hospitalsUpdated indicators of safety and quality for the 2011–12 financial year were released earlier this year by the National Health Performance Authority (NHPA) on the MyHospitals website (http://www.myhospitals.gov.au). These detail the reports received by the NHPA on a single outcome measure, Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB), and a process measure, compliance with ...
Allen C Cheng FRACP, MPH, PhD · Emily Woolnough MB BS · Leon J Worth MB BS, FRACP, PhD · David V Pilcher MB BS, FRACP, FCICM
Reports indicate that changes are needed to close the gap for Indigenous health
Major changes in health services are needed to redress health disparitiesTwo recently released reports from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) make it clear that there must be major changes in the way health services for Indigenous Australians are delivered and funded if we are to improve Indigenous health and health care and ensure real returns on the substantial investments that are being ...
Lesley M Russell BSc(Hons), BA, PhD
The utility of genetics in inherited cancer
Cancer genetic services can provide optimised risk management for patients and their families.
Ingrid M Winship MB ChB, MD, FRACP · Kathy Tucker MB BS, FRACP
The Angelina Jolie effect
Angelina Jolie’s announcement of her preventive double mastectomy has contributed to increased demand for genetic testing, with rapid growth in referrals to familial cancer centres of people concerned about their personal and family history of breast and ovarian cancer.
Paul A James MB ChB, DPhil, FRACP · Gillian Mitchell MB BS, PhD, FRACP · Michael Bogwitz BSc, PhD, FHGSA · Geoffrey J Lindeman MB BS(Hons), FRACP, PhD
Vitamin D and tuberculosis: hope or hype?
Many questions remain unanswered about accurate vitamin D testing and interpretation, the benefits of supplementation, and potential harms of oversupplementation.
Anna P Ralph MPH, FRACP, PhD · Robyn M Lucas MB ChB, PhD, FAFPHM
Pathways to enhancing the quality of stroke care through national data monitoring systems for hospitals
Harmonising national data collection processes and establishing reliable linkage of data from different repositories has the potential to improve efficiency in monitoring the quality of stroke care.
Dominique A Cadilhac PhD, MPH, BN · Karen M Moss BBSc(Hons) · Christopher J Price BSc, BSW · Natasha A Lannin PhD, BSc(OT), GradDip · Joyce Y K Lim RN, GradDipComHlth, MNurs · Craig S Anderson BMedSci, MB BS, PhD
Building Queensland's human capital: the case for health advocacy
In light of recent cuts to public health expenditure, we need effective evidence-based government health policy and legislative reform. This can only be achieved with input from non-government actors.
Claire E Brolan MA, LLB(Hons), BA · Jo Durham PhD
The Papua New Guinea cholera outbreak: implications for PNG, Australia and the Torres Strait
The PNG cholera crisis highlights the need for more investment in infrastructure, particularly in the area of water, sanitation and hygiene, and more locally appropriate and responsive health systems in PNG.
John J Hall MB BS, MTH, FAFPHM · James A Gillespie BA(Hons), PhD · Alexander Rosewell BSc, MIPH, MAE · Pilly Mapira MB BS, MSc
Assessment of medical students’ learning outcomes in Australia: current practice, future possibilities
Several projects already underway may lead to national standards in competencies for medical students, but more work remains to be done before any model of nationwide, collaborative assessment is acceptable to most medical schools.
David Wilkinson MB ChB, DSc · Benedict J Canny BMedSc(Hons), MB BS, PhD · Jacob V Pearce BA(Hons), BSc · Hamish B Coates BA(Hons), PhD · Daniel J Edwards BA(Hons), PhD
Family matters: infants, toddlers and preschoolers of parents affected by mental illness
Early interventions targeting adverse influences on young children and their parents can improve children’s outcomesOne in five young people in Australia, including infants, toddlers and preschoolers, lives in a family with a parent with a mental illness.1 Families affected by mental illness are more likely than other families to experience poverty and social isolation,2 and ...
Nicholas M Kowalenko BM BS, FRANZCP, CertAdvTrngChild AdolescPsychiatry · Sarah P Mares BM BS, FRANZCP, CertChildPsychol · Louise K Newman MB BS(Hons), PhD, FRANZCP · Anne E Sved Williams MB BS, FRANZCP, DipPsychother · Rosalind M Powrie BM BS, FRANZCP, AccredChildAdolesc Psychiatrist · Karin T M van Doesum PhD
Preventive interventions for children of parents with depression: international perspectives
Systematic national programs are effectively helping children break the cycle of depression and other mental health problems in familiesDepression is a public health problem of major proportions. In Australia, the prevalence rate for depression is over 15% in adults, and similar rates of illness have been reported around the world.1,2 Based on an analysis of ...
William R Beardslee MD · Tytti S Solantaus MD · Bradley S Morgan BCH, AppSci(OT), MHID · Tracy R Gladstone PhD · Nicholas M Kowalenko FRANZCP
International medical migration: what is the future for Australia?
Despite goals for self-sufficiency, migration seems certain to remain an imperative for Australia for the foreseeable futureAustralia has developed extraordinary reliance on international medical graduates (IMGs) compared with other OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries. Based on analysis of an unprecedented range of secondary data, I aim to define the recent scale and sources of medical migration, IMGs’ immigration categories, their distribution, their ...
Lesleyanne Hawthorne PhD, MA, BA(Hons)
The future of Australian medical education: a focus on technology
Technological approaches and increased use of simulation are elements of a more comprehensive solution to creating a fit-for-purpose medical workforceAustralia is undergoing considerable change in management of its health care systems. This is driven by the increase in complexity of patient illnesses and the public’s higher expectations of having access to safe, high-quality health care. Central to the success of Australia’s future health care systems ...
Marcus O Watson BSc(Hons), MSc, PhD · Brian C Jolly BSc(Hons), MA(Ed), PhD
Paying for the health workforce
Payment systems should be considered more often as a policy intervention to improve health system performancePayment and funding are often regarded as administrative transfers; and yet, funding is rarely provided without strings attached. Where funding and remuneration are made conditional on certain behaviours (eg, working a set number of hours, seeing a certain number of patients, undertaking specific tasks or tasks of a certain standard, ...
Anthony Scott BA(Hons), MSc, PhD
Towards a sustainable and fit-for-purpose health workforce — lessons from New Zealand
Reforms underway in New Zealand are designed to significantly increase workforce productivityIt is true that most ill and injured New Zealanders currently receive appropriate and timely health care, but viewed as a whole, and considering health outcomes in Maori and poorer urban and rural communities,1,2 the New Zealand health system is something of a “curate’s egg”. I suggest that the New Zealand health workforce is ...
Des F Gorman MBChB, MD, PhD
Preventing mental disorders: the time is right
Alongside the current clinical approaches to reduce the duration of mental disorders, it is time to focus on a complementary approach to reduce their incidence.
Anthony F Jorm PhD, DSc · Nicola J Reavley PhD
The dark side to Halloween: marketing unhealthy products to our children?
Halloween is becoming increasingly popular in Australia, but what are the public health implications?The use of fictional characters and festivals to sell unhealthy commodities is well established. Both Santa Claus and the Easter bunny have been employed to influence people, especially children, towards unhealthy behaviour.1,2 Each year, on 31 October, an increasing number of witches and wizards darken the doors of Australian households, demanding free junk ...
Gillian P Porter MB BS, DCH · Nathan J Grills MB BS, DPhil, MPH
Australia’s servicewomen and female veterans: do we understand their health needs?
As the number of female soldiers and veterans increases, and their roles expand, it is important that medical professionals are aware of the gender-specific health effects of service.
Susan J Neuhaus MB BS, PhD, FRACS · Samantha L Crompvoets BSc(Hons), PhD
Retaining our right to regulate alcohol warnings
Australia needs to ensure that it can implement a health warnings scheme for wine and spirit containers that reflects the best available evidence.
Paula L O’Brien BA/LLB(Hons), LLM · Deborah H Gleeson BHSc, MPH, PhD
The quality of Australian health journalism is important for public health
In the wake of recent huge changes to the media workforce, the health professions should take an active interest in ongoing debates about the goals and values of journalism.
Christopher F C Jordens BA(Hons), MPH, PhD · Wendy L Lipworth MB BS, PhD · Ian H Kerridge MPhil, FRACP, FRCPA
Surgery for adult obstructive sleep apnoea
Airway surgery represents an important part of contemporary treatment paradigms in adult obstructive sleep apnoeaSurgery in adult obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is an option used when continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, the gold standard treatment, fails. CPAP failure usually occurs because of poor adherence or significant complications from CPAP or related devices such as a mandibular advancement splint. The best available evidence indicates that ...
Stuart G MacKay BSc, MB BS(Hons), FRACS · Edward M Weaver MD, MPH
