Article Types
Perspectives
Exploring the role of urine drug screening in opioid agonist therapy
Instructive guidelines for urine drug screening during opioid agonist therapy might minimise unnecessary tension in the therapeutic relationship between prescribers and patients
Grace FitzGerald · Sione Crawford · Adrian J Dunlop · Jon Cook · Dean Membrey · Paul MacCartney · Thileepan Naren
Antidepressant prescribing in Australian primary care: time to reevaluate
Given limited benefit in mild to moderate mental illness, limited evidence demonstrating benefit and safety with long term antidepressant therapy, and the difficulties that people can experience stopping antidepressants, better decision support and informed consent for starting antidepressants are needed
Katharine A Wallis · Anna King · Joanna Moncrieff
Using patient‐reported outcome measures in clinical trials: perspectives for and against a modular approach
There is growing interest in minimising the burden for patients when completing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). We explore different perspectives for and against adopting a modular approach for PROM inclusion in clinical trials.
Carrie‐Anne Ng · Jessica Roydhouse · Tim Luckett · Richard De Abreu Lourenco · Brendan Mulhern
The potential of maternal and child health service data in Australia: how lessons from the COVID‐19 pandemic can accelerate data‐informed decision making
A discussion on the possibility and urgency of using linked maternal and child health data, with Victoria and South Australia as case studies, while there is a political window of opportunity for collaborative action
Ashleigh Shipton · Meredith O'Connor · Melissa Wake · Sharon Goldfeld · Helen Lees · Catina Adams · Kristina Edvardsson · Leesa Hooker · Jatender Mohal · Rhiannon M Pilkington · Fiona K Mensah
The 2024 report of the MJA–Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: Australia emerging as a hotspot for litigation
The next five years are pivotal in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning energy production to renewables; Australia is making progress in this direction, but the remaining deficiencies in Australia’s response to the health and climate change threat must be addressed
Paul J Beggs · Alistair J Woodward · Stefan Trueck · Martina K Linnenluecke · Hilary Bambrick · Anthony G Capon · Zerina Lokmic‐Tomkins · Jacqueline Peel · Kathryn Bowen · Ivan C Hanigan · Nicolas Borchers Arriagada · Troy J Cross · Sharon Friel · Donna Green · Maddie Heenan · Ollie Jay · Harry Kennard · Arunima Malik · Celia McMichael · Mark Stevenson · Sotiris Vardoulakis · Aditya Vyas · Marina B Romanello · Maria Walawender · Ying Zhang
Dismantling barriers to research and clinical care for individuals with a vision impairment
Accessibility in research is an ongoing commitment that will continue to change based on the needs and preferences of the community. We must weigh up the impact of incorporating accessibility practices in research with the social cost of forgoing them
Eden G Robertson · Kate Hetherington · Meredith Prain · Julia Hall · Leighton Boyd AM · Rosemary Boyd OAM · Emily Shepard · Hollie Feller · Sally Karandrews · Fleur O'Hare · Kanae Yamamoto · Matthew P Simunovic · Robyn V Jamieson · Alan Ma · Lauren Ayton AM · Anai Gonzalez‐Cordero
Physician advocacy, international humanitarian law, and the protection of health care workers in conflict zones
International humanitarian law in its current form cannot be relied upon as the sole mechanism of prevention and response to attacks on health care in conflict zones
Irma Bilgrami · Christopher Guy · Vanessa Carnegie · Sandra Lussier
The Fossil Fuel Non‐Proliferation Treaty: what it is, its importance for health, and why Australia should endorse it
Australia’s endorsement of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty could form a critical public health initiative
Philomena Colagiuri · Jake TW Williams · Paul J Beggs · Ying Zhang
Responding to reports of nitazene toxicity in Australia
To reduce opioid-related harms, we must support evidence-informed and timely detection and monitoring of nitazenes and emerging drugs; and harm reduction and clinical interventions
Brendan Clifford · Amy Peacock · Krista J Siefried · John Gobeil · Jennifer L Smith · Nadine Ezard
Is it time to retire the label “CALD” in public health research and practice?
The term “culturally and linguistically diverse” (CALD) is widely used in Australian public health. We discuss the limitations of the term and how it masks distinct needs and experiences of various cultural groups
Ikram Abdi · Adeline Tinessia · Abela Mahimbo · Meru Sheel · Julie Leask
Cultural safety, the LGBTQI+ community and international medical graduate training
Lack of knowledge and skills puts clinicians at risk of causing harm to patients and for consequent avoidance of the health system by LGBQTI+ communities
Cindy Towns · Charlene Rapsey · Rhea Liang
Improving palliative care for people who use alcohol and other drugs
A discussion of the complexities that arise when people who use alcohol and other drugs require palliative care
Grace FitzGerald · Jon Cook · Peter Higgs · Charles Henderson · Sione Crawford · Thileepan Naren
A future for the hospital‐in‐the‐home (HITH) deteriorating patient: shifting the paradigm
Hospital-in-the-home (HITH) models of care provide sustainable, patient-centred, value-based care; but how can we better recognise deteriorating HITH patients?
Mya Cubitt · Seok Lim
Decentralised COVID‐19 molecular point‐of‐care testing: lessons from implementing a primary care‐based network in remote Australian communities
The First Nations COVID-19 molecular point-of-care (POC) testing program was part of the Australian pandemic response, ensuring equitable testing access and minimising diagnosis delays. To inform future pandemic preparedness, we reviewed the POC framework to provide key recommendations.
Belinda Hengel · Rebecca J Guy · Dawn Casey · Lorraine Anderson · Kirsty Smith · Kelly Andrewartha · Tanya D Applegate · Amit Saha · Philip Cunningham · Lucas DeToca · William D Rawlinson · Marianne Martinello · Annie Tangey · Prital Patel · Mark DS Shephard · Susan Matthews · Louise Causer
Shortages of benzathine benzylpenicillin G in Australia highlight the need for new sovereign manufacturing capability
A proactive national response to ongoing benzathine benzylpenicillin G shortages is required, and this includes exploring sovereign manufacturing capacity
Rosemary Wyber · Glenn Pearson · Laurens Manning
The role of GLP‐1 receptor agonists in the management of obesity: risks and opportunities for the Australian health care system
The use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of obesity has the potential to impact one-third of Australians. This warrants due consideration and planning for future funding models, systems and models of care to ensure equitable access
Christopher Kanellis · Kyle Williams · Darcy Q Holt · Jennifer Wong · Rachel David · Ravi Carothers · Suong Le
Genetic counsellors: facilitating the integration of genomics into health care
A discussion on challenges in implementing genomic medicine in Australia and the role of genetic counsellors, their training and relevant skill sets. Evidence for their impact on patient care, clinicians and health services is also reviewed, with barriers to widespread facilitation.
Tatiane Yanes · Eliza Courtney · Mary‐Anne Young · Amy Pearn · Aideen McInerney‐Leo · Jodie Ingles
Is the term bulk‐billing still relevant in today's landscape of health policy reform?
Bulk-billing has been a term associated with the success of Medicare, but no longer provides an agreed or meaningful estimate of access to health services
Michael Wright · May Chin
Urban green space provision: the case for policy‐based solutions to support human health
Urban green spaces are dynamic contributors to the wellbeing of our cities, offering benefits to the health of humans, society, and natural and managed ecosystems
Craig Williams · Christie Byrne · Shannon Evenden · Veronica Soebarto · Stefan Caddy‐Retalic · Carmel Williams · Yonatal Tefera · Xiaoqi Feng · Andrew Lowe
Inclusivity in Australian population surveys: missed opportunities to understand the health experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse populations
Population surveys must improve their inclusivity to enable a comprehensive understanding of the needs of CALD groups
Humaira Maheen · Tania King
Japanese encephalitis transmission in Australia: challenges and future perspectives
Discussion of challenges and recommendations for future Japanese encephalitis scenarios in Australia, including surveillance systems, a national centre for disease control, improved data sharing and increased funding
Caroline K Dowsett · Francesca Frentiu · Gregor J Devine · Wenbiao Hu
Making climate change a national health priority: Australia's first National Health and Climate Strategy
Australia’s first National Health and Climate Strategy was launched in 2023. In this article, we review the development and key features of the Strategy; discuss the expected challenges; and highlight how health care professionals can help.
Georgia Behrens · Madeleine Skellern · Alice McGushin · Paul Kelly · The Hon Ged Kearney
Stroke in young women: the need for targeted prevention and treatment strategies
Recognising female-specific risk factors, disparities in diagnosis, and potential treatment and prevention strategies will help to address this challenge
Cheryl Carcel · Kylie Tastula · Amanda Henry
The Virtual Rural Generalist Service: a hybrid virtual model of care designed to improve health access and outcomes in rural and remote communities
The VRGS has an important role in providing continuous medical coverage to complement the local visiting medical officer workforce in rural and remote hospitals
Shannon Nott · Georgia Wingfield · Amelia Haigh · Georgina M Luscombe · Anna E Thompson · Emily Saurman · Tim Shaw · Amy Von Huben · Kirsten Howard · Andrew Wilson
The equitable challenges to quality use of modulators for cystic fibrosis in Australia
New pathways to address current inequities in Australian cystic fibrosis patients’ access to disease-modifying treatments, including in vitro cell models.
Laura K Fawcett · Shafagh A Waters · Adam Jaffe
