In the fourth part of our series Health Rationing, Peter Sivey explains why it might be time to abandon Medicare’s fee-for-service model.
Teachers aren’t paid a fee for each lesson they teach, nor are…
Nurses are providing many primary care services traditionally performed by doctors.
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With Australia’s population growing, living longer, and experiencing more disease and disability, there’s no doubt demand for health services will increase. But how are we going to pay for it?
With this…
The recent rise in the number of GPs could be welcomed as addressing the shortage.
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Monash University demographer Bob Birrell is quoted in today’s Australian newspaper as saying the national doctor shortage is “a myth”. He points out a large recent increase in the number of GPs, a rise…
We need to reduce waste and inefficiency in the health system.
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The latest round of the health blame game is in full swing, with service cuts to Victorian hospitals, and neither the state nor federal government taking responsibility. Commonwealth and Victorian health…
The children with the greatest level of disease also have the poorest access to care.
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Data released recently by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare show the number of dentists has increased by 24% in the five years to 2011. There are now around 12,700 dentists in Australia, with…
The Commonwealth and Victorian governments blame each other for hospital budget cuts.
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As Victorian hospitals have announced bed closures, job losses and elective surgery delays over the past six weeks, cuts to health service budgets look set to significantly affect patient care in the state…
Some students come into medicine with a fixed idea of what they want to do – but this often changes.
uonottingham
Just before I finished high school, my local general practitioner suggested I consider medicine. But the thought of blood made me feel squeamish, so I went to university to do maths and physics, and to…
Taxpayers should get something in return for their investment – good doctors, where they’re needed.
UoNottingham
Almost two hundred medical students from diverse countries have just finished their medical education as full-fee-paying students. They’re now looking for the one year of employment (internship) they need…
Medical graduates need to complete a hospital-based intern year before they gain full registration.
UoNottingham
Amid Australia’s ongoing doctor shortage, the health system risks losing dozens of Australian-trained, foreign-born doctors because of a shortage of intern places. The Australian Medical Students Association…
It’s time to rethink Australia’s specialist-driven health workforce and rise to the challenge of chronic disease management.
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Data released recently by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows the nation’s health care bill is rising rapidly, from $77.5 billion in 2000-2001 to $130 billion in 2010-11. The largest increases…
Doctors are expected to be attuned to the latest developments in health care.
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Most doctors shudder at the sight of the growing mountain of unread medical journals gathering dust on their desks over months, if not years. They need not despair though, as there are less time-consuming…
We need to rethink how we provide health services in rural areas.
Alan Levine
The recent report of the Senate Inquiry into rural health services gave tantalising glimpses of how the future of rural health services should be. But its central theme is not new. The persistent and consistent…
Relying on FIFO health-care workers is expensive and can end up disempowering local providers.
AIA web team
This is a story about two small Aboriginal communities in the Gulf region of North Queensland: Mornington Island and Doomadgee. They share two key characteristics with many other remote communities: very…
Health-care workers who discover they are infected have an ethical obligation to seek professional advice about their work practise limitations.
stevendepolo
A drug-addicted Melbourne anaesthetist has been accused of infecting 56 of his patients with hepatitis C by injecting himself with opiate-filled syringes, before using them on his patients. While his gross…
We need to set the foundations now for a healthy future of aged care nursing.
KarleQuin
Life expectancy in Australia is at an all-time high: pre-school-aged girls can expect to live to 84 years, around five years longer than their healthy brothers. By 2041, the 65-plus age group is expected…
Overseas-trained doctors deserve better treatment in Australia but they’re not the solution to rural workforce shortages.
syauqee
The recently released report from the House of Representatives' inquiry into the registration processes and support for overseas-trained doctors highlights some major shortfalls in how Australia’s health…
We need to rethink our aged care workforce and funding for dementia patients.
Alex E Proimos
Last week, Alzheimer’s Australia released a report that was highly critical of the way Australia’s aged care sector responds to the needs of dementia suffers and their families.
It’s an issue that demands…
Current strategies to increase the number of Australian trained medical graduates entering rural practice are not working.
Paul Hocksenar
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is urging the government to consider the establishment of new medical schools in rural and regional areas to boost the number of doctors in the countryside. The…
Medical schools need more students with strong affiliations to the country.
arecknor
Most of us consider health care to be a basic human right, rather than a privilege. In both philosophical and practical terms, the availability of high-quality health care is a national imperative. But…
Good dental health is important for overall health – so when will Australia see a national dental scheme?
AAP
As many of us recover from the festive binge of overeating, drinking too much and not exercising enough, spare a thought for the new health minister as she plans for 2012. An exciting agenda looms – will…
The strike in Victoria has drawn national attention to the working conditions of nurses across the country.
AAP
Ongoing industrial action by Victoria’s nurses has focused public attention on acute health-care services, and provided an opportunity to examine the way those services should best be supported, funded…
All health-care providers should give patients evidence-based information – this includes chiropractors.
Planetc
Chiropractic has copped some criticism this week, with a group of prominent Australian doctors and scientists urging Central Queensland University to reverse its decision to offer a chiropractic degree…
Current fee-for-service payments for doctors don’t reward quality care.
Flickr/larique
Going to the doctor is, in many ways, like visiting a car sales yard. The customer has a limited knowledge of the product and the supplier may have a financial incentive to over-service or overcharge…
An equal relationship between doctors and nurses working in general practice will mean comprehensive primary health care for patients.
nursing pins/Flickr
Doctors and nurses appear to work harmoniously together but this apparently serene state of affairs is actually hiding inequality. Instead of giving nurses the room to shine in their workplace, the traditional…
Bringing research, education and health care delivery together will improve patient care.
In an attempt to bring Australia’s medical research, education and healthcare sectors into line with world leaders, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is planning to develop a new…
Bad behaviour isn’t cause to ignore these TV shows.
Flickr/Number Stumper
Television loves particular careers: detectives, lawyers, forensic experts and, perhaps most of all, doctors. Popular long-running shows such as House and Grey’s Anatomy join a long list of medical programs…
More women are opting for caesareans but what are the risks?
Rowan Simpson
In Australia, as in most of the developed world, about one baby in three is now delivered by caesarean section. To put things in perspective, the rate of caesarean birth has almost doubled over the past…
Preventive health is the the biggest loser in the health deal.
AAP
The deal’s been done and health reform is in the bag. It may not be quite as bold as originally planned by then prime minister Rudd – there’s even been a fair amount of watering down on Julia Gillard’s…
Home help is much more effective than written instructions from a doctor.
The new Victorian Health Plan 2012-22 offers a bleak prognosis: forever rising medical costs, doctors in the wrong places, hospitals overwhelmed.
To make matters worse, it claims that patients can’t be…
Quality and safety in childbirth should not be equated with obstetric care.
AAP
How we are born, who supports mothers and the quality of the care provided during birth are vital to good public health and personal well being. But all is not well in modern birthing in spite of the advances…
Do people want to see a doctor when they are sick or injured?
In collaboration with The Drum, The Conversation is giving statements made by public figures the fine-tooth-comb treatment they deserve.
Today, healthcare:
“When people get sick or injured or want advice…
Any health practitioner can be the first port of call for a patient.
AAP
“When people get sick or injured or want advice about their health, they want to see a doctor,” Dr Andrew Pesce, AMA President.
Patients may want to see a doctor but they don’t necessarily want to join…
Pharmacists should be able to prescribe and dispense some medicines.
AAP
“When people get sick or injured or want advice about their health, they want to see a doctor,” Dr Andrew Pesce, AMA President.
When people feel sick, have a rash or need advice about an ailment, pharmacists…
Seeing a nurse practitioner for plasters and stitches can cut waiting times.
Daniel Paquet
“When people get sick or injured or want advice about their health, they want to see a doctor,” Dr Andrew Pesce, AMA President.
At one time, when people got sick, injured or wanted advice about their…
Keeping a journal or confiding in a friend can help overcome emotional issues.
“When people get sick or injured or want advice about their health, they want to see a doctor” Dr Andrew Pesce, AMA President.
As a child psychiatrist, I work with general practitioners to enhance the…
The demand for medical services is putting pressure on the budget.
AAP
“When people get sick or injured or want advice about their health, they want to see a doctor,” Dr Andrew Pesce, AMA President.
The statement by Dr Pesce implies that citizens know what they want and…
