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Articles on Health policy

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A new review of international studies shows up to 62% of lab tests and 36% of radiology tests aren’t reviewed by doctors. It is believed the rate may be similar in Australia. Waiting room image from shutterstock.com

Medical test results – why no news doesn’t mean good news

In health care, communication can be a matter of life or death. Take the case of an American woman diagnosed with a blood clot in her leg. She died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism the following day, while…
Political responses to obesity have been more about creating a spectacle of “doing something” than solving the problem. Bruce A Stockwell

Why we’re losing the battle of the bulge: the politics of obesity prevention

There’s no doubt that obesity has received considerable political attention over the past decade. But data recently released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows Australians are losing…
With limited support for public dental care, most Australians bear the open-ended costs of high-expense treatments. massdistraction

Moving beyond patchwork reform for dental health

The Commonwealth’s government’s $4bn Dental Reform package, announced last week, promises to address many current inequities in access to dental care. It has been praised for its potential to reduce dental…
Health-care budgets are far from infinite, so how do we decide what’s funded and what’s not? stumayhew

Who deserves more health-care funding? Let’s hear from Australians themselves

Health-care reform in industrialised countries is usually motivated by ageing populations, shaky economic conditions and shifting demographics. Health budgets are finite, so decisions must be made about…
Relying on FIFO health-care workers is expensive and can end up disempowering local providers. AIA web team

Fly-in, fly-out heath care fails remote Aboriginal communities

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…
The poor suffer the greatest burden of disease but are less able to deal with the costs. Brooks Elliott

Next steps in health care reform

Australia is facing an epidemic of chronic lifestyle-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and chronic lung disease. We have many treatments for these that aren’t necessarily…
Mental health needs to be a higher priority for governments and the community at all levels. Iguanasan

National Press Club address: Allan Fels on mental health and suicide prevention

It’s a great responsibility to be the Chair of Australia’s first National Mental Health Commission. In fact it’s the greatest responsibility I’ve ever had and let me tell you why as both an economist and…
New Zealand wants to largely be tobacco free by 2025; Finland has set 2040 as its target date. Iago A R

Should we set a date for a tobacco-free Australia?

It’s been 100 years since the first medical textbook identified a link between smoking tobacco and lung cancer. So how strange is it that in 2012 we can walk into Coles and Woolworths and buy cigarettes…
There are a number of design flaws in the new hospital funding system. xparxy

Why the new way of funding public hospitals won’t work

The first of July saw the introduction of one of the most important health care reforms for Australia’s public hospitals: national activity-based funding (ABF). Hospitals will now be paid a fixed price…
Overseas-trained doctors deserve better treatment in Australia but they’re not the solution to rural workforce shortages. syauqee

Overseas-trained doctors can’t fill rural workforce shortages forever

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

Improving care for dementia patients in our ailing aged care system

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

We need new ways to get more doctors into country practice

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…
Health performance targets can come with unintended consequences. AloneAlbatross

Health targets, indicators and incentives: handle with care

The Gillard Government’s health reform legislation passed through parliament without too much fanfare last year, marking the end to the political debates around health reform. Importantly, the legislation…
A strong health system can balance public and private care – just look at Australia. AAP

Private sector reforms don’t spell the end of the NHS

After a long, painful political and legislative process, the United Kingdom’s Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition government has finally been given the green light to proceed with its National Health…
Almost 90% of the world now has access to drinking water, but there is still a long way to go. barefoot photographers of tilonia/flickr

Is this progress? Watering down the Millennium Development Goals

Did you hear about the latest success for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)? Don’t be ashamed to say no – most of the world missed it with you. So what happened? You’ll remember that the MDGs are…
After the election, healthcare reform needs to be a priority for the Queensland government. AAP Image/Dan Peled

Queensland’s top five health priorities this election

No matter who wins the Queensland election this Saturday, the next premier of Queensland will have to face up to some serious challenges within the state’s health system. There were improvements made under…

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