Ever more Americans are using digital cameras to keep an eye on elderly relatives who live in nursing homes. This surveillance may violate patients’ privacy and demoralize their caretakers.
Successful policy accomplishments are rarely considered newsworthy, but there are plenty of cases where government policy has improved our lives for the better.
The tightening of the May 18 race, coming after Scott Morrison was seen to out-campaign Bill Shorten at the start of the campaign, will boost Coalition morale as pre-polling begins on Monday.
Medicare is a vote-changer. The Coalition learnt this in the 2016 federal election campaign and has since guaranteed its commitment to the program. But that may not avert a Mediscare 2.0.
Health has taken centre stage of the election campaign. Here’s what you need to know to make sense of the claims (and counter claims) of the major parties so far.
Shorten will say that under his government some 10 million people would receive the same or bigger tax cut, with nearly three million low paid workers getting a bigger tax cut.
Michael Woods, University of Technology Sydney y Sarah Wise, University of Technology Sydney
The government will keep increasing the number of subsidised home care services, but it needs to find the right funding balance for the system to remain sustainable.
When you enter a public hospital, you are likely to be asked if you have private health insurance, and if you want to use it. This is what you need to consider.
Seeking and making sense of specialist fees is an unfair burden to place on vulnerable patients. A website might be helpful for some – but health professionals need to be held to higher account.
Jane Hall, University of Technology Sydney y Kees Van Gool, University of Technology Sydney
Paying doctors a fee for each service they provide isn’t delivering optimal value for the health dollar. Instead, we should pay doctors a lump sum to care for a patient’s medical problem over time.
Subsidies for private health insurance premiums cost the government over A$6 billion a year. Is it time to scrap the rebate and redirect these funds elsewhere in the health system?
Early intervention is a proven way to address the burden of mental ill health. We just need to better understand who is at risk of developing a mental disorder – and how best to treat them.
The recent fall of Chief Justice John Roberts underscores that falls can happen to anyone. They are a major cause of disability in seniors - but there are some clearcut ways to prevent them.
Stripping away preexisting conditions coverage would have far-reaching effects, but 50- to 64-year-olds are most vulnerable. Ignoring medical issues at that age could mean sicker oldsters later on.
Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne