Do most Australians really want a healthcare system structured to ensure that the better off get better access to health services? asks Melissa Sweet.
Healthcare
Caring for country is also good for Aboriginal people
Aboriginal people have jurisdiction over roughly 20 percent of the country. It was hoped that such expansive land ownership would lead to successful agriculture and advance the economic wellbeing of Aboriginal Australians, writes Bradley Smith.
Achieving a record number of organ donors is nowhere near enough
Last year Australia achieved a record number of organ donors, but instead of celebrating we should aspire to emulate the record of more successful countries, writes Sara Irvine.
Social inclusion: what it is — and why some people just don’t get it
In recent weeks, social inclusion has become a topic of some debate. But what exactly is “social inclusion” and what are the gripes of its critics? Matthew Thomas explains.
Doing more for health by doing less: The Naked Doctor
New Croakey series The Naked Doctor aims to encourage awareness of the opportunities to do more for healthcare by doing less — a compilation of articles, books and other works that highlight over-diagnosis and over-treatment.
How to stop Australia ‘stealing’ South African doctors
In South Africa there is a chronic shortage of doctors, especially in the public sector, and yet Australia and other rich and healthier countries continue to ‘steal’ South African doctors and nurses, writes Gavin Mooney.
Greece debt crisis: even finding aspirin has become a headache
Strained government finances are partly to blame for a paucity of aspirin in Greece. The country’s financial crisis has spawned a frightening reduction in access to medical care, writes Naomi Kresge.
The health story of the year and other end-of-year assessments
It’s that time of the year: for making media lists. Crikey’s health blog Croakey names the health story of the year and spotlights other end-of-year assessments.
The unmet mental health needs of people with intellectual disability
Federal and state governments have recently recognised the importance of mental health reform, but the voice of mentally ill people with intellectual disabilities can barely be heard, writes Sophie Howlett.
Crying babies: what parents need to know v what they are told
Many parents and their babies are not getting the help they need. Instead they are getting advice flavoured by old ideologies popular throughout the second half of the 20th century, writes Pamela Douglas.
Expert advice for Tanya Plibersek
Continuing the theme of a recent Croakey post about new Health Minister Tanya Plibersek, Melissa Sweet asks a panel of medical experts what advice former Health Minister Nicola Roxon could give her.
Analysis of new Health Minister, Tanya Plibersek
What do we know about the Member for Sydney, Tanya Plibersek, who has replaced Nicola Roxon as Health Minister? What advice might Roxon give her? Croakey asks a panel of experts.
The GFC and global health: why Australia needs to step up to the plate
The global financial crisis has hit promising work tackling the neglected diseases that affect the world’s poor, according to a new report, and Australia could be doing a lot more to assist, writes Mary Moran.
New study: more people would cycle if helmets weren’t compulsory
The ongoing bicycle helmet legislation debate usually focuses on how effective helmets are. Another side of the debate is whether helmet legislation deters people from cycling, writes Professor Chris Rissel.
The need for shared care in treatment of mental illness
Models of shared care that incorporate primary health services and specialist mental health care can lead to improvements in clinical outcomes, according to a recent review, reports Olga Anikeeva.
The latest news from the world of food policy and regulation
Caught between arguments about freedom of choice and the escalation of chronic diseases, there is a lot going on in the world of food policy and regulation. Michael Moore brings you up to speed.
The crowning glories of Labor’s mental health budget
The crowning glories of the Federal Government’s May 2011 budget enhancements for mental health were threefold: a 10 year roadmap, a mental health commission and “flexible care” packages, writes Alan Rosen.
Does media coverage of health reflect the grant cycle of medical researchers?
Why does the average number of stories about healthcare increase from nine to around 21 in July? It could have something to do with grant applications, writes Amanda Wilson.
The Baillieu Dump: complaints mount against untalkative GPs
Patients seem to be having increasing trouble communicating with their GPs, writes Martin Kick, a Swinburne University student.
Media stigmatisation an ongoing public health hazard
Recent coverage of the ‘Bali teen’ caught with cannabis heralded a remarkably different approach for media outlets that continually imply drug dependant people are less human than the rest of us, writes Laurence Alvis.
New guidelines encourage nurses to embrace social media
The Royal College of Nursing Australia have developed guidelines to encourage nurses to embrace social media and harness the advantages it can offer the profession, writes Debra Cerasa.
Potential problems with special deals between Medicines Australia and The Australian
There is potential for an ongoing relationship between The Australian and Medicines Australia to have an influence on editorial policy, writes Tim Woodruff.
Awareness v availability: what’s missing from health news
The most important aspect about media representations of medical tests, treatments and interventions is whether they are widely available in Australia – and this is often left for the audience to find out for themselves, writes Dr Amanda Wilson.
The backlash against “pinkwashing” and breast cancer marketing
Raising awareness and funding for breast cancer research, treatment, and support is as easy as purchasing a bucket of greasy chicken or drinking a bottle of booze, right?
Frustrated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration? Take a (herbal) chill pill
The latest audit of complementary therapies found as many as nine out of ten companies made misleading claims about their weight loss products, vitamins, lotions, pills and gadgets, reports Dr Michael Vagg.
