Monthly Archives: October 2010

Pat McGorry: does the Left care about mental health?

October 29, 2010 – 7:48 am

Professor Patrick McGorry writes: The Senate’s passing of a motion calling for a comprehensive network of headspace and Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) services for young Australians with mental ill-health is to be welcomed as another positive step towards mental health reform in Australia. However, the opposition of the Greens and ALP to [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in health reform, mental health | Tagged , , , | Comments (15)

Why I’m going to run the New York City Marathon next month

October 28, 2010 – 5:03 pm

Before anyone has a heart attack, let me assure you that it is not me who will be running any marathon. The runner is Chris Lawrence,  a researcher at the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, who will be working up a sweat for personal and professional reasons. Chris Lawrence writes: Next month, I [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Indigenous health, physical activity | Comments (1)

Stops and starts along the road to a national preventive health agency

October 28, 2010 – 4:47 pm

We have moved a step closer to having a national agency to promote public health, with the passage in the House of Reps last night of the Australian National Preventive Health Agency Bill 2010. It’s a good news, bad news sort of story. One part of the bad news is that it’s taken so long. As various speakers told the House [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in Health inequalities, health reform, prevention, public health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , | Comments (3)

The message from Wikileaks for healthcare safety and quality

October 27, 2010 – 6:04 pm

What would help the media to report more effectively about issues related to healthcare safety and quality? This was the topic of a presentation I gave this morning to a National Forum on Safety and Quality in Healthcare in Canberra. In case it’s of wider interest, here’s the presentation (with powerpoints incorporated). You will see [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in adverse events, Australian Medical Association, Media-related issues, pharmaceutical industry, quality and safety of health care, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (3)

Are patients suffering because of hospitals’ poor staff management?

October 27, 2010 – 4:25 pm

As previously mentioned, a National Forum on Safety and Quality in Healthcare is underway in Canberra this week, and Croakey is running a series of posts from various presenters. One of the topics being discussed is whether improving human resources management at hospitals might help improve outcomes for patients. Dr Keith Townsend, a Senior Research [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in adverse events, Hospitals, quality and safety of health care | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

DrinkWise urges public health academics to tackle their universities’ drinking cultures

October 26, 2010 – 2:40 pm

Public health policy consultant Margo Saunders yesterday issued a challenge to universities and public health types to tackle drinking cultures in universities, as exemplified by a current promotion for Jim Beam on Campus. Cath Peachey, CEO of DrinkWise Australia (an organisation that has sustained occasional fire from Croakey contributors), is taking up the discussion. She [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in alcohol, public health | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)

Memo to Perth’s mayor: get with the evidence on public health and alcohol

October 26, 2010 – 11:03 am

During a debate with Tony Abbott at the University of Sydney last year, public health advocate Professor Mike Daube took us on an historical tour of “the Nanny State”. He told us that while a Spectator column by conservative British MP Ian Macleod is credited for coining the pejorative term, Nanny’s spirit was around long [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in alcohol, environmental health, public health | Tagged , , , | Comments (14)

Listen to patients. And improve the safety of health care

October 26, 2010 – 10:07 am

A National Forum on Safety and Quality in Healthcare is underway in Canberra this week. Those attending will today hear today from patient advocate Stephanie Newell about how consumers and healthcare providers can better work together. Stephanie speaks from personal experience and was moved to advocate for other consumers after the death of her son. [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in adverse events, childbirth and maternity services, consumer health information, Hospitals, quality and safety of health care | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (3)

Universities: a marketing arm of the alcohol industry?

October 25, 2010 – 10:59 am

Public health efforts to reduce the harm caused by risky alcohol consumption should be paying much more attention to university campuses, says public health policy consultant Margo Saunders. Margo Saunders writes: Buzz-phrases such as ‘changing the culture of drinking’, ‘changing the way we drink’, ‘moving towards a more responsible drinking culture’ are said to be [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in alcohol, public health | Comments (9)

How health care can learn from disasters like Chernobyl

October 25, 2010 – 10:31 am

A National Forum on Safety and Quality in Healthcare opened in Canberra today, with the theme, Society, Regulators and Health Providers: a clash of expectations? This is the second in a series of posts from speakers at the forum, in which a patient safety expert, Professor Jeffrey Braithwaite, Director of the Centre for Clinical Governance [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Posted in health reform, Hospitals, quality and safety of health care | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)