Category Archives: Government 2.0

The health story of the year (if not in the mainstream media) and other end-of-year assessments

December 23, 2011 – 5:51 pm

It’s that time of the year: for making lists of media lists. (After the list of lists below, the bottom section of this post covers recent discussions about social media and health). In recent times, we’ve had: • An insight into the world of health PR, from US health journalism watchdog Gary Schwitzer, who has [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Media-related issues, Medicare Locals, social determinants of health, social media and healthcare | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

The latest health & medical reading from The Conversation

July 29, 2011 – 4:03 pm

Thanks to Froncesca Jackson-Webb, for providing this update of the latest health and medical reading at The Conversation. From scraping by to pizza and pie: how protein price drives obesity By Rob Brooks, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology; Director, Evolution & Ecology Research Centre at the University of NSW For the first time ever, the number [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in child health, complementary medicines, Food, global health, Health inequalities, health regulation, mental health, physical activity, TGA, The Conversation | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

TGA facing a shake-up (maybe), in the quest for greater transparency

July 20, 2011 – 4:05 pm

The Therapeutic Goods Administration faces something of a shake-up if there is effective implementation of the recommendations of a review, released today, that is aimed at improving the agency’s transparency. The review was conducted over seven months and makes 21 recommendations (a summary of these is reproduced below), including that the TGA implement a more [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in adverse events, complementary medicines, consumer health information, health regulation, TGA | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

An invitation and a note of explanation to Croakey readers

July 12, 2011 – 1:02 pm

If you have read the funding arrangements for Croakey, you will understand that editing this blog is, by necessity, very much a part-time activity for me. I am usually writing and editing articles in haste around multiple other commitments. Often I am wanting to alert readers to new reports/research etc that may be of interest, [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in abortion, alcohol, cancer, chronic diseases, climate change, Cochrane Collaboration, complementary medicines, conflicts of interest, e-health, environmental health, evidence-based issues, Food, gambling, general practice, global health, health and medical education, health and medical research, health ethics, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, health reform, health workforce, Indigenous health, Journal articles, Media Doctor Australia, Media-related issues, Medicare Locals, mental health, Nanny state, palliative care, pharmaceutical industry, physical activity, plain packaging, primary health care, private health insurance, public health, rural and remote health, SensaSlim, social determinants of health, TGA, The Conversation, tobacco control, Uncategorized, vaccination, vaccines, Web 2.0, weight loss products | Comments (0)

What is the point of health and medical research?

July 6, 2011 – 8:53 pm

What is the point of health and medical research? Is it to keep researchers in jobs? To boost the economy and increase corporate profits? To add to the prestige and power of universities and associated research institutes? To add to the global store of knowledge? To respond to community needs and priorities? To improve the [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in climate change, health and medical research, public health | Tagged , , , | Comments (2)

Some significant reading on the changing media landscape, public health, Gov 2.0 and more….

June 16, 2011 – 7:26 pm

If you’ve an interest in the relationships between media, healthy societies, public health, the digital revolution and the Gov 2.0 agenda, have I got some reading for you… The Federal Communications Commission in the US has released a 465-page report, The information needs of communities: The changing media landscape in a broadband age. While largely [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Media-related issues, public health | Tagged , , , , | Comments (2)

Social media: how it can help researchers and public debate

June 6, 2011 – 10:40 am

As Don Perlgut’s previous post on the digital divide illustrates, there are many barriers to realising the full potential of the digital revolution, including lack of capacity amongst those groups with potentially the most to gain. Other barriers include professional and organisational cultures, including suspicion of the challenging and sometimes confronting new ways of the [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in e-health, evidence-based issues, health and medical research, legal issues, public health | Tagged , , , | Comments (6)

The TGA and its media relations: what a job

May 24, 2011 – 6:30 pm

As foreshadowed at Croakey last year, the media liaison/issues management contract for the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is up for grabs, and details of the tender document are outlined below. The contract of the current provider, McNiece Communications, expires next month. As the Department of Health and Ageing has previously advised, the contract was worth [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in complementary medicines, consumer health information, Media-related issues, TGA | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (3)

Why rural and remote health (and other) advocates need to get with Twitter

March 18, 2011 – 4:10 pm

At the national rural health conference in Perth this week, I gave two presentations. The first was about the opportunities that are rapidly emerging for under-served groups and issues (like rural and remote health) as a result of the digital revolution. A shift is occurring in the power relations between citizens and society’s most powerful [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in disasters, Media-related issues, public health, rural and remote health, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (2)

How could the TGA (and other public agencies) improve public disclosure and engagement with the media?

February 22, 2011 – 9:46 am

In the US, the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) is pushing for the Food and Drug Administration and other health agencies to be more open and responsive in their dealings with the media. You can read more about their campaign here and here, while this piece gives a staggering account of how the FDA [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in consumer health information, Media-related issues, TGA | Tagged , , , , | Comments (5)