Category Archives: health reform

Where is the health sector when it comes to addressing poverty?

May 7, 2012 – 11:16 am

The Government’s pre-budget announcement of dental health funding is generating plenty of commentary from various health groups. The Consumers Health Forum is largely welcoming of the dental announcement, although noting some of the obstacles ahead, including that over 80% of Australia’s dentists work in private practice. The Doctors Reform Society is making similar “this is [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in dental care, Federal Budget 2012-2013, Health inequalities, Hospitals, mental health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (1)

What can we learn from healthcare reform in the UK? (part 2)

May 4, 2012 – 6:24 pm

Following on from the previous post about the impending visit of UK health reformer, Professor Lord Ara Darzi, the article below profiles another NHS transformer, Jim Easton, who is also heading for Australia later this month. It identifies some of the ingredients of successful quality improvement, including ensuring leaders have the narrative skills to engage key [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in quality and safety of health care | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

What can we learn from the history of health reform in the UK? (part 1)

May 4, 2012 – 6:12 pm

Some of the world’s leaders in health reform and quality improvement are heading to Australia as part of a series of workshops organised by the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, in conjunction with various partners. In the first of a series profiling some of these visitors and their contributions to health reform, the AHHA’s Terrie [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in evidence-based issues, health financing and costs, quality and safety of health care | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Some solutions to health workforce shortages

May 4, 2012 – 11:58 am

Health Workforce Australia recently released the first two volumes of its three-volume report, Health Workforce 2025, which provides medium to long-term national workforce planning projections for doctors, nurses and midwives up to 2025. The main contribution of the report, according to Professor Richard Murray, President of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, is to show that ‘more-of-the-same’ [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in health and medical education, health financing and costs, health workforce, rural and remote health | Tagged , , | Comments (6)

Overuse of healthcare: some suggestions for how to tackle it

April 29, 2012 – 8:01 am

As mentioned recently, the issues of overdiagnosis and overtreatment are in the spotlight, with the Choosing Wisely campaign recently launched in the US, with the backing of medical societies and consumer groups, urging doctors and patients to identify tests and treatments that may not be necessary. Overuse of healthcare also received star billing at the recent [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in conflicts of interest, evidence-based issues, health financing and costs, Health inequalities, Naked Doctor | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

A red letter day for rural and remote health – provided these questions can be answered

April 27, 2012 – 1:15 pm

How will our two-speed economy constrain efforts to improve rural and remote health across the various states and territories? How can we get the balance right in rural and remote health policy between national uniformity and local flexibility and appropriateness? How can we ensure that the many agencies involved in addressing rural and remote health [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Health inequalities, Medicare Locals, National Preventive Health Agency, rural and remote health, social determinants of health | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Some tips re digging for useful health policy information on the web

April 27, 2012 – 11:35 am

If you want to influence health policy, it helps to be abreast of the latest relevant evidence (in all its forms). But this can be difficult to achieve as so much of the evidence never sees the light of day through publication in journals or other public places (hence the Croakey Register of Unreleased Documents - [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in Croakey Register of Unreleased Documents, evidence-based issues, health and medical research, nurses and nursing, primary health care | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Aged care reforms an important step in the right direction, but many questions and concerns remain

April 25, 2012 – 8:14 pm

The Federal Government’s aged care reforms seem to have met a generally positive response, but “a long and uncertain road” lies ahead, cautions Hal Kendig, a Research Professor of Ageing and Health at the University of Sydney. In the article below, first published by The Conversation, he outlines some of the critical challenges and concerns about [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in aged care, The Conversation | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Some metaphors for the future of healthcare: from tsumamis and trains to frogs, bikes and jigsaw puzzles

April 18, 2012 – 9:42 am

(April 19, 23 and 26, this post has been updated and expanded. On May 15, a link was added at the bottom of the post to the University of Sydney event.) The health sector needs to get much better at explaining the complexities and the challenges ahead. So much of what passes for communication is [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Comments (0)

Ehealth records: too important to muck up

April 13, 2012 – 7:52 am

In 2009 the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission recommended that by 2012 every Australian should be able to have a personal electronic health record that they would own and control. The PCEHR (personally controlled electronic health records) system is due to launch on July 1.  The plan is for everyone to have the option [...]

By Melissa Sweet | Also posted in e-health | Tagged , , , | Comments (3)