Category Archives: Media-related issues

Health stars at world’s biggest blogging meet..and other bits and pieces

October 16, 2009 – 12:01 pm

As we speak, bloggers are gathering in Las Vegas for the Blog World New Media Expo, billed as “the world’s largest blogging and new media conference”. There are several sessions on health and new media.
I came across this event while doing some research recently on new media and health, which also led me to some [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in global health, health and medical research | Comments (2)

Where does the TGA stand on Pfizer campaign?

October 13, 2009 – 9:04 pm

As mentioned recently, Pfizer is hitting the consumer and medical media in the interests of its combination heart pill, Caduet.
Regular readers may remember that earlier this year Michele Kosky, executive director of the Health Consumers’ Council in WA, asked the TGA and Medicines Australia to investigate whether the consumer advertisement breaches the ban on direct-to-consumer [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in TGA, adverse events, consumer health information, health & medical marketing | Tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

The real safety issues in maternity care: a sneak preview

October 12, 2009 – 8:45 am

Maternity care provides a classic example of the pitfalls of a specialist-driven model of practice in health care. It results in more expensive and interventionist care, rather than a community-based approach which could also help ensure a more equitable distribution of services. It has led us to talk about obstetrics, which implies a focus on [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in childbirth and maternity services, evidence-based issues, health reform | Tagged , , | Comments (6)

Hospital staff harness new media for public protest

October 9, 2009 – 12:37 pm

The staff at Katoomba Hospital (in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney) – or at least some of them – have clearly had enough. In the cyberworld equivalent of taking to the streets, they’ve launched an anonymous blog to tell the public what their bosses won’t let them speak about in public.
You could see it [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Hospitals, consumer health information | Comments (5)

Yesterday’s news: a tsunami survivor asks for help for Samoa

October 6, 2009 – 8:25 am

The Pacific tsunami has brought back painful memories for Australian journalist Kimina Lyall, who was living in Thailand when a tsunami struck there in 2004.
She wrote about her experiences in a book, Out of the Blue: Facing the Tsunami.  She will donate the sales of her remaining copies to aid the Samoan disaster victims [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in global health | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Croakey and conflicts of interest: what do you think?

October 5, 2009 – 1:53 pm

As regular readers may have guessed, Croakey takes a keen interest in conflict of interest issues, as indicated by the Crikey Register of Influence and our regular coverage of related stories.
Of course, it’s not only Croakey who follows such matters – conflict of interest has been one of the big and important ongoing stories of [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in conflicts of interest | Tagged , , | Comments (5)

Congrats to Catalyst

October 2, 2009 – 11:45 am

If you missed Catalyst on ABC Television last night, there were two excellent reports that are well worth taking the time to watch.
This investigation of the prostate cancer screening debate was much more helpful than the sort of media coverage that we so often see of this fraught issue (and which I’ve been guilty of [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in cancer, tests | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

New media +Indigenous musicians = funky tobacco control

October 2, 2009 – 11:24 am

These clips are worth checking out – part of the funkiest anti-smoking campaign I’ve seen in a while.
This one is called Cough N Rap
And, I don’t know about you, but this one just makes me want to dance… (if it doesn’t stop people smoking, it might at least get them moving…)
The clips (and there are [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in Indigenous health, tobacco control | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

Health reform: it only takes a napkin to make it simple

September 30, 2009 – 7:30 pm

Who says US health reform is too complicated to be explained on the back of the napkin?
Check out this great example of clever communication.
(thanks to Dr Trevor Kerr for sending in the link)

By Croakey | Also posted in global health, health reform | Comments (0)

Welcome to the cyber eye wars

September 30, 2009 – 9:28 am

As previously reported on Croakey, the Consumers Health Forum is not at all impressed by the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists campaign “to inform the public about the consequences of the Cataract Rebate cut planned for November 2009″.
In my view the campaign was undermined, before I even got [...]

By Croakey | Also posted in health reform, surgery | Comments (1)