The Danes have been getting rave reviews lately for their excellent work onscreen (yes, Croakey has enjoyed plenty of couch time with Borgen, The Killing, The Bridge, and Lulu – The Bankrobber’s Wife…) But perhaps we can also learn from their innovative work in what is being called “welfare technology”. In the municipality of Odense, for [...]
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$100,000 is on the table for digital innovators with a #publichealth bent
This looks like an interesting project, using digital connections to engage the wider community in developing innovative solutions to a public health problem. If you’re interested in making a pitch to VicHealth’s Seed Challenge, which aims to boost fruit and vegetable consumption in Victoria, you’d better get your running shoes on – the deadline is Friday. [...]
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The medical conference industry: selling exotic travel junkets, or useful education?
The AMA has been campaigning hard against changes to tax deductions for work-related self-education that are likely, amongst other things, to reduce the attractiveness of conferences in exotic locations. Paul Smith, political editor at Australian Doctor, has exposed one of the vulnerabilities of the AMA’s campaign with a story about its Queensland branch’s annual conference, [...]
READ MORESome advice for researchers and services wanting to improve Aboriginal health
Some suggestions for how researchers and health services might do a better job of engaging with Aboriginal patients and communities have come from a research project spanning rural, regional and remote NSW. The suggestions include taking time to develop trust and relationships (including with community members outside of the health sector), recruiting Aboriginal staff, and [...]
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Did Tony Jones and the Q and A team really mean to send this message about Indigenous health?
As Q and A wrapped up on Monday night, one particularly poignant tweet caught my eye. “Just tells you how much we don’t matter.” It was one of a series of tweets from a Wiradjuri woman, Kath Grant, who lives in Sydney (you can see them at the bottom of this post). She was disappointed [...]
READ MOREA conversation that needs to continue: what to do about the relatively small number of doctors who account for so many patient complaints
The online ecosystem, linking up journals, bloggers, mainstream media and researchers with the wider world, is bringing new opportunities for researchers to hear and learn from the responses to their findings. The article below documents some of the wide-ranging responses to a recent study which found that a small proportion of doctors account for a [...]
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Beyond the deficit model: wrapping up the #ruralhealthconf (and some happy snaps)
Strong commitment. Bright future. That was the theme of the recent National Rural Health Conference and it says a lot about why I was delighted to launch the Croakey Conference Reporting Service at this event. Rather than hammer on about the negatives of rural and remote health, much about this conference illustrates the power of [...]
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Online connections are critical for rural and remote health and healthcare #NBN
One of the clear themes from the National Rural Health Conference has been the importance of social connections and online support for health and wellbeing. On a related note, there have been many discussions about how social media is powering advocacy for rural and remote health, and the importance of online connections for health service [...]
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Recognising an “unsung hero” – and some vox pops from the National Rural Health Conference
The outstanding work of Karen West, an Aboriginal health worker from Mornington Island, has been honoured at the National Rural Health Conference, reports Marge Overs. And towards the bottom of the post, you will find short interviews with some conference attendees. *** Recognising a quiet achiever Friends of the Alliance have honoured Aboriginal health worker [...]
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It’s all just a social media and medicine storm in a teacup, says one surgical Tweeter
Online debate about doctors’ use of social media has been running hot in the wake of new guidance from the General Medical Council in the UK. In the article below, Sydney surgeon Dr Henry Woo (@drhwoo) suggests that many of the concerns amount to a “storm in a teacup”. *** “The vast majority of doctors [...]
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