
GPs critical to improving diagnosis & management of rare diseases in Australia – September 17, 2015
Often occurring in childhood, rare diseases tend to involve substantial disability, compromised quality of life and premature loss of life. Furthermore, rare diseases can weigh heavily on families, health services and the community at large. Yet many health providers, policy makers and research funders appear to lack access to information and education, or choose to…

Recycling organs: a risky business or savvy strategy for tackling our national shortage of organ donors? September 11, 2015
With around 1,600 Australians on the organ donation waiting list at any given time, a shortage of organ donations across the nation has led doctors at Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital to transplant willing dialysis patients with the recycled and diseased kidneys of cancer patients. Despite being an extremely risky procedure, according to the ABC (September…

A Stroke Risk Assessment could save your life – September 9, 2015
This Stroke Risk Awareness Month we are posing the question – Are you at risk of stroke? Are you aware that stroke is the third most common cause of death in Australian men, ranking higher than prostate cancer, and the second most common cause of death in women, ranking higher than breast cancer. There’s a…

Discussion paper puts healthcare reforms on the agenda – August 6, 2015
In a discussion paper released on Tuesday, August 4, 2015 by the Federal Health Minister, The Hon Sussan Ley MP, chronic health, primary health providers and health system reform were put on the agenda. Developed by the Primary Health Care Advisory Group (PHCAG), which is headed by former AMA president, Steve Hambleton, the discussion paper…

Gaming – the future of health: August 2, 2015
Who are Australia’s biggest gamers? Perhaps 18-25 year old men, or teenage boys? According to Nick Bowditch, Founder of The Mentoring Club, and the only Australian to have worked for both Twitter and Facebook, our nation’s biggest gamers are mothers! Although somewhat surprising, an IGEA Digital Australia report released in 2014 revealed 81 per cent…