Anonymous NSW Hospital Blog

The latest issue of the British Medical Journal reports on how Australian hospital staff have set up an anonymous blog to voice concerns about cutbacks. Called "Who Will Speak for Us" the blog is being used to draw public attention to their concerns about cutbacks to service. The link to the blog is http://whowillspeakforus.blogspot.com/

The website says, "It has to be anonymous because all staff of Sydney West Area Health Service are required not to speak to the media as part of their employment contract. Where is the accountability of the system if staff are gagged?" The bloggers from Katoomba Hospital, west of Sydney, have taken elaborate steps to protect their anonymity.

Life Tables, Australia, 2006–2008

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released Life Tables 2006-2008. A life table is a statistical model used to represent mortality of a population. In its simplest form, a life table is generated from age-specific death rates and the resulting values are used to measure mortality, survivorship and life expectancy. NSW life tables for 2001-2003 onwards are also available at the ABS site.

Indigenous health report - concerns for males

The AMA has released its eighth Indigenous Health Report Card, this year putting the focus on the tragic state of health of Indigenous males - boys, adolescents and men. It found, for example, that an Indigenous boy born during 2005-2007 can expect to die at age 67, nearly six years earlier than an Indigenous girl, and 11.5 years earlier than a non-Indigenous boy born in the same period. Also, in 2004-06, Indigenous males were more than twice as likely to be hospitalised for mental health and behavioural disorders than non-Indigenous males.

Fourth National Mental Health Plan 2009-14

The fourth national mental health plan: an agenda for collaborative government action in mental health 2009-2014 has been released by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing. This plan identifies key actions and priority areas for developing "a mental health system that enables recovery, that prevents and detects mental illness early and ensures appropriate treatment and community support for all Australians with a mental illness."

The plan has five priority areas for government action in mental health:
* Social inclusion and recovery
* Prevention and early intervention
* Service access, coordination and continuity of care
* Quality improvement and innovation and
* Accountability - measuring and reporting progress.

Systematic reviews for Managers

The PPD/CCNC database is a searchable repository of over 800 systematic reviews about health policy, finance and management. Developed by McMaster University's Program in Policy Decision Making (PPD) in partnership with the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre (CCNC), this database provides links to abstracts, user-friendly summaries and full-text reports whenever possible.

"To help managers and policymakers find and use these reviews, we’ve identified as many management- and policy-relevant reviews as possible, categorized them in ways that will make it easy to retrieve citation details and summaries of them (whenever possible), and made the database available online."

Proposed Denticare scheme explained

The Parliamentary Library has released a Background Note providing an outline of the proposed Denticare scheme, including the dental services to be covered, cost estimates and financing arrangements. Responses to the proposal and some key issues for further discussion are highlighted.

Quality Care at the End of Life

Presentations from Palliative Care Australia Conference are now available for download. "Together! Cultural connections for quality care at the end of life", was held in Perth in September 2009 and has over 50 papers to look at including clinical, spirituality, rural, ethical, aged, paediatric and nursing issues . Run by Palliative Care Australia, they also have some excellent Resources to download on their website.

Alcohol & other drug treatment services in Australia

Alcohol continues to be the number one drug of concern for Australians seeking treatment for drug or alcohol issues, according to a report released on Saturday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2007-08: report on the National Minimum Data Set, found that treatment for alcohol issues has continued to increase, with treatment for alcohol comprising 44% of treatment episodes in 2007-08 compared with 38% in 2002-03. Alcohol treatment was followed by treatments for cannabis (22% of treatment episodes), amphetamines (11%) and heroin (11%).

Counselling was the most common form of treatment followed by withdrawal management.

Addiction, free will & self control

Download the transcript & audio "Addiction, free will & self control" from the ABC Radio National All In The Mind program. Join Natasha Mitchell and guests in a roundtable interrogation of how the brain sciences are changing our understanding of addiction, and the powerful consequences for notions of free will, responsibility and culpability. At the end of the transcript are some excellent references to recent articles, books and links to other relevant All in the Mind programs.

Centre for Evidence Based Practice Australasia

The Royal Melbourne Hospital continues to lead the way in developing online evidence based clinical knowledge resources by launching a virtual Centre for Evidence Based Practice Australasia . CEBPA is not a typical website but an evolving 'cloud' (or collection) of EBP resources from across Australia and New Zealand, with particular emphasis on Australasian content. The aims of CEBPA are:
1. to provide an additional layer of resources to that already provided by Australasian EBP sites,
2. to provide a central point for Australasia-wide EBP collaboration, learning and knowledge-sharing and
3. to facilitate the translation of (evidence-based) knowledge into action.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital Director of Education, A/Prof Peter Morley, said: “The CEBPA fills a gap in the current health infrastructure and potentially plays a major role in improving the quality of healthcare. There is also potential for saving costs across diverse areas of healthcare, with flow-on benefits in clinical audit, clinical governance and safety."

To view the CEBPA cloud, go to http://www.cebpa.info/ and click on Login, then follow the prompts. Once you have logged on you will then see an expanded Menu (as well as expanded discussion forums).

Patient Survey 2009 Statewide Report

The Patient Survey 2009 Statewide report has been released and summarises findings from the NSW Health Patient Survey, covering seven patient categories across the vast majority of public healthcare facilities in NSW. Surveyed patients were treated in February 2009 and the report is supported by each of nine NSW Area Health Services.

NSW Health has also made available the Patient Survey 2009 Summary in powerpoint form and details the experience of patients in 2009. It gives feedback about patient experience obtained from over 220,000 patients across NSW. 322 facilities/services across NSW participated in the 2009 survey.

NSW Government releases report on health reforms

The NSW Government yesterday released the first six month report of the independent panel set up to report on the implementation of the Caring Together reforms. The report also includes an audit on the progress of the reforms. “As described by John Walsh, the Government has moved swiftly to act and today six months on from the release of our Caring Together Health Action Plan for NSW, we are pleased to reach this milestone and release of the independent report,” Ms Tebbutt said.
However the Sydney Morning Herald headlines on November 19 state "Doctors sick of failure to fix ailing hospitals". "Since Peter Garling, SC, handed down his landmark report a year ago, calling for an urgent overhaul of the state's hospital system, little has changed on the ground, the survey conducted for the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Salaried Medical Officers concluded." AMA (NSW) President Dr Brian Morton said the Independent Panel’s review of the State Government’s Caring Together reforms highlighted the need to better engage health professionals in hospital decision making.

Australia's welfare 2009 is the ninth biennial welfare report of the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. It is a very comprehensive and authoritative source of national information on welfare services in Australia. Topics, and some of the key findings, include:

• Children, youth and families - 15% of Australia's children lived in jobless families in 2006


• Ageing and aged care - Home and Community Care (HACC) continues to reach the largest number of older clients in community care.


• Disability and disability services - The number of people with disability doubled between 1981 and 2003, to reach an estimated 3.9 million Australians.


• Carers and informal care - Most informal carers are women aged from 25-54 years, and they live with the person for whom they care.


• Housing and housing assistance - Current demand for affordable housing exceeds supply


• Homelessness - There are high rates of homelessness in regional and rural areas, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are over-represented in the homeless
  population.

Birth and Perinatal Death Statistics

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has recently released these two new reports:
3301.0 - Births, Australia, 2008: This publication contains statistics on perinatal deaths for Australia, 1999 to 2007. Australia has again set a new record for the number of births in a year, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). A total of 296,600 births were registered in 2008, surpassing the previous record years of 2007 (285,200 births) and 1971 (276,400).

3304.0 Perinatal Deaths Australia 2007: These datacubes present statistics on the number of perinatal deaths, for year of registration by state or territory of Australia, sex and cause of death classified to the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases (ICD). Perinatal deaths comprise stillbirths (fetal deaths) and deaths of infants within the first 28 days of life (neonatal deaths).

Bush Support Services

The Bush Support Services Line (formerly the Bush Crisis Line) is a 24 hour confidential telephone support service for workers, and their families, who work in health related services in remote and isolated situations. It is staffed by qualified psychologists with remote and cross cultural experience, is toll free and available from anywhere in Australia. (From: NRHA eforum 13 November 2009)

2009 AMA Indigenous Health Report Card

The AMA has released its eighth Indigenous Health Report Card, this year putting the focus on the tragic state of health of Indigenous males - boys, adolescents and men. Indigenous males are much more likely to die earlier from preventable causes than non-Indigenous males and Indigenous females. At every age - from boyhood to manhood - Indigenous males experince higher rates of diseases and conditions that are totally preventable. There is evidence that the loss of status, self-esteem and sense of purpose experienced by many Indigenous men is intimately bound up with their poor health as both a cause and an effect. In this Report Card, the AMA sets out some solutions to help improve the health and quality of life of Indigenous males, and gives examples of Good News Stories where innovative programs are providing healthier lifestyles for men and boys alike. (From: NRHA eforum 13 November 2009)

Anxiety website

Established by the National eTherapy Centre (NeTC) at Swinbourne University of Technology, and funded by the Federal Department of Health and Ageing, "Anxiety Online is a comprehensive online mental health service offering information, assessment and treatment programs ("eTherapy") for the anxiety disorders".

The website includes three main areas:

• Information: Information and resources for general anxiety and specific anxiety disorders.
• Clinical assessment: An online psychological assessment program which provides individual feedback on the nature of your anxiety problems and recommendations for what to do about it.
• Treatment programs: For each of the specific anxiety disorders, either self-help programs or Therapist-assisted programs are offered.

Public health expenditure in Australia, 2007-08

Australia’s spending on public health activities — those of a preventive, protective or health promoting nature — grew by 21% in 2007-08, according to a report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The report Public health expenditure in Australia 2007-08 shows total expenditure on public health was $2,159 million in 2007-08, or $102 per person on average. This was an increase of $444 million on what was spent in the previous year. The growth was mainly due to a large increase in expenditure on organised immunisation, specifically the implementation of the National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program.
Full report

Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB®) Has Added First Set of Nanomaterial Records

The National Library of Medicine® (NLM) Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) has added its first set of nanomaterial records. Nanotechnology is the study of matter on an atomic and molecular scale -- structures 100 nanometers or smaller. A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter. Like other HSDB records, the nanomaterial records are peer reviewed and contain information on toxicity, manufacturing and use, chemical and physical properties, environmental fate and exposure, and more. NLM Resource announcement (From: NLM New files for the week of Nov 2, 2009)

Caesarean Sections - Health Report feature

Last Monday, ABC's Health Report presented the first of a two part series about Caesarean Sections. You can podcast, listen or read the transcript of Part One on their website, and tune in for Part Two next Monday on Radio National at 8.30 am.

Caesarean sections are becoming more common. In Australia one in three babies are born this way, and once a mother has one caesarean she has at least a 50% chance of having another one in a following pregnancy. In about 18% of cases the Caesarean is performed for no medical reason but because the mother has requested it, and the worry is that there can be serious consequences for both the mother and the baby. Part one looked at reasons for the rise in this type of birth and interviewed mothers and obstetricians who defended the right to choose. Next week's episode will look at the risks and consequences of the increase in caesareans.

Training for rural and remote allied health professionals

SARRAH (Services For Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health) provides an online Remote and Rural Transition Toolkit, aimed specifically at training allied health professionals in the special requirements for rural and remote practice. "This toolkit will be useful for a range of Allied Health Professionals entering the remote and rural context, including students on clinical placement, graduates commencing work, or experienced practitioners commencing work in a remote or rural area for the first time."

This education project was funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and it includes a swathe of resources, learning modules, competencies, personal stories, and a discussion forum.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, 2008

This publication (ABS Cat 4714.0) presents summary results from the 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey (NATSISS). The survey was conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) from August 2008 to April 2009, collecting information from approximately 13,300 Indigenous Australians living in private dwellings in remote and non-remote areas, including discrete communities. The 2008 NATSISS provides information on a range of demographic, social, environmental and economic indicators, including: personal and household characteristics; geography; language and cultural activities; social networks and support; health and disability; education; employment; financial stress; income; transport; personal safety; and housing. Information from the 2008 NATSISS contributes to existing data on Indigenous people and the formulation of government policies and legislation. (From National Rural Health Alliance eforum 3/11/09)

Doing it tough: Carers in rural Australia

Doing it tough: Carers in rural Australia - Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS)A groundbreaking study of carers in regional and remote Australia has revealed that those living in drought-affected areas are less likely to be employed full-time. The Australian Institute of Family Studies has undertaken the study - The Tyranny of Distance? Carers in Regional and Remote Areas of Australia - on behalf of Carers Australia and Commonwealth Financial Planning. It is the first study in Australia to look at carers in rural and regional Australia, and the first to examine the impact of the drought on carers employment. (From National Rural Health Alliance eforum 3/11/09)

Cutting through: using health information technology for effective chronic care delivery

Cutting through: using health information technology for effective chronic care delivery. Could it be that Australia is finally on a path that will lead us forward on the e-health agenda after all the false starts we have encountered over the last decade? This report was prepared in early 2009 by Information Integrity Solutions (IIS) for the Health Information Exchange Sub-Committee to report to the Australian National Consultative Committee on e-Health (ANCC on e-Health). It was prepared in response to the increasing need to cut through the difficult issues arising in relation to chronic care and to find a sustainable, effective and efficient solution. (From National Rural Health Alliance eforum 3/11/09)

Nutrition and preventative health in Indigenous futures

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), in conjunction with the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health (CRCAH), hosted the 3rd National Indigenous Science and Research Roundtable entitled "Nutrition and Preventative Health in Indigenous Futures" on 4th-5th August 2009 in Adelaide, South Australia. This Roundtable fulfilled a commitment to the delegates from the inaugural Roundtable, held in Broome in July 2008, to hold future discussions with a focus on health and nutrition for Indigenous Australians. (From National Rural Health Alliance eforum 3/11/09)

What do Aboriginal women think is good antenatal care?

What do Aboriginal women think is good antenatal care? This report documents the first phase of the research project entitled Developing a Health Information System to Support Continuous Improvement in Antenatal Care for Aboriginal Women in the Central Australian Region. The project consisted of four major elements: a literature review; consultations with Aboriginal women; quantitative investigative components; and the implementation and trial pilot of a health information system for antenatal care in the primary health care setting. (From National Rural Health Alliance eforum 3/11/09)