Causes of Death, Australia

This publication contains preliminary summary statistics for doctor certified deaths which accounted for 86.7% of all deaths in 2009. Published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, final results for 2009 will be available in Causes of Death, Australia, 2009 (cat.no. 3303.0) which is due for release in 2011.

Reducing alcohol and other drug related harm

High rates of AOD consumption and related harm are both a consequence of, and contribute to, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The harmful use of AOD (that is, any use that impacts negatively on the health, social and emotional wellbeing of users themselves and others) is a significant public health problem for the Australian community as a whole and incurs significant economic costs. Dennis Gray and Edward Wilkes of Closing the Gap Clearinghouse have written a Resource Sheet "Reducing alcohol and other drug related harm" available here.

Health Expenditure Australia

'Health expenditure Australia 2008-09' examines expenditure on different types of health goods and services in the decade to 2008-09. The report published by the Australian Insititute of Health and Welfare, describes funding by the Australian Government and state governments, private health insurance and individuals; compares health expenditures in the different states and territories; compares Australia's spending with other countries.

Diabetes in pregnancy:

A new report "Diabetes in pregnancy: its impact on Australian women and their babies" was published by the AIHW today.
Diabetes is known to adversely affect women and their babies during pregnancy, labour and delivery. These adverse effects differ by type of diabetes and between population groups. This report is the first to explore these differences among Australian mothers and their babies at a national level, showing that:
1. diabetes affects about 1 in 20 pregnancies;
2. mothers with pre-existing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, and their babies, are at highest risk of adverse effects;
3. mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus, and their babies, are also at increased risk;
4. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and their babies are more likely to experience adverse effects than non-Indigenous mothers and their babies.
This report is a useful resource for policymakers, researchers, clinicians and others interested in the effect of diabetes on the health of Australian mothers and their babies.

Australian Health Survey 2010

Examining how Australians view their health care system, this paper presents the results of a telephone survey of a representative sample of 1201 Australians. The Menzies‐Nous Australian Health Survey 2010 provides valuable insight into the views held by Australians about their own health, the Australian health system and affordability of health and aged care services.
The survey was conducted by the Menzies Centre for Health Policy and The Nous Group (Nous) on July 2010 and asked questions on the following subjects:
* satisfaction with the health system;
* support for health reform;
* access to health care services;
* confidence in services;
* affordability of health care.
Read the results and releases here.

Apparent Consumption of Alcohol, Australia, 2008-09

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has published 'Apparent consumption of alcohol, Australia, 2008-09' which provides estimates of the apparent consumption of alcohol based on the availability of alcoholic beverages in Australia. It provides estimates of the quantity of pure alcohol available for consumption from beer, wine, spirits, and ready to drink (pre-mixed) beverages, plus estimates of the total volume of beer and wine available for consumption.

The publication also provides estimates of apparent per capita consumption, the total apparent consumption for the total population aged 15 years and over. The population of 15 years and over is consistent with methodology used internationally for measuring trends in apparent consumption over time. (ABS 4307.0.55.001)

Australia's Mothers and Babies 2008

In 2008, 292,156 women gave birth to 296,925 babies in Australia. The increase in births continued, with 2,720 more births (0.9%) than reported in 2007. This is the second year that the rate of caesarean section has not significantly increased with a 0.2% rise from 30.9% in 2007 to 31.1% in 2008. The details are contained in the report 'Australia's mothers and babies 2008' (AIHW catalogue number (PER 50))

The Horizon Report 2010 Australia - New Zealand

The Horizon Report Australia - New Zealand is now available. This report is part of the New Media Consortium's Horizon Project, a comprehensive research venture established in 2002 that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact over the coming five years on a variety of sectors around the globe. This volume examines emerging technologies for their potential impact on and use in teaching, learning, and creative enquiry within higher education in Australia and New Zealand over a five-year time period. This is the third in the annual series of reports focused on higher education in the region.

Involvement in Organised Sport and Physical Activity, Australia

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has released a report outlining the involvement of Australians in organised sport or physical activity during the 12 months prior to April 2010. People between the ages of 15 and 24 years had the highest playing participation rate (38%) and overall participation rate (39%) while people aged 35 to 44 had the highest participation rate in non-playing roles (15%). Detailed information from the survey is available from the ABS website (cat. no. 6285.0). It includes the characteristics of persons involved; characteristics of involvement; and comparison over time.

Dental Reports from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has recently released the following dental reports:

• Age and the Costs of Dental Care - Data from the National Dental Telephone Interview Survey 2004-06 and the Longitudinal Study of Dentists' Practice Activity 2003-04 was used to explore the relationship between age and the costs of dental care. Generally, dental costs rise with age until declining in the older age groups (75 years and over). (AIHW catalogue number (DEN 203))


• Trends in Access to Dental Care among Australian adults: in brief - The trends in dental care among Australian dentate (have some natural teeth) adults from 1994-2008 are investigated in this report, drawn from the National Dental Telephone Interview Survey (NDTIS) conducted in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2008. It compares the services received by those eligible for public dentistry and those who are not. (AIHW catalogue number (DEN 205))


• Socioeconomic variation in periodontitis among Australian adults 2004-06 - The prevalence of periodontitis (inflammation of the tissue surrounding teeth) and its variation by socioeconomic status is explored, adjusting for age and sex. Data from the National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004-06 was used in this report. (AIHW catalogue number (DEN 207))


• Self-rated Oral Health of Adults - Adults were asked to rate their oral health in the 2008 National Dental Telephone Interview Survey (NDTIS) and this report examines their responses by various demographics including age, sex, education and private dental insurance status. (AIHW catalogue number (DEN 206))


• Trends in Access to Dental Care Among Australian Teenagers - The trends in dental care among Australian teenagers from 1994-2008 are investigated in this report, drawn from the National Dental Telephone Interview Survey (NDTIS) conducted in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2008. It compares the services received by those eligible for public dentistry and those who are not. (AIHW catalogue number (DEN 191))

These reports are not available in print. They are available on the Internet only.

National Mental Health Report 2010

The National Mental Health Report 2010, which is the eleventh in the series, presents the latest data on progress made under the National Mental Health Strategy. The report provides a fifteen year view of trends and performance at the national and state and territory levels, over the period scanning the First, Second and Third National Mental Health Plans from 1993 to 2008. Extensive information is presented that describes changes in the resources and structure of mental health services in Australia since the commencement of the strategy. (Department of Health and Ageing)

Health acronyms

Have you ever needed quickly interpret one of those pesky acronyms, so prominent in the health field? Here are some online sites which may be useful to bookmark:

PHC-RIS Acronyms includes over 1000 acronyms related to Australian general practice and primary health care.

Acronyms of Australian Medical-related Organisations has been put together by the Australian Government

Medical Abbreviations Dictionary - from Medilexicon in the US. Has over 200,000 abbreviations and acronyms, including Australian ones.

Patient-centred care report

Patient-centred care: improving quality and safety by focusing care is a discussion paper from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.
Based on national and international movements towards patient-centred policies in health care, (and taking into account Australia’s health care system, with its mix of public and private sectors), various recommendations are outlined:

• Patient-centred care should be considered a dimension of quality in its own right.
• Nationally standardised patient survey tools should be implemented
• Patient surveys should include questions specifically addressing patient centred domains
• Performance-based payments should include "improving patient care experience" as an indicator
• Data regarding patient care experience in health services should be made publicly available on the Internet.

Health of Australians with a Disability

The AIHW has released Health of Australians with a Disability : health status and risk factors. This bulletin is the first in a series about health of Australians with disability. It examines how health problems affect health status of people with disability in Australia with a focus on prevalence and age at onset of some significant long term health conditions and relevant health risk factors and behaviours.

Guidelines for doctors using social media

The AMA has just released Social Media and the Medical Profession : A guide to online professionalism for medical practitioners and medical students. A joint initiative of the Australian Medical Association Council of Doctors-in-Training, the New Zealand Medical Association Doctors-in-Training Council, the New Zealand Medical Students’ Association and the Australian Medical Students’ Association, they aim to provide some practical advice to ensure that professional standards are maintained.

"Although doctors and medical students are increasingly participating in online social media, evidence is emerging from studies, legal cases, and media reports that the use of these media can pose risks for medical professionals. Inappropriate online behaviour can potentially damage personal integrity, doctor-patient and doctor-colleague relationships, and future employment opportunities. Our perceptions and regulations regarding professional behaviour must evolve to encompass these new forms of media."