Physical activity across adulthood: why long-term investigations matter
People may take up or drop exercise habits during the life course, but these long-term patterns of activity may be associated with different risks of early death.
Opinions
Exploring a new medicines management framework
Despite ongoing efforts to improve the communication of medicines information across the health system, medication errors at transitions of care persist. Each year in Australia, 250 000 hospital admissions are due to medication-related errors, costing our healthcare system an estimated $1.4 billion. More than half of medication errors occur at transitions of care.
Invasive meningococcal disease: a patchwork of protection leaves Australians at risk
Why is it that different states and territories have different policies on meningococcal B vaccination?
Mental health in crisis: Australia cannot wait
For almost two decades, the Australian Medical Association’s Public Hospital Report Card has tracked the health of our public hospital system, and in the past four years, dedicated mental health editions of the report have highlighted the unique challenges patients face when accessing mental healthcare in public hospitals.
When AI is in the room: rethinking the medical conversation
The consultation room has a new participant. It arrives when patients pull up ChatGPT-generated symptom analyses. It appears when we use GenAI to check drug interactions or draft letters. And it's always listening when ambient AI scribes document our conversations. Whether acknowledged or not, GenAI is fundamentally changing what happens in the consultation room.
Industrial Manslaughter in Medicine: It Only Ends with Us
Under new industrial manslaughter laws, a doctor’s suicide linked to workplace mental injury may no longer be just a tragedy – it can be a crime. All medical workplaces, colleges, medical defence organisations (MDOs) and the AMA must unite to address systemic WHS breaches and to strengthen, coordinate and fund evidence-based suicide prevention initiatives in medicine. Failure to do so may expose individuals and organisations to catastrophic penalties including imprisonment – but, more importantly, cost more doctors’ lives.
Newborn screening and genomics: from hype to reality?
Adding genomic testing to newborn screening programs can expand them to cover hundreds of conditions and is getting closer to reality with multiple pilot studies internationally publishing early results.
Updated MS criteria help clinicians diagnose earlier and with more confidence
The updated McDonald Diagnostic Criteria for MS have now been published, offering clinicians new tools to support earlier diagnosis, reduce uncertainty, and improve outcomes for Australians affected by the disease. Adoption into clinical practice is expected to follow as awareness and access to diagnostic tools grow.
Coercive control puts children at risk of emotional abuse and long-term mental illness
Children’s experience of domestic violence is commonly framed in the context of physical violence; however, new research highlights how parental coercive control plays a critical role in shaping long-term wellbeing.
