more_vertIn this report on the first pilot year collection of national radiotherapy data, data were received from 53 (out of 72) service locations across Australia. These services contributed information about 47,700 courses of radiotherapy delivered in 2013–14.For non-emergency treatment, 50% of patients started treatment within 13 days and 90% started within 33 days. For those who needed emergency treatment, 90% began treatment within the emergency timeframe.
Preference: Administration and Health Services
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[Series] Controversies in faith and health care
Differences in religious faith-based viewpoints (controversies) on the sanctity of human life, acceptable behaviour, health-care technologies and health-care services contribute to the widespread variations in health care worldwide. Faith-linked controversies include family planning, child protection (especially child marriage, female genital mutilation, and immunisation), stigma and harm reduction, violence against women, sexual and reproductive health and HIV, gender, end-of-life issues, and faith activities including prayer.
[Series] Understanding the roles of faith-based health-care providers in Africa: review of the evidence with a focus on magnitude, reach, cost, and satisfaction
At a time when many countries might not achieve the health targets of the Millennium Development Goals and the post-2015 agenda for sustainable development is being negotiated, the contribution of faith-based health-care providers is potentially crucial. For better partnership to be achieved and for health systems to be strengthened by the alignment of faith-based health-providers with national systems and priorities, improved information is needed at all levels. Comparisons of basic factors (such as magnitude, reach to poor people, cost to patients, modes of financing, and satisfaction of patients with the services received) within faith-based health-providers and national systems show some differences.
Hearing health outreach services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in the Northern Territory: 2012–13 to 2014–15
This is the third annual report on hearing health outreach services provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in the Northern Territory, funded by the Australian Government. It reports on outreach audiology, ENT teleotology, and Child Hearing Health Coordinator services provided from July 2012 to June 2015. There is evidence to suggest the effectiveness of these programs in improving ear and hearing health among service recipients—of almost 1,000 children and young people who received multiple outreach audiology services in 2012–15 and who had hearing loss at their first service, one-third had no hearing loss at their most recent service.
Social Media for Health Professionals – Benefits and Pitfalls
Welcome to our doctorportal blog section. If you have a blog topic you would like to write for doctorportal, please get in touch!
I am an avid user of social media – mostly Twitter, Facebook, and WordPress – predominantly for educational and professional purposes. As a health practitioner, I am well aware that there are concerns about the use of social media for professionals, and that many are still reluctant to engage with social media for fear of getting in trouble, or simply because they can’t understand why they should bother. This is actually a really good place to start; safety, confidentiality and professionalism are of the utmost importance when it comes to health professionals using social media.
I was first introduced to Twitter for professional purposes during General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA)‘s “Breathing New Life into General Practice” conference (now the “Future of General Practice” conference) in early 2012, however I must admit that it took me a while to figure out the best way to use social media, rather than just for passing time with my short attention span! I have already recorded a 5-minute video podcast on this blog site regarding the how and why of social media for health professionals, so if this suits you better, you can find it here. Otherwise I am going to flesh out why I bother using social media as a rural GP in Australia in this post.
There are multiple reasons for engaging online with social media, including (but not limited to) medical teaching and learning, patient education and health promotion, advocacy, networking and staying up to date.
The most exciting aspect of using social media in my opinion is the expanding world of Free Open Access Medical Education (FOAM/FOAMed/FOAM4GP), especially for isolated rural clinicians. Believe it or not, there are hundreds of intelligent, highly skilled, altruistic health professionals out there who are willing to share their knowledge and skills with you. For free. No strings attached. Anytime, anywhere, via social media. The most enthusiastic and dedicated of these have been (and still are) those working in emergency, critical care and pre-hospital/retrieval medicine. Some of these greats include Dr. Mike Cadogan (@sandnsurf), Dr. Chris Nickson (@precordialthump) and the team at Life In The Fast Lane, Dr. Casey Parker (@broomedocs) of Broome Docs, Dr. Minh Le Cong (@ketaminh) of PHARM, and Dr. Tim Leeuwenburg (@KangarooBeach) of KI Doc. There is also an expanding group of enthusiastic GPs contributing to this space through the FOAM4GP blog or their own work, including Dr. Rob Park (@Robapark), Dr. Penny Wilson (@nomadicgp), Dr. Edwin Kruys (@EdwinKruys), Dr. Gerry Considine (@ruralflyingdoc) and Dr. Ewen McPhee (@Fly_texan) to name just a few! Some health professionals have concerns about the veracity and trustworthiness of information like this online. One could argue that peer review via social media is more rapid and critical than via any other means. Ultimately it is still up to the individual to critically appraise online information, just as they would with any other source of information.
Producing material for FOAMed is also a wonderful way to learn and stay up to date. In the lead up to the RACGP examinations in 2013, several GP registrars, including myself, shared information and ideas, as well as asking questions on Twitter, using the hashtag #GPexams13. I have since produced a blog post on my study tips for GP registrars as they prepare for their RACGP exams (I can’t comment on ACRRM examinations as I have not sat them).
Health promotion activities are so much easier these days with the rapid and broad dissemination of public health information via social media platforms. Advocacy campaigns are cheap, easy and extremely effective using social media. #scrapthecap, #interncrisis, #copaynoway are just a few of the more successful social media campaigns which have been responsible for positive changes in government policy. Grass-roots campaigns gain momentum quickly through social media. Two people taking advocacy to the next level on social media are Dave Townsend, medical student and aspiring GP (@futuregp) and Alison Fairleigh, passionate rural mental health advocate (@AlisonFairleigh). I encourage you to check out their extensive and powerful work online.
Professional isolation is a very real problem for rural practitioners, however social media has been a wonderful way to overcome this, through online networks of like-minded practitioners in similar situations, who can support one another and share ideas from afar. There are many different Tweet Chats, for example #hcsm (Health Care Social Media) and closed Facebook groups where health professionals can interact online to share ideas and support one another.
I mentioned earlier about my short attention span…sometimes it is nice to just be able to flick through the headlines on Twitter and pick and choose the articles that interest me to either read now or later. It is a quick and easy way to ensure that you stay up to date with medical news and politics as well as new research findings. The good thing about Twitter is that you can follow the people or companies that interest you, when you have time. One of the pitfalls of this, however, is social media addiction; we need to be wary of being antisocial whilst using so-called “social” media! Another pitfall is the ease and speed with which a person can send out a Tweet or a Facebook post. If you are going to post more than just an opinion or a quote, keep “The Credible Hulk” in the back of your mind, and make sure that you back up and reference your post with credible sources.
Finally, coming back to the safety concerns around professionals using social media. It comes down to common sense; if you wouldn’t say it in a crowded elevator, then don’t put it online. There are a multitude of social media policies and guidelines, indluding AHPRA guidelines. The social media guideline from the Canadian Medical Association is another useful document to have a look at.
In summary, social media use by health professionals has many benefits, including professional support and networking, education, public health promotion and advocacy. Use of social media requires a common sense approach, keeping basic guidelines for safety, confidentiality and professionalism in mind. It would be rather sad for people to decide not to use social media at all simply because of safety concerns. I encourage all health professionals to consider branching out into social media, as it is where a lot of our patients are. Have fun!
This blog was previously published on Dr Melanie Considine’s blog Green GP and has been republished with permission. If you work in healthcare and have a blog topic you would like to write for doctorportal, please get in touch.
[Comment] Religion and Ebola: learning from experience
The largest Ebola epidemic in history, in 2014–15, profoundly disrupted three west African countries that bore its brunt: Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.1 Effects include more than 10 000 deaths, more than 26 000 people infected,2 and high social and economic costs. Religious beliefs and practices shape (positively and negatively) ways of caring for the sick, patterns of stigma, and gender roles. Throughout the crisis, religious institutions have provided services including health, education, and social support.
Cost-effective GPs a health saving
A major study has found that the nation’s GPs are playing a vital role in holding health costs down, calling into question the Federal Government’s push to gouge money out of primary care to boost the Budget bottom line.
Sydney University health researchers have found that GPs are playing a crucial role in caring for aging patients with multiple and complex health problems, helping them lead longer and healthier lives at a fraction of the cost of other health systems, particularly the United States.
The conclusion is politically awkward for the Federal Government, which has targeted the health budget for cuts, claiming that Medicare expenditure is out of control.
The Government has imposed a four-year freeze on Medicare rebates, and Health Minister Sussan Ley has directed a review of the Medicare Benefits Schedule to achieve savings that can be ploughed back into general revenue.
The Minister has sought to justify the cuts by accusing doctors of manipulating and exploiting the Medicare system for personal financial gain – a line of attack that AMA President Professor Brian Owler has condemned as deeply offensive.
The latest report from the long-running Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) study being undertaken by the Family Medicine Research Centre backs AMA warnings that the Government’s attack on primary health care funding is misguided and will cost both patients and the country dearly.
The BEACH report found that the aging of the population is imposing an increasing burden on the health system.
While less than 15 per cent of all Australians are aged 65 years or older, they are twice as likely to see a GP, have a pathology test, see a specialist and be on medication as the rest of the population.
This is due, to a large extent, to the fact that they tend to have multiple chronic health complaints – the study found 60 per cent of them had three or more health problems, and a quarter had five or more.
And the health demands of older Australians are growing quickly – their use of GP time, diagnostic tests, medicines and referrals is expanding much more rapidly than their numbers would imply.
But, despite this, Australia’s total health spending as a proportion of GDP is on a par with countries such as Britain, Canada and New Zealand while achieving among the longest life expectancies in the world – and is far better than the United States, which spends double the amount but whose life expectancy is four years shorter.
The BEACH researchers attributed this world-class result to the work of the nation’s GPs and central role they play in the health system.
“One of the biggest differences between the health care systems in Australia and the United States is that primary care is the core of Australia’s system, with GPs acting as ‘gatekeepers’ to more expensive care,” they said. “If general practice wasn’t at the core of our health care system, it is likely the overall cost of health care would be far higher.”
The BEACH researchers said that the early diagnosis of health complaints and increasing life spans meant people were living longer with complex conditions, adding greatly to health costs: “This is the price Australia pays for good health, but we would argue this price is very reasonable”.
GPs are central to holding costs down, in large part because of the work they do in co-ordinating the care provided by hospitals, specialists, allied health professionals and community and aged care services.
The BEACH researchers said this coordinating role was crucial because it cut down on duplication of tests and helped ensure continuity of care – both considered vital in sustaining health and holding down costs.
They found that 98.6 of older patients had a general practice they usually attended – a de facto ‘medical home’.
“If our Government wants to make our health care system sustainable, it should invest in primary care to improve the integration of, and communication between, these different parts of the health system,” the researchers said.
“Further strengthening the role of general practitioners will reduce unnecessary interventions in the secondary and tertiary health sectors.”
Adrian Rollins
Fee-for-service should be part of new pay blend: doctors
Doctors and health organisations have demanded that fee-for-service must be retained as part of any overhaul of doctor payment arrangements amid concerns that other models of remuneration could create perverse incentives that would undermine patient health.
In a fillip for advocates who argue for a change in the way doctors are paid, a self-selected online survey of 995 individuals and organisations conducted by the Federal Government’s Primary Health Care Advisory Group found general support for a blended payment model that incorporated elements of fee-for-service, capitated payments and pay-for-performance.
But those surveyed cautioned that great care would need to be taken in designing a new payments system so as to avoid pitfalls and perverse incentives, such as the potential for doctors to focus only on activities that were rewarded, to cherry pick healthier patients rather than taking on those with chronic and complex conditions, to encounter greater red tape, and to subject practitioners to inappropriate criteria.
“There is support for a blended payment mechanism which recognises and caters for different complexities and levels of care needed,” the Group said in a communique reporting on the results of the survey.
“Within such an approach, there should be elements of care provision…where fee-for-service would remain an effective option. Payment mechanisms should also support ongoing engagement across the sector and disciplines to deliver better outcomes.
“Care should be taken as to not create perverse incentives, and concerns were raised about the risk of cherry-picking of patients in an enrolment model,” the communique said.
Earlier this year, the Advisory Group – chaired by immediate-past AMA President Dr Steve Hambleton – issued a discussion paper that canvassed a range of reforms to primary care, including methods of remuneration.
The Group said that while the fee-for-service model worked well in the majority of instances, it did not provide incentives for the efficient management of patients who required ongoing care.
Instead, it suggested alternatives included capitated payments, where GPs, health teams, practices or a Primary Health Network receive a set amount to provide specified services over a given period of time; or pay-for-performance, where remuneration is tied to the achievement of particular care outcomes; or some combination of all three.
The discussion paper also suggested changes to how care was organised and managed, including the creation of medical homes, GP-led team-based care, improved use of technology and upgraded techniques to monitor and evaluate care.
Not just fees
Regarding the creation of a health care home model of care, the survey showed strong support for the voluntary enrolment of patients with chronic and complex health conditions, though this was qualified subject to clarification of the mechanisms used to enrol patients, and the impact of enrolment, particularly on the patient’s ability to choose their doctor.
On the use of technology, the survey found there was, according to the Advisory Group, “general support” for the MyHealth Record system and the opt-out model of enrolment – something the Government is yet to settle upon.
The survey showed there was also general acceptance of reporting patient outcomes and general health status at the aggregate level, though any reporting system would need to take into account the different ‘starting points’ of patients, the effect of their own behaviour on treatment outcomes and the limits on improvement arising from social, economic and lifestyle factors.
The AMA has supported discussion about alternative remuneration models, including arrangements that would appropriately fund patient-centred and GP-led comprehensive, quality and coordinated care.
AMA Council of General Practice Chair Dr Brian Morton said recently that the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ Coordinated Veterans’ Care program provided a one possible model.
“This program supports GPs and the general practice team to proactively manage and coordinate primary and community care for Gold Card holders most at risk of an avoidable hospitalisation,” Dr Morton said.
Last year Dr Hambleton, while still AMA President, said that although there were shortcomings with the fee-for-service system, the risks of performance payment arrangements could not be ignored.
Dr Hambleton said there was already an imbalance in the existing rebate system that rewarded high patient turnover rather than extended consultations and team-based care, and warned any pay-for-performance system would need safeguards to ensure the quality of care was enhanced rather than undermined.
At the time, he said it should be a supplement to fee-for-service payments, align with clinical practice, be indexed, encourage appropriate clinical and preventive health care services and minimise administrative burden.
Current AMA President Professor Brian Owler said any change to GP remuneration must include increased Government investment and resources.
Professor Owler said the ongoing freeze on Medicare rebates, in particular, was putting primary health providers under intense financial pressure.
The Primary Health Care Advisory Group is due to present its final report to the Government by the end of the year.
Adrian Rollins
Dementia ‘flying squads’
Mobile ‘flying squads’ of clinical experts will soon be on-call nationwide to help aged care homes confronting crisis situations because of the violent or extreme behaviour of residents with dementia.
Health Minister Sussan Ley has announced $54.5 million will be used to establish Severe Behaviour Response Teams which can be called in on four hours’ notice to help aged care providers trying to cope with residents posing a significant risk to either themselves or others.
The Minister said the initiative was intended to help minimise the number of times aged care home residents with dementia are “unnecessarily” transferred to higher security or acute facilities.
“Like all of us, aged care residents are most comfortable in a familiar environment and this program will provide that helping hand to better manage people in their current community who exhibit severe behaviour because of their dementia,” Ms Ley said.
“This initiative will provide additional support in a crisis situation to residents, who may be hitting out at people around them, and manage their behaviour so they can remain in their familiar aged care home.”
Under the program the teams, to operate between 7am to 7pm seven days a week, will contact the aged care within four hours of receiving a call to discuss interim action, and within 48 hours will hold either a face-to-face or telehealth conference to work on immediate and longer-term care plans.
The support from the teams is in addition to the work done by the existing Dementia Behaviour Management Advisory Services, and is intended to focus solely on residents that pose a threat to themselves or others, such as hitting out at other patients or staff, breaking furniture or windows, ongoing aggressive behaviour and a history of attempting to leave.
The service, which will cover all Commonwealth-funded residential aged care facilities, will be established and operated by HammondCare, which Ms Ley said had a successful history of providing dementia care to high-need residents.
Under the contract, HammondCare is required to provide the same level of service across the country, regardless of location.
Despite the company’s expertise, the Government has emphasised that the teams will not be a substitute for existing emergency and mental health services.
“As is currently the case, all emergencies will be referred to the appropriate state-based paramedic service, who are responsible for providing an immediate emergency response,” the Health Department said.
More information about the Severe Behaviour Response Teams can be found at: https://www.dss.gov.au/ageing-and-aged-care/older-people-their-families-and-carers/dementia/severe-behaviour-response-teams-information-pack
Dementia research boost
The Federal Government has announced a second round of grants worth $43 million to fund research into the causes, effects, treatment and prevention of dementia.
Health Minister Sussan Ley said the grants, shared among 76 researchers, would help keep Australia at the forefront of international efforts to understand and tackle the devastating disease, which currently afflicts about 330,000 Australians.
Ms Ley said the $43 million was in addition to $35 million already committed to dementia research in August, and was jointly funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council.
The Shadow Minister for Ageing, Shayne Neumann, said the research funding boost was welcome, but called on the Government to release the results of a review into publicly-funded dementia programs that was due to report in June.
Mr Neumann said that, in addition to funding research, the Government should also be investing more into supporting those currently living with dementia and their carers.
Adrian Rollins
AMA in the News
Your AMA has been active on policy and in the media on a range of issues crucial to making our health system better. Below is a snapshot of recent media coverage.
Print/Online
Baby shaking on par with road toll, The Australian, 10 September 2015
New research shows shaking kills as many Australian babies and toddlers as car crashes. AMA President Professor Brian Owler said The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney was treating a case every month.
AMA urges surgeons to cut bullying, The Age, 11 September 2015
A Sydney senior surgeon whose comments on sexual harassment helped draw attention to widespread bullying in the profession has warned that it will be difficult to fix the problem. AMA President Professor Owler said it would be up to the current generation of surgeons to ‘‘break the cycle’’ of bullying, harassment, and discrimination in the profession.
Calling for review of health fund crisis, The Daily Telegraph, 12 September 2015
Health bodies are demanding a radical review of the private health system as health fund premiums skyrocket, hospital price gouge, and funds slash benefits. AMA President Professor Brian Owler demanded Federal Government intervention as he revealed NIB had removed more than 225 items from its schedule of medical benefits.
Boxer dies after title fight at RSL club, Sydney Morning Herald, 16 September 2015
A 28-year-old Australian boxer has died in a Sydney hospital after being knocked out in an IBF regional title fight. The AMA has released a position statement calling on boxing to be banned from the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games.
Medicare review placates AMA by agreeing to stagger changes, The Australian, 17 September 2015
The powerful AMA has won an early concession out of much-anticipated Medicare reforms, with the head of a review taskforce agreeing that recommend changes should be staggered to protect doctor and practice incomes.
‘Junk policies’: the private health cover ripoff, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 September 2015
Fewer than half of all private health insurance policies offer adequate cover for private hospital care, and many patients have no idea what their insurance includes, new figures show. AMA President Professor Brian Owler said policies that insured private patients in only public hospitals were junk policies and should not be allowed.
$20bn addiction to Medicare, Adelaide Advertiser, 28 September 2015
The cost of procedures covered by the Medicare Benefits Schedule has more than doubled to $20 billion a year over the past decade despite much smaller increases to Australia’s population. AMA President Professor Brian Owler said he agreed that Medicare needed to be modernised.
Authorisation to sedate ice addicts welcomed by the AMA, The Age, 28 September 2015
The AMA has welcomed new powers for emergency doctors and nurses to subdue violent ice addicts. AMA president Professor Brian Owler said doctors had already called for all hospitals to have appropriate security to deal with the increasing number of patients affected by ice.
BUPA, nib, Medibank back health review, Australian Financial Review, 29 September 2015
Health Minister Sussan Ley has dismissed the doctors’ lobby’s objections to a review of Medicare, saying the health care system is plagued by ineffective and unnecessary medical procedures and desperately needs reform. AMA President Professor Brian Owler accused Ms Ley of using the review to “cut health funding and health services” and “publicly attack the medical profession”.
Playing doctors and curses, Courier Mail, 29 September 2015
The Turnbull Government has cautioned patients against diagnosing themselves on “Dr Google” and then demanding unnecessary and costly treatments from medicos. AMA president Professor Brian Owler said it was wrong to attack doctors to try to justify cuts to Medicare.
Fees for all finished as uni plan gets the third degree, Adelaide Advertiser, 2 October 2015
Tony Abbott and Christopher Pyne’s controversial plan to allow universities to set their own fees has been dumped, in one of the first major policy shifts of the new Turnball Government. AMA president Professor Brian Owler welcomed the decision, and called on the Government to give students more certainty that degrees will not be priced out of reach.
Backing for RCH doctors, The Herald Sun, 12 October 2015
Victoria’s Health Minister Jill Hennessy has led a resounding show of support for the Royal Children’s Hospital’s demands that children be removed from immigration detention centres. AMA President, Professor Brian Owler, urged Mr Turnbull and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton to intervene.
Surgeon’s road safety plea, The Daily Telegraph, 17 October 2015
AMA President Professor Brian Owler said every new car should by law have autonomous emergency braking to stop rear-end car crashes.
Brain-injury teen stranded by beds deficit, Canberra Times, 23 October 2015
A teenage boy with a critical brain injury was blocked access to the Sydney Children’s Hospital for four days because there were not enough beds, his family was told. AMA President Professor Brian Owler said the incident highlighted that there was an issue with capacity in paediatric hospitals, both at Westmead and the Sydney Children’s Hospital.
Doctors resist camp return of asylum pair, The Age, 12 October 2015
Doctors at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital refused to discharge an asylum seeker and her child because the immigration department would have sent them back to detention at the expense of their health. AMA Vice President Dr Stephen Parnis said the association had a fundamental problem with keeping children in detention, and had been urging governments to look for any alternative to it for years.
Codeine medicines to be prescription-only next year, The Age, 2 October 2015
Common painkillers such as Nurofen Plus and Panadeine could soon require a doctor’s prescription after a shock decision by Australia’s drug regulator. AMA Vice President Dr Stephen Parnis backed the TGA’s judgement.
Radio
Professor Brian Owler, 2UE Sydney, 10 September 2015
AMA President Professor Brian Owler discussed new research which indicated that shaking kills as many Australian babies and toddlers as car crashes. Professor Owler said the Westmead Children’s’ Hospital treated a case every month.
Professor Brian Owler, 2UE Sydney, 28 September 2015
AMA President Professor Brian Owler talked through his concerns about the upcoming Medicare review and the approach that the Government was taking. Professor Owler believed it would lead to a cut to the number of services patients can access.
Professor Brian Owler, Radio National, 1 October 2015
AMA President Professor Brian Owler talked about the Turnbull Government shaking up the Medicare Benefits Schedule, with Health Minister Sussan Ley launching consultations on a review of nearly 6000 taxpayer-subsidised items on the schedule
Dr Stephen Parnis, 774 ABC Melbourne, 2 October 2015
AMA Vice President Dr Stephen Parnis talked about the rules changing around getting codeine from the chemists. Dr Parnis said the TGA, which determines what things need to put on prescription, has had an inquiry about over-the-counter medications which contain codeine.
Dr Brian Morton, ABC Gippsland, 7 October
AMA Chair of General Practice Dr Brian Morton talked about Mental Health Day and said that all employees were allowed to have ten sick days per year. Dr Morton said but it will still depend on the reason and what you will do with the sick days you will take.
Dr Stephen Parnis, 612 ABC Brisbane, 9 October 2015
AMA Vice President Dr Stephen Parnis discussed calls from health academics to ban energy drinks for people younger than 18 years of age. Dr Parnis said stimulants in the products could cause heart rates to reach dangerously high levels, arrhythmias, problems to blood vessels, difficulties sleeping or anxiety.
Dr Stephen Parnis, 3AW Melbourne, 11 October 2015
AMA Vice President Dr Stephen Parnis talked about Royal Children’s Hospital doctors protesting the detention of children in Australian detention centre. Dr Parnis said the AMA is very supportive of getting all children out of immigration detention and says they can’t see any good coming out of the situation.
Dr Brian Morton, Radio National. 21 October 2015
AMA Chair of General Practice Dr Brian Morton talked about the idea of shared doctor appointments. Dr Morton said privacy could be an issue in shared appointments.
Professor Brian Owler, ABC NewsRadio, 23 October 2015
AMA President Professor Brian Owler talked about a new domestic violence campaign being launched by the AMA. Professor Owler said doctors are being encouraged to report domestic violence.
Professor Brian Owler, 2UE Sydney, 23 October 2015
AMA President Professor Brian Owler discussed the Sydney Children’s Hospital turning away a teenage boy with a brain injury because there were not enough beds.
Television
Professor Brian Owler, Sky News Sydney, 27 September 2015
AMA President Professor Brian Owler talked about the Federal Government reviewing the Medicare system. Dr Owler said the AMA were willing to engage with the Federal Government, but says their discussion paper does not allow new procedures to be added.
Professor Brian Owler, Channel 9, 12 October 2015
AMA President Professor Brian Owler speaks to the Today Show about the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne remaining locked in a bitter dispute with the Federal Government over their refusal to discharge asylum seeker children.
Professor Brian Owler, ABC News 24, 23 October 2015
AMA President Professor Brian Owler talked about the AMA launching a new domestic violence campaign, including a video encouraging patients to confide in their GPs. Professor Owler said there were “far too many” cases of domestic violence, affecting both women and children.
Dr Stephen Parnis, ABC News 24, 28 September 2015
AMA Vice President Dr Stephen Parnis discussed a Four Corners investigation that claimed the medical profession was over-servicing patients and ordering wasteful and potentially dangerous scans. Dr Parnis denied that doctors were over-servicing, but said there was a lot the AMA agrees with when it comes to more judicious care.