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Identifying risky drugs for older people
Open Forum | February 6, 2024Australian researchers have developed a list of 16 potentially dangerous medications used in healthcare for older people and suggested a range of safer alternatives.
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Modernising Medicare
Anthony Scott | February 3, 2024As Medicare turns 40 years old this month, it’s important to reflect on its achievements, and also what needs to be done to remodel it.
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Their foot’s in the door
Ben Knight | January 27, 2024While The Last of Us remains a work of fiction, real-life scientists are worried about rising rates and severity of fungal infections worldwide.
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Green mental health
Alan Stevenson | January 24, 2024Getting out into nature helps people improve their mental health – and bringing nature back into our cities can reduce crime.
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Best foot forward
Open Forum | January 18, 2024A randomised control trial has found that “gamified” step exercises at home helped prevent falls for people over 65 by over a quarter, compared to a control group.
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The return of COVID
Adrian Esterman | January 12, 2024COVID is now seen as a minor inconvenience, rather than a global health threat, but a new variant is surging across the world and only 20% of older Australians are up to date with their booster shots.
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Eight weeks to less stress
Open Forum | December 29, 2023A little compassion can go a long way in life, and just eight weeks of a new compassion and mindfulness-based program has made a world of difference to those with post-traumatic stress symptoms.
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Gene genies
Merlin Crossley | December 18, 2023The UK and US have both approved a gene editing therapy to overcome the genetic mutation that causes sickle cell disease, heralding a new age of gene editing to treat congenital genetic conditions.
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What ails Australia?
Open Forum | December 14, 2023Mental health and substance use disorders are now the second largest group of diseases causing illness and premature death in Australia, according to a report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
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Lack of trust inhibits health data sharing
Open Forum | December 12, 2023A lack of trust between institutions in Australia is a bigger hurdle to the easy sharing of health and social welfare data than perceived state legislation obstacles – which researchers say has little detrimental effect in Australia.
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Mental health goes digital
Jacinthe Flore | December 10, 2023The isolating effects of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 were a springboard for fast-paced, data-driven, technologically delivered changes in mental health care, led by new firms taking advantage of sluggish progress by traditional services.