Behind the smokescreen

Smoking still kills 24,000 Australians every year, but vigorous lobbying and large political donations from the companies which profit from it mean that more stringent public health measures to stamp it out are few and far between.

They can’t hold your genes against you

A new law will stop life insurers from using “protected genetic information” to discriminate against people when underwriting policies or rejecting claims.

Nervous breakthrough

Re-framing “nervous system overload” as chronic stress can help to identify some more affordable, evidence-based ways to cope such as rest, meditation and exercise.

The heart of AI

Digital transformation and artificial intelligence in healthcare requires a range of safeguards and standards to work well, but new research from Flinders University provides support for effective AI systems to improve cardiovascular care.

After antibiotics

Antibiotics transformed medicine in the 20th century and saved countless lives but their overuse in medicine and factory farming has reduced their effectiveness, and big pharma companies have not invested in their replacement, leaving people increasingly vulnerable to infection.

Testing the virtual clinic

The University of Melbourne’s Validitron SimLab is a purpose-built clinical simulation lab where new digital tools are tested in realistic scenarios before reaching real patients or staff.

Medicare’s mental health check

Medicare Mental Health Check In doesn’t offer the instant back-and-forth of a chatbot. But it does offer something a chatbot can’t: an evidence-based program designed by experts and supported by a caring human.

Revamping vaccinations

The Australian College of Nursing is calling on the Federal Government to take a fresh approach to vaccinations, as a perfect storm of declining coverage, record-high influenza rates, and circulating vaccine-preventable diseases demands urgent action.

Aged health after COVID

The COVID-19 pandemic uncovered glaring gaps in healthcare for older people. Now, with an increasingly older population, Australia needs to come to terms with its ageism.

The tooth that ate my pay packet

The high cost of dental work in Australia puts many people’s health at risk.

Regulating medical AI scribes

Many doctors feel that AI scribes make them more efficient, but without proper oversight, who’s looking out for patient privacy, consent and the potential risks that follow?

A vaccine for Alzheimer’s?

A routine shot in people’s 40s or 50s might one day prevent the “protein rust” of Alzheimer’s from ever taking hold.