Here’s a way to end “health bill shock”

A minority of greedy private doctors are bringing private medicine into disrepute, and reigning in their excesses would help restore public confidence in mixed healthcare.

Coach potato nation

Australians like to think of themselves as a sporty, active, outdoors nation, but in reality our young people are among the least active in the world, a trend which can only contribute to disease and obesity in the future.

Counting the true cost

Suicide statistics of non-Indigenous Australians are underestimated by 15 to 50 per cent, owing partly to coroners being confined to a binary finding of suicide or not suicide, and their desire to spare the dead person’s family the stigma of the act.

Closing the gap in blindness

While the roadmap to “Close the Gap for Vision” is working to improve the eye health of Indigenous Australians, there are still areas that need greater attention.

Physician, heal thyself

Professional societies of doctors, surgeons or physiotherapists are more likely to recommend against treatments provided by others, according to new research.

Learning from Denmark to reduce teenage self-harm

Denmark’s success in reducing teenage self-harm suggests that positive social media and more support services can offset the pressures of school and work which can drive young people to damaging behaviours.

No chance to dream

Artificial light and the use of technological devices are disrupting our natural patterns of sleep, and could be taking a heavy toll on our health.

Run for your life

There‌ ‌would‌ ‌be‌ ‌substantial‌ ‌improvements‌ ‌in‌ ‌population‌ ‌health‌ ‌and‌ ‌longevity if‌ ‌more‌ ‌people‌ ‌took‌ ‌up‌ ‌running – and‌ ‌they‌ ‌wouldn’t‌ ‌have‌ ‌to‌ ‌run‌ ‌that far‌ ‌or‌ ‌fast.

Linking national heath data should boost Aussie health services

The creation of a national data linkage resource will improve health services and policy, as well as providing essential information on comparative effectiveness of treatment strategies.

Older people still shun mental health support

New research has found that more than 40 per cent of older Australians with chronic disease would be unlikely to seek help for mental health conditions even if they needed it.

Evidence based policies can reduce drug harm

Australian experts are calling for evidence-based policies, which adapt faster, and respond more humanely and effectively, to new drugs and their changing availability and patterns of use.

Heartburn drugs can do more harm than good

A new UNSW study has found that national initiatives were unsuccessful in reducing prolonged use of anti-acid medicines for gastrointestinal acid-related disorders and more targeted interventions are needed.