Where have the questions gone?
The medical profession is not immune to societal trends, one of which is living in echo chambers where the only people you interact with are those who you agree with 100%. Read More...
Opinion
The numbers tell a story
While numbers can be manipulated (lies, damn lies, and statistics), raw numbers can tell a story. On January 31, the Productivity Commission reported “…total government recurrent expenditure for health services for the latest years covered in this report was $150.9 billion.” Public hospitals cost $90 billion in 2021-22, with primary and community health a mere $55.4 billion. Read More...
Transparency – a new approach
Over 20 years ago freedom of information (FOI) laws were applied to medical practices. Doctors became legally obligated to provide their files to patients making an FOI request. There was significant concern at the time, which largely proved to be misplaced. Relatively few requests have been made. Read More...
New beginnings
Most people have heard of Warren Buffet, the head of Berkshire Hathaway and investment guru (notwithstanding he does not accept that description). His long-term business partner, Charlie Munger, who is less of a household name, died in November – a month shy of his 100th birthday. In the same month, Henry Kissinger died having reached his ton, to use cricket parlance. Read More...
Focus on what matters
A person working in the automobile industry said recently that people were getting more hostile. He observed that before the COVID response he rarely saw signs saying, “abuse will not be tolerated”. It went without saying and, by the way, was not common. Read More...
Reflections on life
For all the health issues that we face, life expectancy in Australia continues to increase. According to the AIHW, a male born today can expect to live 81.3 years and a female 85.4 years. This is 30 years more that at the turn of the 20th century. Surprisingly the gender gap has widened from 3.7 to 4.1 years. Read More...
Gestational diabetes is serious
A recent article in The Conversation has stirred the pot by questioning the value of diagnosing and treating gestational diabetes in pregnant women. Bond University Professor of Medicine Paul Glasziou and University of Queensland Clinical Professorial Research Fellow Jenny Doust cited one in six pregnant women now diagnosed with the condition – a doubling of cases since new criteria was developed in 2010. Read More...
Action not words needed
Part of me is reluctant to go down this path as views are polarised. The other part says it is important for the exact same reason. Having spent three weeks this year in far flung regions of Australia doing Indigenous health checks, I have some observations. Read More...
