How can Australia usher in the new wave of immunotherapy cancer treatments?
A new wave of immunotherapy cancer treatments are on our doorstep. And they have the potential to revolutionise the way we treat cancer. Read More
Department of Health
After the royal commission, how will the aged care industry respond?
The recently announced Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety will bring into the stark light of day the systemic failures by parts of the sector to provide some of our most vulnerable citizens with even the most basic level of adequate care. Read More
Parliamentary Librarian ‘did not feel pressured’ to revise My Health Record post
Dr Dianne Heriot, the head of the parliamentary library, is adamant that she independently decided to revise a blog post about how law enforcement agencies could access My Health Record data following complaints from Health. Read More
Opinion: privacy concerns on My Health Record need to be addressed
Ultimately, My Health Record is a system which people may or may not choose to use, but the fear is that it could be used against them. Read More
Office of the National Health Funding Pool Administrator vacant for three months
The office of the National Health Funding Pool Administrator has been in a holding pattern, unable to publish its reports and with nobody acting in the role, since Peter Achterstraat completed his term of appointment at the end of March. Read More
Removing the private bias in the public hospital system
Private patients are increasingly using their health insurance to get early access to high-demand hospital treatments in public hospitals – forgoing long waiting times and queue jumping public patients. Read More
The flu vaccine is being oversold – it’s not that effective
Winter has started, and with it, flu season. Inevitably, all of us (young, old and sick) have been implored to be immunised against influenza, with … Read More
Early warning: are health professionals getting crucial patient messages in time?
Betters ways to receive early warning of health deterioration before a transfer to intensive care occurs are urgently needed. Good technology in other wards goes a long way to meeting that challenge. Read More
The relationship between hospitals and industry is changing: and it needs to
At Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, whose collaboration with Philips spans 30-plus years, the introduction of new technology in hospitals plays a valuable role in attracting talent and creating an environment where technology motivates and drives people to learn and grow. Read More
Why innovation and efficiency don’t need to compete for better healthcare outcomes
Good healthcare technology advances diagnosis and treatments. The best solutions deliver holistic efficiency, faster insight and accuracy that maximises both benefits and finite funds. Read More
Single aged care regulator broadly welcome, major reform stays on the backburner
This week's aged care reform continues the tradition of federal governments tinkering at the edges of the heavily regulated and mostly taxpayer-funded sector, but putting off a major overhaul of its old-fashioned funding model. Read More
Giant federal data integration project accepts 14 ways to improve privacy and security
The federal government’s Multi-Agency Data Integration Project has gone through an independent privacy impact assessment, and the six big agencies involved have agreed to 14 recommendations for improvement. Read More
Meetings that actually get things done? It’s not a fantasy
The culture of how people in government come together is shifting fast as intelligent technology empowers productivity and interactions that produce actions and outcomes. That’s a good thing. Read More
Health breached Privacy Act with open data, but risk to patients dismissed by OAIC
The Department of Health breached the Privacy Act by publishing open data, according to a ruling made last week by former information and privacy commissioner Timothy Pilgrim, a day before his retirement. Read More
The feds have caught data fever but does the public share the enthusiasm?
The federal government is clearly sold on big data and is combining massive stores of sensitive public information. It needs to bring the public along but while privacy concerns abound, there's little sign that many Australians share the enthusiasm. Read More