We’ll be measured by how we help the vulnerable

Disasters don’t affect people equally; they hit the poorest people the worst, and the coronavirus will be no different.

Understanding the social consequences of chronic back pain

Efforts to help people who suffer from chronic back pain must acknowledge their diminished sense of functional capability and encourage them to accept help from others without damaging their sense of self worth.

When the pain is the practitioner

Chiropractors aren’t doctors and manipulating the spine can be highly dangerous. While the vast majority of chiropractors don’t attract complaints, those that do attract a worryingly high number. 

Are we mishandling the treatment of chronic disease?

With nearly half of all adults in some countries experiencing more than one chronic disease, some people simply can’t afford the treatment or drugs they need.

Loneliness is bad for your health

Research shows that people who feel lonely and experience social isolation have more health problems, feel worse and perhaps die at an earlier age. Quality of life can be greatly enhanced by engaging people in the community.

Australia needs a moratorium on genetic tests for life insurance

Australian Life Insurers will no longer be able to use predictive genetic test results in underwriting, if recommendations tabled by a Parliamentary Inquiry into Life Insurance are adopted.

Better education and monitoring should reduce harm from opiods

Painaustralia is calling for better education and awareness around opioid use for pain management, in light of evidence of significant harms and increasing use of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain.

The new drive to reduce smoking in Aboriginal communities

A new scheme is set to launch in 30 health services across Australia with the challenging aim of helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women not only understand the dangers of smoking during pregnancy, but to ultimately quit for good.

Australia needs a colonoscopy wait-time guarantee

Julien Wiggins, the Chief Executive Officer of Bowel Cancer Australia, calls for a colonoscopy wait-time guarantee to address delays in diagnosing Australia’s second biggest cancer killer.

Precision healthcare and genomics: The delicate balance between what to ask and what to tell

Precision healthcare and genomics could improve health outcomes and reduce costs, but care must be taken to avoid over-diagnosis and allay needless anxiety.

Sydney lock-out laws cut emergency room casualties

Controversial lockout laws introduced in 2014 in inner Sydney to prevent alcohol-fuelled violence have cut injuries, visits to emergency rooms and assaults on hospital staff.

The obesity paradox – myth or reality?

The ‘obesity paradox’ that suggests overweight people may enjoy some protection against heart disease has been challenged by a new population study. Can people really be ‘healthy at every size’?