Making Sense of MS Research

Making Sense of MS Research is a new web site for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their family members who are looking for information about the evidence of treatments for MS. It may also be helpful for health professionals, and is aimed at assisting people in their informed decision making and self management.

Community GrantGuru

Community GrantGuru is Australia's largest free searchable listing of nation-wide grants and funding programs for community-based and not-for-profit organisations. Community GrantGuru covers grants and funding sources for arts, sport, community services, environment, community infrastructure, health, multicultural projects, and much more!

Report on Government Services 2013

The Report on Government Services 2013 is produced by a Steering Committee of senior officials from Australian, State and Territory governments for the Council of Australian Governments (COAG). The Report promotes awareness about the performance of the full range of government services and helps drive improvements in design and delivery.

Health chapters include :

Health sector overview

Chapter 10 Public hospitals

Chapter 11 Primary and community health

Chapter 12 Mental health management

Also released with the report are attachment tables and data quality information (DQI's) as well as a number of fact sheets on topics including Ambulance events, Maternity services, Public hospitals, Primary and community health services, Mental health management , Aged care services and Services for people with disability.

Provided there's transport: Transport as a barrier to accessing health care in NSW

Provided there's transport: Transport as a barrier to accessing health care in NSW is a new report by the Council of Social Service of NSW (NCOSS).Transport plays a vital role in enabling access healthcare. Yet for many people, it is a major barrier; impacting their ability to receive the health care they need.

In 2012, following consistent reports from the social and community services sector highlighting health transport as an ongoing and growing concern, NCOSS hosted two health transport workshops in Sydney and Lismore to examine the current state of play. Participants expressed frustration at the lack of support for health transport and concern over a widening gap. Funding for health transport has failed to keep pace with demographic changes, and transport needs continue to be largely ignored in the delivery of health services.

This report documents the issues raised during these workshops and draws on the existing literature to demonstrate that the key issues relating to health transport have not been addressed, and provides recommendations towards a more efficient and equitable health transport system.

Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing : the latest in Australian nursing research

The latest online issue (v. 30 No. 2) of "The Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing" is now available

Featured articles in the latest issue are :

* Documentation in a PICU setting: Is a checklist tool effective?

* Research and evidence based practice in a rural Victorian cohort

* Incidence of phlebitis in patients with peripheral intravenous catheters

* Human factors in nursing: the time is now

* Discovering Constructivist Grounded Theory's fit & relevance to researching contemporary mental health nursing practice

* Recognition of prior learning: Credit transfer for ENs studying in the Bachelor of Nursing programs

* How competency standards became the preferred national technology for classifycing nursing performance in Australia

Dental workforce 2011 (AIHW)

Dental workforce 2011

The number of dental practitioners registered in Australia in 2011 was 18,803, of whom 14,179 were dentists. The supply of employed dentists increased from 50.9 to 56.1 full-time equivalent practitioners per 100,000 population between 2006 and 2011, which reflected a 22.4% increase in dentists. The gender balance continued to shift, with women making up 35.6% of dentists in 2011 compared with 29.0% in 2006. The average hours worked each week by dentists decreased slightly from 38.5 to 37.4.

Media release

Medical workforce 2011 (AIHW)

Medical workforce 2011 shows that the supply of employed medical practitioners in Australia increased from 344.6 to 381.4 full-time equivalent practitioners per 100,000 population between 2007 and 2011, which reflected a 10.7% rise in practitioner numbers. The gender balance continued to shift, with women making up 37.6% of practitioners in 2011 compared with 34% in 2007. Specialists-in-training in the public sector worked the most average hours per week (47.6) while general practitioners in the public sector worked the least (20.5).

Media release

National pregnancy, birth and baby helpline launches new website

The Australian government's Pregnancy, Birth and Baby helpline has launched its new website to strengthen its existing service. The launch of the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby website improves access to expert help and support for women, partners and families and is a response to a growing demand amongst first-time Australian mothers for this information to be available online.

"Recent trends show that first-time mothers are increasingly using the internet as a principal research tool for health and well-being information" said Mr Colin Seery, Chief Executive Officer of Healthdirect Australia. "The broadening of the national Pregnancy, Birth and Baby service therefore ensures that it caters to an audience more comfortable with searching for information on the internet, as well as those seeking the personal touch of a phone call" said Mr Seery.

The Pregnancy, Birth and Baby website features a user friendly interface with 130 pages of content from trusted and approved partners.

Australian hospital statistics 2011-12: Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in Australian public hospitals

From the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare:
Australian hospital statistics 2011-12: Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in Australian public hospitals

In 2011-12, all states and territories had rates of hospital-associated Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) below the national benchmark, with rates ranging from 0.7 to 1.3 cases per 10,000 patient days. There were 1,734 cases of hospital-associated SAB reported for Australia, which occurred during approximately 18.5 million days of patient care. View the media release and download the full report for free online

Cervical cancer and safety monitoring guidelines data release

From The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare: Cervical cancer and safety monitoring guidelines In Australia, over 2 million Pap tests are performed each year with the aim of detecting abnormal cells and reducing illness and death resulting from cervical cancers. This data release assists in monitoring the health outcomes of women as a result of policy changes to clinical guidelines for the management of women with abnormal Pap test results.

Review of Cardiovascular Health among Indigenous Australians

This review of the cardiovascular health of Indigenous people has been prepared by the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet. The main purpose of the review, which follows the model of narrative reviews/syntheses, is to provide a comprehensive, authoritative, up-to-date review of the cardiovascular health of Indigenous people that (1) is a valuable up-to-date overview for people working in the area; and (2) assists in the development/refinement of policies, strategies and programs.

Family Focus : breaking the circle of depression & anxiety (Free DVD)

Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler has launched a new DVD for parents with mental illness across the country. Mr Butler said over a million Australian children live in a household where at least one parent has a mental illness and this was a significant indicator that a child may grow up with their own mental health challenges.

"It is estimated that up to 23% of children live in a household where mental illness is experienced and these children obviously face some unique challenges," Mr Butler said."We're encouraging parents to be open and talk about their mental health issue with their children andthe DVD is designed to help start the conversation."

Funded by the Australian Government, the DVD, called Family Focus, is based on an approach developed by US-based Dr William Beardslee, an internationally acclaimed specialist in mental illness prevention and was developed in collaboration with Australian psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, researchers and Australian parents and children with lived experience of parental depression/anxiety.

The DVD is available for free from the Family Focus website and may also be watched online.

Order form for Family Focus

Press release

Watch on You-Tube

Increased telephone support for Aboriginal people to 'get healthy'

Aboriginal people across NSW will have increased access to information and support about healthy eating, physical activity and weight management through a new telephone service launched by the Minister for Healthy Lifestyles, Kevin Humphries. Mr Humphries said the NSW Aboriginal Get Healthy Service is a free, confidential telephone service that will assist Aboriginal people to make healthy lifestyle changes and close the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

"This Aboriginal-specific telephone service provides Aboriginal people with free one-on-one coaching and goal setting from qualified health professionals to help set healthy lifestyle goals, overcome barriers and setbacks, maintain motivation and achieve long-term lifestyle changes." Mr Humphries said the NSW Government has developed this service to further address the inequitable health outcomes of Aboriginal people within NSW and ensure that programs are better designed to meet the needs of Aboriginal people across the State.

For more information about the Get Healthy program call 1300 806 258 (0800-2000 daily) or visit the Get Healthy website

Press release

Evaluation of the All Children Being Safe Tamworth Pilot

Evaluation of the All Children Being Safe Tamworth Pilot This publication presents the evaluation findings of the All Children Being Safe program piloted with primary school children aged five to eight years in the Tamworth region in 2011-12.

The nature and extent of sexual assault and abuse in Australia

The nature and extent of sexual assault and abuse in Australia (ACSSA Resource Sheet) This ACSSA Resource Sheet summarises the available statistical information about the nature and extent of sexual assault and abuse in Australia. It draws on Australian data sources, and provides information on the prevalence of sexual violence as well as characteristics of victimisation and perpetration. Because sexual assault and abuse are significantly under-reported this Resource Sheet describes the limitations associated with these collections. It also describes how we can use data that examine sexual victimisation in high-risk populations.

Improving policy and practice response for men sexually abused in childhood

Improving policy and practice response for men sexually abused in childhood ACSSA Wrap No. 12 A significant number of men in Australia are victim/survivors of child sexual abuse. While a growing number of services offer therapeutic support and counselling for men, the issue of men's sexual victimisation has not become a public policy issue. This ACSSA Wrap suggests that conceptualising and responding to male sexual victimisation as a public health issue, will help to improve community responses to men and their families.

Family structure and child maltreatment: Do some family types place children at greater risk?

CFCA Paper No. 10 Family structure and child maltreatment: Do some family types place children at greater risk? This paper reviews the research on whether some family structures expose children to a higher risk of child maltreatment than others. It aims to assist practitioners and policy-makers who work with children and families to make evidence-informed decisions