Health Report - Separate stories podcast

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au

Two cases of Nipah virus have been identified in India, but this isn't the first outbreak of the bat-borne disease. The World Health Organization says there's a low risk it will spread beyond India. Also, the Victorian Government makes a controversial decision that could see people with ADHD receive six months worth of medication over the phone. ReferencesNipah and Hendra Viruses: Deadly Zoonotic Paramyxoviruses with the Potential to Cause the Next Pandemic - PMCUrgent ADHD Top-Up Prescriptions Even Easier And Cheaper

Becoming unwell is stressful enough, but now patients are fighting back on the financial stress that often follows.Close to one in five Australians say they’ve delayed or cancelled specialist appointments or surgeries because of the cost.On top of that, half of Australians say medical costs have caused them stress, and some report receiving unexpected bills that sometimes seem unrelated to their care.Patients are calling on the federal government to make reforms to reduce high prices and address “bill shock”.Guest/sDr Adam Triggs, partner at economics advisory firm Mandala, ANU  Crawford School of Public PolicyProfessor Jennifer Martin, pharmacologist and president of the Royal Australasian College of PhysiciansLuan Lawrenson-Woods, women's health advocate and host of the Regarding Me podcastNick Verry, oesophageal cancer survivor and consumer advocate for upper GI cancersHayleyGreg NewbeginStatement from the Medical Oncology Group of Australia:MOGA is cognisant of the impact out of pocket expenses has on patients suffering with cancer and the significant stress this adds to an already overwhelmingly challenging time in people’s lives. When considering out of pocket expenses for our patients, we Medical Oncologists need to be mindful of the direct costs (e.g. specialist fees and drug costs) and indirect costs (e.g. the cost of tests, travel, etc).  We as a individuals within the speciality have control of our own fee structure.  We note the Grattan Institute Special Treatment - Improving Australians' access to specialist care, where it points out that the vast majority of Oncology services are performed by Specialists working in the public system and that the median out of pocket cost to see an Oncologist is $0 in 2023.  This doesn't diminish the fact that many of our patients face significant financial pressure as they navigate their diagnosis and treatment.  MOGA advocates for improved outcomes for Australian patients facing a cancer diagnosis.  This included exemplary clinical care and support of our patients.  We agree with many of the recommendations in the Grattan Report to ensure timely, appropriate and with minimal cost, access to Medical Oncology Specialist services Australia.ReferencesRestoring affordable access to specialist care in Australia

Getting sick more often in the first few years of life can have flow-on effects throughout childhood, according to a new study.Children who caught more infections before the age of three went on to get sick more often, and use more antibiotics.It raises the question – should we be doing more to protect toddlers, rather than treating recurrent colds as a part of growing up?Guest/sDr Linny Kimly Phuong, a paediatric infectious diseases physician based in MelbourneReferencesBurden of Infections in Early Life and Risk of Infections and Systemic Antibiotics Use in Childhood

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au

The government has announced it will establish a database that provides a complete picture of a patient's medicines history. At the moment, this information is only available for high-risk medications. Also good news in the first year of the Shingrix vaccine rollout to protect against the painful shingles virus. And a Cochrane review casts doubt on the use of medicinal cannabis for chronic nerve pain. ReferencesFirst step towards a national medicines recordNational medicines database promised after telehealth 'doctor-shopping' leads to overdoseUptake of Shingrix vaccine in its first year on the National Immunisation Program: an analysis of Australian Immunisation Register dataCannabis‐based medicines for chronic neuropathic pain in adults

ChatGPT is about to open up its dedicated health AI bot, and it has people wondering about the safety of relying on Big Tech for this advice. Many people already turn to AI for health tips, and help in decoding dense medical language. While there can be positives, experts are concerned about the speed at which these platforms are moving — as regulation struggles to keep pace. Guest/sProfessor Enrico Coiera, Director for the Centre of Health Informatics and Macquarie University

There are many reasons someone might need to terminate a pregnancy.At the moment women should be able to access medications up to nine weeks.But in some locations and some clinics there are barriers that can significantly delay care.How can access be improved, and why aren’t medical abortions offered beyond nine weeks?Guest/sProfessor Danielle Mazza, head of the department of general practice at Monash University and director of the SPHERE Centre of Research ExcellenceReferencesSafety and efficacy of early medical abortion at home between 10+0 and 11+6 weeks' gestation: a retrospective review

Fat has gotten a bad wrap, but one expert is determined to educate people on its importance.Fat cells are responsible for storing energy, insulating, protecting delicate tissues and producing the appetite hormone leptin.Professor Stephen O’Rahilly argues the fat cell is not to blame for the harms of obesity. Instead, the harms come when the fat cell becomes overwhelmed.Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly delivered the Charles Perkins Centre capstone the Nicholas Catchlove Lecture 2025.Guest/sSir Stephen O'Rahilly, professor of clinical biochemistry and medicine at the University of Cambridge

A look at some of the Health Report correspondence this week.You can email us at healthreport@abc.net.au