The Medical Journal of Australia

Today we discuss how doctors can help reduce psychological distress among patients after cardiac surgery.   My guests are Snezana Stolic, a senior lecturer of nursing and William McCann, a PhD student in psychology, both at the University of Southern Queensland.    Read more: https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2024/4/managing-psychological-distress-following-cardiac-surgery/   With MJA news and online...

Today we are discussing the deadly impact of wood heater smoke in the ACT and across eastern and southern Australia.    My special guest is Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis from the University of Canberra.    Read more: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2024/220/1/wood-heater-smoke-and-mortality-australian-capital-territory-rapid-health-impact   With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 14 mins

Today we discuss the importance of Australia’s national bowel cancer screening program, including rates of program participation and the need to maintain public confidence in it.    My guests are Professor Mark Jenkins and Associate Professor Belinda Goodwin.   Read more: https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2023/43/misunderstandings-about-bowel-cancer-screening-programs-dangerous/   With MJA news and o...

Today we are discussing heart valve disease as part of Heart Valve Disease Awareness Week.   My special guests are Dr James Roy and Associate Professor Kaleab Asrress, who are structural and interventional cardiologists from Sydney. This podcast is sponsored by Medtronic Australasia Pty Ltd.      With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 17 mins.

Today we are discussing the prevalence of Australians exposured to potentially cardiotoxic cancer medications.    My special guests are Dr Benjamin Daniels and Dr Maria Aslam.    Read more: https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2023/44/listen-to-your-heart-how-cancer-medications-affect-cardiovascular-health/   With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 16 mins.

Today we are discussing a supplement published in the Medical Journal of Australia about tracking the health and wellbeing of children and young people. The supplement is sponsored by Vic Health.    My guest is Dr Kate Lycett, a senior research fellow at the Faculty of Health in the School of Psychology at Deakin University, who co-authored the supplement.    Read more: https://www.mja.com.au/jour...

Today we are discussing socio-economic status and water fluoridation in Queensland.    My special guest is University of Queensland biostatistician, Mr Christopher Sexton.    Read more: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2024/220/2/socio-economic-status-and-access-fluoridated-water-queensland-ecological-data   With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 11 mins.

Today we are discussing Australia’s health system from the perspective of health economics, including the problems in the system, the challenges to reform, and how to improve affordability.  My special guest is Professor Tony Scott, the Director of the Centre for Health Economics at Monash Business School. With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 12 mins.

Today we are discussing the updated position statement on chronic cough in Australia.  My guest is Associate Professor Julie Marchant, a paediatric respiratory physician at the Queensland Children’s Hospital and a research fellow at the Centre for Children’s Health Research in Brisbane. Read more: https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2024/220/1/cough-children-and-adults-diagnosis-assessment-and-manageme...

The importance of medical record management – including legal obligations, codes of conduct covering patient records, and key things for doctors to remember.    My special guests are David Maddocks, a senior lawyer and partner with Perry Maddocks Trollope, and Dr Owen Bradfield, the Chief Medical Officer for the Medical Indemnity Protection Society, which sponsored this podcast.    With MJA news a...

Today we are discussing iron deficiency in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with Dr Sam Heard, the medical director of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress.  This podcast is sponsored by Viatris.  With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 15 minutes. 

Today we are discussing iron deficiency in the general Australian population, with Professor Arumugam Manoharan, a specialist physician in clinical haematology at St George Private Hospital in Sydney.   This podcast is sponsored by Viatris.    With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 23 mins.

How clinicians can help improve the care and treatment of culturally and linguistically diverse patients.    My guest is Associate Professor Reema Harrison, a Cancer Institute NSW Career Development Fellow from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University.    Read her article: https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2023/34/clinicians-must-adapt-their-approach-to-culturally-or-ling...

Today we are discussing new Australian guidelines for diabetes related foot disease.    Associate Professor Pete Lazzarini is a podiatrist and a conjoint Principal Research Fellow at Metro North Hospital & Health Service and QUT in Brisbane.    Professor Stephen Twigg is a Clinical Academic, and the Kellion Professor of Endocrinology and Stan Clark Chair in Diabetes at the University of Sydney...

Today we are discussing the new Australian Cancer Plan, released last week by Australia’s national cancer agency Cancer Australia.   The plan aims to improve cancer outcomes for all Australians, and particularly for people have the poorest health outcomes.     My special guest is Cancer Australia CEO, Professor Dorothy Keefe   Read more: https://www.australiancancerplan.gov.au/   With MJA news and...

Today we are discussing the urgent need to improve access to dental care for Australia’s children to diminish the burden of disease.   My guests are Professor Sharon Goldfeld, a paediatrician, and Dr Mihiri Silva, a consultant paediatric dentist.    Read their article:  https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2023/33/improving-australian-childrens-access-to-dental-care-vital-to-diminish-burden-of-disease/...

Today we are discussing the experiences of Australian and New Zealand doctors who have received disciplinary notifications or have been investigated by the regulator due to alleged mental health impairment.    My special guest is Dr Owen Bradfield, the Chief Medical Officer for the Medical Indemnity Protection Society, which sponsored this podcast.   Read more: https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...

Today we are discussing the National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce, featured in the latest MJA supplement published on Monday 16 October 2023.     My special guests are the National Indigenous Kidney Transplantation Taskforce (NIKTT) deputy chair, Professor Jaquelyne Hughes, and NIKTT National Community Engagement Coordinator, Ms Kelli Owen.  Read the supplement: https://www.mja.com....

Today we are discussing the new cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk guidelines and calculator.    My special guests are Professor Garry Jennings AO, the Chief Medical Advisor of the Heart Foundation, and Professor Mark Nelson, chair of the Discipline of General Practice at University of Tasmania.    Learn more: https://www.cvdcheck.org.au/   With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 14 mins.

Today we are discussing improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.    My special guest is Professor Fiona Stanley, a prominent epidemiologist, public health researcher and former Australian of the Year.    With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 21 mins.

Today we are discussing new research into breast cancer and rare cancers.    My special guests are Professor Peter Baade, a biostatistician and the senior manager, of descriptive epidemiology and Dr Kou Kou, the senior research officer (epidemiology), both at Cancer Council Queensland.    Read their breast cancer research: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja2.52091 Read about thei...

Today we are discussing improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outcomes and the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum.   My special guest is Professor Ian Anderson who is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Tasmania.   He trained as a medical doctor and was the first Indigenous Australian to be appointed as Deputy Vice Chancellor of an Australian university.   ...

Today we are discussing a recent study looking at lower urgency care in the emergency department, and the suitability of general practice care as an alternative.   My special guest is Associate Professor James Mallows, who is director of emergency medicine research at Nepean Hospital and is also a senior emergency physician there.   Read his research: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.56...

Today we are discussing the mental health of young Australians and what can be done to change the health system.    My special guest is Professor Pat McGorry, a psychiatrist and executive director of Orygen. He was named Australian of the Year in 2010.    Read his research: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja2.52047   With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 16 mins.

Today we are discussing improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes and the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum.    My special guest is Professor James Ward, an infectious diseases epidemiologist and the Director of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Queensland.   With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 15 mins.