Family violence prevention programs in Indigenous communities

The following report describes the latest levels of family violence in Indigenous communities. It has shown that family violence continues to be under-reported. The complexity of different issues made it hard to evaluate. The report discusses which strategies have been succesful. There is also a good bibliography on the topic.

Family violence prevention programs in Indigenous communities

Launch of the #JustJustice book alongside calls to action

Professor Tom Calma at the #JustJustice launch

The #JustJustice book was launched in Sydney recently and politicians and policy makers were urged to 'read and absorb' its advice for stopping the over-incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.The book compiles more than 90 articles from more than 70 contributors published over the past 18 months at Croakey, since more than 300 donors contributed to the crowdfunding campaign that concluded in mid-2015.

About the #JustJustice Book with further links

Download available from this page

Aboriginal workforce strategic framework: taking the next STEP UP in growing a strong and culturally supported Aboriginal workforce 2016-2020

The NSW Health Good Health – Great Jobs: Aboriginal Workforce Strategic Framework 2016 – 2020 (the Framework) is intended to support Local Health Districts, Specialty Health Networks and other NSW Health organisations to grow and to develop their Aboriginal workforce. Building on the previous Framework (2011-2015), it sets out the Aboriginal workforce development priorities and desired outcomes for NSW Health for the period 2016 - 2020 and the key actions that need to be taken to achieve these priorities and outcomes.

The Framework is structured around six key priorities areas:

1. Lead and Plan Aboriginal Workforce Development
2. Build Cultural Understanding and Respect
3. Attract, Recruit and Retain Aboriginal staff
4. Develop the capabilities of Aboriginal staff
5. Work with others to achieve workforce priorities
6. Track our achievements and improve results.

Food security and health in rural and remote Australia

Food security and health in rural and remote Australia by Fiona Brooke of the National Rural Health Alliance describes and analyses the prevalence of food insecurity in Australia and the consequent adverse implications for the health and productivity of individuals and communities. It proposes options aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of Australians who experience food insecurity. It notes the role of the agricultural sector in addressing Australian food security. It also highlights the prevalence of food insecurity in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Physical health and mental wellbeing: evidence guide (Mental Health Commission of NSW 2016)

Improving the physical health of mental health consumers is becoming a priority area for clinicians and policymakers, yet the practical steps needed to achieve this are less clear. This guide aims to provide a summary of the evidence regarding what measures need to be taken to improve the physical health of people living with mental illness. It discusses the evidence for comprehensive lifestyle interventions to help improve the physical health of consumers living with severe mental illness. It provides evidence from proven strategies to improve access to physical health services, as well as health promotion, prevention and early intervention for people with coexisting mental and physical health issues.

Physical health and mental wellbeing: evidence guide

Women's health survey 2016

Women's health survey 2016: understanding health information needs and health behaviours of women in Australia by Jean Hailes For Women's Health, was a national survey of 3236 women and health professionals of differing ages, cultural backgrounds and from a range of metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas across Australia.

Women reported five main health concerns.These health concerns included weight management, female-specific cancers, mental and emotional health, menopause and chronic pain. Women that responded to the survey appear to be in good health and are mostly invested in doing the right thing for their health. Over half of all women reported that they are most likely to compare their body to family and friends as opposed to comparing their bodies to models, athletes, media figures and actors. On average women visited the doctor 3-5 times per year, with only a small number of women not visiting the doctor at all in the last 12 months.

Mental Health in rural Australia

This fact sheet by the National Rural Health Alliance reveals that the reported prevalence of mental illness in rural and remote Australia appears similar to that of major cities. Access to mental health services is substantially more limited than in major cities, and country people are less likely to seek help. Tragically, rates of self-harm and suicide increase with remoteness.

http://ruralhealth.org.au/sites/default/files/publications/fact-sheet-mental-health-2016.pdf

Insights in Recovery: A consumer-informed guide for health practitioners working with people with eating disorders

Insights in Recovery: A consumer-informed guide for health practitioners working with people with eating disorders was developed by the Butterfly Foundation with funding from the Mental Health Commission of NSW. The resource provides guidance for health professionals of all kinds on how to adopt a person-centred, recovery-orientated approach to working with people with anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders. It was developed by researchers based on feedback they gathered from people with lived experience of eating disorders on what helped and hindered their recovery.

The recommendations in the Guide include:

* Establish a shared understanding of recovery
* Help individuals talk about their eating disorder
* Help individuals feel safe
* Use mindful language
* Help individuals find their identity beyond the eating disorder
* Integrate choice into treatment decisions
* Encourage the use of healthy supports in everyday life
* Listen and incorporate the perspectives of those with lived experience

About the guide.

Spatial distribution of the supply of the clinical health workforce 2014: relationship to the distribution of the Indigenous population (AIHW)

Spatial distribution of the supply of the clinical health workforce 2014: relationship to the distribution of the Indigenous population uses a new measure developed by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare - the Geographically-adjusted Index of Relative Supply (GIRS) - to examine the geographic supply of the clinical health workforce in seven key professions with particular relevance to Indigenous Australians. These professions were general practitioners, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, dentists, psychologists and optometrists. Areas with lower GIRS scores are more likely to face workforce supply challenges than those with higher GIRS scores. The GIRS scores were compared with the distribution of the Indigenous population to assess the extent to which Indigenous people live in areas with lower relative levels of workforce supply.

Download report: Spatial distribution of the supply of the clinical health workforce 2014: relationship to the distribution of the Indigenous population

Eye Health web resource

The Australian Indigenouse HealthInfo Net has set up an Eye Health Web Resource for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The tools and information on this page are set up to support health professionals and students of eye health in this group. They include links to programs and projects, reviews of the literature, relevant policies, health promotion resources and information about the workforce in this field - training, conferences and job opportunities.

Research reveals Flying Doctor role in Indigenous child health

Most people associate the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) with outback farmers, but new research released today reveals 1 in 3 RFDS aeromedical retrievals are for Indigenous Australians, 14% of these children under the age of five.

The research reveals the key reasons for RFDS aeromedical retrievals from remote Indigenous communities as being for:
> 17.9% for injury or poisoning;
> 14.4% suffering a stroke, heart attack or disease of the circulatory system;
> 12.8% having pneumonia, asthma or other disease of the respiratory system.

1 in every 5 aeromedical retrievals of Indigenous people suffering respiratory illness were under one year of age. 40% were below school age.

"This research is a first for the RFDS. It warns Indigenous children are over-represented in aeromedical retrieval data. Preventable or manageable illnesses such as pneumonia, asthma and croup are leaving kids so ill the only option is to fly them to hospital," said Martin Laverty, CEO of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia.

The research outlines illness and injury rates requiring a sample of 17,606 to be flown from remote communities to hospitals over a three year period. It points to how illness and injury can be prevented and how health services can improve Indigenous health care.

Providing aeromedical retrieval care to remote Indigenous communities: Lara Bishop, Martin Laverty and Lauren Gale

Better Cardiac Care measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: second national report 2016 (AIHW)

Better Cardiac Care measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: second national report 2016 reports on the 21 Better Cardiac Care measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with updated data available to report on 11 measures. For some of the measures, a better or similar rate for Indigenous Australians compared with non-Indigenous Australians was apparent, while on other measures, higher rates of ill health and death from cardiac conditions and lower rates of in-hospital treatment services among Indigenous Australians were evident. A number of measures suggested improvements for Indigenous Australians over time; examples include a decline in the death rate due to cardiac conditions and an increase in the proportion who received an MBS health assessment.

Download report: Better Cardiac Care measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: second national report 2016

Emergency department care 2015-16: Australian hospital statistics (AIHW)

In 2015-16:

* There were about 7.5 million presentations to public hospital emergency departments;
* 74% of patients received treatment within an appropriate time for their urgency (triage) category;
* 73% of patients spent 4 hours or less in the emergency department;
* 2.2 million patients were admitted to hospital from the emergency department, and 49% of these were admitted within 4 hours.

Media release: Despite continued increases in activity, emergency department waiting times are relatively stable

Download report: Emergency department care 2015-16: Australian hospital statistics

Gut bacteria increases type 2 diabetes risk

The major contributors to insulin resistance (a forerunner to type 2 diabetes) are recognised as excess weight and lack of physical activity. But publication of ground-breaking research by an international team in the journal Nature suggests that there is much more to the story and it could change the way we view treatment and prevention.

Beginning with 277 people without diabetes and 75 with type 2 diabetes (but still able to produce insulin), the team led by Helle Krogh Pedersen monitored the blood concentrations of over 1200 metabolites and combined this with a detailed analysis of the gut bacteria for each participant.

They discovered that people who were insulin resistant had elevated blood levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). BCAAs originate from ingested food or gut microbial synthesis, and have been previously associated with incident type 2 diabetes, and normalisation of BCAA levels has been observed after bariatric surgery.

They also found that the main drivers of elevated BCAA in those people were two bacteria; Provotella copri and Bacteroides vulgatus. Lesser roles in insulin resistance were also played by E.coli, Suterella wadsorthensis and unclassified Sutterella and Prevotella species.

More information and links

Diabetes : State of the Nation

To mark World Diabetes Day (14 November) Diabetes Australia released a new State of the Nation report documenting policy and funding action by both the federal and state/territory Governments.

Diabetes Australia CEO A/Professor Greg Johnson said it was important to assess Australia's progress in responding to the challenges of the diabetes epidemic.

The new report also updates the growth and impact of the diabetes epidemic in the past year, noting that:

• 100,105 Australians were diagnosed with diabetes in the past year

• 1,211,251 Australians are currently living with diabetes

• Around one third of all these people will develop diabetic retinopathy and damage to their eyes

• 36,198 women diagnosed with gestational diabetes in the past year

• 383,439 Australians with diabetes needed insulin injections every day (or insulin pump therapy).

• an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 have undiagnosed, silent type 2 diabetes

• an estimated 2 million Australians have prediabetes and are therefore at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes

• 4,400 diabetes related amputations of toes, feet or limbs have been performed

• 3,500 people with diabetes needed kidney dialysis

• 840,000 hospitalisations related to diabetes

Press release

Diabetes: state of the nation Report

Australian atlas of healthcare variation

An online Interactive Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation developed by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, covers the areas of:

* Antimicrobial dispensing
* Diagnostic interventions
* Surgical interventions
* Interventions for mental health and psychotropic medicines
* Opioid medicines
* Interventions for chronic diseases.

The interactive atlas provides an easy interface to all the content in the Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation, including the availability of data in easy-to-download formats. Users are able to look at maps of Primary Health and Local Hospital networks and compare their areas with state, national and sometimes international rates.

Reposted from HealthInfo Blog

Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2016

Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2016 report measures the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

This comprehensive report card measures where things have improved (or not) against 52 indicators across a range of areas including governance, leadership and culture, early childhood, education, health, home and safe and supportive communities, and includes case studies on things that work to improve outcomes.

Indigenous Australians are becoming more disadvantaged, with alarming increases in imprisonment rates, mental health problems and self harm, according to the report.

The Commission's Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage report says despite some positive trends, the plight of Indigenous Australians has "stagnated or worsened" in critical areas of wellbeing. Among the findings, the national Indigenous imprisonment rate has surged by 77 per cent over the past 15 years and the hospitalisation rate for self harm is up by 56 per cent over the past decade.

Download the report, and supporting material

Indigenous Australians' wellbeing 'stagnating or worsening', Productivity Commission report reveals (ABC)

Solutions that work: addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide rates

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project has released their report into indigenous suicide rates. "Solutions that work: what the evidence and our people tell us is a milestone in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing," said Commission CEO Dr Peggy Brown.

The report evaluated 88 suicide prevention programs Australia-wide to identify and analyse the most successful. The report's 17 recommendations to government, including that local Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services remain preferred mental health service providers, are key to addressing the unacceptable rate of suicide in Indigenous communities.

About the report

Report: Solutions that work: addressing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander suicide rates.

The use of lung function testing for the diagnosis and management of chronic airways disease demonstration data linkage project using the 45 and Up Study 2001-2014

This demonstration data linkage study investigates the use of lung function testing in the diagnosis and management of chronic airways disease. It uses data from the 45 and Up Study linked to Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) data. The study shows that:

* contrary to recommended guidelines, most study participants (82%) initiated on medications for managing their chronic airways disease did not have lung function testing performed within 12 months, either before or after their initial prescription
* among respondents who reported having current asthma, lung function testing was only claimed for about one-quarter (26%) in a recent 3-year period and 12% had only 1 lung function test claim during that time.

The evidence from this study will inform initiatives to help improve appropriate prescribing and health outcomes for people with chronic airways disease. This project also provides a demonstration of methods that could also potentially be used to fill evidence gaps associated with other chronic diseases such as diabetes, arthritis and cancer.

Download report: The use of lung function testing for the diagnosis and management of chronic airways disease demonstration data linkage project using the 45 and Up Study 2001-2014.

Free E-book on Indigenous Volatile Substance Use launched

The Australian Indigenous Alcohol and Other Drugs Knowledge Centre (the Knowledge Centre) has launched a new eBook about volatile substance use (VSU). Based on the 2016 Review of volatile substance use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the interactive electronic version is a powerful learning tool.

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet Director, Professor Neil Drew, says 'This is a first for us as we expand our suite of digital tools and new platforms to deliver knowledge and information to the sector. The eBook is a tactile, sensory tool which provides multiple ways of utilising the latest technology to assist learning about this important topic. We have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback from stakeholders in the testing phases and know there is a need for a resource of this kind. We are delighted to be able to provide this - our first eBook.'

The eBook has been created for Apple devices, such as iPads, iPhones, laptops and desktop computers. It is free to download from iTunes and via the Knowledge Centre http://www.aodknowledgecentre.net.au/vsu-ebook. Users can read it, listen to it, make notes and copy/paste content. Embedded in the eBook are short films and inks to the original source of references. Once downloaded, the eBook can be accessed and used multiple times in any way a user determines.

VSU is an issue of concern to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous Australians. The purpose of the review is to provide a comprehensive synthesis of key information for people involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in Australia. The eBook is the review in another dynamic format.

Download from : http://www.aodknowledgecentre.net.au/vsu-ebook

More information

Aged care: a quick guide

Aged Care: a quick guide by the Parliamentary Library provides a brief overview of aged care in Australia. It describes the types of care provided, arrangements for accessing subsidised care, statistics on aged care, the organisations that provide care, and the regulatory arrangements for ensuring quality care. The quick guide does not describe care that is provided outside of the formal aged care system, such as care provided by family members or accommodation in retirement villages.

Improving maternity services for Indigenous women in Australia: moving from policy to practice

A new maternity services plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in rural and remote communities is urgently required, a new report has found.

Published in the Medical Journal of Australia this week, Improving maternity services for Indigenous women in Australia: moving from policy to practice comprehensively reviewed Australia's National Maternity Services Plan (NMSP) and resulting actions regarding Aboriginal mothers and babies between 2010-2015.

The report found that the NMSP "expired without notable results" in 3 priority areas: building the Aboriginal maternity workforce, providing culturally competent maternity care and developing dedicated programs for 'birthing on country'.

Emeritus Professor Lesley Barclay AO from the University Centre for Rural Health, said: "Almost a quarter of Aboriginal women give birth in remote parts of Australia, compared with just two percent of non-Aboriginal women. The disparities in health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians are well established, including higher incidence of preterm birth, low birth weight and newborn mortality. We also know chronic diseases take root early in life."

"We're calling on the government to provide urgent funding for priority areas identified and accepted in the past, and for further research into the most effective ways we can arrest and improve health outcomes for all Aboriginal people. "

Report in PDF

About the report

Look After Your Mental Health During Difficult Times

With flooding currently affecting many communities in central western NSW, Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) would like to remind people to look after their mental health.

People should also be mindful of family members and loved ones during this difficult time, and are encouraged to reach out to others, especially if they have not heard from them in some time.

WNSWLHD Rural Adversity Mental Health Program (RAMHP) Consultant, Di Gill said people should take care of their health and wellbeing, especially following a natural disaster. “Natural disasters like flooding can really impact people’s mental health, and we urge everyone in central western NSW in flood-affected areas to make sure they look after themselves, their families and their communities,” Ms Gill said.

Read more at: http://wnswlhd.gwahs.nswhealth.net/NewsandPublications/MediaReleases.php?mr=1478

Indigenous-led suicide prevention plan needed to fight Aboriginal death crisis: report

Aboriginal suicides are at record levels in remote Australia and mainstream prevention programs are failing, a major report has concluded.

The ABC has obtained a copy of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project (ATSISPEP), co-chaired by West Australian professor Pat Dudgeon and former social justice commissioner Tom Calma.

The report calls for a radical rethink in Indigenous mental health policy to place Aboriginal people at the centre of care.

Read more at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-12/indigenous-led-suicide-prevention-plan-need-to-fight-deaths/7921776

ATSISPEP Conference Report

Emergency services join forces on mental health policy

Emergency services instinctively react to crisis situations, but mounting compensation claims, adverse publicity and a growing number of employees retired hurt on duty with mental illnesses have forced them to reconsider this strategy when it comes to their own staff.

A mental health strategy released by the NSW Government on Wednesday turns the "crisis response" mentality upside-down and places prevention at the forefront of mental health care, with staff encouraged to be aware of potential issues from the beginning of their career.

Read more at: http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/emergency-services-join-forces-on-mental-health-strategy-20161011-grzy04.html

Health expenditure Australia 2014-15 (AIHW)

Health expenditure Australia 2014-15

* Spending on health in Australia (recurrent and capital expenditure combined) was $161.6 billion in 2014-15, $4.4 billion (2.8%) higher in real terms than in 2013-14.

* This was the third consecutive year that growth in health expenditure was below the 10-year average (4.6% between 2004-05 and 2014-15).

* Growth in health expenditure per person was also relatively low, at less than a half of the average annual growth over the decade (1.4% compared with 2.9%).

* Despite the low growth, the share of the economy (GDP) represented by health reached 10.0% for the first time.

Media release: Latest health spending figures reveal mixed trends

Download report: Health expenditure Australia 2014-15

Indigenous suicide rate should be addressed with action, not 'talkfests', Fiona Stanley says

Former Australian of the Year Fiona Stanley says action, not more inquiries or summits, is what's needed to address the escalating Indigenous suicide rate.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has asked Health Minister Sussan Ley to host a summit on the issue in the Kimberley in northern Western Australia and a coronial inquest into the issue has been planned.

Just under a decade ago, Professor Stanley gave extensive evidence to a previous coronial inquest into Indigenous suicides in the Kimberley.

Read more at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-04/action-not-talk-needed-for-indigenous-suicide-fiona-stanley-says/7899620

Mental health expo at The Glen offers help for those who need it and fun family day out

One in four adults will experience­ mental health difficulties at one time or another­ but many will receive­ little or no help – a major reason why this year’s theme for Mental Health Month is Learn and Grow.

The aim is to emphasise the importance of getting help for things causing problems or for changes in the way a person might be feeling­.

For the people behind­ one of the Central Coast’s most successful alcohol and drug rehabilitation services, The Glen at Chittaway Bay, mental health wellness is critical and getting the right help vital.

See more at: http//www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/central-coast/mental-health-expo-at-the-glen-aims-to-help-those-in-need-and-entertain-the-whole-family/news-story/639e4c0f6960dce0189649e646871def

New suicide prevention advisory group

This October sees the second meeting of the new Advisory Group for Suicide Prevention.

Established in response to a request in December 2015 by federal Minister for Health, Sussan Ley, the group provides advice, expertise and strategic support for suicide prevention policy across Australia by identifying priorities and promoting action.

In keeping with the National Mental Health Commission’s commitment to the ideal of nothing about us without us, membership includes people with a lived experience of mental ill health.

Read more at: http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/media-centre/news/new-suicide-prevention-advisory-group.aspx

Tobacco indicators: measuring midpoint progress-reporting under the National Tobacco Strategy 2012-2018 (AIHW)

Tobacco indicators: measuring midpoint progress-reporting under the National Tobacco Strategy 2012-2018

* This report presents midpoint data for several tobacco indicators using various data sources and collections years.

* The majority of indicators show that favourable progress has been made, particularly for exposure to tobacco smoke, uptake of smoking, transition to established smoking and regular smoking among young people, adults and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

* However, some groups achieved greater progress than others, and inequalities within particular groups increased for some indicators.

Media release: New report shows positive changes in Australians' smoking patterns

Download report: Tobacco indicators: measuring midpoint progress-reporting under the National Tobacco Strategy 2012-2018

Hip Fracture Care Standard

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care in collaboration with the Health Quality & Safety Commission New Zealand has released the Hip Fracture Care Clinical Care Standard . In Australia, an estimated 19,000 people over the age of 50 are hospitalised with a hip fracture each year, often after falls.

The Hip Fracture Care Clinical Care Standard aims to ensure that a patient with a hip fracture receives optimal treatment from presentation to hospital through to the completion of treatment in hospital. Fact sheets and other resources are also available.

Healthy Communities: Hospitalisations for mental health conditions and intentional self-harm in 2013-14 (AIHW)

Healthy Communities: Hospitalisations for mental health conditions and intentional self-harm in 2013-14 presents local-level information on population rates of hospitalisations for mental health conditions and intentional self-harm. This information is summarised in profiles for each of Australia's 31 Primary Health Network areas at the end of the report.

Media release: Australians living in regional areas more likely to be hospitalised for a mental health condition

Download report: Healthy Communities: Hospitalisations for mental health conditions and intentional self-harm in 2013-14

Australian Burden of Disease Study: impact and causes of illness and death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2011 (AIHW)

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released the latest 3 reports from the Australian Burden of Disease Study 2011:

Australian Burden of Disease Study: impact and causes of illness and death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2011

* This report provides estimates of the non-fatal and fatal burden of disease for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population; as well as estimates of the gap in disease burden between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
* The disease groups causing the most burden among Indigenous Australians in 2011 were mental and substance use disorders, injuries, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and respiratory diseases.
* Indigenous Australians experienced a burden of disease that was 2.3 times the rate of non-Indigenous Australians.
* Over one third of the overall disease burden experienced by Indigenous Australians could be prevented by removing exposure to risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use, high body mass, physical inactivity and high blood pressure.
* This report is accompanied by a media release and a summary report.
Download the report: Australian Burden of Disease Study: impact and causes of illness and death in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2011.


Australian Burden of Disease Study 2011: methods and supplementary material

* This document provides a detailed description of the methods used to derive the fatal and non-fatal burden of disease (using the disability-adjusted life years, years lived with disability and years of life lost measures) for the Australian and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations for 2011 and 2003, as well as estimates of how much of the burden can be attributed to various risk factors.
* The report is targeted at researchers and epidemiologists, and those seeking to further understand results provided in the Australian Burden of Disease Study 2011.

Download the report: Australian Burden of Disease Study 2011: methods and supplementary material

Guidelines for Multimorbidity

A third of all Australians have multimorbidity (co-occurrence of 2+ chronic conditions), and a substantial proportion have complex multimorbidity (3+ body systems each affected by at least one chronic condition. However, most care guidelines have been developed for single conditions.

The UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has released a guideline covering care for people with multimorbidity (multiple long-term conditions.

Designed to optimise care by reducing treatment burden (polypharmacy and multiple appointments) and unplanned care, the aim of this guideline is to improve quality of life by promoting shared decisions based on what is important to each person in terms of treatments, health priorities, lifestyle and goals. The guideline sets out which people are most likely to benefit from an approach to care that takes account of multimorbidity, how they can be identified and what the care involves.

Access the full guideline on multimorbidity.

Latest Research from the Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing

Vol. 34, No. 1 2016 of the Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing is now available free online :

Feature articles include

* Nurse empathy and the care of people with dementia
* Access to healthcare services for people living with HIV experiencing homelessness.
* Stoma and shame: engaging affect in the adaptation to a medical device.
* Flooded with evidence: using a 'spillway' model to improve research implementation in nursing practice.
* A mental health nursing transition program for enrolled nurses at a forensic mental health hospital.

Australia's health 2016 is now available!

This 15th edition of Australia's Health (2016), profiles current health issues in a collection of feature articles and statistical snapshots that cover a range of areas, including:

* The health status of Australians
* Health expenditure
* The major causes of ill health
* Determinants of health
* Health through the life course
* Health of Indigenous Australians
* Preventing and treating ill health
* Health system performance

The main publication is accompanied by a summary report, Australia's health 2016-in brief.

Click on the links (below) to view the report and media release.

Media release: 85 out of 100 Australians say they're healthy-but are we really?

Report: Australia's health 2016.

Summary report: Australia's health 2016-in brief.

Emergency psychiatry: a product of circumstance or a growing sub-speciality field?

This article reviews recent trends in the provision of psychiatric services to the emergency departments of tertiary hospitals in Australia, involving the establishment of specialised in-reach or liaison services as well as various forms of short stay unit attached to emergency departments.


 The Emergency Psychiatry Service at Flinders Medical Centre, South Australia, is described as a case example. Its specialised models of assessment and clinical care are described, highlighting how these are differentiated from more traditional models in inpatient, community and general hospital consultation–liaison psychiatry.


See more at: http://apy.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/09/06/1039856216665286?papetoc

Disability Knowledge Clearing House

The Centre for Applied Disability Research (CADR) Disability Knowledge Clearing House exists to help us understand what works, for whom, under what circumstances, at what cost. Here you will find a repository of links to a wide range of disability research and evaluation resources. CADR is constantly adding material to this site with the aim of building the most comprehensive collection of disability research and resources for the Australian context.

Aspects of disability covered include community & civic participation, education, economic participation, housing & built environment, health & wellbeing, safety & security, social relationships and transport.

The Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health, The Australian Guide to the Diagnosis of FASD was produced by researchers Professor Elizabeth Elliott from the University of Sydney and Professor Carol Bower from Telethon Kids Institute Perth with input from colleagues nationally.

The Australian Guide to the diagnosis of FASD.

About the guide, forms, resources and information sheets.

Mapping the Indigenous Program and Funding Maze

There is a lot of goodwill in Australia to improve indigenous outcomes, however, too many programs are implemented because of their perceived benefit, rather than a rigorous assessment of what works.

This research report maps the number of government and non-government Indigenous programs and potential level of duplication among different program providers (federal, state/territory and non-government). The report also estimates how much funding is allocated for Indigenous specific programs, across the non-government sector as well as by federal and state/territory governments.

Hudson, Sara(2016. Mapping the Indigenous Program and Funding Maze Centre for Independent Studies. CIS research report; 18.

Older Australia at a glance (AIHW)

Older Australia at a glance

* Older Australians are generally living healthier and longer than previous generations.

* Older Australia at a glance is a series of web-based snapshots providing insight into who they are, where they are living, how they are changing, how healthy they are and the services they are using.

* Each snapshot provides succinct information supported by figures and tables, with new snapshots to be released annually.

* The series will paint a picture reflecting the complexity and diversity of the older Australian population.

View web page: Older Australia at a glance.

Medical practitioner workforce 2015 (AIHW)

Medical practitioner workforce 2015 examines trends in demographic and employment characteristics of medical practitioners who were registered in Australia in the ten years up to 2015.

* The total number of registered medical practitioners increased from 67,890 in 2005 to 97,466 in 2015.

* The majority of these (83,871) were practitioners employed as clinicians.

* This report shows the supply of general practitioners (GPs) changed little between 2005 and 2015, ranging from 109 per 100,000 people in 2008 to 114 in 2015.

* There has also been no increase in the supply of hospital non-specialists over the past 5 years.

* In contrast, the supply of non-GP specialists increased from 121 to 143 per 100,000 people between 2005 and 2015 and the supply of specialists-in-training increased from 43.4 to 74.8 per 100,000 people.

* This suggests that while the supply of GPs and non-specialists is keeping pace with population growth, the number of medical practitioners working in, or training to take on, roles in other specialties is growing faster.

Media release: Doctor workforce increasingly specialised-and more female clinician specialists and GPs

View web page: Medical practitioner workforce 2015.

Diabetes Standards and Guidelines

The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published new (or updated) guidelines and quality standards. The latest updates are:

* NICE Guideline NG17 Type 1 diabetes in adults: diagnosis and management.

* NICE Guideline NG28 Type 2 diabetes in adults: management.

* NICE Quality Standard QS125 Diabetes in children and young people

Aussie Men Say #ItsOkayToTalk, Changing The Conversation Around Suicide

Thousands of Aussie men are getting on board a social media campaign raising awareness for suicide prevention and changing the conversation around mental health.


The #ItsOkayToTalk campaign began with a UK rugby player, Luke Ambler, deciding to take the conversation (or lack of conversation) around mental health into his own hands after his brother-in-law Andy Roberts took his own life very suddenly.


Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/08/17/aussie-men-say-itsokaytotalk-changing-the-conversation-around/

Progress in world’s first Alzheimer’s vaccine

With more than 7.5 million new cases of Alzheimer’s disease a year, the race to find a vaccine and effective treatment for dementia is growing by the day. Researchers in the US and Australia have make a breakthrough discovery in the international quest to discover a new and potentially effective vaccine targeting the pathological proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly.

In research findings just released in Nature’s Scientific Reports journal, Flinders University experts as part of a high-level US research team at the Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) and University of California, Irvine (UCI) have made a successful vaccine formulation that targets the abnormal beta-amyloid and tau proteins that signal Alzheimer’s disease.

Read more at: http://www.myvmc.com/news/progress-in-worlds-first-alzheimers-vaccine/

Western NSW rate of smoking much higher than the state

The Western NSW Local Health District is trying to save more than 24,000 smokers from an early death.It reports that 18.2 per cent of residents living within its boundaries are smoking, compared with the state rate of 13.5 per cent.

The health district’s acting director of population health Priscilla Stanley attests to progress in reducing the rate of smoking, but she and colleagues remained focused on those who are yet to quit the deadly habit.“There are over 48,000 smokers across Western NSW,” she said. "More than half of this number will die early as a direct result of smoking.”

The health district recently launched a long-term strategic plan to save more lives.

See more at: http://www.dailyliberal.com.au/story/4098948/24000-face-an-early-death/?cs=112

Impacts of chronic back problems (AIHW)

Chronic back problems are common conditions in Australia (16% of the total population) and cause of disability (28% of the total population with disability) in Australia.

Chronic back problems can have a strong negative effect on a person's quality of life, affecting their ability to participate in daily activities, work, family and social activities.

This bulletin provides the latest detailed information on the impacts (in terms of quality of life and disability) of chronic back problems in Australia.

Media release: '1 in 6 Australians have chronic back problems'

Download report: Impacts of chronic back problems

Men And Their Sheds photo book explores importance of the man cave

A new photo book documents how spending time in their backyard sheds can help men with their mental health. Photographer Craig Wetjen said creating the book, Men And Their Sheds, had helped him with his own depression and anxiety.

"Men just love to tinker," he told 774 ABC Melbourne's Clare Bowditch.
"I really tried to tap into the whole aspect of mental health and physical health and what the shed can actually mean to them.

Read more at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-16/men-and-their-sheds-book-launch-mental-health/7747382

Hospital care for Aboriginal people

A report on Aboriginal people's perceptions of the NSW hospital system by the NSW Bureau of Health Information has shown a gulf between their experiences and those of non-Aboriginal people in several key measures, which were more pronounced in rural hospitals.

Aboriginal patients were particularly lukewarm on the quality of their communications with clinical staff, whether they had enough privacy when discussing their treatment and whether appropriate arrangements were made for their discharge. However, there was little difference between them and non-Aboriginal patients in the way that they rated the physical environment and comfort, safety and hygiene.

The responses of 2682 Aboriginal patients to the Bureau's annual survey of admitted patients for 2014 comprise this report. Individual reports are also available for Western NSW and other local health districts.

Reports page

Aboriginal patients have different experience of hospital, especially in country (Dubbo Liberal)

Diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Published recently by The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet is a comprehensive Review of diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The review is aimed at informing people involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care and to provide evidence for policy makers.

There have been varying reports about the extent of this problem, but in 2012-2013, national estimates of the prevalence of diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ranged from 9% (based on self-reported data) to 11% (based on biomedical data). "After age-adjustment, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were more than 3 times as likely as non-Indigenous people to have diabetes." In addition, hospitalisation rates for complications of type 2 diabetes were almost six times higher than for non-Indigenous people.

As well as looking at the data for prevalence and complications, the review puts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander diabetes into context, discusses current prevention and management programs and policies and suggests future directions.

Indigenous health education for health professionals

Indigenous education for health professionals, a site by the Department of Human Services offers Indigenous health education resources about our health program payments and services to help improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians' health outcomes. It includes links to eLearning program and Education guides. Subjects covered include Medicare, Chronic disease, Mental health and Telehealth.

Australia's hospitals 2014-15 [ 3 separate reports] (AIHW)

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released three new Australia's hospitals 2014-15 reports (plus an online report) :

Australia's hospitals 2014-15 at a glance

* Australia's hospitals 2014-15 at a glance provides summary information on Australia's public and private hospitals.
* In 2014-15, there were 10.2 million hospitalisations, including 2.5 million involving surgery.
* Public hospitals provided care for 7.4 million presentations to emergency departments, with 74% of patients seen within recommended times for their triage category and about 73% completed within 4 hours.
* This publication is a companion to the 2014-15 Australian hospital statistics suite of publications.

Hospital resources 2014-15: Australian hospital statistics

* Hospital resources 2014-15: Australian hospital statistics presents a detailed overview of public and private hospital resources in Australia.
* In 2014-15, there were: 698 public hospitals; with over 60,300 beds, and accounting for more than $57 billion of recurrent expenditure (including depreciation); 624 private hospitals: with almost 3,000 beds, and accounting for more than $12 billion of expenditure.

Non-admitted patient care 2014-15: Australian hospital statistics

* In 2014-15, about 34.9 million non-admitted patient service events were provided by Australia's public hospitals.
* About 46% of non-admitted patient service events occurred in Allied health and/or clinical nurse specialist clinics, 30% were in Medical consultation clinics, 13% in Procedural clinics and 10% in stand-alone diagnostic clinics.

View web page: Australia's hospitals 2014-15 at a glance-ONLINE REPORT

Media release: 'Bed numbers rising more in private hospitals than public hospitals

Perils of place: identifying hotspots of health inequality

Hospitalisation rates for diabetes, tooth decay and other conditions that should be treatable or manageable out of hospital show how Australia's health system is consistently failing some communities.

Perils of place: identifying hotspots of health inequality by the Grattan Institute, introduces a method of identifying small areas where health inequalities are entrenched and, without intervention, are likely to endure.

To build up the limited evidence of what works in reducing place-based health problems, the report recommends that government combine with Primary Health Networks and local communities to run three- to five-year trials of tailored programs in selected places. Rigorous evaluation is critical, so that the lessons from successful trials can be applied across the country.

Listen to a podcast of the authors discussing the report.

Download the report

About the report.

Patient experiences in Australian hospitals

Patient experiences in Australian hospitals examined factors relating to positive and negative experiences of patients in Australian hospitals. It drew on qualitative studies of patient reported experiences and found that small changes to health system operations and resourcing, and the way professionals engage with patients, could substantially improve care. Examples include inviting patients and carers to contribute to decision making and discussions about treatment options and care preferences.

Download Patient experiences in Australian hospitals

The White Book on Frailty

The White Book on Frailty, endorsed by the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics Global Aging Research Network, aims to promote preventive interventions against disability and to provide information on how to adequately implement frailty into everyday clinical practice. To this effect, it will highlight current knowledge on the identification of target population, the assessment of frail old adults, and the development of tailored intervention programs.

The White Book presents a general overview of the topic and details the main frailty pathologies. Assessment tools and implementation initiatives are presented, in view of preventing and/or delaying disability and dependence, at home, in the community and in hospital settings.

Capacity building in Indigenous chronic disease primary health care research in rural Australia

The Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Primary Care Intervention Research in Chronic Disease proposed a range of strategies to build capacity in rural primary health care chronic disease research in Indigenous communities/health services.

The reports include a set of freely-available training resources for research capacity building in Indigenous communities.

Capacity building in Indigenous chronic disease primary health care research in rural Australia: Project Page

Skin cancer in Australia (AIHW)

Skin cancer (melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers) accounts for the largest number of cancers diagnosed in Australia each year.

This report provides an overview of skin cancer in Australia, risk factors, and key summary measures, including incidence, hospitalisations, survival and mortality.

It shows that while the age-standardised incidence rate has risen for most age groups, for Australians aged less than 40, the incidence rate for both types of skin cancers are declining. This is likely due to sun protection awareness programs run at the school level.

Media release: Skin cancers common, but melanoma rates falling among younger people

Download report: Skin cancer in Australia

The Regional Wellbeing Survey 2015

The Regional Wellbeing Survey was launched in 2013 to examine the wellbeing of people living in rural and regional areas of Australia. The survey is conducted annually, and measures the subjective wellbeing of people and communities living outside Australia's major cities. It also examines resilience of rural and regional residents and the liveability of their communities, and looks at how rural and regional Australians are experiencing a wide range of changes occurring in their communities.

This report examines the results of the 2015 Regional Wellbeing Survey, focusing on wellbeing, liveability, and resilience. Further reports will be released from the 2015 survey, including reports focusing on experiences of drought, the wellbeing of farmers, natural resource management, and water reform. The Regional Wellbeing Survey team is also partnering with other groups conducting large scale surveys, to ensure we can broaden the information available on wellbeing of different people and communities.

Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and disability, and affects thousands of Australians each year. About 35,000 people each year are admitted to hospital with a stroke, equating to one stroke every 15 minutes. Over 375,000 Australians have had a stroke at some time in their lives, with a third sustaining a disability because of their stroke.

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has developed Acute Stroke - the Case for Improvement to support the implementation of the Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard. Designed for a wide audience, including clinicians and health services, the resource highlights what is known about the evidence, best practice and current practice, and the opportunities to bring these closer together.

Acute stroke clinical care standard

Acute stroke : the case for improvement

Media Release

Private Hospitals

4390.0 - Private Hospitals, Australia, 2014-15 from the Australian Bureau of Statistics presents statistics about the characteristics and activities of the private hospital component of the Australian hospital sector, collected through the ABS' annual Private Health Establishments Collection (PHEC). This sector consists of private acute and psychiatric hospitals, and free-standing day hospital facilities.

Australian National Diabetes Strategy 2016 - 2020

The Australian National Diabetes Strategy aims to outline Australia's national response to diabetes and inform how existing limited health care resources can be better coordinated and targeted across all levels of government. This Strategy identifies the most effective and appropriate interventions to reduce the impact of diabetes in the community and lead the way internationally in diabetes prevention, management and research.

Review of illicit drug use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the use of illicit drugs among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. It provides general information on the context of illicit drug use in Australia and the factors of particular relevance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including the historical context, social context, and other social factors.

Chronic disease portal provides quick access for workforce

Edith Cowan University's Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet has launched a new online portal for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander chronic disease workforce.

The portal provides access to health promotion resources, health practitioner tools and information about programs that promote healthy lifestyles and chronic disease management for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It also highlights workforce opportunities for chronic disease workers, including job vacancies, events, training and funding.

mHealth Technologies for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management

mHealth is an abbreviation for mobile health, a term used for the practice of medicine and public health supported by mobile devices. This review examines the evidence regarding the benefits, uptake and operationalisation of mHealth technologies (including short messaging services (SMS), mobile apps and wearable devices) for chronic disease management and prevention.

The review found mHealth interventions can promote significant improvements in glycaemic control (for diabetes patients), as well as in physical activity, weight loss and smoking cessation, with the strongest evidence for SMS. Benefits appeared to be mediated by the characteristics of both the intervention and the patient population. Integrating mHealth technologies into healthcare as part of a service rather than a standalone system was as an important marker of success.

mHealth Technologies for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management;, 2015. L Laranjo, A Lau, B Oldenburg, E Gabarron, A O'Neill et al. Sax Institute.

Dementia in My Family - website

Alzheimer's Australia has launched a new website specifically for young people dealing with Dementia in a family member.

Dementia in My Family provides age-specific information for children in several age-groups from pre-schoolers (with an animated story) to late teens (who are provided with more complex information and links to counselling services). It also has a page for adults on how to talk to children about Dementia. There are also some very useful links to websites, online books, fact sheets and contacts.

Preventive care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Final report

Preventive care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: Final report from the Menzies School of Health Research provides up-to date and comprehensive data on the quality of preventive care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from 137 primary health centres across Australia.

Incorporating perspectives from a wide range of stakeholders on priority evidence-practice gaps and barriers, enablers and strategies for achieving improvement it should be useful for stimulating discussion and action.

The Final Report

Accompanying Data Supplement

Key Messages

Health Promotion Journal of Australia Virtual Issue - Looking Back, Looking Forward - 30 years of the Ottawa Charter

In 1986, a new document began to be circulated through health professional networks, and in particular health education circles. It came to be called the 'Ottawa Charter', because its guiding principles were the result of an international conference held in Ottawa, Canada.

The succinct articulation of the themes around healthy public policy, healthy environments and reorienting health systems towards prevention helped re-frame the classic health education approach to embrace a broader health promotion approach including the social determinants of health.

This virtual issue of the Health Promotion journal revisits many of the classic articles produced during the 30 years of the Ottawa Charter.

Contents

What is a health promotion campaign? (1991)

Advocacy for health: revisiting the role of health promotion (2012)

Framework and tools for planning and evaluating community participation, collaborative partnerships and equity in health promotion (2008)

Using evidence in health promotion in local government: contextual realities and opportunities (2013)

The role of Health Impact Assessment in promoting population health and health equity (2009)

The case of national health promotion policy in Australia: where to now? (2016)

Global trade and health promotion (2007)

The role of health promotion: between global thinking and local action (2006)

Reflections on the framing of 'health equity' in the National Primary Health Care Strategic Framework: a cause for celebration or concern? (2014)

Forming, managing and sustaining alliances for health promotion (2005)

Urban design and health: progress to date and future challenges (2014)

An Indigenous model of health promotion (2004)

Reducing discharge against medical advice in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander patients

An issues brief from the Deeble Institute (AHHA) looks at the role of Aboriginal Health Workers and Liaison Officers in trying to reduce instances of self-discharge, particularly in rural and remote communities.

An evidence-based approach to reducing discharge against medical advice amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients by Caitlin Shaw, makes a number of recommendations, including:

* Improving cultural competency training and cultural safety frameworks in hospitals

* Developing a nationally recognised scope of practice for Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs) and Aboriginal Liaison Officers (ALOs)

* Developing more flexible community-based care models to provide culturally appropriate care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.

Primary health care-based programmes targeting potentially avoidable hospitalisations in vulnerable groups with chronic disease

Reductions in potentially avoidable hospitalisations (PAHs) and emergency department (ED) presentations are important health care policy benchmarks and represent potential for improved health outcomes, efficiency and cost savings. This research aimed to examine the outcomes of interventions targeting reductions in PAHs and/or avoidable ED presentations among people with chronic disease. The main focus was on the role of primary health care and programmes that targeted specific vulnerable populations, including Indigenous Australians, rural and remote residents and those living in socioeconomic disadvantage.

Key findings

Trends in PAH and ED presentation rates

* PAH rates are high, but mostly stable for chronic and acute conditions in the general population, but they have increased for vaccine-preventable conditions
* PAHs are higher in vulnerable populations (Indigenous Australians, rural/remote residents, socioeconomically disadvantaged, elderly)
* Chronic diseases account for more than half of all PAHs, particularly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
* Despite widespread implementation of chronic disease management programmes, there is no statistically significant reduction in the rates of PAH and ED presentation.

Overview of programmes to reduce PAHs and ED presentations
* Key predictors of PAHs, ED presentations and readmissions include: older age, low socioeconomic status, ethnicity, rurality, comorbidities, mental illness and substance use and being widowed or separated
* Elements of successful programmes are largely context- and condition-specific as PAH rates vary according to different chronic conditions and disease severity; therefore, flexibility in approaches is needed

Primary health care-based interventions that showed significant reductions in rates of PAH and ED presentations included:
* Continuity of GP care (condition-dependent)
* GP management plan with team care arrangement (e.g., diabetes)
* Multidisciplinary team care, with gerontologist and integrated social care for the elderly; and with care coordinators to liaise with GPs, hospital and other services
* Comprehensive, flexible vertical and horizontal integration of primary health care with hospital and community-based services
* Home care for socioeconomically disadvantaged and the elderly
* For Indigenous Australians, evidence was highly variable and condition-specific, often related to multiple disadvantage (remoteness, advanced illness, low socioeconomic status and poor health literacy). Programmes that are culturally appropriate and integrated across sectors are more likely to reduce PAHs
* For rural/remote residents, flexible design and implementation to address problems of access and social isolation are more effective
* Cost of accessing care, multimorbidity and low literacy are key barriers for in low socioeconomic situations
* Flexible, individualised approaches, nurse coordinator involvement and interventions that involve integration across primary health care, acute and community care may influence the rates of PAH.

For more detail see the Summary and the Full report

Alzheimer's: Risk, Diagnosis, Therapy & Treatment and Caregiving

To raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease, Wiley Online has created a free research collection focusing on its diagnosis and treatment. The collection comprises 15 freely available articles.

Alzheimer's: Risk | Diagnosis | Therapy & Treatment | Caregiving

Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2014-15 (AIHW)

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released a new report and web updates on 15 June, 2016:

Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2014-15

* In 2014-15, around 850 alcohol and other drug treatment services provided just over 170,000 treatment episodes to around 115,000 clients.
* The top 4 drugs that led clients to seek treatment were alcohol (38% of treatment episodes), cannabis (24%), amphetamines (20%) and heroin (6%).
* The proportion of episodes where clients were receiving treatment for amphetamines has continued to increase over the last 10 years, from 11% of treatment episodes in 2005-06 to 20% in 2014-15.
* The median age of clients in AOD treatment services is increasing, 33 years in 2014-15, up from 31 in 2005-06.

Media release: 1 in 200 Australians seek treatment for alcohol and other drugs

Report: Alcohol and other drug treatment services in Australia 2014-15

Web pages: Alcohol and other drugs data

Nursing and midwifery workforce 2015 (AIHW)

Nursing and midwifery workforce 2015 outlines the workforce characteristics of nurses and midwives in 2015. The total number of all nurses and midwives registered in Australia increased from 330,680 in 2011 to 360,008 in 2015 (8.9%).

In 2015, 91.9% of all registered nurses and midwives were in the nursing and midwifery workforce (331,015). Of these, 8,930 were looking for work in nursing and midwifery, down from 9,110 in 2014. In 2015, the overall supply of employed nurses and midwives was 1,138 full-time equivalents or FTEs for every 100,000 people. This compares with the figure of 1,107 FTEs per 100,000 in 2011. In 2011 and 2015, there were more employed nurses and midwives in the 50-54 year age group than any other age group. The proportion aged 50 and over grew from 38.3% in 2011 to 39.0% in 2015. The proportion in 2014 was 39.4%.

View web page: Nursing and midwifery workforce 2015

View graphic: Nurses and midwives 2015

Tackling drug-resistant infections globally

The British Government engaged economist Jim O'Neill to analyse the global issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and propose ways to cope with it internationally from both a social and economic point of view. O'Neill's independent report,"Tackling drug-resistant infections globally: final report and recommendations has recently been released.

The report first discusses the growing problem of AMR and why action is needed. It then proposes some ways to curtail unnecessary use and increase the supply of new antimicrobials, before looking at social measures such as public awareness campaigns, improvements in sanitation and hygiene, reducing pollution, improving global surveillance and introducing rapid diagnostics and vaccines. The economic implications of innovation funds, market entry awards and global funding are also examined, as well as ways to build political and international consensus.

Cancer mortality trends and projections update (AIHW web update)

Cancer mortality trends and projections update is a web-based release presenting mortality projections for selected cancers and all cancers combined from 2014 to 2025 based on mortality trends from 1968 to 2013.

Cancer death rates have generally decreased over time, with the death rate from all cancers combined decreasing from 199 deaths per 100,000 people in 1968 to 166 per 100,000 in 2013. Between 2014 and 2025 the death rate from all cancers combined is projected to continue an overall downward trend from an estimated 208 to 180 deaths per 100,000 males, and from 133 to 120 deaths per 100,000 females.

View web page: Cancer mortality trends and projections: 2014-2025

Eye health workforce in Australia (AIHW)

Eye health workforce in Australia presents the latest available data on the eye health workforce in Australia. It also provides a baseline for reporting against workforce capacity indicators.

In 2011, the latest year for which data were available for most professions, there were over 800 ophthalmologists, around 4,000 optometrists and over 6,000 allied ophthalmic personnel (orthoptists, optical dispensers, optical mechanics, orientation and mobility specialists and occupational therapists specialising in eye health) in the eye health workforce.

Rural suicide

Mental health experts want federal election candidates to support suicide prevention trials in regional Australia after releasing a report revealing suicide rates exceeded road fatalities in 28 electorates audited between 2009 and 2012.

Ian Hickie from the University of Sydney's Brain and Mind Centre said leading mental health advocates want candidates to commit to a national suicide prevention program and support a suicide prevention trial in 12 regions.

"It's really the rural and regional areas that suffer the most," said Professor Hickie, who noted that economic impacts such as the mining downturn, drought, and the closure of regional industries were major risk factors.

"They're the areas in which we see high suicide rates two to three times the national average and we need focused intensive activity in those communities."

The audit of 28 electorates shows suicide rates exceeded the road toll in every electorate surveyed, while 23 of the 28 seats had high to extremely high suicide rates.

Report and further information downloads

Let’s talk about success: exploring factors behind positive change in Aboriginal communities

What are the factors that enable some Aboriginal organisations to drive positive change in their communities?

Let's talk about success: exploring factors behind positive change in Aboriginal communities draws on interviews with leaders of successful Aboriginal organisations to understand the factors behind the successes that they are achieving in their communities. It explores how they define and assess success and what they see as the factors behind their achievements. It discusses the challenges and critical turning points they have faced and what enables them to sustain their success. It also explores what they say are distinctively Aboriginal features about the way they work. The paper finds considerable continuities with previous studies of Aboriginal organisations, but also outlines some of the successful strategies they use in working with their communities.

Primary health care (AIHW)

Primary health care is a new web product providing an overview of the primary health care system and the delivery of health care services in Australia. As part of this new product, a web page dedicated to Primary Health Network (PHN) data has been developed that consolidates published Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data disaggregated at the PHN level. This data may assist PHNs with their performance monitoring and population health planning.

In addition, this web product includes the release of a new product known as 'Mortality Over Regions and Time' (MORT) Books. These books present national mortality data at the PHN level and also by selected geographical areas, including remoteness area, socioeconomic group and Statistical Area Level 3 (SA3). The analysis includes the leading causes of death and trends over time.

View web page:
http://www.aihw.gov.au/primary-health-care/ Primary health care

Mortality Over Regions and Time (MORT) books
http://www.aihw.gov.au/deaths/aihw-deaths-data/#mort

Community Paediatric Review

Community Paediatric Review, produced by the Centre for Community and Child Health at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, supports health professionals in caring for children and their families through the provision of evidence-based information on current health issues. Each edition includes articles for professionals and information sheets for families.

Community Paediatric Review publications and parent information sheets can be downloaded free from the archives listed below (editions date back to 2000). Previous topics covered include: Child mental health, encouraging your child's language, asthma, ear, nose & throat health, travelling safely with children, probiotics and many others.

Latest edition: Child behaviour and emotional regulation Vol 24 No. 2, May 2016

As children grow and develop, they learn to regulate their emotions and manage their behaviour. On the way to learning those skills, young children express their wide range of emotional responses in ways that can create stress and anxiety for parents and caregivers – sometimes their behaviour will include aggression, defiance and/or hyperactivity. Child and family health nurses can play an important role in helping parents to nurture their child's developing mind and, along the way, help their children to develop their emotional regulation skills.

To receive each edition of Community Paediatric Review direct to your inbox Sign up here

The Community Paediatric Review is just one of several resources available for download.

New course will help improve the mental health of older people

beyondblue has launched a free online course to help aged care workers recognise or manage depression and anxiety in the older people they work with, while safeguarding their own mental health. The course, Professional Education to Aged Care (PEAC), has been designed to suit aged care professionals in a range of roles, in both residential and community care settings.

Media release: New course will help improve the mental health of older people

Incidence of insulin-treated diabetes in Australia 2014 (AIHW)

Incidence of insulin-treated diabetes in Australia 2014, presents the latest available national data on new cases of insulin-treated diabetes from the 2014 National (insulin-treated) Diabetes Register.

In 2014, nearly 30,000 Australians began using insulin to treat their diabetes-67% had type 2 diabetes, 23% had gestational diabetes, 9% had type 1 diabetes and 2% had other forms of diabetes.

Almost 2 in 3 (63%) people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes were aged under 25, whereas almost all (93%) new cases of insulin-treated type 2 diabetes occurred in those aged over 40.

Download report: Incidence of insulin-treated diabetes in Australia 2014

View web page: How many Australians have diabetes?