Adolescents 3.4 times more likely to self-harm than adults: AIHW Self-harm hospitalisations have surged 38% in four years, as general practice underfunding and psychiatric waitlists leave patients desperate for help.
Primary care at the heart of social prescribing national rollout The RACGP was part of a recent roundtable discussion aimed at broadening the landscape of social prescribing in Australia.
In Practice: Updates to allied health MBS items Referral changes to MBS items for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients accessing allied health services are now in place.
Study busts smoking population myths The first national profile of Australia’s 2.5 million smokers shows many are educated, employed and do not have poor mental health.
‘The tyranny of distance’: rural health inequities persist Health disparities between those living in urban and rural areas have been laid bare in the National Rural Health Alliance’s latest analysis.
Could more hospital outpatients be discharged to GPs earlier? According to new research, hospital specialists say 20–60% of patients seen in their outpatient clinics could be managed in primary care.
Are casual references to psychological issues impacting clinical care? While the broad acceptance of mental health care has reduced stigma, researchers say emotions like sadness are being ‘pathologised, rather than normalised’.
GPs’ mobile outreach clinic transforms Hep C treatment With social barriers now the main obstacle to care for many patients, the Kombi Clinic is revolutionising treatment options for vulnerable groups.
Meta-analysis shows social interaction reduces dementia risk Strong social connections were associated with a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment, dementia and death.
In Practice: Telehealth exemptions for PCR tests extended Patients who meet the COVID ‘high-risk’ criteria have had the telehealth temporary exemption rule extended to 31 December.