Remind Me Again, How Can Companies Patent Breast Cancer Genes?

Luigi Palombi, Murdoch University

Nominate Your Colleagues for the ACHS Safety & Quality Awards

Do you know someone who is an advocate for the promotion of quality and safety in healthcare in Australia? Nominations for the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards 2015 ACHS Medal are now open.

MERS Leaves South Korea, Suspected in UK

After more than two months from its first reported case, South Korea is ready to declare itself safe from Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

Improved Gastric Banding Device Developed

Current gastric banding devices use elastic in their function in nutritional modulation for bariatrics, ingestible electronics for diagnosis and monitoring, and gastric-retentive dosage forms for prolonged drug delivery. They have to be tough to survive the acid encountered in the stomach, yet flexible so they can be manipulated through the oesophagus and other narrow parts of the digestive system.

A New Test for Assessing Suicide Risk

The Suicidal Affect Behaviour Cognition Scale (SABCS) is a more accurate predictor of suicidality than other methods, and has the potential to save lives, according to its developer psychology researcher Dr Keith Harris.

Micro-Laparoscopy Tool Developed for Trans-Cranial Neurosurgery

Researchers at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee have developed a revolutionary device for performing endoscopic surgery using a device based on needlescopic or micro-laparoscopy tools which allows transnasal brain surgery.

LASA Slams Aged Care E-Services System Failure

The delay in the processing abilities of the electronic claims systems supplied by the Department of Social Services for providers of aged care has been slammed by Leading Aged Services Australia.

Ethics and Costs under Question in Improved Fetal Screening

Fetal screening is commonplace among pregnant women these days. Somewhere around 10 weeks into their pregnancies, most women undergo ultrasounds accompanied by aneuploidy sampling which determine if further diagnostic tests such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling are required.

Electromagnetic Pulse Therapy Aids Tinnitus Sufferers

Chronic sufferers of tinnitus have received non-invasive brain stimulation to sucessfully reduce their symptoms by up to 31% in US trials published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

Melbourne Hackathon Targets Aged Care

The weekend played hosted to a 48-hour hackathon aimed at providing solutions to the health concerns facing today’s ageing population. More than 18 solutions were developed in Melbourne with experts from HealthXL, Victoria’s Northern Health and Alzheimer’s Australia, along with health researchers and technical experts from IBM.

On Our Agenda: Young People in Aged Care

The Senate report into residental care arrangements for young people with severe disabilities was released last month with the ultimate outcome of founding a ‘joint taskforce’ for young people living in aged care.

Your Input on Child Development is Needed

Do you work with children from birth to five years? Flinders University is looking for professionals working with children in the early years to contribute to their survey in developing a national interdisciplinary educational framework for professionals working with children within this group and their families.

Anaesthetists Scorn 'Nil by Mouth' Pre-Operative Guidelines

Patients fasting before surgery may be doing themselves harm, according to a presentation held at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) meeting over the weekend.

Intensive Care: Decision-Making for the Critically Ill

Bionics: The Future of Healthcare

You may have heard that robots are the future of healthcare, but do you know about bionics (or where biology and electrical engineering meet)? Australia is doing some exciting work in medical bionics and while some of the applications are still in development, others are in clinical trials - and others are already in the market place.