PAST MEDIA

2SM Super Radio network announced that My Health Record has removed the seven-day restriction on pathology reports for common respiratory infection tests such as influenza.

As well as My Health Record’s removal of the seven-day restriction on pathology reports for common respiratory infection tests on ABC South East Breakfast.

Kate McDonald wrote that 2022 should see a marked improvement in the sector’s digital health systems. McDonald notes that recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety come to fruition this year, along with federal funds for investment in IT systems to improve care provision in residential aged care. The Agency is working to standardize aged care data requirements and software solutions along with the work being done by the Digital Health CRC and the Aged Care Industry IT Council (ACIITC).

The news that many COVID 19 measures, particularly Medicare rebates for longer phone telehealth consults with GPs, have expired with the start of the new financial year was widely covered.  

• 2MCE and ABC News featured news bulletins quoting The Australian Medical Association’s position that the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing and limiting telehealth services will put people at risk, especially many vulnerable people who are still relying on these services. The bulletins also note that Health Minister Mark Butler has stated that phone consultations under 20 minutes will still be available and video consultations will also remain.
• ABC Southwest WA The Royal Australian College of GPs has warned vulnerable patients will suffer most under changes to Australia’s telehealth system from today. The phone consultations will only be covered by Medicare if they take less than 20 minutes. RACGP’s Anita Munoz says longer video consultations are still covered, but not all patients can access them.
• 10 News First Breakfast featured an interview with AMA vice president Dr Chris Moy about the decision of the Federal Government to end a range of key telehealth services. Moy says what’s been stopped has been the Medicare rebates for longer telehealth consultations run by phone. He states they are very concerned about the access for health care, particularly for vulnerable older people and those in rural areas because of the loss of these Medicare rebates.
• ABC Insiders had a panel discussion with Network Ten’s Narelda Jacobs, Sydney Morning Herald’s Shane Wright, and Guardian Australia’s Sarah Martin about the Government’s Telehealth decision last week. Martin notes a lot of doctors were very surprised after Federal Health Minister Mark Butler decided to cut back on over 70 MBS items for Telehealth that were introduced to get Australia through the pandemic noting that doctors were confident that the government was going to extend it but that did not happen.

The Medical Forum has an article on how to have the conversation around advance care planning, interviewing Andrew Allsop, director of clinical operations for Silver Chain’s palliative care in WA. Allsop notes that My Health Record is a way of storing a person’s advance care documents that makes sure their preferences and wishes are fulfilled.

Hospital and Healthcare has an article profiling Bronwyn Le Grice, founder of ANDHealth — Australia’s only digital health commercialisation organisation — and her work advocating for digital health commercialisation.

The Australian Financial Review, ABC Online, News.com.au, The Guardian, The Daily Mail and Sky News Australia

all had stories highlighting the news that passengers arriving into Australia from overseas will no longer have to declare their COVID-19 vaccination status as of Wednesday 6 July.

Advice against COVID-19 apathy and warnings of another wave of infections was highlighted in stories by The Guardian, The Courier Mail, and The Sydney Morning Herald.

• The Guardian writes that as of Sunday 3 July, Australia has surpassed 10,000 Covid-19 deaths and that authorities are urging people to remain vigilant against the disease. The article quotes Health Minister Mark Butler, who stated that they are expecting a further wave of the virus in the coming months and encouraged people to take precautions and get vaccinated.
• The Courier Mail interviewed Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath who noted predictions that Covid-19 cases would continue to rise in the coming weeks. D’Ath said the third wave had not yet peaked and would likely be worse than the second wave due to the stronger B4 and B5 Omicron sub-variants. D’Ath also stated that there wouldn’t be a return to mask mandates.
• The Sydney Morning Herald has an editorial around implementing further efforts to contain COVID-19. The story points out that although Australia’s COVID-19 mortality rate is smaller compared to other nations, the impact of the virus is still adding extra strain to the health system and on peoples’ daily lives. The article notes that there is minimal public support for the return of masks mandates and lockdowns but emphasises that other public health measures should be installed to minimise the effect of COVID, including raising continued awareness and availability of anti-viral treatments and removing elibility restrictions for vaccine boosters.  

The Northern Territory News writes of local MoP’s goals to restore the Territory’s right to legalise euthanasia “as soon as possible” when parliament resumes later this month with support from Health Minister Mark Butler to allow the territories to legislate on euthanasia for themselves.

NEWS.com.au has a story on a new government program that provides more Australians with Type 1 diabetes access to subsidised blood sugar monitoring products. Under the new program, Australians aged over 21 with Type 1 diabetes can access the Continuous Glucose Monitoring products through their pharmacy for under $400 a year – a dramatic decrease from the $5,000 it previously cost them.