Hope Alexander MPH

Archive for the ‘In The Media’ Category

The Health Consumers’ Council will be holding a Community Forum on Oral Health/Dental Services on Tuesday, 9 November 2010. To RSVP for this event, contact Caroline at 9221 3422.

Event: 9 November 2010: Community Forum on oral health and dental services

Hope will be participating in a poster presentation for the Public Health Association of Australia (WA Branch) at the 2010 State Conference: Global Issues, Local Solutions – Thinking outside the box, at the Tradewinds Hotel, East Fremantle, 18-19 November 2010.

Cancer in the News

Tobacco: Flouters of smoke ban ‘will be pursued’

The Health Department says people who ignore WA’s new smoking bans on patrolled beaches and in cars with children will be pursued, despite previous claims the laws could be hard to enforce.

Director-general of Health, Kim Snowball, said while some people might initially be given warnings rather than $1000 fines, there would be no period of grace for the laws, which start on September 22.

The department will launch an advertising campaign today to warn people they risk prosecution if the smoke in banned areas. These include between flags at beaches, in cars carrying children under the age of 17, within 10 metres of playground equipment and in some outdoor eating areas. The display of tobacco products in shops will also be banned.

West Australian 8/9/2010 p.10.

Sophie West | Website and Publications Coordinator

Cancer Council Australia

Hope received a mention and congratulations in the Australian Federation of University Women (WA) Inc newsletter, for August 2010. Copy of article below.

Media: August 2010 AFUW(WA) Newsletter article

Hope was invited to contribute to DVD content and attend a focus group, the outcome of which will be used to to develop a DVD for WA consumers with a long term condition.

The researchers are particularly interested in learning about the experiences/difficulties we or someone we care for have encountered in managing a long term condition and ways we have overcome them.

This study has been approved by the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee. The Principal Investigator is Professor Duncan Boldy of the Centre for Research into Disability and Society, School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work, Curtin University. The Project Officer is Doctor Setareh Ghahari.

For Debate

Vertebroplasty for painful acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures: recent Medical Journal of Australia editorial is not relevant to the patient group that we treat with vertebroplasty

William A Clark, Terrence H Diamond, H Patrick McNeil, Peter N Gonski, Glen P Schlaphoff and John C Rouse MJA 2010; 192 (6): 334-337(see link below)

Abstract

We use vertebroplasty for patients with the most severe pain caused by osteoporotic vertebral fractures less than 6 weeks old, and have observed dramatic pain relief in this acute setting.

A recent editorial in the Journal, written by the authors of two recent vertebroplasty trials, suggested that vertebroplasty is not an effective therapy for acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

The trials described in the editorial sampled a very different patient cohort to the one that we treat with vertebroplasty.

Our clinical experience and most of the published literature relating to the benefits of vertebroplasty are in striking contrast to the opinions presented in that editorial.

©The Medical Journal of Australia 2010 www.mja.com.au

Vertebroplasty for painful acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures: recent Medical Journal of Australia editorial is not relevant to the patient group that we treat with vertebroplasty
William A Clark, Terrence H Diamond, H Patrick McNeil, Peter N Gonski, Glen P Schlaphoff and John C Rouse.
Med J Aust 2010; 192 (6): 334-337.
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/192_06_150310/cla11439_fm.html

Invited editorial presents an accurate summary of the results of two randomised placebo-controlled trials of vertebroplasty
Rachelle Buchbinder, Richard H Osborne and David Kallmes.
Med J Aust 2010; 192 (6): 338-341.
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/192_06_150310/buc10020_fm.html

Western Australians will be able to make important decisions regarding their future medical treatment and lifestyle choices, under new legislation which takes effect today.

Ministerial Media Statement from Kim Hames, Deputy Premier; Health; Indigenous Affairs can be viewed here:

http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/Results.aspx?ItemId=133128

Government of Western Australia Department of Health Advance Health Directives information and forms can be viewed here:

http://www.health.wa.gov.au/advancehealthdirective/home/