The news on health care funding: a study of reporting in the Australian print media for 1996

Khuzestan dust phenomenon: a content analysis of most widely circulated newspapers

Dust is an atmospheric phenomenon that causes adverse environmental effects. It is deemed to have harmful effects on health, economics, and climate. This study aimed to analyze the content published on the phenomenon of dust in the widely circulated newspapers in Iran. We investigated the content of all national and provincial newspapers that were published between July and August 2014. Data on the materials related to the dust phenomenon in the newspapers were categorized and coded. From a total of 510 newspaper issues, 143 articles were devoted to the dust phenomenon which 74.1% of them were published in provincial newspapers. Among the national newspapers, Hamshahri newspaper with 16 headlines and from the provincial newspapers; Karoon with 23 headlines published the highest number of articles on dust phenomenon. 45.5% of content on dust were printed on the first page of the newspapers. The most common approach to the type of content published in these newspapers was an interview. Moreover, we noticed that 28.7% of the content published in the newspapers was related to the health issue. The media plays an important role in the transmission of health information. Weaknesses in addressing the causes of dust occurrence and also in providing solutions for the dust control and prevention were noticeable in the content published in the newspaper. It seems necessary to take practical measures to disseminate relevant information to dust and also address the needs of the target audience community influenced by the dust phenomenon properly.

From flying doctor to virtual doctor: an economic perspective on Australia's telemedicine experience

Current funding mechanisms can impede the efficient use and integration of telemedicine services. Telemedicine has developed in Australia against a background of complex funding arrangements and interwoven health-care responsibilities. These impediments are not unique to telemedicine but are accentuated by its ability to cover different locations, clinical areas and purposes. There is also a link between economic evaluation and funding mechanisms for telemedicine. While economic evaluations provide important information for the efficient allocation of resources, the funding environment in which telemedicine is established is also crucial in ensuring that services are efficient. Given these complexities, should telemedicine be funded? We conclude that this will depend on: the objectives and priorities of the health system; the efficiency of telemedicine relative to that of other forms of health-care delivery; and the funding environment. In terms of resource allocation processes, the optimum scenario is likely to be where the decision to invest in telemedicine services is made taking local needs into account, but where considerations such as market structure and network compatibility are examined on a broader scale and balanced against the principles of efficiency and equity.

Diagnosis and prognosis of Australia's health information for evidence-based policy

Without adequate information it is difficult to determine the success or failure of health policies. This paper assesses the adequacy of Australia's health information for evidence-based policy. Three policy areas are analysed: the impact of changing the public and private health financing mix; waiting lists and waiting times; and pooling of funds. In each, the issue is analysed to identify the key policy questions, the available data and existing analyses are examined, and gaps in data availability and analysis are assessed. There is variability in the extent and usefulness of current health information. In terms of the impact of changing the financing mix, there is good information on the distribution of finance, but much less available on comparative use or efficiency of public and private hospitals. There is comprehensive information available on waiting lists and waiting times but little analysis of the implications of this for equity of access or the costs and benefits of reducing waiting times. There is insufficient information for the development of the capitation based formulae required for the introduction of the pooling of funds, nor enough information to assess the extent and impact of current cost-shifting which might be addressed by pooling funds. While the concept of evidence-based medicine has been embraced with regard to specific treatment decisions, there has not been a parallel investment in the use of evidence to drive policy decisions.