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1 week ago | 
healthcarechannel.co | Ritchelle Drilon
Palliative care leaders say federal election candidates have offered scant detail on how they will guarantee dignified end‑of‑life support for the 400 Australians who die of predictable causes each day. “We have heard very little from those standing for election about improving access to palliative care,” Dr Peter Allcroft, chair of Palliative Care Australia (PCA), said at the campaign’s halfway point.
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1 week ago | 
healthcarechannel.co | Ritchelle Drilon
A new collaboration between healthcare and research organisations will evaluate how patient-facing apps can improve virtual hospital care, using Australia’s first virtual hospital as a test case. The Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC) project brings together Sydney Local Health District (SLHD), Macquarie University and Alcidion to address gaps in understanding how digital tools can enhance remote healthcare delivery.
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1 week ago | 
healthcarechannel.co | Ritchelle Drilon
Silverchain has become the country’s first organisation to implement smart glasses technology at scale across its home care services, enabling real-time specialist consultations and improved patient outcomes regardless of location. The wearable devices, which feature built-in cameras that stream live video via wireless connection, allow care workers visiting clients in their homes to instantly consult with remote specialists while keeping their hands free to provide care.
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1 week ago | 
healthcarechannel.co | Ritchelle Drilon
For generations, we’ve operated under a troubling assumption that ageing inevitably leads to losing control over your own decisions. When questions about an older person’s choices arise, our systems have typically responded by looking for someone else to decide, a substitute decision maker, an attorney or a guardian. The default has been all or nothing, either complete autonomy or none at all. This approach has left countless older Australians silenced in matters concerning their own lives.
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1 week ago | 
healthcarechannel.co | Ritchelle Drilon
A major study of 3,000 residents across 23 Sydney aged care homes has found that four in ten were given “potentially inappropriate” psychotropic medicines and that seven in ten of those residents later suffered a fall, often bad enough to require hospital care.
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1 week ago | 
healthcarechannel.co | Ritchelle Drilon
New analysis reveals that global tariff ripple effects could severely impact Australia’s healthcare manufacturing, with costs passed down through complex international supply chains. A first-of-its-kind calculator developed by Fair Supply is helping businesses navigate these hidden expenses. The healthcare and pharmaceutical industries are particularly vulnerable to these cascading tariff impacts, according to Dr Arne Geschke, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Fair Supply.
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1 week ago | 
healthcarechannel.co | Ritchelle Drilon
The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) has warned against the rapid introduction of non-medical practitioner roles as a solution to the healthcare workforce shortage. The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) is urging greater caution in establishing new healthcare roles, particularly in rural and regional areas, citing significant concerns about patient safety and clinical risk.
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2 weeks ago | 
healthcarechannel.co | Ritchelle Drilon
The Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre (DHCRC) has thrust digital healthcare transformation onto the federal election agenda with the release of a comprehensive five-point policy reform plan aimed at revolutionising Australia’s healthcare system. As health emerges as a critical election issue, the DHCRC is calling for bipartisan commitment to digital health innovation.
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2 weeks ago | 
healthcarechannel.co | Ritchelle Drilon
COTA Australia is calling on political leaders to commit to a range of targeted reforms that address the cost-of-living pressures facing older Australians as the federal election approaches. The advocacy organisation’s agenda urges parties to introduce a Seniors Dental Benefit Scheme, increase rental assistance for eligible seniors, and establish programs that help older women secure affordable housing.
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2 weeks ago | 
healthcarechannel.co | Ritchelle Drilon
Our population is growing more diverse every day, and that means the traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach to aged care no longer works. Many older migrants find themselves disconnected—trapped between cultures, generations and systems not designed with their experiences in mind. These barriers often remain invisible to those who haven’t lived them. A care plan written only in English. Meals that carry no cultural meaning. Staff who, despite good intentions, misinterpret needs or traditions.
