In the media

Trans fats could be stripped from global food supply within five years
It's in margarine, ghee and fried food like hot chips — but according to some experts "trans fat is an unnecessary toxic chemical that kills, and there's no reason people ... should continue to be exposed" (15 May 2018). More...

Opt-out period for My Health Records announced
Australians who don't want a personal electronic health record will have from 16 July to 15 October to opt-out of the national scheme the federal government announced on Monday. Every Australian will have a My Health Record unless they choose to opt-out during the three-month period, according to the Australian Digital Health Agency. The announcement follows the release of the government's secondary use of data rules earlier this month that inflamed concerns of patient privacy (14 May 2018). More...

Australia releases framework for My Health Record to deliver better outcomes for patients
The framework defines how data on the My Health Record system can be used for research and public health purposes while preserving privacy and security of data in the system. The My Health Record system provides online summaries of patients' health information which includes information such as allergies, medication the patient is currently prescribed to, his/her diagnosed medical conditions, and pathology test results like blood tests (15 May 2018). More...

Ombudsman releases NDIA reviews report
Commonwealth Ombudsman today released a report into the National Disability Insurance Agency's (NDIA) handling of reviews of decisions under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013. The report discusses systemic issues highlighted by complaints and stakeholder feedback including significant backlogs, delays in decision making and poor communication practices (15 May 2018). More...

Revisiting Breen v Williams: Breathing Life into a Doctor-Patient Fiduciary Relationship.
Diana Nestorovska; (2018) 25(3) Journal of Law and Medicine 692
This article considers whether the doctor-patient relationship should be classed as a fiduciary relationship. It considers the general principles surrounding fiduciary obligations, and establishes criteria around which the question of a doctor-patient fiduciary relationship is discussed, namely workability and necessity. In particular, this article discusses the types of conflicts of interest that arise in medical practice as well as the Australian regulatory framework in respect of the medical profession.

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