The Medical Journal of Australia

Today we are discussing innovations in robotic-assisted surgery. My guests are Prof. David Gillatt, a specialist urological surgeon and the director of medical services at Macquarie University Hospital (MUH), and Professor Michael Wilson who is a specialist cardiothoracic surgeon at MUH, which sponsored this podcast.   With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 19 mins.

Today we are discussing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) with Prof. Jennifer Smith-Merry, who is the Professor of Health and Social Policy and the Director of the Centre for Disability Research and Policy at the University of Sydney. She has written about the need for better equity in the NDIS in the Medical Journal of Australia: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5694/mja2.51899 With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 19 mins. 

Dr. Marion Mateos, a paediatric oncologist, shares her frontline experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the challenges faced by medical staff. The discussion includes the impact of the pandemic on healthcare workers, the importance of debriefs, reflections on the ongoing impact of COVID-19, and finding silver linings amidst the crisis.

Retired Colonel Robert Likeman shares insights on doctors at war, emphasizing military vs. civilian medicine skills, soldier recovery centers, and the unique experiences of Australian doctors in war. The episode explores the significance of Anzac Day and the crucial role of medical professionals in the Australian Defence Force.

Dr. Danielle Hitch discusses the challenges and frustrations faced by individuals with Long COVID, the diverse recovery trajectories, societal impacts on the workforce, and the value of reimbursing lived experience in research. She emphasizes the need for healthcare providers to acknowledge the real impact of Long COVID and the importance of self-management approaches in managing symptoms.

Today we are discussing the importance of investing in mental health care to help improve economic and social participation with Associate Professor Jeffrey Looi, a clinical academic psychiatrist and Head of the Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine at the Australian National University School of Medicine and Psychology.  With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt. 19mins.

The Australian Child Maltreatment Study is published as a supplement in the 3 April 2023 edition of The Medical Journal of Australia. We are joined by researchers David Lawrence, who is Professor of Mental Health in the School of Population Health at Curtin University, and Associate Professor Holly Erskine, who leads the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Epidemiology and Services research stream at the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research.With MJA news and online editor, Sam Hunt.

Vol 217, Issue 11: 12 December 2022. Associate Professor Andrew Morokoff is a neurosurgeon with The Royal Melbourne Hospital and the University of Melbourne. He talks about the role of spinal surgery, particularly spine fusion, in the treatment of low back pain, to accompany his coauthored narrative review published by the MJA. With MJA news and online editor, Cate Swannell.

Vol 217, Issue 11: 5 December 2022. Professor Anne Kelso AO will be stepping down as CEO of the National Health and Medical Research Council in 5 months' time after 8 years in the role. She talks about gender equity in medical research funding and a new program introduced by the NHMRC, to accompany her MJA article on the subject. With MJA news and online editor, Cate Swannell.

Vol 217, Issue 11: 5 December 2022. Dr Sandro Demaio is Chief Executive Officer of VicHealth. He wrote recently for InSight+ about five design principles which should be the foundation of any national centre for disease control, and in this podcast he expands on those ideas. With MJA news and online editor, Cate Swannell.