One of Australia’s most distinguished and respected healthcare leaders, Professor Villis Marshall AC, has been reappointed to the role of Board Chair for the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care to guide the organisation for a further three years.

The cost of clinical trials investigating gaps in medical evidence is outweighed almost six to one by the savings that flow from the health improvements experienced by patients, and the direct savings to the health system and wider economy.

A comprehensive national report on the spread of antimicrobial resistance in Australia has highlighted a number of specific types of bacteria as major emerging healthcare problems, with one type in particular causing resistance to last-resort antibiotics in just over half of hospital samples.

A global drive to reduce medication errors by 50% within five years will be launched in Brisbane today, as part of a new push by the World Health Organization to save lives and reduce the harm caused by medication mix-ups.

The first nationally agreed standard of care for women experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding says women should be offered less invasive treatments before considering a hysterectomy – a major operation best done only when other treatments are not suitable.

The latest version of a guide to help hospitals implement electronic prescribing and reduce adverse drug events is being launched today by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care.

More than half (60%) of antibiotics given to patients after surgery to prevent infections are prescribed inappropriately, usually because they are not required at all – a situation that may be contributing to the rise of antibiotic resistance.

An e-module to help clinicians develop their skills in communicating risks and benefits with their patients has been made freely available to all clinicians today.