Social Policy Resources

Health Resources

General Resources
Dental Health
Disability Support and Services
Diseases and Conditions
Drugs and Pharmaceuticals
Suicide
Women's Health

Parliamentary Library Publications

This Resource Guide provides links to a selection of web sites and electronic resources to meet the information needs of senators and members of the Australian Parliament.

General Resources

Australian Government Policies and Programs

• The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DOHA) web site provides access to information about Australian Government policies and Programs, including Communicable Diseases, Health Workforce and Private Health Insurance.  They also manage the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.
• The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) is the national Government agency for health and welfare statistics and information.
• The Australian Health Ministers' Advisory Council (AHMAC) provides a forum for Australian and New Zealand Governments to discuss health policy and Programs 

State and Territory Government Policies and Programs

• ACT Health
• NSW Health
• NT Department of Health and Families
• Queensland Health
• SA Department of Health
• Tasmania Department of Health and Human Services
• Victorian Government Health Information
• WA Department of Health

Finance and Law

• The Australian Safety and Compensation Council is the government agency for occupational health and safety and workers' compensation.
• The Australian Taxation Office's page on Medicare Levy provides information about the levy and the levy surcharge.

Statistics

• The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare publishes a wide range of statistics, including the National Public Health Expenditure Report (latest report 2005-06).
• The Australian Bureau of Statistics theme page Health provides links to ABS statistics relating to Health and Disability.  It also includes links to non-ABS health-related statistics sources, both Australian and international.
• The Department of Health and Ageing provides Medicare statistics from the Department of Health and Ageing.
• The Private Health Insurance Administration Council provides Statistics about services and insured persons.
• Medicare Australia provides statistics about Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
• The OECD's "Health at a glance" report compares health systems in OECD countries.

Organisations

• The Queensland Institute of Medical Research is one of the largest medical research institutes in the southern hemisphere.  It includes the Australian Centre for International and Tropical Health and Nutrition (ACITHN).
• The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is the peak health advocacy organisation.
• The Australian Private Hospitals Association (APHA) is the peak national body representing private hospitals.
• The Australasian Cochrane Centre, which is part of the Monash Institute of Health Services Research, is a health care review body.  Its web site includes the Cochrane Library.
• The Consumers' Health Forum of Australia is an advocacy organisation for health consumers.
• The Family Medicine Research Centre (University of Sydney) undertakes research in general practice and primary care.
• The National Centre for Epidemiologist and Population Health (NCEPH) (ANU) undertakes research in population health.
• The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the organisation that represents Australian general practitioners.
• Menzies Centre for Health Policy

Databases and Sources of Health Information

• Ruth M Sladek's "Finding Australian Content in Healthcare" is a select list of Australian internet sites.
• Gloria Miccoli's "Researching Medical Literature on the Internet" is a guide to online medical resources.
• The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing's HealthInsite is a health portal.
• The Victorian Government's Better Health Channel provides health and medical information.
• The State Library of NSW's Health Information Service includes a Health Research Guide and Health Calendar.
• Online list of Medical Wikis.
• MedBioWorld is a portal for professional medical and biotechnology information.
• MedlinePlus is an American health portal.
• PubMed provides access to Medline and other databases.
• Medical Conferences is a database of conferences, both in Australia and internationally.
• Medic8.com, a British medical portal, provides links to sites chosen by qualified medical professionals.
• The American National Health Information Centre is a health information referral service.
• Public Health Resources on the Internet is a list of web sites and search engines.
• The WHO Clinical Trial Search Portal allows users to search for clinical trials.
• Who Named It? is a biographical dictionary of medical eponyms or medical phenomena named for a person, with a biography of that person.

Online Journals

• Free Medical Journals provides free access to important medical journals.

• The Primary Care Internet Guide provides a list of Medical Journals.
• The Medical Journal of Australia
• The web site for ABC Radio National's Health Report program contains transcripts of past broadcasts.
• The NSW Public Health Bulletin provides information to the NSW public health community.
• The most important international medical journals include:
  • The British Medical Journal
  • JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association
  • The Lancet
  • The New England Journal of Medicine
• The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) is published by the American CDC.

International Links

• Foreign government ministries include:
  • Canada: Health Canada
  • Europe: EU Public Health Portal
  • New Zealand: Ministry of Health
  • Singapore: Ministry of Health
  • UK: Department of Health (England) and publications
  • USA: Department of Health and Human Services and National Institutes of Health
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are America's premier public health agency.
• The National Guideline Clearinghouse is an American public resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.
• Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
• Project HOPE is an organisation for providing long-term sustainable health care around the world
  The World Health Organization (WHO) is the UN's health body.

Dental Health

• The Australian Dental Association is a national association of dentists.
• The University of Adelaide's Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health undertakes research in population oral health.
• "Healthy Mouths, Healthy Lives: Australia's National Oral Health Plan 2004-2013" is a paper published by the National Advisory Committee on Oral Health.
• Amanda Biggs, "Dental Health - an Overview", background note (March 2006) (Senators and Members only)

Disability Support and Services

• The Commonwealth Department of Family, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs's Disability and Carer Programs site provides information about policies and programs affecting disabled people and their carers.
• The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission provides information about Disability Rights.
• The Disability Information & Resource Centre provides information about disability to South Australia.
• The Independent Living Centre of Western Australia provides assistive technology and equipment, and Home and Community services.
• Spinal Cord Injuries Australia provides consumer-based support and rehabilitation services to people with physical disabilities.
• Vision Australia is the leading provider of blindness and low vision services in Australia.
• Deaf Australia Inc. is the national peak organisation for deaf people.
• Deaf Sports Australia is the peak body for sport.
• The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing's Office of Hearing Services helps deaf people to get access to hearing assessments and hearing devices.

Diseases and Conditions

General diseases and conditions

• Global Health Facts provides information on diseases including HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria.
• The American CDC provides information on "Emerging Infectious Diseases".
• The National Asthma Council Australia is the lead agency for asthma and associated conditions.
• The National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre is Australia's independent national authority and information source on these cancers.
• The Cancer Council NSW is the leading cancer charity in NSW.
• The Hepatitis C Council of NSW helps people with Hepatitis C.
• The Hepatitis Foundation International is dedicated to the eradication of viral hepatitis.
• The Multiple Sclerosis Society is the Australian organisation for people with MS.
• The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing provides information on Organ and Tissue Donation.

Avian Influenza (or A(H5N1) or Bird Flu)

• Department of Health and Ageing, Avian Influenza
• Centres for Disease Control
• Interactive map of avian influenza (BBC)
• WHO avian influenza fact sheet
• WHO latest information on avian influenza

Swine flu/Influenza A(H1N1)

• Department of Health and Ageing, Swine Influenza
• WHO information
• Influenza Specialist Group (ISG)
• Dynamed information on swine flu (EbscoHost)

Drugs and Pharmaceuticals

Government Policies and Programs

• The Australian National Council on Drugs is the principal advisory body to the Government on drug policy.
• The National Drug Strategy is a cooperative venture between the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments and the non-government sector, to prevent the use of harmful drugs and reduce their effects in our society.
• The Drug Policy Expert Committee is appointed by the Victorian Government to help formulate drug policy.

Australian Organisations

• The Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia (ADCA) is the peak organisation representing the Australian alcohol and other drugs sector.
• The Australian Drug Foundation is a drug prevention organisation.
• The Australian Institute of Criminology provides information on Illicit Drugs and Alcohol and Drug Use.
• The Burnet Institute's Centre for International Health incorporates the Centre for International Health and the previous Centre for Harm Reduction which was a technical agency for reducing drug-related harm.
• The National Centre for Education on Training and Addiction (NCETA), based at Flinders University, is the national research centre on alcohol and other drugs workplace development.
• The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), based at the University of New South Wales, conducts multidisciplinary research to increase the effectiveness of treatment and intervention to alcohol and other drug-related harm.
• The National Drug Research Institute, based at Curtin University, conducts research to prevent harmful drug use and reduce drug-related harm.

International Resources

• The UN Office on Drugs and Crime is the UN drugs body.
• The International Narcotics Control Board is the control organ that monitors the implementation of the UN drug control conventions.
• The International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) is an organisation for scientific research in the cannabinoids.

Europe

• The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction is the EU drugs agency.

United Kingdom

• The UK Home Office provides information on their Drug Strategy.
• The British National Formulary provides UK healthcare professionals with information about medicines.
• Drugscope is a British independent centre of expertise on drugs.
• The Guardian newspaper publishes an Unlimited Special Report on Drugs in Britain.

United States

• The Office of National Drug Control Policy provides information on American drug policies.
• The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a federal government research institute which investigates drug abuse and addiction.
• The Food and Drug Administration includes the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
• The Surgeon General has published a report, "The Health Consequences of Smoking" (May 2004).
• The Drug Policy Alliance is a drug reform advocacy organisation.

Journals and Databases

• The Drug Library is an online library of drug policy.
• Drugtext is a library of articles and reports about drugs.
• EROWID Psychoactive Vaults is a library of information about psychoactive drugs and chemicals.

Pharmaceuticals

• The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing provides information on their Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
• The Pharmacy Guild of Australia.
• ClinicalStudyResults.org is a central database for clinical study results for US marketed pharmaceuticals.
• Pharmweb is the online community of pharmacy, pharmaceutical and healthcare-related professionals.

Suicide

• The Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing provides information on Suicide Prevention.
• Flinders University's Research Centre for Injury Studies provides information about suicide.

Women's Health

• BreastScreen Victoria is a government funded mammography screening program.
• The Australian Women's Health Network is a women's health advocacy, information and lobbying organisation.
• The Jean Hailes Foundation for Women's Health provides services for women.
• Positive Women is a support and advocacy organisation for women living with HIV/AIDS.
• Women's Health Victoria is a statewide women's health promotion, information and advocacy service.
• Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services is a British advocacy organisation.

Parliamentary Library Publications

• A Biggs, Private health insurance premium increases—an overview, Background note, August 2009.
• A Boxall, What is Medicare Select? Background note, August 2009.
• R Jolly, Medical practitioners-education and training in Australia, Background note, July 2009.
• A Boxall, Obesity prevention in young children: what does the evidence say? Background note, May 2009.
• R de Boer, A Boxall, A Biggs, L Buckmaster, J Gardiner-Garden and R Jolly, The interim report of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission—a summary and analysis, Research paper, no.24, 2008-09.
• A Biggs, Dental benefits for chronic conditions–an update , Background note, October 2008.
• A Biggs, Hospital waiting lists explained, Background note, March 2008.
• R Jolly, Health workforce - a case for physician assistants?, Research paper, no. 24, 2007-08.
• R Jolly, Practice nursing in Australia, Research paper, no.10, 2007-08.
• M Thomas and L Buckmaster, Naltrexone or methadone? Debates about drug treatments for heroin dependence in the contexts of drug policy, Research paper, no.7, 2007-08.
• L Buckmaster and M Thomas, Does cannabis use lead to mental-health problems? Findings from the research, Research note, no.21, 2006-07.
• A Biggs, Medicare - Background Brief, E-brief, October 2004.
• A Biggs, Healthy Measures - key health statistics, E-brief, May 2004.
• K Burton, Illicit drugs in Australia: use harm and policy responses, E-brief, May 2004.
• A Biggs, Hospitals in Australia, E-brief, April 2003.
• A Biggs, The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme - an Overview, E-brief, January 2003.

Comments to: amanda.biggs@aph.gov.au
Last reviewed 15 October, 2009 by the Parliamentary Library Web Manager
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