Author: Team

NSW’s Westmead Hospital Exploring Virtual Reality

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Currently, clinicians undergo training with a simulation lab dummy as part of their annual accreditation process. The new virtual reality application has been built using a game engine, so the decisions made by the clinicians determine the treatment received by the patient – just like in a real cardiac arrest scenario.

The University of Sydney has funded the $40,000 prototype app as part of its $80m investment into technology, infrastructure and student growth at Westmead Hospital. The app, which is being built by Australian virtual reality tech company Frameless Interactive, is in its final stages of beta testing and soon ready to be shown to clinicians.

Western Sydney Local Health District nurse educator Nathan Moore stated, “We’re not just utilising technology for the sake of technology. We’re looking to fill a real need in our training by giving people the opportunity to practice the skills they’d need in a real emergency.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Labor Appoints New Shadow Health Minister

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Taking over the role of from Catherine King the ex-treasurer has tweeted @Bowenchris. “Medicare is one of Labor’s greatest achievements. Protecting and nurturing Medicare is an important part of Labor’s governing mission. Delighted to have been appointed Shadow Minister for Health and looking forward to building on Labor’s tremendous record in health.

Chris Bowen entered Parliament in 2004 and served as Interim Leader of the Labor Party and Acting Leader of the Opposition following the 2013 Federal election to the end of the 2019 Federal election defeat.
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Portable Theatre Used for an Australian First in Melbourne Hospital

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Originally designed for war zones, the portable operating theatre can be packed down to the size of a shipping container for easy transport. Surgeons at a Melbourne hospital have become the first in Australia to perform open-heart surgery in a portable theatre.

Professor Paul Myles, the hospital’s Director of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine says it was an “innovative” solution.

Stating, “when it was delivered here it was basically able to be fully functional within three to four days. The bottom line is if we didn’t have this operating theatre running, (patients) might miss out on their surgery or have to wait days or weeks longer.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

MTAA WELCOMES RE-APPOINTMENT OF GREG HUNT AS HEALTH MINISTER

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]MTAA wrote to Minister Hunt before the election seeking a commitment to the medical devices industry to continue to honour the Agreement signed with the sector in 2017, and we were pleased that he responded with an assurance that the Agreement would be honoured.

The Agreement will save private health insurers $1.1 billion in payments for medical devices over the next four years and helped deliver the lowest private health premium increase in 18 years in December 2018.

A key part of the Agreement was the undertaking by Government to accelerate the process of listing non-implantable medical devices on the Prostheses List, to allow more Australians access to cutting edge technology.

The listing of catheter ablation technology on the Prostheses List was a significant step towards allowing privately insured patients greater access to life-saving non-implantable technology.

We look forward to continuing our productive relationship with Minister Hunt as we work together to ensure that Australians have access to the best possible medical technology in order to help them live longer and healthier lives.

We also welcome the re-appointment of the Hon Karen Andrews to the role of Industry, Science and Technology.[/vc_column_text][vc_zigzag][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”1585″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”3/4″][vc_column_text]

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ian Burgess is the CEO of the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA).[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Dr Charlie Teo puts spotlight back on cost of specialists

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Dr Teo appeared on the Today show with Georgie Gardner who asked him to explain, if the procedure he was offering was valid, why it was not covered by Medicare through the public system. He went on to explain the breakdown of fees and that private hospitals must make a profit.

What started off as a tweet has quickly grown into a full-blown debate about exorbitantly high surgeons’ fees and costs in the Australian healthcare system more broadly.

Dr Teo’s fees have previously been challenged by insurers and Medicare, according to an industry figure quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald this week.

According to Private Healthcare Australia CEO Rachel David, if a rebate was paid by Medicare, the hospital stay, intensive care and rehabilitation would normally be covered by insurance. “The funds will also pay ‘gap cover’ for the surgeon, assistant and anaesthetist, but this will be nowhere near the six-figure sums charged by Dr Teo as this would put too much pressure on premiums for other members,” said Dr David.

In March of this year, Health Minister Greg Hunt announced that the Federal Government would be launching a website which will list feed and out-of-pocket expenses charged by individual specialists, following a report released by the government revealing concerns over doctors charging patients with hidden fees such as ‘administrative’ or ‘booking’ fees. Minister Hunt said that the website would be aimed at reducing the risk of “bill shock”.

Leanne Well, CEO of the Consumers Health Forum, said that “the challenge now will be to ensure that once it is introduced after consultation with consumers and doctors that all specialists use it.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

New theatre investment improves surgical outcomes

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Olympus VISERA ELITE II System with 4K, 3D and Infrared surgical modes are designed to increase accuracy, speed and precision during surgery and have been made available in eight of the hospitals 16 theatres.

Seven of these are mobile, meaning they can be moved to each specialist theatre and one is fixed and offers 4K, 3D and Infrared (IR) capabilities.

The system offers different observation possibilities such as narrow band imaging and infrared imaging. Infrared imaging is particularly important for gynaecological oncology procedures such as sentinel lymph node mapping, colorectal liver metastases and biliary identification during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

The hospital has also acquired an additional system – the Olympus 4K System.

The Olympus 4K surgical platform to be used for primary and revisional laparoscopic procedures, offers true 4K image quality at four times the resolution of Full HD and utilises a wider colour gamut (BT2020) with over one billion colour combinations allowing for greater accuracy, speed and precision during surgery.

Improved patient outcomes

Perioperative Services Manager Dave Ramsay said the two new systems will be used for a range of surgical procedures in the areas of Upper GI, Bariatric, Colorectal, General, Gynaecology, Cardio Thoracic and ENT.

“Having the cutting-edge laparoscopic systems in our theatres means surgeons have the ultimate view of their surgical field,” he said.

“As one surgeon aptly put it, it means they have a view of open surgery combined with the magnification of a telescope.”

CEO, Ben Edwards said investing in the latest technologies was imperative for patient care.

“We are proud to have such highly-skilled specialists using these cutting-edge technologies across the hospital and we will continue to invest in future medical technologies which support improved patient outcomes,” he said.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

3D Printing Is Changing Personalised Medicine, Finds IDTechEx Report

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  • OK, tell me more: A new report published by technology research company IDTechEx shows 3D printing – soon to be an $8.1 billion industry by 2029 – is disrupting the way personalised medicine is provided.

3D printing for the medical and dental industry is helping to cut lead time, reduce waste and offers the opportunity for mass customisation. Imagine having the power to create a custom fit medical device right from your desktop.

  • In our own backyard: In Australia the adoption of 3D printing technology in the health sector is still in the early stages. It’s likely that as personalised medical devices, enabled by technologies such as 3D printing, extend into higher risk medical devices the potential risk for patients will increase. The proposed changes to the current medial device regulatory framework in Australia seeks to ensure adequate regulation of personalised medical devices (including 3D printed devices).

KEY INSIGHT: The report found 3D printing improves surgical standards and improves efficiency, resulting in better outcomes for patients. Customised medical devices can result in better functional and aesthetic outcomes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Therapeutic Innovation Australia to Invest in Cell and Gene Therapy Facilities

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Facilities to receive funding are:​

  • Cell and Molecular Therapies (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital)
  • Cell and Tissue Therapies WA (Royal Perth Hospital)
  • Centre for Cellular Immunotherapy (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre)
  • Q-Gen Cell Therapeutics (QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute)
  • Sydney Cell and Gene Therapy (Westmead Precinct)

Professor John Rasko AO, Founding Director, Cell & Molecular Therapies Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and President of International Society of Cell and Gene Therapy stated,” with national co-ordinated funding initiatives such as the TIA NCRIS investment. Australia is now well placed on the map to attract investors, clinical trialists and the biotechnology sector for the benefit of patients and their families.”

The $8.8 Million in funding will be provided over the next four years.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

COST OF MEDICAL DEVICES DOWN IN DECEMBER QUARTER

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Costs for medical devices have fallen in every quarter since the MTAA’s (Medical Technology Association of Australia) Agreement with the Federal Government signed in 2017.

Since the March 2018 quarter there have been reductions in average benefits across almost all prostheses categories, including:

  • Cardiac costs down 16.4%
  • Hip costs down 5.3%
  • Knee costs down 5.7%

Compared with the March 2018 quarter, March 2019 quarter statistics show that the average benefit paid for all prostheses has gone down 9%.

These cost reductions are a direct result of the $1.1 billion dollars in cuts delivered by MTAA through the Agreement and demonstrate MTAA’s active contribution to the affordability of healthcare in Australia.

The Agreement signed in October 2017 will save private health insurers $1.1 billion in payments for medical devices over the next four years and directly resulted in delivering the lowest private health insurance premium increase in 18 years.

Today’s APRA data on private health insurers shows them continuing to enjoy strong profitability, with after tax profits up almost 20% over the past three years as affordability for ordinary Australian families goes down.

“Today’s APRA data continues to demonstrate the impact of MTAA’s Agreement with the Federal Government through a reduction in costs for medical devices,” said Ian Burgess, MTAA CEO said.

“MTAA has made a significant contribution to the affordability of healthcare in Australia through the delivery of the lowest private health insurance premium increase in 18 years in 2018.

“Cardiac costs are down 6.6%, hip costs are down 3.7%, knee costs are down 2.7% – this is a tangible demonstration of the benefits of the MedTech industry’s contribution to the affordability of private health insurance.

“Private health insurers must now demonstrate that they have passed these savings on to consumers in full.

“The medical technology industry believes access to a full range of medical technology is one of the key benefits of having private health insurance and we’re committed to helping ensure all Australians lead healthier and more productive lives,” Mr Burgess concluded.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

EDWARDS’ EVERY HEARTBEAT MATTERS CHARITABLE INITIATIVE ON TRACK TO IMPACT 1.5 MILLION UNDERSERVED PEOPLE BY 2020

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The initiative, which involves the education, screening and treatment of 1.5 million underserved people by 2020, is supported by grants from Edwards Lifesciences Foundation.

The Foundation’s 2019 Annual Grant Cycle is now open. Applications for our Every Heartbeat Matters, Community and other grants are now available on our website with a submission deadline of June 28 at 5 p.m. PT.

The Foundation is interested in partnering with charitable organisations that are meeting basic needs in the communities where our employees live and work, and that leverage the volunteer time and talents of our employee volunteers to impact their community.

“Since the Every Heartbeat Matters initiative began five years ago, we have made substantial progress in building a global community that is addressing the burden of heart valve disease for underserved people,” said Amanda Fowler, executive director, Edwards Lifesciences Foundation.

“This year, we plan to continue growing our giving focused on Every Heartbeat Matters and deepening our partners’ impact with the engagement of our talented and dedicated employees around the world.”

“Our commitment to charitable giving is one of the defining elements of our culture and locally we’re proud our employees actively participate,” said Managing Director of Edwards Lifesciences ANZ, Pat Williams.

“We’re fortunate to be able to support many health- and community-focused programs through grants to non-profit organisations around the world from the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation.”

Last year across ANZ over $165,000 were awarded to 10 organisations, including:

  • $75,000: Friends of Fiji Heart Foundation – a New Zealand registered charitable trust which provides free operations for the poor and needy citizens of Fiji who are suffering from valvular heart disease
  • $7,000: National Heart Foundation of Australia – to help with heart health and warning signs campaign
  • $5,000: Youth Off the Street -to help with its Mentoring Program to offer one-on-one guidance, support and encouragement so that recipients can develop their talents, life skills and achieve their goals.
  • $5,000: The Exodus Foundation – Christmas Day appeal to help serve lunch to thousands of hungry, needy and lonely people.

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