Advances in medical technology have brought large benefits but have also been a major driver of increased health spending in recent years. Overall, this report concludes that advances in medical technology arguably have provided value for money -- particularly as people highly value improvements in the quality and length of life -- but the cost...

This report presents data on the number, nature, incidence and costs of public sector medical indemnity claims over the period 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004. It describes incidents that gave rise to claims, the people affected by these incidents, and the size, outcome and key aspects of the processing of medical indemnity claims...

Progress report on the Productivity Commission's study of the impact of advances in medical technology on public and private healthcare expenditure, and the associated costs and benefits for the Australian community. The commission found that in many cases, higher spending on new medical technologies reflected a significant increase in the number of people treated, not...

This report describes the development of and presents the first six months' data from the newly developed national collection of data on medical indemnity claims in the public sector. The medical indemnity national collection includes both claims that have materialised and potential claims. The data in this report cover claims current at any time during...

For some time, considerable disparity has been apparent in the prescribing of medication for children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in different jurisdictions in Australia. Despite having a smaller population than New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, Western Australia accounts for the highest number of prescriptions dispensed for dexamphetamine sulfate, a drug prescribed to treat ADHD...