New study suggests telehealth can lower rates of antibiotic prescribing
A recent study published in the Journal of Health Economics found that GPs who were early adopters of telehealth were five per cent less likely to prescribe antibiotics compared to those who adopted telehealth later.
Using MBS and PBS data from 2017–2022, the study examined antibiotic prescribing patterns, mainly for respiratory tract infections, via telehealth consultations.
High telehealth usage was not associated with increased prescribing of broad-spectrum antibiotics.
The findings suggest that telehealth may reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, potentially because GPs feel less patient pressure to prescribe antibiotics during remote consultations compared to face-to-face visits.
Impact of reduced alcohol consumption on cancer mortality in Australia
According to recent research led by La Trobe University, reducing annual alcohol consumption by one litre per person in Australia could prevent thousands of cancer-related deaths each year.
Examining over 70 years of national data, modelling indicated this could prevent thousands of cancer deaths each year, specifically:
- 6 per cent fewer upper aerodigestive tract cancer deaths in men and 3.4 per cent in women
- 9 percent male liver cancer deaths
- 2 per cent fewer male colorectal cancer deaths and 0.7 per cent fewer in women.
- 3 per cent fewer female breast cancer deaths.
The greatest impact is observed among Australians aged 50 years and older. These findings reinforce the importance of alcohol reduction strategies as a public health measure for cancer prevention.
New international research confirms drugs alone not enough for long-term weight control
A recent international analysis of 37 studies (over 9000 participants) has shown that most patients regain their original weight within two years of stopping weight-loss medications (including GLP-1 receptor agonists), with an average monthly increase of 0.4 kg.
Published this month in the British Medical Journal, the review discovered not only did weight return, but risk markers for diabetes and cardiovascular disease also reverted to baseline within two years.
The review also found that weight regain after discontinuing pharmacotherapy occurred nearly four times faster than after stopping diet and physical activity interventions, regardless of the amount of weight lost during treatment.