MJA Editor-in-Chief

Care about #reproducibility in research & publishing? Join this webinar on Aug 27th, jointly organised by @aimosinc.bsky.social & @ausrepro.bsky.social on statistical reproducibility with @michelenuijten.bsky.social & @tomhardwicke.bsky.social Free - register here qut.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

🔔 This week in InSight+

Five stories of excellence from across Australia reveal how health services are using the Clinical Care Standards to drive meaningful improvements in safety, consistency and outcomes for patients.

buff.ly/F1ekFXI

🔔 NEW in the Medical Journal of Australia

Dialysis care in Australia: a call for reform and innovation

✍️ Dharshana Sabanayagam, Angela Makris, Frederika Sciberras, Nicole J Scholes‐Robertson and Germaine Wong

buff.ly/OUoBdVO

Opinion | This system is critical to Americans’ health. We must defend it. Medical progress depends on independent journals to advance science without political interference.

Editors of @nejm.org and @jama.com pushing back against US administration's criticism of independent medical journals
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

Heard the news about the UK lowering the voting age to 16?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Here's the rationale for this in Australia - published last year as part of VicHealth Future Healthy Countdown 2030 supplement in @mja.com.au
www.mja.com.au/journal/2024...
www.mja.com.au/journal/2024...

Quote from this paper "Am I on the list? Clinician‐reported factors for kidney transplantation non‐waitlisting among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with kidney failure: a cross‐sectional study" https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2025/223/1/am-i-list-clinician-reported-factors-kidney-transplantation-non-waitlisting

The final paper is from Stephen McDonald and colleagues "Am I on the list? Clinician‐reported factors for kidney transplantation non‐waitlisting among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with kidney failure: a cross‐sectional study" www.mja.com.au/journal/2025...

Image plus tex from research paper is by Tanika Ridgeway and colleagues "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices on the National Lung Cancer Screening Program: a qualitative study from Worimi and Awabakal country" https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2025/223/1/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-voices-national-lung-cancer-screening

The next research paper is by Tanika Ridgeway and colleagues "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices on the National Lung Cancer Screening Program: a qualitative study from Worimi and Awabakal country"
www.mja.com.au/journal/2025...

Image plus text from research paper is by Edith Waugh and colleagues "What do Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory value during the operation journey? A qualitative study" https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2025/223/1/what-do-aboriginal-people-northern-territory-value-during-operation-journey

The first research paper is by Edith Waugh and colleagues "What do Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory value during the operation journey? A qualitative study" www.mja.com.au/journal/2025...

Image plus text from perspective is from Paul Saunders and colleagues "Fulfilling First Nations health, cultural safety and equity accreditation standards in primary medical education: reflections from a First Nations desktop review team" https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2025/223/1/fulfilling-first-nations-health-cultural-safety-and-equity-accreditation

The next perspective is from Paul Saunders and colleagues "Fulfilling First Nations health, cultural safety and equity accreditation standards in primary medical education: reflections from a First Nations desktop review team"
www.mja.com.au/journal/2025...

Image plus text from perspective is from Mollie Wilson and colleagues "Core components of a best practice First Nations cancer coordinator role" https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2025/223/1/core-components-best-practice-first-nations-cancer-coordinator-role

The next perspective is from Mollie Wilson and colleagues "Core components of a best practice First Nations cancer coordinator role"
www.mja.com.au/journal/2025...

Image plus text from perspective is from Georgia Tongs and colleagues "Climate and environmental crisis: effects on ear and hearing health in Australia and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples" https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2025/223/1/climate-and-environmental-crisis-effects-ear-and-hearing-health-australia-and

The next perspective is from Georgia Tongs and colleagues "Climate and environmental crisis: effects on ear and hearing health in Australia and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples" www.mja.com.au/journal/2025...

Image plue text from perspective is from Tamara J Mackean and colleagues "Decolonising primary health care practice: a definition and its importance" https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2025/223/1/decolonising-primary-health-care-practice-definition-and-its-importance

The next perspective is from Tamara Mackean and colleagues "Decolonising primary health care practice: a definition and its importance" www.mja.com.au/journal/2025...

Image plus text from perspective is by Prof Chelsea Watego and colleagues from Carumba Institute, QUT "Taking up the challenge of eliminating racism in health care through talking about race (and culture)" https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2025/223/1/taking-challenge-eliminating-racism-health-care-through-talking-about-race-and

The first perspective is by Prof Chelsea Watego and colleagues from Carumba Institute, QUT "Taking up the challenge of eliminating racism in health care through talking about race (and culture)"
www.mja.com.au/journal/2025...

Image plus text from "Indigenous Health Special Issue 2025: carving our path with spirit, strength and solidarity" was led by Dr Paul Saunders from University of Wollongong and frames the whole issue https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2025/223/1/indigenous-health-special-issue-2025-carving-our-path-spirit-strength-and

The editorial "Indigenous Health Special Issue 2025: carving our path with spirit, strength and solidarity" was led by Dr Paul Saunders from University of Wollongong and frames the whole issue
www.mja.com.au/journal/2025...

Image of Dr Paul Saunders Volume 223, Issue 1 - 7 Jul 2025 MJA Podcasts 2025 Episode 13: Hearing Indigenous voices in medical education It’s NAIDOC week and the MJA’s – special issue on Indigenous Health “The MJA acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we live and work across Australia. This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Wangal people and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.” Associate Professor Paul Saunders is a proud BIR up eye man whose family comes from the mid north coast of New South Wales. He is the associate professor and academic lead for Indigenous Health in the Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Wollongong. He is one of the Guest editorial team and is our special guest today.

We were very honoured to work with the Guest Editors, who were generous with their time & expertise.
Don't miss the podcast with Dr Paul Saunders www.mja.com.au/podcast/223/...

and InSight+
insightplus.mja.com.au/2025/26/carv...

Thank you to everyone who worked on this issue

The wonderful Guest Editors who edited papers for this special issue were:
Prof Pat Dudgeon (Bardi)
Prof Jaqui Hughes (Wagadagam)
A/Prof Michelle Kennedy (Wiradjuri)
Prof Kelvin Kong AM (Worimi)
Prof Odette Pearson (Eastern Kuku-Yalanji and Torres Strait Islander)
A/ Prof Paul Saunders (Biripi)

MJA cover with The Red Belly Black Snake Walking Stick, a powerful carving by Uncle Paul Scott

Image and story about The Red Belly Black Snake Walking Stick, a powerful carving by Uncle Paul Scott

For the end of #NAIDOC week, here's a round up of the articles in @mja.com.au Special Issue on Indigenous Health titled “Carving our path with spirit, strength and solidarity”
The beautiful cover features The Red Belly Black Snake Walking Stick, a powerful carving by Uncle Paul Scott.
#NAIDOC2025

The MJA is proud to publish a Special Issue on Indigenous Health titled “Carving our path with spirit, strength and solidarity”

Available online at buff.ly/O5ARJkz

or as an eJournal at buff.ly/BUAR6CA

#NAIDOCWeek #NAIDOC2025

🔔 NEW in the Medical Journal of Australia

Smartphone‐activated volunteer responders and survival to discharge after out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrests in Victoria, 2018–23: an observational cohort study

buff.ly/MarSfcD

With the threat of H5N1 avian influenza looming, it is essential people working at the human-animal interface are prepared and protected.

buff.ly/rpVME4L

Have been looking across Bluesky for @mja.com.au authors, reviewers and collaborators. This is just a starter - if I missed you please reach out! go.bsky.app/Cfpn6SD

🔔 NEW in the Medical Journal of Australia

Optimising our response to a potential H5N1 avian influenza pandemic: preparing to protect people working at the human–animal interface

✍️ Kerrie Wiley, Catherine King, Holly Seale and Chris Degeling

buff.ly/OUjFXFy

Join us for a special event featuring @mja.com.au Editor-in-Chief, Professor @ginnybarbour.bsky.social, who will give an insider's view on how to outsmart scammers in research and publishing, what to beware of how to thrive.

🗓 Wednesday 16 July 2025, 4–6pm
📍 QUT Gardens Theatre
🎫 bit.ly/42QEGT2

Social media algorithms reward engagement, but chasing likes can cost doctors dearly, writes Dr Maria Li.

buff.ly/Xj5XKbg

New research examines how COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations could be reduced through national vaccine campaigns.

buff.ly/0GQPKaz

The latest MJA podcast is out now!

Join Associate Professors Martin Brown and Fred Joshua as they discuss pulmonary hypertension

🎧 buff.ly/OQueT1J

How vaccine campaigns could reduce COVID-19 infections - InSight+ New research examines how COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations could be reduced through national vaccine campaigns. Australia’s protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is waning. In...

Read the related @mja.com.au InSight+ piece here
insightplus.mja.com.au/2025/21/how-...

Getting COVID booster alongside flu shot could reduce hospitalisations, study finds As influenza cases continue to rise in the lead up to winter, a new study has found that getting a COVID-19 booster at the same time as the flu vaccination could reduce the rate of hospital admissions...

In @mja.com.au today

Annual COVID‐19 vaccination campaigns at same time as flu vaccination could reduce COVID‐19‐related hospitalisations & makes campaign logistics simpler

www.mja.com.au/journal/2025...

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06...

@burnetinstitute.bsky.social @monashuniversity.bsky.social

1h ago 07.40 AEST Health minister urges Australians to stay up-to-date with Covid-19 boosters The health minister, Mark Butler, has said a new Covid-19 variant is spreading around Australia, encouraging Australians to stay up-to-date with their boosters. He told RN Breakfast: I do encourage, particularly as we head into winter, for people to think about the last time they got a Covid vaccine. If you are over 75 you should have one if it’s more than six months since you had your last booster. If you’re 65 to 74, if it’s more than 12 months. And for everyone else have a serious think.

Health minister Mark Butler urges Australians to stay up-to-date with COVID-19 boosters.

@Mark_Butler_MP

Live news blog: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

A new COVID-19 variant is driving up infections in Australia. Here's what to know about NB.1.8.1 Research suggests NB.1.8.1 may infect cells more efficiently than earlier strains.

A new COVID-19 variant is driving up infections in Australia. Here's what to know about NB.1.8.1
-a good summary. Even shorter version, same virus, different jacket; current Aus vaccine has a role, but few people getting it.
www.sbs.com.au/news/article...