When we seek medical attention or advice we expect our health providers to treat us based on the best science. After all, Australia spends about 9% of its entire GDP on healthcare, so we must be getting high-quality, science based care. Right?
Worldwide, more people die from cardiovascular disease than any other cause. Alongside smoking, this is predominantly due to high blood pressure, which alone claims more than seven million lives annually. Poor diets and insufficient physical activity are key drivers to the blood pressure problem – which is true not only for developed countries, but also for the great majority of developing countries including India and China.
Governments are spending record sums on health research, yet arguably much of what will be spent will have little immediate relevance to the health experiences of ordinary individuals. It will provide little benefit to our children and their children and have even less impact on our own health: neither during the life of current governments nor during the long line of governments to follow will the impact of that research be seen.
It's something most parents have to deal with at some stage - putting those learner plates on the car and taking off with your child at the wheel.
Young drivers are at very high risk of a crash in their first year of solo driving, and account for about 25 percent of fatal crashes due to risk factors such as inexperience, distractions, speed and fatigue. To help address this, all Australian States and Territories have a graduated licensing system.
We visit doctors for two main reasons: for help with issues that are causing us pain or discomfort, and less commonly, to prevent such conditions.
When we take a medicine, have a blood test, x-ray or a procedure, we expect that these will benefit us and that the benefits will outweigh any potential risks or dangers.
We naturally expect our doctors to guide us according to what is best for us, safest and most effective. But, how would we feel if there was no clear evidence that treatments we were given effective or truly safe?
