The Australian Government’s temporary introduction of telehealth services via Medicare during COVID-19 must be made permanent to give all Australians access to safe and high quality healthcare.
APA National President Phil Calvert says funding of telehealth has demonstrated video consultations are safe, appropriate and cost effective for a vast number of clinical presentations.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating and painful condition affecting more than 2.2 million Australians at a cost to the health system of $2.1 billion annually. As Australia’s population ages and obesity rates climb, this figure is expected to grow to more than 3 million by 20301.
Advice to rest and avoid pain has traditionally been given to people with chronic pain. However, research linking lower back pain in teens with work absenteeism as adults points to the need to tackle pain early, eliminating fear-avoidance behaviour later in life. During National Pain Week (23–29 July) the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is highlighting the effectiveness of physiotherapy in pain management programs.
In the lead up to World Parkinson’s Day on 11 April the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is highlighting the vital role physios play in helping people achieve the best possible quality of life after diagnosis—to slow the disease progression and, in many cases, improve their symptoms in the early stages.
