Research
Minor ailments workload in General Practice
In 2008, ASMI's UK equivalent, PAGB (The Proprietary Assocation of Great Britain) & IMS Health released the results of the first study to provide qualification of minor ailment workload in General Practice. For information on this study, see: www.pagb.co.uk/information/research.html#jusc
Later that year, ASMI commissioned the IMS Health Australia to conduct similar research here. The results of this study were released at the ASMI Annual Conference on 19 November 2008.
Click here for a copy of the Conference presentation of these results.
Click here for a copy of the ASMI Media Release about this study.
Minor Ailments Report - September 2009
In August 2009, ASMI commissioned health economist, David L Gadiel of Health Care Intelligence Pty Ltd to further examine the potential economic impact of minor ailments being treated by GPs.
His study showed that the resources devoted to coughs, colds and other minor ailments could free-up the equivalent of 1,000 full time GPs to treat more serious health problems.
It also identifies some $260 million in ‘waste and resource misallocation’ as a result of Medicare benefits associated with GP treatment of minor ailments. (NOTE: figures quoted in the report related to 2007/8 data only)
Click here to see the full Report
Click here to see the ASMI media release about the Report, dated 7 September
The effects of calcium supplements on osteoporosis
ASMI, in partnership with the Department of Health and Ageing, through a co-funding arrangement, commissioned a systematic review and meta-analysis of existing research on the effect of calcium supplements on osteoporosis. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2007 and attracted widespread international media attention. The results of this study confirmed that calcium supplementation was effective in the preventive treatment of osteoporotic fractures and bone loss in older people.
The outcomes of that study provide strong economic evidence to support a national Self Care strategy in conjunction with health professionals to create higher community awareness of the need to increase access to Self Care medications such as calcium and vitamin D in population subgroups (such as the elderly in institutional care) where sun exposure is not always possible.
Our Self Care Subcommittee is now seeking to identify potential research projects and is in ongoing discussions with industry and academic organisations such as the National Institute for Complementary Medicine.