The Checkup

Episode 15: A Climate Change Emergency with Dr Lai Heng Foong

Whilst COVID-19 caused incredible loss, fear and panic around the world, there was a silver lining to the pandemic – a rejuvenation of our environment. With the world in lockdown and an unprecedented downturn in manufacturing, there has since been countless observations and reports of a worldwide ‘re-awakening’ and renewal of our ecosystems due to a reduction in burning fossil fuels. But as we begin to ramp up industry, just as quickly we return to the same destructive path. But it’s not just the environment it affects, it’s people, too. With a rising number of floods, heatwaves, bushfires and other natural disasters being driven by climate change, hospital emergency departments are at the forefront of dealing with the physical and mental effects of this ‘slow-burning’ emergency. In this episode, BN’s Kate Hickey talks to Dr Lai Heng Foong about climate change, it’s links to our healthcare system and our health, what we can do to prevent further damage and what our future might look like if we don’t take action. Lai Heng is an emergency physician in Sydney, and Chair of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine’s Public Health and Disaster Committee.

This episode of The Checkup was recorded by Sydney Podcast Studios and edited by Audio Advantage.

Episode 14: On the frontline of COVID-19 with Dr Lai Heng Foong

The Coronavirus, or COVID-19, was first discovered in Wuhan (China) in January this year and has rapidly spread throughout the world causing mass fear and panic on an immense scale. In this episode, BN’s Kate Hickey sits down with Dr Lai Heng Foong to discuss COVID-19, her experiences on the frontline of fighting a worldwide pandemic and some tips on how we can best manage the virus as a community, and as individuals. Kate also provides some guidance for how doctors can navigate the virus from a medico-legal perspective. Lai Heng is an emergency physician in Sydney, and Chair of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine’s Public Health and Disaster Committee.

Episode notes:

Information for GPs – https://www.racgp.org.au/coronavirus
NSW Health Updates – https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/diseases/Pages/coronavirus.aspx
Medical Indemnity Protection Society (MIPS) – https://www.mips.com.au/articles/coronavirus-update-for-practitioners
AHPRA & National Boards – https://www.ahpra.gov.au/News/COVID-19.aspx
UK case involving the spread of infection between a staff member and patient – https://bit.ly/3b6nsEB

This episode of The Checkup was recorded by Sydney Podcast Studios and edited by Audio Advantage.

Episode 13: Professional burnout – building resilience and finding your way back with Chelsea Pottenger

The health care environment – with its heavy workloads, demanding pace and significant time pressures – can put practitioners at a high risk of burnout. In this episode, BN's Sam Pillay and Katrina Mawer discuss biohacking, resilience and overcoming burnout with Chelsea Pottenger. Chelsea is the director of EQ Consulting, international speaker, mental health ambassador, and key figure in the mindfulness movement.

Episode Notes: 

Oura Ring – www.ouraring.com
WHOOP Device – www.whoop.com
GUT by Giulia Enders
Microba – www.microba.com
Cyto Pro by Eagle Natural Health
Dr Nicholas Christakis ‘The Hidden Influence of Social Networks’ TED Talk
Dr Rhonda Patrick ‘Found My Fitness’ podcast – www.foundmyfitness.com
Beyond Blue – www.beyondblue.org.au
LifeLine Support – www.lifeline.org.au

This episode of The Checkup was edited by Audio Advantage.

Episode 12: Superbugs and antimicrobial resistance, and why it's everyone's problem!

World Antibiotic Week runs from 18 to 24 November 2019, aiming to draw attention to the effective use of antibiotics (a type of antimicrobial) in preventing and containing antimicrobial resistance.

With World Antibiotic Week in mind, in this episode of The Checkup, BN's Emma Topen talks to Dr Mark Blaskovich from the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience. They chat all things superbugs, why antimicrobial resistance is everyone's problem, and some novel and exciting homegrown programs and possible solutions.

Please support CO-ADD in its important work to find a solution, before drug-resistant bacteria becomes a global health catastrophe: https://www.co-add.org/content/donate

This episode of The Checkup was edited by Audio Advantage.

The Case of Keli Lane - Part 3: Abortion legislation then and now

For those not familiar with Keli Lane’s story, she is a former Australian water polo player who made headlines throughout the country when her baby mysteriously went missing, sparking a coronial inquest into her disappearance. In December 2010, Keli was convicted of murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison. 

In the third and final instalment of our Keli Lane podcast series, BN's Sarah Carlisle and Emma Harman discuss the recent reforms to Queensland's abortion laws, and how they compare to the laws in the rest of the country. They consider what the law looked like in the 1990s, when Keli Lane was experiencing her unwanted pregnancies, and how the law has evolved over the last 20 years. 

The Case of Keli Lane - Part 2: The psychology of secret pregnancies

For those not familiar with Keli Lane’s story, she is a former Australian water polo player who made headlines throughout the country when her baby mysteriously went missing, sparking a coronial inquest into her disappearance. In December 2010, Keli was convicted of murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison. 

In Part 2, BN's Sarah Carlisle is joined by Kathryn Smith, a clinical psychologist and the joint director of a large private practice in Brisbane. Kathryn has a broad range of experience which includes a stint working in a large maternity hospital providing psychological support to women during pregnancy and in the post-natal period. They discuss the psychology behind secret pregnancies and the significance of perinatal and postnatal mental disorders, both in that context and more generally.

The Case of Keli Lane - Part 1: Maternal healthcare issues and pre and postnatal hospital care

For those not familiar with Keli Lane’s story, she is a former Australian water polo player who made headlines throughout the country when her baby mysteriously went missing, sparking a coronial inquest into her disappearance. In December 2010, Keli was convicted of murder and sentenced to 18 years in prison. 

In Part 1 of the series, BN's Sarah Carlisle is joined by Dr Baade, an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Brisbane’s Mater Hospital, to discuss the maternal healthcare issues arising out of a case like Keli Lane’s, and pre and postnatal care provided by hospitals to new mums.

Episode 8: Medical treatment for children – when do court orders become necessary?

In this episode BN's Sam Pillay and Emma Harman are lucky enough to be joined by Matthew Hickey, barrister at Level 27 Chambers in Brisbane. Together they look at when court orders are necessary to authorise the medical treatment of a child, how the courts become involved and what factors they consider in reaching a decision.

Episode notes:

• Baby K case - Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service v AT [2018] QSC 147 (14 June 2018)
• Gillick v West Norfolk AHA [1986] AC 112
• Marion’s case (1992) 175 CLR 218
• Baby Mohammed - TS & DS v Sydney Children's Hospital Network ("Mohammed's case") [2012] NSWSC 1609 (24 December 2012)

Episode 7: The do's and don'ts of clinical record keeping for nurses

Good health care starts with good communication, and this starts with accurate clinical record keeping. Nursing is a 24 hour job, and as practitioners pass the baton onto the next shift, precise record keeping is imperative to ensure clinical disasters are averted.

In this episode of The Checkup, BN's Jodeen Brewer is joined by Melinda Zerner QC to discuss the do's and don'ts of clinical record keeping, and explore a real life example of where poor record keeping contributed to the avoidable death of a patient.

This episode of The Checkup was recorded and edited by Audio Advantage - www.audioadvantage.com.au

 

Episode 6: Giving evidence in court - tips and traps

BN's Jasmin Sears in joined by Kathryn McMillan QC to discuss some tips and traps for medical professionals who might find themselves appearing in court to give evidence.

This episode of The Checkup was recorded and edited by Audio Advantage - www.audioadvantage.com.au