Mandatory Disclosure of Pharmaceutical Industry-Funded Events for Health Professionals

David Henry and colleagues examine compliance with new disclosure requirements of Medicines Australia, the pharmaceutical industry representative body, and argue that they fall short and instead more comprehensive reporting standards are needed

Health Systems and Sustainability: Doctors and Consumers Differ on Threats and Solutions

Background: Healthcare systems face the problem of insufficient resources to meet the needs of ageing populations and increasing demands for access to new treatments. It is unclear whether doctors and consumers agree on the main challenges to health system sustainability. Methodology: We conducted a mail survey of Australian doctors (specialists and general practitioners) and a computer assisted telephone interview (CATI) of consumers to determine their views on contributors to increasing health care costs, rationing of services and involvement in health resource allocation decisions. Differences in responses are reported as odds ratios (OR) and 99% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Of 2948 doctors, 1139 (38.6%) responded; 533 of 826 consumers responded (64.5% response). Doctors were more concerned than consumers with the effects of an ageing population (OR 3.0; 99% CI 1.7, 5.4), and costs of new drugs and technologies (OR 5.1; CI 3.3, 8.0), but less likely to consider pharmaceutical promotional activities as a cost driver (OR 0.29, CI 0.22, 0.39). Doctors were more likely than consumers to view ‘community demand’ for new technologies as a major cost driver, (OR 1.6; 1.2, 2.2), but less likely to attribute increased costs to patients failing to take responsibility for their own health (OR 0.35; 0.24, 0.49). Like doctors, the majority of consumers saw a need for public consultation in decisions about funding for new treatments. Conclusions: Australian doctors and consumers hold different views on the sustainability of the healthcare system, and a number of key issues relating to costs, cost drivers, roles and responsibilities. Doctors recognise their dual responsibility to patients and society, see an important role for physicians in influencing resource allocation, and acknowledge their lack of skills in assessing treatments of marginal value. Consumers recognise cost pressures on the health system, but express willingness to be involved in health care decision making

Disability activism and the politics of scale

In this paper, we examine the role of spatial scale in mediating and shaping political struggles between disabled people and the state. Specifically, we draw on recent theoretical developments concerning the social construction of spatial scale to interpret two case studies of disability activism within Canada and Ireland. In particular, we provide an analysis of how successful the disability movement in each locale has been at 'jumping scale' and enacting change, as well as examining what the consequences of such scaling-up have been for the movement itself. We demonstrate that the political structures operating in each country markedly affect the scaled nature of disability issues and the effectiveness of political mobilization at different scales

Fibre diameter variation as a measure of resilience in sheep

The ability to select sheep which have a greater capacity to overcome environmental fluctuations
 is topical given the severity of climatic events, labour shortages and increased productive demands
 (lamb, meat and wool). In this paper, we review the possibility of using variation in fibre diameter
 (FD), measured along the wool staple as an indicator of how sheep respond to the fluctuations of
 their environment

Weaner survival is heritable in Australian Merinos and current breeding objectives are potentially leading to a decline in survival

There is little evidence to show that mortality rates during the period after weaning are improving over time in Australian sheep. The average mortality rate of Merino lambs during the post-weaning period has been estimated to be 5.2%. The present study explored the potential for producers to breed for improved survival rates during the post-weaning period and the potential impact this would have on key production traits. A total of 122 526 weaner survival (mortality) records were obtained from 18 Merino flocks, between 1989 and 2014, encompassing a wide variety of Australian Merino sheep types and production systems. The heritability of weaner survival from a sire model was estimated to be 0.07 ± 0.01 and was significantly greater than zero. The survival of lambs post-weaning was significantly influenced by weaning weight, with higher survival rates observed in the heavier lambs. The phenotypic relationship with weight indicates that selection for heavier weaning and post-weaning weights, and in turn larger growth rates, will improve survival rates. There is genetic variation in weaner survival not explained by the relationship with weaning weight. Weight-corrected weaner survival was antagonistically genetically correlated with fleece weight. Due to these antagonistic genetic relationships selection based on popular MERINOSELECT indexes is leading to a very small reduction in the survival rate of lambs after weaning through to the post-weaning stage. To prevent a decline in weaner survival, producers are advised to record weaner survival and include it in their breeding objective

Genetic Variation of Weaner Survival in Merino Sheep and Its Relationships with Growth and Wool

There is little evidence that mortality rates in Australian sheep during the period after weaning are improving over time. This paper explores the potential for producers to select to improve survival rates and the potential impact this may have on key production traits. A total of 114,272 weaner survival records were obtained from a wide variety of Australian Merino sheep types and production systems. Weaner survival, a binary dependent variable, was analysed as a continuous trait using a sire model. The heritability of weaner survival was estimated at 0.05 ± 0.01, significantly greater than zero. The survival of weaned lambs to yearling age was influenced by weaning weight with higher survival rates observed in heavier lambs (rg = 0.14). Weaner survival adjusted for weaning weight was found to be antagonistically genetically correlated with fleece weight (rg = -0.12 to - 0.24). Due to antagonistic genetic correlations with greasy fleece weight and other production traits, producers should record weaner survival which will assist Sheep Genetics to produce breeding values and incorporate weaner survival in future indexes

Weaner survival is heritable in Australian Merinos and current breeding objectives are potentially leading to a decline in survival

There is little evidence to show that mortality rates during the period after weaning are improving over time in Australian sheep. The average mortality rate of Merino lambs during the post-weaning period has been estimated to be 5.2%. The present study explored the potential for producers to breed for improved survival rates during the post-weaning period and the potential impact this would have on key production traits. A total of 122,526 weaner survival (mortality) records were obtained from 18 Merino flocks, between 1989 and 2014, encompassing a wide variety of Australian Merino sheep types and production systems. The heritability of weaner survival from a sire model was estimated to be 0.07 ± 0.01 and was significantly greater than zero. The survival of lambs post-weaning was significantly influenced by weaning weight, with higher survival rates observed in the heavier lambs. The phenotypic relationship with weight indicates that selection for heavier weaning and post-weaning weights, and in turn larger growth rates, will improve survival rates. There is genetic variation in weaner survival not explained by the relationship with weaning weight. Weight-corrected weaner survival was antagonistically genetically correlated with fleece weight. Due to these antagonistic genetic relationships selection based on popular MERINOSELECT indexes is leading to a very small reduction in the survival rate of lambs after weaning through to the post-weaning stage. To prevent a decline in weaner survival, producers are advised to record weaner survival and include it in their breeding objective

Defining resilience traits in sheep from fibre diameter variation of wool

The capacity to measure and select livestock that are more resilient to environmental fluctuation is of increasing importance amidst climate change, labour shortages and increasing production demand. Currently, however, there is no consensus on how to quantify resilience, particularly in extensive sheep populations. In this study, we explored the ability to derive resilience indicator traits from fibre diameter variation measured longitudinally (5 mm increments) along the wool staple. Fibre diameter varies in relation to the supply of nutrients to the wool follicles and thereby provides a stable archive of the animal's physiological status across the preceding wool growth period. From this fibre diameter variation, ways to detect and characterise an animal's ability to withstand or be minimally affected by its environment were explored. The heritability estimates of these traits were shown to be low to moderate (0.10 to 0.31), indicating that genetic variation exists for fibre diameter variation measured along the wool staple which may be interpreted as a measure of resilience. The inclusion of such measures in sheep breeding programs has the potential to improve the resilience of sheep to environmental challenges, which may have positive implications for sheep enterprise profitability, health and welfare