Blog

It’s our birthday! This month Queensland Health’s very own clinical information portal, CKN, celebrates a remarkable 20 years supporting the state’s clinicians with world-class evidence for patient care. Since 2001 CKN has quietly toiled behind the scenes to become a uniquely invaluable state-wide resource. Used by Queensland Health’s doctors, nurses, allied health practitioners and paramedics tens of thousands of times each day, CKN is the envy of other public health services around the country.

To mark the occasion, we spoke with some of the key people who have helped CKN to flourish over the past two decades and asked them to offer their thoughts on how far CKN has come.

Chronic conditions make the largest contribution to premature death in western societies. It is estimated that in the next 20 years the burden of chronic conditions will account for 80% of Australia’s ill health and represent more than 70% of all health care expenditure, straining national health infrastructure and valuable resources.

Having access to concise nationally accepted management guidelines to address chronic conditions - especially for our most vulnerable First Nations people - in a clear, consistent and evidence-based manner, is a vital part of the patient's journey to a healthier life. Since 2006 the Chronic Conditions Manual - Prevention and Management of Chronic Conditions in Rural and Remote Australia has met this need. 

A regular gluten-free diet might not be sufficient to completely curb gluten-induced inflammation in all coeliac disease patients. A new study provides insights into the curative effects of gluten-free diets in coeliac patients. Results from the proteomics-based research suggests not.

A Queensland study has found the routine use of genomic testing could prevent a significant number of hospital-acquired infections and related deaths every year. 

For 20 years CKN has provided the Queensland public health system with world-class, evidence-based resources - helping clinicians transition research into practice and improve patient outcomes. Since 2008 Queensland Health committed to provide healthcare staff with access to a leading range of full text nursing and allied health journals and resources through the CINAHL Complete database. Following CKN’s lead, the NHS Wales has this month provided CINAHL to all Welsh public health clinicians via their online clinical library.

How obvious has been the here and now of nursing this year, as we have been enveloped by a historic pandemic for most of 2020, the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. So, while we have been resolutely required to practise social distancing, wear personal protective equipment, quarantine, live in lockdowns and border closures, we at least have an understanding of how the previous experience with Spanish influenza resonates with today. A century later, however, we have the added advantage of more knowledge, technology, and experience that has confirmed or changed the way contagion, and people affected by it, are managed. It is timely then that this special issue of Collegian on nursing and health care history, (available in ClinicalKey) has been published, for what it does is provide a focus on the role of history in shaping professional practices and identity, contributions to health care, as well as the advances in nursing history scholarship.

Concern is growing about the spread of false information about vaccines, especially when driven by high profile celebrities and, in some cases, elected politicians. But should we consider criminalising people who deliberately spread false information - or could this do more harm than good? Two experts debate the issue in The BMJ. 

Uterine fibroids are a common cause of heavy menstrual bleeding and pain in women of reproductive age, and according to the RACGP, affect 40–80% of women by age 50 years. Now a University of Chicago Medicine researcher working with an international team of scientists has developed a daily oral combination therapy that is reliable, safe and effective for long-term treatment of uterine fibroids. 

The Junior Doctor Survival Guide is a companion to the new students, interns and residents beginning their journeys as clinicians. Written by residents, for residents (and interns!), the Junior Doctor Survival Guide is a thorough summary of everything you need to know to get through your internship and residency, relatively intact.

It may be possible to have two completely separate bouts of COVID-19, researchers have warned in the journal BMJ Case Reports after treating a man whose infections were separated by 4 months of no symptoms and serial negative tests for the virus. Waning immunity might heighten the risk of reinfection, but severe infection first time around may be followed by milder symptoms second time around.