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1
Johnston, Jane, and Mark Pearson. "Australia’s media climate: Time to renegotiate control." Pacific Journalism Review : Te Koakoa 14, no. 2 (September 1, 2008): 72–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.24135/pjr.v14i2.945.
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In 2007, Australia was rated by two international media bodies as well down the chain in media freedom. Within its own borders, internal media groups—in particular the Australian Press Council and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, as well as a consortium of major employer groups—have recently released reports investigating the position of media freedoms. This atricle examines a select few of these shrinking freedoms which range from the passive restrcitions on access to documents to the overt threat of imprisonment for publishing sensitive material. In particular, it considers laws relating to freedom of information, camera access to courts, shield laws and whistleblower protection and finally revamped anti-terrorism laws. The article maps the landscape of Australia's downgraded press fredom and suggests that laws controlling media reportage need to be renegotiated.
2
Partridge, Jodie. "FREEDOM OF INFORMATION IN INDONESIA AND AUSTRALIA." Brawijaya Law Journal 2, no. 1 (March 1, 2015): 26–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.21776/ub.blj.2015.002.01.03.
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Partridge, Jodie. "FREEDOM OF INFORMATION IN INDONESIA AND AUSTRALIA." Brawijaya Law Journal 2, no. 1 (March 1, 2015): 26–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.21776/ub.blj.2016.002.01.03.
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Robie, David. "Key Melanesian media freedom challenges: Climate crisis, internet freedoms, fake news and West Papua." Pacific Journalism Review : Te Koakoa 26, no. 1 (July 31, 2020): 15–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.24135/pjr.v26i1.1072.
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Melanesia, and the microstates of the Pacific generally, face the growing influence of authoritarian and secretive values in the region—projected by both China and Indonesia and with behind-the-scenes manipulation. There is also a growing tendency for Pacific governments to use unconstitutional, bureaucratic or legal tools to silence media and questioning journalists. Frequent threats of closing Facebook and other social media platforms and curbs on online freedom of information are another issue. While Pacific news media face these challenges, their support networks are being shaken by the decline of Australia as a so-called ‘liberal democracy’ and through the undermining of its traditional region-wide public interest media values with the axing of Radio Australia and Australia Network television. Reporting climate change is the Pacific’s most critical challenge while Australian intransigence over the issue is subverting the region’s media. This article engages with and examines these challenges and also concludes that the case of West Papua is a vitally important self-determination issue that left unresolved threatens the security of the region.
5
Moon, Danielle. "Freedom of information: User pays (and still faces delays)." Alternative Law Journal 43, no. 3 (August 16, 2018): 192–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1037969x18787297.
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This article considers freedom of information in Australia and examines some of the practical barriers to access that persist following the 2009–2010 changes to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth). It considers, by way of case study, the issues of practical refusal, charges and delays, and draws a brief comparison with UK law and practice. It concludes that the current model in Australia must change if greater transparency is to result.
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Stubbs, Rhys. "Freedom of Information and Democracy in Australia and Beyond." Australian Journal of Political Science 43, no. 4 (December 2008): 667–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10361140802429270.
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HAZELL, ROBERT. "FREEDOM OF INFORMATION IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA AND NEW ZEALAND." Public Administration 67, no. 2 (June 1989): 189–210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9299.1989.tb00721.x.
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Hazell, Robert. "Freedom of information: Lessons from Canada, Australia and New Zealand." Policy Studies 12, no. 3 (September 1991): 38–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01442879108423595.
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Jones, Timothy H. "Freedom of Political Communication in Australia." International and Comparative Law Quarterly 45, no. 2 (April 1996): 392–401. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0020589300059042.
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In three important decisions,1 handed down on the same day in October 1994, the Australian High Court continued its exploration of the implied constitutional guarantee of freedom of political communication. Two years previously, in the judgments in Nationwide News Pty Ltd v. Wills2 and Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd v. The Commonwealth,3 a majority of the High Court had distilled an implication of freedom of political communication from the provisions and structure of the Australian Constitution.4 This was not an implication of freedom of expression generally, since it was derived from the concept of representative government which the majority considered to be enshrined in the Constitution: “not all speech can claim the protection of the constitutional implication of freedom … identified in order to ensure the efficacious working of representative democracy and government”.5 The extent of this implied constitutional guarantee was left rather unclear, since a number of different views were expressed. As Justice Toohey has now explained,6 there were two possibilities. The first was a more limited “implied freedom on the part of the people of the Commonwealth to communicate information, opinions and ideas relating to the system of representative government”. The second was a rather more expansive “freedom to communicate in relation to public affairs and political matters generally”. In the recent trilogy of cases a majority of the High Court was prepared to endorse the second of these alternatives.7 In Cunliffe v. The Commonwealth Chief Justice Mason concluded that it would be too restrictive to limit the implied freedom to “communications for the purposes of the political processes in a representative democracy”.8
10
Fernandez, Joseph, and Mark Pearson. "Censorship in Australia: Intrusions into media freedom flying beneath the international free expression radar." Pacific Journalism Review 21, no. 1 (May 1, 2015): 40. http://dx.doi.org/10.24135/pjr.v21i1.147.
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Australia has ranked among the top 30 nations in recent world press freedom surveys published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Freedom House and is broadly regarded as a substantially free Western liberal democracy. This article considers how the methodologies of those organisations assess the impact upon media freedom of a range of recent decisions and actions by Australian politicians, judges and government agencies. There is considerable evidence of a shift towards official secrecy and suppression of information flow. However, according to this analysis such developments are unlikely to impact significantly on Australia’s international ranking in media freedom indices. This article uses the methodologies of RSF and Freedom House to explore whether the international free expression organisations’ criteria are justifiably weighted towards violence against journalists, their imprisonment and formal anti-press laws and might allow for a nuanced comparison of other evidence of constraints on the news media in developed democracies.
11
Cossins, Anne. "Revisiting Open Government: Recent Developments in Shifting the Boundaries of Government Secrecy under Public Interest Immunity and Freedom of Information Law." Federal Law Review 23, no. 2 (June 1995): 226–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.22145/flr.23.2.4.
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Australian law regulating the use and disclosure of official information is in a far from satisfactory state. It suffers from both obscurity and untoward complexity … [and i]t is ill-suited both to contemporary conditions of government and to prevailing constitutional and democratic norms … Notwithstanding the progressive introduction of Freedom of Information regimes in Australia, we have by no means reached — or sought to reach —the position where … the free use and disclosure of information is the norm and secrecy the exception … While the balance is now changing, and desirably so, secrecy endures as the primary obligation and openness the exception…1
12
Walby, Kevin, and Alex Luscombe. "Ethics review and freedom of information requests in qualitative research." Research Ethics 14, no. 4 (January 1, 2018): 1–15. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1747016117750208.
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Freedom of information (FOI) requests are increasingly used in sociology, criminology and other social science disciplines to examine government practices and processes. University ethical review boards (ERBs) in Canada have not typically subjected researchers’ FOI requests to independent review, although this may be changing in the United Kingdom and Australia, reflective of what Haggerty calls ‘ethics creep’. Here we present four arguments for why FOI requests in the social sciences should not be subject to formal ethical review by ERBs. These four arguments are: existing, rigorous bureaucratic vetting; double jeopardy; infringement of citizenship rights; and unsuitable ethics paradigm. In the discussion, we reflect on the implications of our analysis for literature on ethical review and qualitative research, and for literature on FOI and government transparency.
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Gray, Anthony. "FOI and the Freedom of Political Communication." Deakin Law Review 12, no. 1 (January 1, 2007): 193. http://dx.doi.org/10.21153/dlr2007vol12no1art172.
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<p>There are very few freedom of information cases that have been heard by the High Court of Australia and this article discusses freedom of information rights in the context of the Court’s recent important decision in McKinnon. After reviewing the judgments in the case, the author advocates that freedom of information rights must not be seen in isolation, but in the context of broader constitutional rights, including the implied right to political freedom of communication, as well as the doctrine of representative government. It is suggested that the effect of the decision is to unduly narrow the rights citizens would otherwise have under freedom of information laws, and is contrary to the spirit of such laws. It compromises the ability of the sovereign people to exercise that sovereignty over their elected representatives. Placing freedom of information rights into this broader constitutional perspective, the decision can be seen as out of step with the Constitution and its prescribed system of government. More broadly, it is considered that freedom of information principles must be interpreted within the existing constitutional rights framework.</p>
14
Snell, Rick. "The Kiwi Paradox—A Comparison of Freedom of Information in Australia and New Zealand." Federal Law Review 28, no. 3 (September 2000): 575–616. http://dx.doi.org/10.22145/flr.28.3.8.
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Snell, Rick. "The Kiwi Paradox—A Comparison of Freedom of Information in Australia and New Zealand." Federal Law Review 28, no. 3 (September 2000): 575–616. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0067205x0002800308.
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Rowat, Donald C. "FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: THE APPEAL BODIES UNDER THE ACCESS LAWS IN CANADA, AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND." Australian Journal of Public Administration 52, no. 2 (June 1993): 215–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8500.1993.tb00271.x.
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Zernetska, O. "The Role of Women-Journalists and Writers in the Development of Democracy and Culture in Australia (the end of the XIXth century – 70s of the XXth century)." Problems of World History, no. 18 (November 8, 2022): 187–211. http://dx.doi.org/10.46869/2707-6776-2022-18-8.
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The emancipation of Australian women in particular journalists and writers, who dedicated their lives to the development of culture of the fifth continent has been detected in this article. The goal of the article is to analyse the arrival of women – journalists, editors, publishers - in the print media and to determine their role in the formation and development of democracy and culture of the young state.
As a result of the interdisciplinary research (combination of history, sociology, philology, culturology) new data on the role of women were obtained in the formation of democracy in Australia. This gives reason to affirm that this is the first study of this problem in Ukraine.
New names of such outstanding Australian men – journalists, editors, publishers, writers as E.S. Hall, S. Bennet, H. Parks, G. Mott, C. Feilberg, W. Winn and women – L. Lawson, F. Baverstock, N. Palmer were introduced into scientific circulation. Significantly expanded and supplemented historical and cultural information about such outstanding women writers and journalists as M. Gilmore, E.F. Richardson, M. Franklin, K.S. Prichard, C. Stead, C. McCullough. Their life is investigated in the context of socio-historical development of Australia and world events that were reflected in their work. Great is their contribution to the antifascist struggle, to the defence of freedom and democratic values in Australia.
The artistic value of the work of each of them is determined. The humanistic and realistic approach in creating their characters is clarified. It reflects the historical and socio-cultural development of Australia since the mid-XIX century to the 70-s of the XX century. It is proved that the history of periodicals and the development of literature on the fifth continent is the story of extraordinary talented women, in whose destinies the history of the development of the fourth power and the literature of Australia is reflected. The stages of The Bulletin magazine’s existence, the reasons for its closure and its influence on formation of Australian national literature are analysed.
The practical value of the work lies in the fact that it brings new data to academic courses such as “The History of Australia”, “The Print Media of Australia”, “The Literature of Australia”.
It is proved than women writers and journalists of Australia enriched Australian literature with bright original works and also made a significant contribution to its culture and democracy.
18
Dabscheck, Braham. "Rugby League and the Union Game." Journal of Industrial Relations 35, no. 2 (June 1993): 242–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/002218569303500203.
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The Association of Rugby League Professionals came to prominence when it achieved a legal victory which thwarted an attempt by the New South Wales Rugby League to introduce an internal draft, a labour market arrangement which reduced the employment and economic freedom of rugby league players. This article provides a history of the association from its origins in the late 1970s through to the draft case and more recent developments. The article presents information on player associations overseas and in Australia, and examines the origins, structure and organization, and various activities of the association. In so doing it provides information on the various labour market rules which have been used in rugby league, and examines the legal, economic and industrial relations dimensions of not only rugby league, but also other professional sporting competitions in Australia and overseas.1
19
Ardalich, Nadia. "Information: a valuable resource in managing health, safety, and the environment in the offshore petroleum industry." APPEA Journal 53, no. 2 (2013): 493. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj12104.
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The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) is charged with promoting occupational health and safety and responsible environmental management in the offshore petroleum industry and ensuring industry compliance with the relevant commonwealth legislation. For NOPSEMA to exercise these functions effectively and transparently, sharing information through industry experience is integral. Although NOPSEMA already publishes widely–including guidance material, industry performance data, and safety alerts–it is working towards increasing publication of more detailed and specific industry information, such as enforcement notices. Government regulators publishing industry information of this kind is not new in Australia or overseas and is often used by regulators as a tool for promoting industry compliance. Communicating and sharing information with industry and the public are important activities of governments. Information sharing can expand knowledge, enable innovation, enhance government accountability and transparency, and even save lives by learning from others' experiences. Recently, the Australian Government has shown a deeper commitment through changes to the Freedom of Information Act 1982, making government information more accessible and open to the public. This extended abstract discusses the benefits of increasing publication of industry information to promote NOPSEMA's functions and objectives for delivering a safe and environmentally responsible offshore petroleum industry.
20
Snell, Rick. "Freedom of Information: The Experience of the Australian States - An Epiphany?" Federal Law Review 29, no. 3 (September 2001): 343–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.22145/flr.29.3.1.
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Snell, Rick. "Freedom of Information: The Experience of the Australian States - An Epiphany?" Federal Law Review 29, no. 3 (September 2001): 343–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0067205x0102900301.
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Han, Jinghe. "Information literacy challenges for Chinese PhD students in Australia: A biographical study." Journal of Information Literacy 6, no. 1 (April 20, 2012): 3. http://dx.doi.org/10.11645/6.1.1603.
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This study explored the information literacy (IL) development of international higher degree research (HDR) students from China as they undertook their research studies in an Australian university.
International HDR students need advanced IL skills to complete their research degree. However, IL research and training in western countries has tended to regard international HDR students no differently from their undergraduate counterparts. That is, there has been a focus on basic information skills rather than considering the more complicated and advanced IL needs within a research context. The project presented in this paper aimed to explore this gap.
Three international PhD students from China participated in this research. A biographical approach was used to collect the data, and a total of 222 reflective accounts were collected from the participants over a period of fifteen months. In these reflections, they recorded significant life and study experiences at the University of Western Sydney. This approach allowed the participants freedom to express their thoughts and feelings without interruption and enabled them to speak frankly and freely without prejudice. The approach to data analysis underpinning this study was based on Bruce’s (1997) relational model of IL.
The findings indicate that these international HDR students experience significant difficulties in developing their IL skills during their research studies in their western university. The complex nature of research study, which demands high levels of IL, significantly contributes to these difficulties, as do the different language and culture of international students which pose additional challenges to their information use. This article concludes with recommendations for research supervisors and librarians to consider in the provision of IL education for international students.
23
Gregg, Melissa. "Freedom to Work: The Impact off Wireless on Labour Politics." Media International Australia 125, no. 1 (November 2007): 57–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1329878x0712500108.
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As the use of wireless communication technologies begins to settle into particular patterns, this essay considers the impact of such devices on workplace culture — particularly that of the professional middle class engaged in information work. While the study of workplace culture is usually the domain of sociology, management theory or organisational behaviour, media and cultural studies methods such as semiotic and discourse analysis, media consumption and theories of everyday life have a useful role to play in understanding how technology is marketed and subsequently used in and outside work contexts. As a starting point for this kind of approach, the paper combines an account of recent wireless advertising in Australia with research that is developing in ‘production-side cultural studies’ (Liu, 2004; Du Gay, 1997). In recognising the significance of new media technologies in contemporary labour practice and politics, it aims to move discussions beyond the notion of ‘work-life balance’ as a research endpoint to allow more variegated notions of freedom and flexibility for the workplaces of the present and near future.
24
Jackson, Margaret. "The effect of the proposed national data protection regime on the health sector in Australia." Australian Health Review 20, no. 1 (1997): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ah970001.
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The Commonwealth Government and a number of State governments are proposingto introduce legislation based on the Information Privacy Principles contained in thePrivacy Act 1988 (Cwlth). This will allow individuals access to any personalinformation held on them by any organisation or person, including privatepractitioners, private health facilities and State government agencies. This articlediscusses this proposed legislation and its implications for the health sector.Although in the public health area patients can already gain access to their medicalrecords through the use of the various Freedom of Information Acts and, in the caseof Commonwealth government agencies, the Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth), the proposeddata protection legislation will provide more than access rights to individuals. Theeffect of the proposed legislation on the private sector, where no obligation exists onthe part of the doctor to grant a patient access to his or her records, will be substantial.
25
Graham, Irene. "Shrouds of Secrecy: The Operation of the Online Services Act." Media International Australia 101, no. 1 (November 2001): 81–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1329878x0110100110.
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An analysis of the Report on the Co-Regulatory Scheme for Internet Content Regulation covering the period July to December 2000, released by the ABA on 19 April 2001, demonstrates that the scheme has had a minimal impact on internet content hosted in Australia. The ABA's refusal to release any further information about the content that has been removed, under freedom of information legislation, suggests the government believes that secrecy is necessary to foster the perception that the scheme is actually effective. However, its limited effectiveness does not justify its cost. This paper maintains that taxpayers' money would be better spent in funding the police to track down and prosecute the producers and distributors of child pornography.
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Stone, K., M. B. Tully, S. K. Rhodes, and R. Schofield. "A new Dobson Umkehr ozone profile retrieval method optimising information content and resolution." Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 8, no. 3 (March 4, 2015): 1043–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/amt-8-1043-2015.
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Abstract. The standard Dobson Umkehr methodology to retrieve coarse-resolution ozone profiles used by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration uses designated solar zenith angles (SZAs). However, some information may be lost if measurements lie outside the designated SZA range (between 60° and 90°), or do not conform to the fitting technique. Also, while Umkehr measurements can be taken using multiple wavelength pairs (A, C and D), past retrieval methods have focused on a single pair (C). Here we present an Umkehr inversion method that uses measurements at all SZAs (termed operational) and all wavelength pairs. (Although, we caution direct comparison to other algorithms.) Information content for a Melbourne, Australia (38° S, 145° E) Umkehr measurement case study from 28 January 1994, with SZA range similar to that designated in previous algorithms is shown. When comparing the typical single wavelength pair with designated SZAs to the operational measurements, the total degrees of freedom (independent pieces of information) increases from 3.1 to 3.4, with the majority of the information gain originating from Umkehr layers 2 + 3 and 4 (10–20 km and 25–30 km respectively). In addition to this, using all available wavelength pairs increases the total degrees of freedom to 5.2, with the most significant increases in Umkehr layers 2 + 3 to 7 and 9+ (10–40 and 45–80 km). Investigating a case from 13 April 1970 where the measurements extend beyond the 90° SZA range gives further information gain, with total degrees of freedom extending to 6.5. Similar increases are seen in the information content. Comparing the retrieved Melbourne Umkehr time series with ozonesondes shows excellent agreement in layers 2 + 3 and 4 (10–20 and 25–30 km) for both C and A + C + D-pairs. Retrievals in layers 5 and 6 (25–30 and 30–35 km) consistently show lower ozone partial column compared to ozonesondes. This is likely due to stray light effects that are not accounted for in the forward model, and under represented stratospheric aerosol.
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Stone, K., M. B. Tully, S. K. Rhodes, and R. Schofield. "A new Dobson Umkehr ozone profile retrieval method optimising information content and resolution." Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions 7, no. 8 (August 19, 2014): 8669–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/amtd-7-8669-2014.
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Abstract. The standard Dobson Umkehr methodology to retrieve coarse resolution ozone profiles used by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration uses designated solar zenith angles (SZA). However, some information may be lost if measurements lie outside the designated SZA range (between 60 and 90°), or do not conform to the fitting technique. Also, while Umkehr measurements can be taken using multiple wavelength pairs (A, C, and D), past retrieval methods have focused on a single pair (C). Here we present an Umkehr inversion method that uses measurements at all SZAs and all wavelength pairs. (Although, we caution direct comparison to other algorithms.) Information content for a Melbourne, Australia (38° S, 145° E) Umkehr measurement case study from 28 January 1994, with SZA range similar to that designated in previous algorithms is shown. When comparing the typical single wavelength pair with designated SZAs to the raw measurements, the total degrees of freedom (independent pieces of information) increases from 3.1 to 3.4, with the majority of the information gain originating from Umkehr layers 2 + 3 and 4 (10–20 km and 25–30 km respectively). In addition to this, using all available wavelength pairs increases the total degrees of freedom to 5.2, with the most significant increases in Umkehr layers 2 + 3 to 7 and 9+ (10–40 km and 45–80 km). Investigating a case from 13 April 1970 where the measurements extend beyond the 90° SZA range gives an even further amount of information gain, with total degrees of freedom extending to 6.5. Similar increases are seen in the information content. Comparing the retrieved Melbourne Umkehr time-series with ozonesondes shows excellent agreement in layers 2 + 3 and 4 (10–20 km and 25–30 km) for both C and A + C + D-pairs. Retrievals in layers 5 and 6 (25–30 km and 30–35 km) consistently show lower ozone partial column compared to ozonesondes. This is likely due to and stray light effects that are not accounted for in the forward model, and under represented stratospheric aerosol.
28
Gregg, Melissa. "Freedom to Work: The Impact of Wireless on Labour Politics." Media International Australia 125, no. 1 (November 2007): 57–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1329878x0812500108.
Full textAbstract:
As the use of wireless communication technologies begins to settle into particular patterns, this essay considers the impact of such devices on workplace culture — particularly that of the professional middle class engaged in information work. While the study of workplace culture is usually the domain of sociology, management theory or organisational behaviour, media and cultural studies methods such as semiotic and discourse analysis, media consumption and theories of everyday life have a useful role to play in understanding how technology is marketed and subsequently used in and outside work contexts. As a starting point for this kind of approach, the paper combines an account of recent wireless advertising in Australia with research that is developing in ‘production-side cultural studies’ (Liu, 2004; Du Gay, 1997). In recognising the significance of new media technologies in contemporary labour practice and politics, it aims to move discussions beyond the notion of ‘work–life balance’ as a research endpoint to allow more variegated notions of freedom and flexibility for the workplaces of the present and near future. We feel free only because we lack the language to describe our unfreedom. — Slavoj Zizek, Welcome to the Desert of the Real
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Barth, Thorsten D. "Freedom, Equality and the Quality of Democracy." International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development 4, no. 1 (January 2013): 17–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/jsesd.2013010102.
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Freedom and equality are the content, the substance and the tension in a liberal democracy of today. Freedom and equality describe the design, stability and the quality of a democracy. Especially in a Quintuple Helix Model, the quality of democracy and sustainable development are closely related, because a high-quality democracy is a prerequisite for promoting sustainability in democracies. By investigating the quality of democracy this article develops two theses: 1.) Democracy with their quality rises or falls with the expression of freedom and/or equality; 2.) Democracy generates its stability from a balanced interaction between freedom and equality. With the concept of Democratic Life this article examines these two theses: Democratic Life as newly developed concept measures the quality of democracy with providing information about the type of a democracy and an approach to measure a democracy´s democratic development for the top 20 of the Democracy Ranking (2009). The central keys of the Democratic Life concept are the ‘Index of Classification’ and the ‘Democratic-Life-Index’, which are formed from an ‘Index of Freedom’ and an ‘Index of Equality’. By empirical examination of the research question of Democratic Life two essential questions in the modern democratic theory can be investigated: 1.) How democratic is a democracy? 2.) How much freedom and equality does a liberal democracy need? The countries analyzed for the Democratic Life concept in this article are the United States, Australia, Sweden and Germany in comparison between 1995 and 2008. This degree of democratic quality will create a lot of problems towards developing sustainability in a democracy, because in the United States there is currently a big disparity between freedom and equality.
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Murray, Suellen. "Compassion and Compliance: Releasing Records to Care-Leavers under Privacy and Freedom of Information Legislation." Social Policy and Society 13, no. 4 (July 22, 2013): 493–503. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1474746413000328.
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This article discusses the use of privacy and freedom of information legislation in relation to the release of care-leavers’ records in the Australian state of Victoria. First, it explains the relevance of privacy and freedom of information legislation to care-leavers’ access to records, that is that the subject of a record is entitled to access information held about them, subject to certain exemptions. Second, based on research interviews with care-leavers and record-holders, the article then discusses how the legislation is understood in practice and the difficulties that arise in determining what information can be released, particularly in relation to ‘third party data’ and ‘unreasonable disclosure’. Finally, the article considers how policy in this area could be improved to enhance the release of records.
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Gunnlaugsdottir, Johanna. "Government secrecy: public attitudes toward information provided by the authorities." Records Management Journal 25, no. 2 (July 20, 2015): 197–222. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/rmj-07-2014-0032.
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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present findings of a survey conducted during 2012 in Iceland with the intent of examining public opinion on government provision of information, i.e. whether the public felt that the authorities withheld information, either about subjects of general public interest or about public expenditures, if the authorities felt there was a reason to do so. Design/methodology/approach – A survey questionnaire was sent in March 2012 to almost two thousand Icelanders. This was a random sample selected from the National Registry. The response rate was almost 67 per cent. The survey was modelled on other research and resources that had examined trust toward public authorities and the influence of Freedom of Information Acts on government information practices. Findings – The survey discovered that the greater part of the citizenry felt that the authorities did keep important information of general public interest secret often or sometimes. Only 2-3 per cent of them believed that this never happened. Most of those surveyed felt as well that important information about public expenditures was often or sometimes withheld. Only 3-5 per cent of the respondents were of the opinion that this never happened. Practical implications – The results could be of value to public authorities that want to improve the provision of information and practice according to freedom of information act. They could also bring varied and valuable opportunities to the profession of records managers as well as others who practice information management. Originality/value – The survey adds valuable information and fulfils a need for a better understanding of what the public believes regarding government provision of information in Iceland. Although the survey is limited to Iceland, these findings may also be of value to public authorities and researchers in the Western World, Australia and New Zealand, to give a few examples where the culture and the practice of government may not be that different, as well as in other countries. The survey can lay the foundation for further research into the field.
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Ireland-Piper, Danielle, and Jonathan Crowe. "Whistleblowing, National Security and the Constitutional Freedom of Political Communication." Federal Law Review 46, no. 3 (September 2018): 341–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0067205x1804600301.
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Whistleblowers promote the values of responsible government and the rule of law by drawing attention to criminal or other forms of wrongdoing in publicly accountable organisations. This article explores the relationship between whistleblowing, national security and the implied freedom of political communication under the Australian Constitution. Legislation such as the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) (‘ Crimes Act’), the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 (Cth) (‘ ASIO Act’) and the Australian Border Force Act 2015 (Cth) (‘ Border Force Act’) makes it an offence to reveal certain types of information obtained as a Commonwealth officer. The Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth) (‘ PIDA’) offers limited protection to whistleblowers in the Commonwealth public sector, but this protection does not extend to information relating to intelligence operations. We argue that blanket criminalisation of unauthorised disclosure by Commonwealth officers or contractors under s 70 of the Crimes Act, along with similar prohibitions in s 35P of the ASIO Act and s 42 of the Border Force Act, offend the implied freedom of political communication by failing to strike an adequate balance between national security and organisational secrecy, on the one hand, and public debate and discussion, on the other. The courts should read down these laws to protect disclosures that hold significant public interest for discussion and debate over government policy or the performance of government officials.
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Wyburn, Mary. "Freedom of Information Applications and the Confidentiality of University Research and Research Review Processes." QUT Law Review 18, no. 2 (January 25, 2019): 171. http://dx.doi.org/10.5204/qutlr.v18i2.736.
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There have been a number of disputed freedom of information (FOI) applications concerning research conducted at Australian universities. This article explores how FOI legislative principles favouring disclosure and the legislative exemptions operate where the content, methodologies, funding and ethics processes of university research are being questioned. It examines several decisions, identifying the types of research related information being sought by FOI applicants and the main grounds relied upon to refuse disclosure. It focuses on the balancing of the disclosure required under FOI legislation and the confidentiality that many argue is an essential element of the university research environment.
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Thuraisingam, Shanthi, Lynn Riddell, Kay Cook, and Mark Lawrence. "The politics of developing reference standards for nutrient intakes: the case of Australia and New Zealand." Public Health Nutrition 12, no. 9 (September 2009): 1531–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s136898000800459x.
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AbstractObjectiveNutrient Reference Values (NRV) are evidence-based benchmarks for assessing the dietary adequacy of individuals and population groups as well as informing public health nutrition policies and programmes. The present paper presents the findings of an analysis of the views of submitters to a draft document associated with the development of the 2006 NRV for Australia and New Zealand. The aim of the study was to explore how these views were reflected in the policy-making process and final policy document.DesignThe information necessary to fulfil this aim required access to stakeholder submissions to the NRV development process and this necessitated exploiting the provisions of the Commonwealth of Australia’s Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 1982. We understand that the present research represents the first time that an FOI request seeking information about a National Health and Medical Research Council food and nutrition policy process has been made and therefore is novel in its approach to public health nutrition policy analysis.ResultsThe analysis of stakeholder submissions identified that stakeholders had particular concerns about the conduct of the review process and the future application of the nutrient values to policy and programmes. There is a lack of evidence that the majority of stakeholder comments were addressed in the final NRV document.ConclusionAlthough these findings cannot be interpreted to assess the validity or otherwise of the set nutrient values, they do raise questions about the process for their development and the adequacy of the final document to reflect the views of key stakeholders.
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Solbjør, Marit, and Karen Willis. "Informed Choice and Nudging in Mammography Screening: A Discourse Analysis of Australian and Scandinavian Webpages." Science, Technology and Society 26, no. 1 (February 8, 2021): 64–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0971721820964890.
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The tension between providing adequate information and achieving sufficiently high participation in population-based screening programmes, such as mammography, represents an ongoing challenge for health authorities. The theory of nudge illuminates how individuals may be nudged towards healthy behaviours without restricting individual freedom of choice. We analyse information provided on health authority webpages and uncover the subject positions available to healthy women deciding whether to participate in screening. We do so by comparing different policy contexts where women must opt in to screening (Australia) or opt out (Scandinavia). We conclude that information is used to nudge women towards screening. Alongside focus on the ease of being screened, tensions exist in simultaneously portraying women as being at risk of breast cancer and providing reassurance of their healthy state. We identify persuasive devices that emphasise responsibility to participate in screening and conclude that webpages play a dynamic role in authorities’ attempts to, on one hand, achieve high participation in screening, and on the other, promote mammography screening as an individual choice.
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TERRILL, G. "'A bit fast money, a bit white shoe brigade'? Freedom of Information and Australian History." Twentieth Century British History 12, no. 2 (January 1, 2001): 231–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/tcbh/12.2.231.
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Duffield, Lee. "Pacific Journalism Review: Twenty years on the front line of regional identity and freedom." Pacific Journalism Review 21, no. 1 (May 1, 2015): 18. http://dx.doi.org/10.24135/pjr.v21i1.145.
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Pacific Journalism Review has consistently, at a good standard, honoured its 1994 founding goal: to be a credible peer-reviewed journal in the Asia-Pacific region, probing developments in journalism and media, and supporting journalism education. Global, it considers new media and social movements; ‘regional’, it promotes vernacular media, human freedoms and sustainable development. Asking how it developed, the method for this article was to research the archive, noting authors, subject matter, themes. The article concludes that one answer is the journal’s collegiate approach; hundreds of academics, journalists and others, have been invited to contribute. Second has been the dedication of its one principal editor, Professor David Robie, always somehow providing resources—at Port Moresby, Suva, and now Auckland—with a consistent editorial stance. Eclectic, not partisan, it has nevertheless been vigilant over rights, such as monitoring the Fiji coups d’etat. Watching through a media lens, it follows a ‘Pacific way’, handling hard information through understanding and consensus. It has 237 subscriptions indexed to seven databases. Open source, it receives more than 1000 site visits weekly. With ‘clientele’ mostly in Australia, New Zealand and ‘Oceania’, it extends much further afield. From 1994 to 2014, 701 articles and reviews were published, now more than 24 scholarly articles each year.
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Gunnlaugsdottir, Johanna. "Reasons for the poor provision of information by the government: public opinion." Records Management Journal 26, no. 2 (July 18, 2016): 185–205. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/rmj-03-2015-0013.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present, on the one hand, the findings of a survey conducted during 2012 in Iceland and, on the other hand, the results of interviews held in 2015 concerning why it was felt that the authorities withheld information either about subjects of general public interest or about public expenditures. Design/methodology/approach A survey questionnaire was sent in March 2012 to almost 2,000 Icelanders randomly selected from the National Registry. The response rate was almost 67 per cent. As to the interviews held in 2015, these were with individuals who were known to understand well the government’s actions, both as to provision of information to the public and the opposite, suppression of information. The interviewees were chosen purposively. The survey was modelled on other research and resources concerning open public information and other research that had examined trust towards public authorities and the influence of freedom of information acts on government information practices. Findings The research revealed that both participants in the questionnaire survey and the six interviewees in the later study felt that information was kept secret for a variety of reasons. Most felt that information was kept under wraps by the government, both about subjects of general public interest or about public expenditures, and that both transparency and traceability were less than sufficient in the public administration of Iceland. Practical implications The results could be of value to public authorities who want to improve the provision of information and practices according to the freedom of information act. They could also bring diverse and valuable opportunities to the profession of records managers as to documentation and registration, as well as others who practice information management. Originality/value The survey adds valuable information and fulfils a need for a better understanding of why public authorities suppress the provision of information in Iceland. Although the research cited was limited to Iceland, the findings may be of value also to public authorities and researchers in the Western World, Australia and New Zealand to give a few examples where the culture and the practice of government may not be that different, as well as in other countries. The two studies can, therefore, lay the foundation for further research into the field.
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Colles, Susan L., Elaine Maypilama, and Julie Brimblecombe. "Food, food choice and nutrition promotion in a remote Australian Aboriginal community." Australian Journal of Primary Health 20, no. 4 (2014): 365. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/py14033.
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Contemporary diets of Aboriginal people living in remote Australia are characterised by processed foods high in fat and sugar. Within the ‘new’ food system, evidence suggests many Aboriginal people understand food in their own terms but lack access to consumer information about store-purchased foods, and parents feel inadequate as role models. In a remote Australian Aboriginal community, purposive sampling identified adults who participated in semistructured interviews guided by food-based themes relating to the contemporary food system, parental guidance of children’s food choice and channels through which people learn. Interpretive content analysis was used to identify salient themes. In discussions, people identified more closely with dietary qualities or patterns than nutrients, and valued a balanced, fresh diet that made them feel ‘light’. People possessed basic knowledge of ‘good’ store foods, and wanted to increase familiarity and experience with foods in packets and cans through practical and social skills, especially cooking. Education about contemporary foods was obtained from key family role models and outside the home through community-based organisations, including school, rather than pamphlets and flip charts. Freedom of choice was a deeply held value; carers who challenged children’s autonomy used strategic distraction, or sought healthier alternatives that did not wholly deny the child. Culturally safe approaches to information sharing and capacity building that contribute to the health and wellbeing of communities requires collaboration and shared responsibility between policy makers, primary healthcare agencies, wider community-based organisations and families.
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Kušnír, Jaroslav. "Media, simulation, freedom and control in Richard Flanagan’s The Unknown Terrorist 2006." Ars Aeterna 10, no. 1 (June 1, 2018): 50–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/aa-2018-0005.
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Abstract Richard Flanagan’s novel, The Unknown Terrorist, does not only depict terrorism and violence but especially contemporary postmodern life in an Australian urban setting influenced by media, information technologies and consumerism. Drawing on Jean Baudrillard’s theory of simulacra and simulation, this paper analyses Flanagan’s depiction especially of the main character, the Doll, and the way she symbolically represents various aspects of the process of simulation as understood by Baudrillard. In this context, the Doll and other characters are understood as subjects both manipulating and manipulated by the simulated image of reality represented by media and technology, the image which replaces physical reality. The imagery of manipulation is understood as a metaphor implying a critique of hypocrisy and consumerism of the contemporary urban setting in the technologically advanced society represented by the Australian city of Sydney.
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Knight, Alan. "Ratbags, revolutionaries and free speech: The Queensland radical press in 1968." Pacific Journalism Review : Te Koakoa 10, no. 1 (April 1, 2004): 153–70. http://dx.doi.org/10.24135/pjr.v10i1.785.
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Australian governments have made continuing attempts to restrict the public’s right to know. This article looks back to 1968 when radical Queensland university students challenged state government restrictions on freedom of speech, assembly and information. They did so by using then new offset press technology to create alternatives to a mainstream press monopoly. In a world without internet, community radio and television, or even mobile phones, leaflets and small newspapers were the primary media for such minority groups wishing to spread their critiques to the wider community. The article examines the radical newsletter’s themes including freedom of speech, civil liberties, Australian racism, press ownership and the anti-war movement. It includes references to Queensland produced cartoons and posters. It was produced with material from the Fryer Library at the University of Queensland.
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Pang, Bo, and Krzysztof Kubacki. "The four Es of social marketing: ethicality, expensiveness, exaggeration and effectiveness." Journal of Social Marketing 5, no. 1 (January 5, 2015): 83–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jsocm-01-2014-0008.
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Purpose – This study aims to contribute to the existing social marketing literature by considering young adults’ views and perceptions about social marketing and social marketing campaigns in the context of alcohol consumption. Design/methodology/approach – Eighteen interviews were conducted with young adults aged 25-30 years in Australia and the USA. Biographical interviews were used to collect information on individuals’ drinking histories and how their attitudes towards social marketing campaigns have formed during their lives. Findings – Four main themes emerge in the study, namely, ethicality (freedom of choice), expensiveness, exaggeration and effectiveness. These four issues represent the main barriers and challenges for social marketers. Future research needs to explore the relationship between the attitudes of the target audience towards social marketing, and the actual effectiveness of social marketing campaigns. Research limitations/implications – This is an exploratory study that is limited by its context, sample size and participants’ demographical characteristics. Originality/value – This study provides empirical evidence behind challenges and barriers facing social marketing identified by Andreasen (2002).
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Fawcett, Anne, Vanessa Barrs, Magdoline Awad, Georgina Child, Laurencie Brunel, Erin Mooney, Fernando Martinez-Taboada, Beth McDonald, and Paul McGreevy. "Consequences and Management of Canine Brachycephaly in Veterinary Practice: Perspectives from Australian Veterinarians and Veterinary Specialists." Animals 9, no. 1 (December 21, 2018): 3. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani9010003.
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This article, written by veterinarians whose caseloads include brachycephalic dogs, argues that there is now widespread evidence documenting a link between extreme brachycephalic phenotypes and chronic disease, which compromises canine welfare. This paper is divided into nine sections exploring the breadth of the impact of brachycephaly on the incidence of disease, as indicated by pet insurance claims data from an Australian pet insurance provider, the stabilization of respiratory distress associated with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS), challenges associated with sedation and the anaesthesia of patients with BOAS; effects of brachycephaly on the brain and associated neurological conditions, dermatological conditions associated with brachycephalic breeds, and other conditions, including ophthalmic and orthopedic conditions, and behavioural consequences of brachycephaly. In the light of this information, we discuss the ethical challenges that are associated with brachycephalic breeds, and the role of the veterinarian. In summary, dogs with BOAS do not enjoy freedom from discomfort, nor freedom from pain, injury, and disease, and they do not enjoy the freedom to express normal behaviour. According to both deontological and utilitarian ethical frameworks, the breeding of dogs with BOAS cannot be justified, and further, cannot be recommended, and indeed, should be discouraged by veterinarians.
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Cryle, Denis. "The Press Union at the end of empire: Anglo-Australian perspectives, 1946–65." Journalism 12, no. 8 (August 12, 2011): 1004–17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1464884911415971.
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This article provides an overview of the post-war contexts in which the Empire Press Union (EPU) became the Commonwealth Press Union and offers an assessment of its changing leadership and regular five-yearly conferences over the period 1946 to 1965. In particular, it examines the extent to which its pre-war hierarchies and British influence were sustained or modified with the decline of empire and the advent of international bodies such as the United Nations. It assesses the impact over two critical decades of the politics of decolonization and the changing roles of both the Australian and British sections of the organization within the new information order. How did these post-war changes and the power blocks which emerged affect the Press Union and its member countries and shape the ethos of the newly named Commonwealth Press Union thereafter? The article argues that the issues of press freedom and censorship are central to understanding the changing character of the organization and its emerging international profile by the mid-1960s. At a time when the United Nations proclaimed freedom of information to be a fundamental human right, the Press Union’s own libertarian rhetoric in defence of a free media sought to acknowledge the realities of decolonization, while retaining pre-war cultural values.
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Stopher, Peter R., and David A. Hensher. "Are More Profiles Better Than Fewer?: Searching for Parsimony and Relevance in Stated Choice Experiments." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1719, no. 1 (January 2000): 165–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/1719-22.
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Transportation planners increasingly include a stated choice (SC) experiment as part of the armory of empirical sources of information on how individuals respond to current and potential travel contexts. The accumulated experience with SC data has been heavily conditioned on analyst prejudices about the acceptable complexity of the data collection instrument, especially the number of profiles (or treatments) given to each sampled individual (and the number of attributes and alternatives to be processed). It is not uncommon for transport demand modelers to impose stringent limitations on the complexity of an SC experiment. A review of the marketing and transport literature suggests that little is known about the basis for rejecting complex designs or accepting simple designs. Although more complex designs provide the analyst with increasing degrees of freedom in the estimation of models, facilitating nonlinearity in main effects and independent two-way interactions, it is not clear what the overall behavioral gains are in increasing the number of treatments. A complex design is developed as the basis for a stated choice study, producing a fractional factorial of 32 rows. The fraction is then truncated by administering 4, 8, 16, 24, and 32 profiles to a sample of 166 individuals (producing 1, 016 treatments) in Australia and New Zealand faced with the decision to fly (or not to fly) between Australia and New Zealand by either Qantas or Ansett under alternative fare regimes. Statistical comparisons of elasticities (an appropriate behavioral basis for comparisons) suggest that the empirical gains within the context of a linear specification of the utility expression associated with each alternative in a discrete choice model may be quite marginal.
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O'Connor, Steve. "Stating the problem: the grammar of repositories." Library Management 37, no. 4/5 (June 13, 2016): 210–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/lm-01-2016-0007.
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Purpose – Libraries face a “selling” job on the relationship between print and digital as the mode of delivery for content. Too often it is limply said that “everything is on the web” when we know that it is not or that licensed access to the content is not always available. The Lyon’s Declaration promotes freedom of access to information, yet libraries live and work with this paradox. How will the ambitions of the Lyon Declaration be met? So while it is ironic that everything is said to be on the web while it is not, we have powerful evidence of their dynamic purpose and value. This conference series has dealt with this confronting riddle, evolving and refining, but not quite finding the defining moment. The purpose of this paper is to explore the many interfaces here. By understanding this paradox of print and digital we should see the future of the repositories and libraries more clearly and position them more exactly. Design/methodology/approach – The paper explores the rich divergence of responses to the use and development of repositories and proposes future directions. It is an experiential paper as well as one guided by future planning perspectives. Findings – There is a need for a reconceptualisation of the role of print repositories blending in digital solutions together with the more traditional solutions. There is also a strong need for repositories to collaborate internationally in order to be able to render their own work and collections valid and effective in a much wider context. Originality/value – This paper is a series of observations and lessons. It is an extension of practical and managerial work in developing and managing repositories and their collections both in Australia and in Hong Kong. It is a collection views designed to stimulate and potentially guide library practitioners who are thinking and working in this area.
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Limbada, Zubeda, and Lynn Davies. "Addressing the Foreign Terrorist Fighter Phenomenon from a Human Rights Perspective." International Community Law Review 18, no. 5 (December 8, 2016): 483–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/18719732-12341343.
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Foreign terrorist fighters raise security concerns with regard to their actions abroad but also their possible return to their home countries. This paper asks whether tough state responses and new powers such as detention and withdrawal of citizenship raise significant human rights issues. It looks firstly at the different types of rights in play before examining counter-terror legislation from countries such as uk, Australia and Canada. Discourses of the profiles of extremists can be reductionist, ignoring the complexity of the journeys in and out of violent extremism. Does imprisonment does have a deterrent effect? What is the impact on communities of rendering individuals stateless? How does legislation impact on freedom of speech? The paper looks at good practices in deradicalisation from different countries, before outlining three key propositions. First is a much wider public education forum which explains different types of rights and encourages dialogue about what rights take precedence in a security strategy. Second is the forging of long term partnerships with communities, to build trust rather than stigmatise; and third is a greater democratisation of security policy, using two-way information and learning, from sources such as former extremists as well as from the voices of youth.
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Verkerk, Robert, Naseeba Kathrada, Christof Plothe, and Katarina Lindley. "Self-Selected COVID-19 “Unvaccinated” Cohort Reports Favorable Health Outcomes and Unjustified Discrimination in Global Survey." International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research 2, no. 2 (August 12, 2022): 321–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.56098/ijvtpr.v2i2.43.
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Self-reported data collected independently by the UK-based Control Group Cooperative between September 2021 and February 2022, inclusive, from a self-selected international COVID-19 “unvaccinated” population are discussed. Data come from a cohort of 18,497 participants who provided questionnaire responses monthly. The largest numbers are from Europe, North America, and Australasia. Data were skewed towards the 40-69y age range and included 60% female respondents. Reasons for avoiding COVID-19 “vaccines” were: a preference for natural medicine, distrust of pharma, distrust of government information, poor/limited trial data, and fear of long-term adverse reactions. During the survey period, the greatest incidence of COVID-19 disease was reported in the 50-69y range, peaking at 12.3%, in January 2022. Persons at 70y and above were least affected (1.3%), with 10.7% and 3.8% in the 20 to 49y band, and in the 1 to 19y group, respectively. Most rated their symptoms as “mild” (14.4%), with 2% reporting “severe” disease. Fatigue, cough, muscle/body aches, and fever were the four most common. Just 0.4% of the cohort reported hospitalization (as in- or out-patients). Nearly two-thirds reported taking vitamin D, C, zinc, quercetin, or a combination, for prevention, with 71% using vitamin D, C, and zinc for treatment. Nearly 45% reported “moderate” to “severe” mental health issues (depression) during the survey period. Menstrual abnormalities were reported by 36% of women in the 20-49y age band. Reported job losses were greatest in Australia and New Zealand at 29%, followed by 13% in North America. Between 20% and 50% reported being personal targets of hate because of their vaccination status. Between 57% and 61% of respondents in Southern Europe and Western Europe, Australia/New Zealand and South America, reported being targets of governmental victimization. The cohort may not be representative of wider populations given its reliance on self-care. The findings suggest that opting out of the world’s largest medical experiment, relying on natural immunity, self-care with supplements, and/or ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine, appeared to contribute to low incidences of severe disease, hospitalization, or death. The results imply the urgent need for prospective studies of “unvaccinated”, “partially vaccinated”, and “fully vaccinated” persons investigating long-term outcomes, behaviors, choices, and discriminatory responses by the state, institutions, or employers based on “vaccination” status. Public dialogue about the touted “safety and effectiveness” of vaccines, contrasted with strategies to enhance immune resilience, all in the context of authoritarianism versus autonomy, self-care, personal responsibility, and freedom of choice is needed.
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Baumgart, Amanda, Karine E. Manera, David W. Johnson, Jonathan C. Craig, Jenny I. Shen, Lorena Ruiz, Angela Yee-Moon Wang, et al. "Meaning of empowerment in peritoneal dialysis: focus groups with patients and caregivers." Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation 35, no. 11 (July 26, 2020): 1949–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ndt/gfaa127.
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Abstract Background While peritoneal dialysis (PD) can offer patients more independence and flexibility compared with in-center hemodialysis, managing the ongoing and technically demanding regimen can impose a burden on patients and caregivers. Patient empowerment can strengthen capacity for self-management and improve treatment outcomes. We aimed to describe patients’ and caregivers’ perspectives on the meaning and role of patient empowerment in PD. Methods Adult patients receiving PD (n = 81) and their caregivers (n = 45), purposively sampled from nine dialysis units in Australia, Hong Kong and the USA, participated in 14 focus groups. Transcripts were thematically analyzed. Results We identified six themes: lacking clarity for self-management (limited understanding of rationale behind necessary restrictions, muddled by conflicting information); PD regimen restricting flexibility and freedom (burden in budgeting time, confined to be close to home); strength with supportive relationships (gaining reassurance with practical assistance, comforted by considerate health professionals, supported by family and friends); defying constraints (reclaiming the day, undeterred by treatment, refusing to be defined by illness); regaining lost vitality (enabling physical functioning, restoring energy for life participation); and personal growth through adjustment (building resilience and enabling positive outlook, accepting the dialysis regimen). Conclusions Understanding the rationale behind lifestyle restrictions, practical assistance and family support in managing PD promoted patient empowerment, whereas being constrained in time and capacity for life participation outside the home undermined it. Education, counseling and strategies to minimize the disruption and burden of PD may enhance satisfaction and outcomes in patients requiring PD.
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Glick, Henry, Richard Willke, Daniel Polsky, Ted Llana, Wayne M. Alves, Neal Kassell, and Kevin Schulman. "Economic Analysis of Tirilazad Mesylate for Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Economic Evaluation of a Phase III Clinical Trial in Europe and Australia." International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care 14, no. 1 (1998): 145–60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s026646230001059x.
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AbstractThis study used data from a multinational phase III randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of tirilazad mesylate (Freedox®) in the treatment of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. In men, therapy with 6 mg/kg per day of tirilazad mesylate was associated with significantly increased survival, increased cost of care, and ratios of cost per death averted that compare favorably with the ratios of other life and death interventions. In women, it appeared to have no effects on costs or survival. Further clinical studies may provide additional information about the cost-effectiveness of this intervention.