This article was published in Medical Observer.
The article is also available on the Medical Observer website (may need registration).
Feb 19 2016
Aspirin as DVT prophylaxis for high risk long-haul travellers
Jan 18 2016
Quotation in “Supplement vitamin D rather than test”
I was quoted in an article in MJA InSight, written by Cate Swannell, about my comments on a new short report published in the MJA (Vitamin D testing: new targeted guidelines stem the overtesting tide).
Dr Michael Tam, a staff specialist in general practice and a conjoint senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales, told MJA InSight that he did not believe the new Medicare item numbers and guidelines were the cause of the downturn in testing and expenditure.
“It’s great to see that the cost (and volume) of vitamin D testing is coming down,” Dr Tam said. “It is increasingly recognised by most doctors that there is little utility in vitamin D testing in the majority of the population.
“[But, this report] under-recognises some of the major efforts promoting evidence-based pathology ordering in general practice, such as the Choosing Wisely campaign, from NPS MedicineWise.
“I see the targeted guidelines as being part of the clinical cultural environment that led to a change in beliefs and attitudes towards vitamin D testing. Undoubtedly, it is a very important thing. However, it must be understood within the context of the limits of its influence.
“There is still a long way to go in reducing vitamin D testing to the level that would be supported by evidence-based practice, and this most likely will require more than guidelines.”
Jan 04 2016
Busted myths: what spiders, chewing gum and haemorrhoids have in common
Busted myths: what spiders, chewing gum and haemorrhoids have in common
Maggie Hardy, The University of Queensland; Michael Tam, UNSW Australia, and Vincent Ho, Western Sydney University
As children, we believed our friends and parents when they told us disturbing tales of watermelon seeds growing in our stomachs and changes in the wind freezing our pulled funny faces permanently. But which of these childhood tales is true and what is a myth? We asked three experts whether there’s any truth (or lesson to be learned) to the tales that kept us up at night. Continue reading
Dec 02 2015
Medication and mental illness (short film)
This short film was produced and released with the launch of the “Medication and mental illness” perspectives paper by the Mental Health Commission of New South Wales on 2 December 2015.
I was interviewed and appear in the short film, and was involved in the development of the paper as a member of the Commission’s Pharmacotherapy in Mental Health Advisory Group.
Dec 02 2015
Medication and mental illness – perspectives
This paper was launched by the Mental Health Commission of New South Wales on 2 December 2015. It “tells the story of medication as a treatment for mental illness from the perspective of consumers, carers, families and people who work within the mental health system”.
I was involved in the development of this paper as a member of the Commission’s Pharmacotherapy in Mental Health Advisory Group.
Nov 18 2015
Does alcohol screening work in general practice?
This clinical article on the evidence surrounding alcohol screening and brief interventions was published in the medical periodical, The Medical Republic.