The Department of Health and Aging has released an audit into the current and developing health workforce distribution profile in rural and regional Australia. Key findings include:

• Regional and remote Australia has less access to health professionals than people living in major cities. The medical workforce distribution in these areas being rated low to very poor.
• Overseas trained health professionals make up 41% of doctors in rural and regional Australia, significantly higher than in major cities.
• The supply of health professionals will not meet the developing population trends.
• The significant increase in medical school places help in part to address the issue.
The complete report can be accessed at:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/work-res-ruraud

The Australian Immunisation Handbook has a new edition for 2008.The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), an advisory committee appointed by the Minister for Health and Ageing, is responsible for the development and revision of the Australian Immunisation Handbook 9th Edition (the Handbook). The Handbook is designed as a general guide to inform a wide target audience of health professionals on the safest and most effective vaccination strategies using the highest quality evidence available. The Handbook is a stand-alone document and, while it has similarities to some overseas guidelines, it is written specifically for Australia.

Australian Immunisation Handbook - 9th Edition 2008 (on Department of Health & Ageing website) http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/Handbook-home

Changes since 8^th ed.
http://immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/9-whatsnew

After a successful trial of First CONSULT the Library is investigating the purchase of a subscription to this title.
Feedback and comments about this resource are being sought. Please send all comments in regards to this resource to Keryl Michener email: k.michener@library.uq.edu.au

New Resources from Biomedcentral

The UQ Library is currently trialling a number of medical and research journals from Biomedcentral. 

These include:

Critical care http://library.uq.edu.au/record=b2078032
Arthritis research & therapy  http://library.uq.edu.au/record=b2284038
Breast cancer research http://library.uq.edu.au/record=b2068023
Genome biology   http://library.uq.edu.au/record=b2068030

This trial also includes the Biology image library; an online collection of images, movies, illustrations and animations across biology and biomedicine, for use in education and research.

Biology image library http://library.uq.edu.au/record=e1001806

 Biomedcentral has also announced a new journal title: BMC Research Notes http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcresnotes

BMC Research Notes is an open access journal publishing scientifically sound research across all fields of biology and medicine, enabling authors to publish updates to previous research, software tools and databases, data sets, small-scale clinical studies, and reports of confirmatory or ‘negative’results.

For any feedback on these resources please email: mmbs@library.uq.edu.au

 The trial is till March 25th 2008.

John Murtagh’s general practice 2007 edition now available! Contact your Liaison Librarian for further details.

The University of Queensland Library now provides access to the Australian version of Lab Tests Online.
Launched on August 10, Lab Tests Online AU is derived from both the US and UK sites, and among its several hundred pages includes some fresh information written specifically to reflect Australian practice.
Read the recent article in the Australian about this new and exciting resource Internet site chasing fact, not fiction.

The following journals are now available to Hospital staff through the Library.

NEJM Online
JCO Online
Pediatrics Online
Endocrinology Online

Psychiatry is available from the Australian & New Zealand Association of Psychiatrists in Training. This online text presents the basics of mental disorders. The target population is medical students. The author is from the University of Tasmania.