Just a quick reminder that we have a Twitter presence. It’s one way of being updated about posts, and also, particularly during this campaign, a medium we take advantage of for livechat about set pieces such as last night’s leaders’ debate, and shows like qanda.

We’re here.

I recently suggested that it might be useful if the Department of Health and Ageing executive charged with driving health reform implementation, Graeme Head, could start a blog to talk about the challenges involved, and to crowdsource ideas and feedback.

I didn’t realise at the time that the NSW Health Director-General, Professor Deb Picone, had just kicked off her own blog to do exactly this.

Hopefully it’s one small step towards breaking down the barricades that stifle open public discussion of health issues.

While I’m sure Picone is careful about what she says – and no doubt the moderator is even more careful about the comments published – it still makes interesting reading.

Here are some of her reflections from “listening and learning” meetings at various hospitals: Read more »

As Chris Clarke says: I don’t see how this could possibly end badly.

Twitter-snark has commenced using the #scibloxymoron hashtag.

Reactions from some Scienceblogs bloggers:

• @PalMD at ReportingonHealth.org
• Jason G. Goldman at The Thoughtful Animal

Government Overreach Edition – Items of interest found recently in my RSS feed. What did I miss? Please share what you've been reading (and writing!) in the comments.

• The Government campaign against researchers who dared question income management

– “efforts by Minister Macklin and colleagues to undermine a study from the Menzies School of Health Research that casts doubts on the benefits claimed for income management in NT Aboriginal communities.”

– “A recent legal case in Melbourne, combined with the increased likelihood of an Abbott prime ministership, has resurrected fears about young people’s medical privacy.”

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