Carbon emissions and hospital pathology stewardship: a retrospective cohort analysis.

Background: As healthcare is responsible for 7% of Australia's carbon emissions, it was recognised that a policy implemented at St George Hospital, Sydney, to reduce non-urgent pathology testing to 2 days per week and, on other days only if essential, would also result in a reduction in carbon emissions. The aim of the study was to measure the impact of this intervention on pathology collections and associated carbon emissions and pathology costs.

Aims: To measure the impact of an intervention to reduce unnecessary testing on pathology collections and associated carbon emissions and pathology costs.

Estimating the cost of radiotherapy for 5-year local control and overall survival benefit.

Background And Purpose: Escalating health care costs have led to greater efforts directed at measuring the cost and benefits of medical treatments. The aim of this study was to estimate the costs of 5-year local control and overall survival benefits of radiotherapy for the cancer population in Australia.

Materials And Methods: The local control and overall survival benefits of radiotherapy at 5-years and optimal number of fractions per course have been estimated for 26 tumour sites for which radiotherapy is indicated.