Recommended links from ibdaustralia.org

Here you will find a collection of links our members have found useful. Please feel free to share any other links on the forum

Useful Australian Government sites

• Medicare http://www.medicare.gov.au/

Medicare is Australia's publicly-funded universal health care system, operated by the government authority Medicare Australia. Medicare is intended to provide affordable treatment by doctors and in public hospitals

• Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme http://www.pbs.gov.au/

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme or PBS is a program of the Australian Government that provides subsidised prescription drugs to residents of Australia. The PBS attempts to ensure that all Australians have affordable and reliable access to a wide range of necessary medicines.

• Therapeutic Goods Administration http://www.tga.gov.au/

The Commonwealth Government section responsible for the regulation of drugs and medical devices in Australia. Involved in the adding or changing the drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

• Centrelink http://www.centrelink.gov.au/

Centrelink is the trading name of the Commonwealth Service Delivery Agency (CSDA), a statutory authority responsible for delivering human services on behalf of agencies of the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The majority of Centrelink's services are the disbursement of social security payments.

• Human Rights & Equal Opportunity - Disability Rights http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes disability discrimination unlawful and aims to promote equal opportunity and access for people with disabilities. Under the Act, individuals can lodge complaints of discrimination and harassment with the Australian Human Rights Commission. The AHRC also undertake a wide range of activities to assist individuals and organisations to understand their rights and meet their legal responsibilities.

• SCAMwatch (ACCC) on miracle cures http://www.scamwatch.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/694286

Provided by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commision, this attempts to educate people on miracle cure scams which cover a whole range of products and services and can appear to be legitimate alternative medicine.

Australian organisations

• Crohn's & Colitis Australia (CCA) http://www.crohnsandcolitis.com.au/

Crohn's & Colitis Australia (CCA) (formerly Australian Crohn's & Colitis Association) was founded in 1985 and is the Australian peak body for IBD helping to educate and support the Australian IBD community.

• Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA) http://www.gesa.org.au/

The Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA) is the peak body for the discipline of gastroenterology and hepatology in this country, with over 1100 members comprising medical graduates, scientists and trainees. This website is an online resource for GESA members, health professionals and consumers needing more information.

Member sites

• Rebecca Leigh: Beyond IBD http://www.beyondibd.com/

Beyond IBD aims to inform, comfort and inspire those living with IBD with news and articles on a range of relevant topics.

Other Australian groups

• The Gutsy Group http://www.thegutsygroup.com.au/

Dedicated to raising money for research, so a cure can be found for inflammatory bowel disease.

Other official international organisations

• UK National Health Service (NHS) http://www.nhs.uk/
• US National Institutes of Health (NIH) http://www.nih.gov/
• Crohn.s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) http://www.ccfa.org/
• Crohn.s & Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) http://www.ccfc.ca/
• European Federation of Crohn.s & Colitis Associations (EFCCA) http://www.efcca.org/
• UK National Association for Colitis & Crohn.s (NACC) http://www.nacc.org.uk/

Other relevant support sites from around the internet

• Crohn's Zone http://www.crohnszone.org/ (global, primarily UK)

A friendly interactive community for people with IBD with message boards, member posted articles, and online chat

• Crohn's Sanity Support http://www.crohns-sanity.org/ (global, primarily US)

Support for all things IBD with an active forum, with member gallery and chat

• WeAreCrohn's.org http://www.wearecrohns.org/ (global, primarily US)

A patient led social support network built like a social networking site, and centered around Crohn's Disease and Colitis.

• But You Don't Look Sick http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/ (global, primarily US)

Home of the "Spoon Theory", and including a popular forum for those with a disability or invisible illnesses

• Teens With Crohn's Disease http://pages.prodigy.net/mattgreen/ (teens, global)

Website for teen's with Crohn's including a forum

• Shaz's Ostomy Pages http://www.ostomates.org/ (global, primarily US)

An interactive support site for new and experienced ostomates. Includes an active message board and pics of stomas. Australian Site.

• Ostomyland http://www.ostomyland.com/ (global, primarily UK)

Includes a Lifestyle Guide for new ostomates and a 24/7 chatroom where you can seek advice from other ostomates in real time.

• The J-Pouch group http://www.j-pouch.org/ (global, primarily US)

Description of J Pouch surgery, includes a very active forum.

Other other sites

• Colitis Cookbook (commercial) http://www.colitiscookbook.com/

Recipes for Low-Fiber, Low-Residue Diets