The TV programme My big fat gypsy wedding made me cringe. We cared for a large community of travelling people for many years and I felt embarrassed on their behalf. Some traveller women I spoke to felt let down by these programmes. The cold documentary eye made the lavish weddings and extraordinary dresses look absurd. They […]
Category: Domhnall MacAuley
Domhnall MacAuley: Waste, uncertainty, post publication peer review and the unintended consequences of asking a question
Irrelevant, misdirected, inappropriate, or unnecessary. Reading the list of contents in some lesser known journals or abstracts at a conference, you wonder what some studies really add. Sir Iain Chalmers (The Lind Initiative), who opened the Society of Primary Care conference in Bristol, called it waste. He said that we need to focus on uncertainty […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Public health summer school
Does your research really matter? Most VIP introductions are bland and unchallenging. Not this time. When (Professor Sir) Peter Gregson, vice chancellor at Queen’s University Belfast, introduced the joint summer school of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration’s centres of public health and Health Research Board (Ireland), he pointed out how universities often fail to show the […]
Domhnall MacAuley: 11th Brazilian congress of family and community medicine
Quaternary prevention – ever heard of it? We know about primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, but this is different. It means protecting healthy patients from unnecessary investigations, tests, or treatments. Marc Jamoulle (Belgium) introduced the concept in1995 but it gained traction mostly in non English speaking countries. Patients without recognised illnesses are increasingly vulnerable through […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Awardholders responsibility
Daffodils, ribbons, sponsored runs, and elegant balls. Peer pressure appeals to a higher nature and a little tugging at the heartstrings. But, its not all innocent fun, youth, and glamour. When people give to medical charities, they believe money is going to relieve the suffering of others. That little old lady who puts a few […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Wayne Rooney’s hair transplant
Not anterior cruciate ligaments, metatarsals, or dodgy ankles – the sports medicine story of the week is Wayne Rooney’s hair transplant. Brave guy. Can you imagine the potential for abuse. Not just a few snide comments from behind the office photocopier, tongue wagging neighbours, or knowing smiles. He stands in front of 40,000 plus supporters every […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Barefoot runners, Western habits, and GP records – more from ACSM
Should we abandon running shoes? Running shoes are a relatively new phenomenon – primitive man did not wear shoes when hunting in the savannah and would look in wonder at modern running shoes with their huge wedges, motion support, and cushioned soles. They have changed the way we run and, in spite of all the […]
Domhnall MacAuley: From the American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting (Denver)
The next big thing in physical activity research: sitting doing nothing. Steve Blair (University of South Carolina), a major player in the physical activity research world, suggests that the pattern of inactivity is important. Sedentary behaviour, irrespective of the overall level of activity is itself a risk factor- sitting doing nothing may be harmful, even […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Northern Ireland general practice
Last night Clare Gerada, chair of the RCGP, spoke in Northern Ireland about the Future of General Practice. This morning she meets our new Minister of Health. She described her vision and what she would like to achieve. She was, perhaps, trying to encourage the wrong audience – those present already believe in her values. But, […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Madeleine McCann
Had you forgotten? Of course you had, admit it. A drama lost in the blur of television history. But, on Friday night brain-dead talk show television, the horror story flashback. Kate and Gerry McCann told again the story of Madeleine’s disappearance. And, while we get on with our lives, and they do too in a […]