Next time you sneak a peek at an author’s affiliations, ask yourself if they mattered to you. Do you pay more attention to a study from Harvard University in the United States or one from the University of Abuja in Nigeria? Matthew Harris asks this question in a personal view, arguing that omitting the provenance of […]
Category: Editors at large
The BMJ Today: Managers need to get ‘aht the flippin’ way
Many thanks to consultant psychiatrist Geoff Searle for providing the headline for today’s BMJ Today, shamelessly stolen from his weekend rapid response to the essay about “flipping healthcare,” published last week by US authors Maureen Bisognano and Dan Schummers. Flipping, the authors argue, is the key to providing better care and lowering costs, shifting the power […]
Margaret Cooter: Colour me unusual—a MRSA quilt and a TB dress
On learning about the source of the colour of Anna Dumitriu’s quilt, some people feel distinctly uncomfortable, and a few have even said, “But that’s irresponsible! That’s dangerous!” The blue doesn’t come from indigo or from a new type of powder—and the way it’s used is definitely not irresponsible or dangerous. Although the colour comes […]
Juliet Dobson: Probably Nothing
Probably Nothing is a comic by Matilda Tristram about discovering that she had colon cancer when she was 17 weeks pregnant. The comic, initially published online and now as a book, charts her diagnosis and subsequent treatment while pregnant and then looking after a newborn baby. It is a very honest and moving account of […]
The BMJ Today: More on climate change
Earlier this year, The BMJ’s editor in chief, Fiona Godlee, was one of 50 senior UK medical professionals to sign a letter in the Times newspaper about the health benefits of ending investment in fossil fuels, and diverting funds instead to alternative energy and more active forms of transport. On 1 October 2014, The BMJ […]
Wim Weber: EU seminar on access to trial data
On 29 September, more than 150 delegates showed up to attend the “Transparency and public health” seminar, organised by the European ombudsman and held at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. This “International Right to Know Day” is an annual event organised by the ombudsman, and newly appointed Emily O’Reilly from Ireland chose accessibility of […]
Readers’ editor: Inserts in the print issue
If you shake the current print issue of The BMJ, a cluster of inserts fall to the ground, among them a wine club promotion, an online menswear retailer, and a charity appeal from the Refugee Council. Sometimes readers do challenge the accuracy of information in these inserts, or question our decision to accept money from […]
The BMJ Today: Management of COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common diseases a GP has to manage in their daily routine. The BMJ has recently set a focus on COPD management. Shawn D Aaron draws attention to the fact that patients with COPD are prone to acute respiratory exacerbations, with a possible detrimental effect on […]
David Payne: A London lullaby factory, and other open buildings
A hospital “lullaby factory” and a children’s hospice extension in the style of a garden shed are among 15 health related buildings to welcome visitors as part of Open House London this weekend. Haven House Children’s Hospice has leased The White House, an Edwardian Arts and Crafts building, since 2002. Earlier this year the charity, based […]
Tessa Richards: When doctors and patients disagree
The Ashya King case has gone global, and in the UK is assuming Mid Staffordshire proportions. The law, as interpreted, would appear to have totally overlooked the best interests of a gravely ill child: to have parents who love and care for you at your side. Amid the media hullabaloo, unfolding events, heated debate, and […]