The beginnings of heart surgery are known from the published record of momentous “first” operations on congenital and acquired malformations, retold in the biographies and reminiscences of the surgeons responsible for them. In contrast in my recent book “The Heart Club” I present a very different account; it is a consecutive contemporary record, in real […]
Category: Guest writers
Ara Darzi: There is huge potential to apply behavioural economics in health
Harnessing the insights from behavioural science could yield major gains […]
Scott A Murray: Encouraging an assets rather than a deficits approach to the last phase of life
We will all die one day, so let’s try to make sense of it […]
Amitava Banerjee: Is conflict of interest a concern in healthcare IT?
In the UK, electronic health records (EHR) have been almost universal in general practice since the 1990s, and were deployed across hospitals in the early 2000s. The Professional Records Standards Body (PRSB) was set up in 2013 “to develop high quality, consistent care records and promote their use.” As I sat in the third annual […]
Fraser Smith and David Locke: When surgeons unwittingly don’t obtain informed consent
It is our belief that many patients with rectal cancer are (probably unwittingly) not being informed about potential treatment options which may be available to them that could allow them to avoid radical surgery and a stoma. [1] In effect this is rendering informed consent invalid and represents a failure to safeguard patient autonomy. Rectal cancer […]
Michael Farquhar: We must recognise the health effects associated with shift working
We must support those who work at night […]
Peng Yong Sim: Is there a future for direct ophthalmoscopy?
Since its invention in 1851, the direct ophthalmoscope has offered unprecedented diagnostic capabilities. Through it, the mysteries of the inner eye were unravelled and the links between eye manifestations and systemic diseases have been revealed. As a diagnostic tool it has been almost as important as the stethoscope: from the first time retinal detachment was […]
Chris Del Mar and Peter Collignon: Another seasonal influenza epidemic
Healthcare staff are being urged to get flu jabs, but are current management options adequate? […]
Stephanie Moore and Martin Billington: Why everyone needs tea and cake
Tea breaks are an opportunity to enjoy a piece of cake and catch up with colleagues. We decided to make the most of ours and take turns to share and discuss a thought-provoking concept of the week “t-pot” for short. Each session has offered a new perspective on what it means to be a doctor. […]
Hannah Wilson: First patient, last breathe
I can pinpoint the exact moment that I truly understood what it meant to be a doctor. It was 7:45 am on a Saturday morning and I had just arrived for the morning handover. I was working the weekend in my old department as a locum, mainly for the clinical experience with trusted colleagues. I […]