Gamification is a theory, not just a trend. It is the use of game mechanics to solve real world problems, and that includes those that originate in the body. If the word instils in you a sense of fear and dread—as it did in me—look no further than this Feature by Stephen Armstrong to feel […]
Category: The BMJ today
The BMJ Today: You don’t always get what you pay for
On bmj.com today, researchers have found that a much cheaper treatment for wet age related macular degeneration causes no more side effects than the far more expensive licensed treatment. Zosia Kmietowicz reports that the authors of the Cochrane review have found that ranibizumab (Lucentis), which is most commonly used in the UK and costs about […]
The BMJ Today: Watch out for the quiet ones
I’m always pleased to see that people keep an eye on changes that are announced quietly by big organisations. Jim Murray alerts us to a discreet switch made by the European Commission. He explains in his blog: “In the UK, the Department of Health is the ‘parent,’ or sponsoring department, for the Medicines and Healthcare […]
The BMJ Today: The perils of not keeping your mouth shut
A few weeks ago, I had to take parenteral antibiotics for a condition that was not improving with oral antibiotics. Moreover, in my native Portugal it is still common, for example, to prescribe parenteral penicillin for bacterial tonsillitis since for some reason oral penicillin is not available there. […]
The BMJ Today: Medical device regulation – still out of joint
The introduction of new orthopaedic implants has for some time been a major focus of attention within scientific and policy circles since concerns about certain devices used in total hip replacements were brought into the spotlight. One of the conclusions of a BMJ feature by Deb Cohen in 2012 was that “After a series of […]
The BMJ Today: Read this, but no emailing please
Arterial and venous thromboses are common serious postoperative complications (about 8% of surgical procedures are followed by a thrombosis). The fact that they are still so common despite years of research suggests we haven’t yet cracked what causes them and how to prevent them. Although some risk factors like malignancy and previous thromboembolism are well […]
The BMJ Today: Communication of risk – a week of reflection
This week has highlighted for those in healthcare the intricacy of communicating risk to patients and their families. In an emotive blog relating to the case of Ashya King, Tessa Richards highlights her concerns regarding communication with families around complex treatment decisions, and has implored the medical professions to reflect on their ability to do […]
The BMJ Today: A story in need of an end
A good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. A few days ago, we published a sad story in The BMJ Analysis section about the use of beta-blockers in patients undergoing major surgery at high risk of cardiovascular disease. The story had a hopeful beginning, in the 1990s, as the medical community was […]
The BMJ Today: Bladder cancer—things can only get better
As diseases go, bladder cancer has a pretty raw deal. It lacks the attention and research funding given to other urological cancers (I’m looking at you prostate cancer), and—perhaps most worryingly—it is the only one of the top 10 cancers in the UK for which survival is getting worse. One particular problem is delayed diagnosis, […]
The BMJ Today: Debating transparency, in research and practice
The UK Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine lent its support for greater transparency in clinical trials, according to a News article on thebmj.com. President of the faculty Keith Bragman said, “We have a responsibility to patients.” The announcement came alongside publication of a survey of nearly 400 of its members, of which nearly two thirds reported […]