The nature of our departures from our work often tells us much about what kind of problems are being left behind. The individual may escape, but what about the wider community? The continuing troubles and discontents of junior doctors have evident newsworthiness; not so the equivalent problems in later careers. This is easy to understand: […]
Amy Price: The evidence informed patient
The journey My work in international relief as a psychologist and cognitive rehabilitative consultant did not prepare me to be a trauma patient with brain damage. The injuries showed me we patients need to be full partners in our own healthcare and that we need a bridge. That bridge is evidence and the vehicle through […]
Dan Smyth: Patient involvement in the European Respiratory Society Congress 2015-16
The European Lung Foundation (ELF) brings together patients and the public with respiratory professionals to positively influence lung health. ELF works with a network of patient organisations and individuals (via the European Patient Ambassador Programme) who take part in the European Respiratory Society (ERS) International Congress. The aim of having patient organisations at the congress […]
Neil Betteridge: Effective involvement of patients at medical meetings—a case study from EULAR
As someone who has long championed “user” or “patient” involvement in health focused organisations—whether as CEO at Arthritis Care or as vice president of EULAR (the European League Against Rheumatism) representing the patient group network in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases—I believe that the key to success is having clarity of purpose. If you are sure […]
Richard Smith: Mental health—has the tide finally turned?
When I spoke to this group four years ago about mental health services all was doom and gloom, but now I feel optimistic. This is how Paul Farmer, chief executive officer of MIND, began his talk this week to the Cambridge Health Network. Despite about three quarters of patients with mental health problems still not […]
Amy Price: A patient’s perspective on statins
What I wish my doctor could know is what he has no access to. That is all the data for medicines he prescribes. My GP is an incredible doctor but no one can do their best work with inaccurate tools or partial knowledge. This is my story. […]
Suzanne Gordon: Why introductions matter
The other day, I was invited to give a seminar on interprofessional teamwork to a group of residents and attendees at a prestigious university medical center in Europe. The first thing people did when they trooped into the room was introduce themselves to me. Since there were about 25 people in the room, no one […]
Zaher Sahloul: What can doctors do to help in Syria?
I received many emails after my last mission. One doctor emailed me to say that she was “horrified by what is happening in Syria” and she wanted to help by any means necessary. She felt that as a doctor she can do more than donate to relief organizations. One doctor wrote that she would love to […]
Richard Lehman: Where next with statins?
The Lancet‘s lengthy review on statins is masterly in its discussion of many fundamental issues about trial methodology and interpretation, and makes an excellent case for the overall benefits of statins for cardiovascular protection. But this is not new news. The discussion of adverse effects is theoretically sound but offers no new data and does […]
Richard Lehman’s journal review—12 September 2016
NEJM 8 Sep 2016 Vol 375 CPAP & CV events I adore CPAP and bless the night when she arrived in my life. I embrace her—or rather she embraces me—for seven or eight hours of sleepy bliss. I will not hear a word said against her. Does she reduce my risk of cardiovascular events? Probably […]