A backronym is not an acronym written backwards but one that is formed retrospectively. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) gives two definitions: 1. An acronym formed from a phrase whose initial letters spell out a particular word or words, chosen to enhance memorability. 2. A contrived explanation of an existing word’s origin, positing it as […]
The BMJ Today: The changing roles and responsibilities of UK general practice
The past few days have seen a number of proposed changes to the regulation, roles, and responsibilities of general practice within the UK, as well as a stark reminder of the importance of ensuring GPs are trained and supported effectively. • Proposals developed by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and the National Association of Primary Care suggest that […]
Dominic Patterson: Why general practice
General practice is in crisis. Those are the first words on my site whygp.uk—launched in July along with the hashtag #whyGP—which aims to be a space for positive messages about general practice. Strange first words for such a site, but they are of deliberate choosing. I’m no crisis denier, and I recognise personally and from […]
Samir Dawlatly: There is no dementia wonder cure
The daughter of one of my patients booked an appointment to see me*. She often came to see me about her father who had lived alone ever since his wife had died five years ago. He was in the early stages of dementia, probably Alzheimer’s, but was still just about managing to live at home […]
The BMJ Today: A digital day for The BMJ
• Should all NHS premises provide free access to wi-fi? Yes, argues Victoria Betton in a head to head article published today. Betton, mHabitat programme director at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, says the advantages of free wi-fi in healthcare settings in an increasingly digitised world make sense, facilitating more patient activation and engagement. […]
Neal Maskrey: What will replace QOF?
The 2004 UK GP contract contained the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), the boldest pay for performance scheme in healthcare ever attempted anywhere in the world. Eleven years on and its in trouble. The QOF was seen as offering the promise of a quantum change in performance rather than an incremental one. It was driven […]
The BMJ Today: Urgent help for war torn Yemen
• Médecins Sans Frontières has urged donors and humanitarian organisations worldwide to pledge more in response to the increase of violence in Yemen, Anne Gulland writes. With WHO reporting that some 190 health facilities are no longer operating and MSF performing an unprecedented number of surgical procedures, the head of MSF’s emergency unit Teresa Sancristόval has pleaded […]
Richard Smith: How to fill the void of evidence for everyday practice?
Some even most (depending on how you measure it) of what doctors do lacks strong evidence. Even when evidence exists it often doesn’t seem to be relevant to doctors—because their patients or their circumstances are so different from those in the trials that produce the evidence. This is especially true in low and middle income countries […]
The BMJ Today: Bias that keeps researchers awake at night
• Last week, we saw that prospective registration of trials with specific outcome measures could have a huge impact. Addressing this kind of publication bias is a great step forward, although other forms of bias still keep researchers and science publishers alike awake at night. • Our most recent endgames article highlights how even randomised […]
Neville Goodman’s metaphor watch: Call a spade a tool
Between 1975 and 2010, the prevalence of the word tool or tools in PubMed increased six-fold, to more than 3% of all PubMed articles. If you’re writing about a spade, you’re writing about a tool; if you call a questionnaire a tool, it’s metaphorical. And it’s probably an unnecessary way of writing way, means, or […]