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 […]
The BMJ Today: A new era in transparency
A new era in openness and transparency—and arguments over data—has begun with the publication of the first tranche of data made available under the US’s Sunshine Act. The act makes all drug, device, or biological manufacturers declare money they give to doctors (if it’s above $10), including cash in kind, i.e. food or drinks, even if […]
John Middleton: The “Hospital of the Future” comes to the West Midlands
On 14 July this year, the chancellor of the exchequer announced the go ahead for the new Midland Metropolitan Hospital (MMH) in Smethwick, serving the people of West Birmingham and Sandwell in the West Midlands of England. As the chancellor returns to Birmingham for his party conference, the Royal College of Physicians has launched its […]
The BMJ Today: Conflicting interests
As politicians enjoy a glass or two of the hard stuff during this week’s Conservative Party conference, they may like to find time to read a BMJ research paper on the impact of minimum alcohol pricing, and reflect on government policy in this area. Prime minister David Cameron has reneged on promises to impose minimum […]
Gavin Yamey et al: Our hunches on how to tackle humanitarian disasters can cause harm
It seemed, on the face of it, to make a lot of sense. It seemed intuitively the right thing to do. When the Indian Ocean tsunami struck on 26 December 2004, psychologists flew in to encourage survivors to openly discuss their feelings in detail—a process known as “debriefing”—as a way of warding off post-traumatic stress […]
Anne Forshaw and Rowena Merritt: How can we increase primary care access for patients from disadvantaged groups?
Disadvantaged groups of the population tend to have low rates of access to primary care, yet have a greater incidence of chronic diseases. Earlier and more frequent visits to a healthcare professional (HCP) would positively affect their health outcomes, but barriers to accessing primary care remain for these groups. M•E•L Research was commissioned by The National Social […]
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 […]
Anand Bhopal: Improving clinical consultations—one computer key at a time
Modern medicine is an increasingly wary place for the digitally illiterate. With medical records turning electronic and computers springing up at the bedside, there is little hiding place for doctors who are averse to the machine. In an attempt to prepare students for 21st century clinical practice, Leicester Medical School recently became the first medical school […]
Richard Smith: Using data to improve care and reduce waste in health systems
Annual expenditure on healthcare in the United States is currently $2.8 trillion, and about a third of it is wasted, says the Institute of Medicine. The sum wasted is about five times the GDP of Bangladesh, a country of 160 million people. This is waste on a spectacular scale, and reducing it while improving the […]
The BMJ Today: Thinking diagonally
National commitments to reducing global CO2 emissions are in the spotlight again after the recent United Nations talks. Earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published their strongest statements yet about the possible health impacts of global warming. These impacts include increased vulnerability to disease and injury through a variety of mechanisms, including: climate and weather […]