As an NHS GP I learned that healthcare is fundamentally locally provided and delivered through fostering long term relationships. However, the convergence of mobile technology and big data have the potential to profoundly change the way care is delivered. Should existing power brokers see this as an opportunity or a threat and what does this […]
Richard Lehman’s journal review—26 November 2012
JAMA 21 Nov 2012 Vol 308 OPERA is the quintessential Italian art-form: devised as a return to the classical past, it is a brilliant transitory display of music, costume, and painted stage sets; an escape to a heightened form of existence and emotion. Palpitations are to be found everywhere: in fact the aria Di tanti […]
Trish Groves: A European tale—data sharing at the EMA
This is a tale of extraordinary persistence by medical researchers—particularly those at the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen—on behalf of patients. And it seems to have a happy ending. It starts in the warmer climes of Rome and Lisbon, where treaties were signed to form the constitutional basis of the European Union. These treaties laid […]
Desmond O’Neill: Amour, ageing, and missed opportunities
A striking aspect of clinician involvement in bioethics is the therapeutic focus they bring to the table. Time and again, when non clinician ethicists present dilemmas, the doctors propose fresh diagnostic and therapeutic options, from therapist inputs to treatment choices. These release a creativity that liberates problems from artificially dichotomous and often more emotionally charged […]
Fred Kavalier: Judge not
Do doctors and judges inhabit different worlds? A judgment handed down this week makes me feel they do. I do not think justice has been done in the case of Sean Maguire. Dr Maguire was the GP who, on 29 August 1993, saw a two year old child with a runny nose, which he diagnosed […]
Lungiswa Nkonki, Mabel Carabali and Beverly Ho: Emerging voices in health systems research
In 2010, young researchers from developing countries were invited by the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Belgium to join in the scientific debate and actively participate in the First Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Montreux, Switzerland. Over 300 researchers from developing countries responded to this call. 52 emerging voices from 26 countries […]
David Kerr: Alcohol and calories—an opportunity for public health?
More than 200 years ago, the English artist, William Hogarth produced two prints depicting the evils of gin in contrast to the benefits of drinking beer. The inhabitants of Beer Street were portrayed as happy and healthy, nourished by English ale in contrast to the residents of Gin Lane. Gin Lane contained scenes of infanticide, […]
Domhnall MacAuley: Creating winning teams
I spent time at the weekend in the company of some very successful people; high achievers in sport, health, and the public sector—each directing teams or organisations that perform at the highest level. It wasn’t a business seminar, leadership congress, or motivational event. There was no preening, competition, or posturing. No one stood out—they all […]
Muir Gray: Creating a network for systems of care
Read the rest of this series of blogs about designing and planning population based systems of care here. Step 6: Creating a network The network is the set of individuals and organisations that delivers the system to the populations. At the start of the project it is also important to agree who the partners are […]
Richard Smith: Patient organisations—the need to come together
“There is no kingdom too small for a doctor to be king of,” is one of my favourite sayings. Last week at a workshop for patient organisations organised by the Medtronic Foundation I learnt that it may be even more true for patient organisations. I’m a big supporter of patient organisations. They do an important […]