JAMA 7 Dec 2011 Vol 306 2331 Over the period I have been writing these reviews, rheumatology has moved from being a rather sleepy discipline to being a hotbed of innovation, largely thanks to the arrival of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α antagonists. Known rather quaintly as “biologicals,” these drugs inspired fear when first used because […]
” “Research highlights” is a weekly round-up of research papers appearing in the print BMJ. We start off with this week’s research questions, before providing more detail on some individual research papers and accompanying articles. Does the type of bearing used in hip replacements affect outcomes? In children with gastroenteritis, does rapid rather than standard […]
Raw data is a bit like raw sewage—or so says Sir Mark Walport, director of the Wellcome Trust—in it you might find the odd nugget in amongst the garbage. His comment came at a debate hosted by Index on Censorship on transparency in science, pegged to a publication that deals with this very issue. It’s […]
“All truth passes through three stages: First, it is ridiculed; Second, it is violently opposed; and Third, it is accepted as self-evident.” — Arthur Schopenhauer Last week, the Nigerian senate signed a bill to outlaw homosexual marriage, homosexual association, and support for homosexual people. Same-sex couples who marry face up to 14 years each in […]
We would like to invite readers of BMJ Blogs to complete a survey about this proposed extension, which is available at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/D38NWP3 After an initial survey, we will summarize comments and feedback, and send the survey for a second round of feedback including the ranking of importance of the items. Health inequities are differences in […]
The new inclusive “Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation” resulting from the 4th high level forum on aid effectiveness in Busan, South Korea, issued on 1st December does not include children or newborn babies. […]
Dinah Birch’s recent review of Claire Tomalin’s biography of Charles Dickens celebrates the “exuberant variety” and “multiplicity” of his life. He reinvented himself constantly – child labourer, solicitors’ clerk, journalist, editor, actor, philanthropist, social reformer, and a novelist who like Chaucer and Shakespeare, came to represent his age. Birch could easily have defined Dickens in terms […]
Every two months I get to sit down with the GP Chair and Chief Operating Officer from each of the Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in Lincolnshire. Ever since the reforms were announced we have retained a focus on delivery. We have thought of the development of the CCGs as revolving around delivery. There is no […]
Wide gaps in life expectancy in the UK by social background have been widely recognised in recent years. With the current state of the economy, the scaling back of public services, and risks caused by fragmentation of the NHS, the elusive solutions to these complex problems may seem even harder to find. Under the previous […]
It is a typical busy, Thursday afternoon in the office in central London, as I recall the mental note I made to myself earlier that day: ring GP practice to arrange anti-malarial prescription. I am going to Nigeria on Monday and have resolved to make sure that I take my malaria prophylaxis rigorously this time. […]