Use of complementary/alternative medicine may help reduce over prescribing of antibiotics GP surgeries with doctors who also have training in complementary and alternative medicines appear to be less likely to prescribe antibiotics to patients and may hold the key to reducing over-prescribing of these drugs, suggests a study published in the journal BMJ Open. Inappropriate […]
Category: Content
2016 junior doctor strikes in England had ‘significant impact’ on healthcare provision
Thousands of appointments cancelled; effects greatest when emergency care withdrawn The 2016 junior doctors strikes in England had a ‘significant’ impact on the provision of healthcare, with thousands of appointments cancelled, and significantly fewer admissions and A&E attendances than expected, reveals research published in the online journal BMJ Open. The effects were greatest during the last of […]
Slow eating speed may be linked to weight loss
…Along with cutting out after dinner snacks and not eating within 2 hours of going to sleep Slowing down the speed at which you eat, along with cutting out after dinner snacks and not eating within 2 hours of going to sleep may all help to shed the pounds, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ […]
Top 10 most read in January: patient satisfaction with hospital care and nurses, manual therapy for excessively crying infants and the timing of probiotic milk consumption during pregnancy and adverse outcomes
January sees seven new papers enter BMJ Open’s top 10 most read articles. In at number one is Aiken et al, who investigate how patient perceptions of hospital care are associated with confidence in nurses and doctors, nurse staffing levels and hospital work environments. The authors found a strong association between patients’ perceptions of hospital […]
Editors’ picks of 2017
BMJ Open has had an incredible 2017 – publishing more than 2,700 articles across the whole spectrum of medicine. The editorial team at BMJ Open have selected some of their highlights from our articles published throughout 2017. Enjoy! Emotions and alcohol consumption: Is it wine that is making you whine? Alcohol is a popular […]
Women taking probiotics during pregnancy might have lower pre-eclampsia and premature birth risk
But timing may be crucial, findings suggest Probiotics taken during pregnancy might help lower the risks of pre-eclampsia and premature birth, suggests observational research in the online journal BMJ Open. But timing may be crucial, the findings indicate. Pre-eclampsia, a condition in which the mother’s body mounts an exaggerated inflammatory response, affects up to 8 percent […]
Emotionally demanding workload and confrontational patients key stressors for GPs
Bullying/unsupportive colleagues and fear of complaints add to the mix The emotional impact of their daily workload and confrontational patients are among the key stressors for family doctors in England, reveals an analysis of feedback from general practitioners (GPs), published in the online journal BMJ Open. Dysfunctional working relationships and unsupportive/bullying colleagues, combined with the […]
Patients’ unfavourable views of hospital care strongly linked to nurse numbers
Increasing the headcount may boost satisfaction with quality of care, say researchers Patients’ unfavourable views of hospital care in England are strongly linked to insufficient numbers of nurses on duty, rather than uncaring staff, indicates observational research published in the online journal BMJ Open. Increasing the registered nurse headcount may boost satisfaction with the quality […]
Rubber/plastic bullets used for crowd control can maim and kill
Given their inherent inaccuracy, they shouldn’t be used for this purpose, say researchers Rubber/plastic bullets used for crowd control can maim and kill, and given their inherent inaccuracy, they shouldn’t be used for this purpose, concludes a review of the available evidence, published in the online journal BMJ Open. Rubber/plastic bullets (kinetic impact projectiles) are […]
Top 10 Most Read in November: health and social care constraints in England, general practice as a career choice, and cost-effectiveness of interventions in preventing type 2 diabetes
November was an interesting month, with many new papers published: five of which reached this month’s Top 10 Most Read list. In the top spot is Watkins et al, with a time trend analysis looking at the effects of health and social care spending constraints on mortality in England. They found that spending constraints, especially […]