Fewest women in trauma and orthopaedics, cardiothoracic surgery, and neurosurgery Despite improvements over the past 10 years in driving up the number of women surgeons in the UK, achieving gender parity will take another 60 years for some surgical specialties, conclude researchers in the open access journal BMJ Open. The gender gap is widest in […]
Latest articles
Doctors tend to overestimate gender equality progress in UK medicine, finds survey
Linked to reluctance, particularly among men, to back initiatives to narrow gender gap Doctors tend to overestimate the progress made towards gender equality in UK medicine, suggest the results of a snapshot survey published in the open access journal BMJ Open. These misperceptions are associated with greater reluctance, particularly among male doctors, to back initiatives […]
Unique opportunity for health researchers to test a new manuscript writing aid
At BMJ Open, we support initiatives to improve reporting and make life easier for authors who are writing up their research, which is why we are pleased to share this opportunity from The Equator Network to help shape a new writing aid. Caroline Struthers, Senior EQUATOR Research Fellow, explains. In 2018, the UK EQUATOR […]
UK stillbirths among black and South Asian communities still double those of rest of population
This is despite overall decline in rates in recent years Key causes placental issues and birth defects, but unknown in more than half of cases Despite an overall decline in stillbirths across the UK in recent years, rates among black and South Asian communities are still around double those of the rest of the population, […]
Top 10 Most Read in January 2022: the impact of care expenditure on mortality, healthcare utilisation during COVID-19, and Advanced Clinical Practitioners
In the first month of 2022 we saw a large number of new articles enter our top 10 most read list. COVID-19 still dominates our top 10 list, three of the new articles have been highlighted below. Impact of care expenditure on mortality in England At number three we […]
Oestrogen levels linked to risk of COVID-19 death in older women
May be worth exploring hormone therapy to reduce infection severity, say researchers An older woman’s oestrogen levels may be linked to her chances of dying from COVID-19, with higher levels of the hormone seemingly protective against severe infection, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open. It may be worth exploring supplemental hormone treatment […]
Up to half of kids worldwide and up to third of UK kids consume energy drinks weekly
Consumption on 5+ days of the week linked to health and behavioural issues Secondary data analysis helps fills evidence gap, but still can’t distinguish cause from effect Up to half of children worldwide, and up to a third of children in the UK, consume energy drinks every week, with a tally on five or more […]
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy linked to childhood trauma
3 times more likely among those with experience of 4 or more trauma types Reluctance or refusal to get jabbed against COVID-19 infection (vaccine hesitancy), may be linked to traumatic events in childhood, such as neglect, domestic violence or substance misuse in the family home, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open. Vaccine […]
Top 10 Most Read in December 2021: Housework and cognitive function, COVID-19 experts in the media, and the association of chronic and periodontal diseases.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy New Year. Although 2022 is well underway, there is still time to take a moment to reflect on 2021. The pandemic continues to be an ever evolving situation, so as we look back at our most read papers of December 2021, articles […]
‘Frequent attenders’ comprise 4 in every 10 family doctor consultations in England
They visit their GP 5 times as often as other patients on practice lists Proportion of these patients has risen over past two decades ‘Frequent attenders’ now make up around 4 in every 10 family doctor (GP) consultations in England, and the proportion of such patients has risen over the past two decades, reveals a […]