Last week I proposed a definition of translational research and started to explore the problem of defining research itself. Previous definitions suggest six headings, relevant to all types of research. […]
Month: April 2017
Richard Smith: Must doctors believe in progress?
Does being a doctor mean that you’re obliged to believe in progress? Richard Smith discusses […]
Kieran Walsh: Are you “satisficed” with clinical decision support?
A 60 year old woman goes to her doctor with dizziness and poor balance. Her doctor is not sure what is wrong but thinks about postural hypotension, Meniere’s disease, and […]
Tara Lamont: Changing hearts, minds, and eating habits—what persuades us?
My colleague, Steve, can’t be the only viewer in the last month to have turned vegan after watching Simon Amstell’s film Carnage. This combines humour with polemic to make us […]
Kathleen Ruff: Chrysotile asbestos—a call for action on this hazardous substance
Chrysotile asbestos comprises 95% of all asbestos sold during the past century and for the past 30 years has represented the totality of the global asbestos trade.[1] The scientific consensus is […]
Matt Morgan: Sin-drome—the phenomenon of missing-diagnosis
“We’ve had a new admission into bed 3” “Great, I’ll be right there, what’s wrong with them?” “He’s got multiorgan failure but was intubated mainly for respiratory failure” “Ah ok, […]
Should we abandon routine blood tests?
The practice of ordering routine blood tests for patients attending hospital regardless of clinical need is wasteful and potentially damaging, argue three doctors […]
David Gilbert: What’s stopping healthcare organisations appointing a patient director?
Dear Chief Executive, What’s stopping you appointing a Patient Director? I know you are struggling to keep your organisation’s head above water. I know the demands of the system and […]
Estrella Lasry: Tackling malaria prevention among the hardest to reach
Conflict is a major cause of decreased access to diagnosis and treatment in many remaining malaria hotspots, says Estrella Lasry. […]
Rising above the political tide: Our March for Science
In the wake of Saturday’s March for Science, Nahid Bhadelia and Afsan Bhadelia argue that scientists must sometimes join the political fray to advocate for inconvenient truths […]