They were waiting for me when I returned to Dhaka in late July. My office is not easily found, so the small group of older gentlemen must have been determined […]
Guest writers
Emily Spry: The devil is in the detail
It might seem odd that the most challenging folk to work with here are not the Sierra Leonean ones. Sometimes the toughest part is dealing with the endeavours of my […]
Douglas Noble on patient safety
Ineffectively communicated clinical information has been estimated to be responsible for up to 10% of all preventable medical errors. Stanton et al, in their recent book on clinical leadership, reveal […]
Annabel Bentley: Evidence of drugs and alcohol down the pub
A debate on the harms of drugs and alcohol hosted in a pub – surely not? This week I was lucky enough to visit the epicentre of drinking and critical […]
Behrooz Astaneh: Trial registry – the Iranian experience
Clinical trials are the cornerstone of medical research. Multiple publications of the results of a specific trial as well as non-publication of unfavorable results are among the problems facing the […]
Tony Waterston: Making the connection between education and practice … and a pipe band in Bethlehem
Attending the graduation ceremony for the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Child Health Diploma programme in Ramallah I fantasised over the effect of the course on children’s health. […]
Parijaat Vaidya reviews When a mother’s love is not enough
As the mother of a severely disabled child and a psychiatrist working with learning disabled children, I was particularly interested in this BBC documentary which highlights the enormous challenges families […]
Bev Collin on priorities for tackling malnutrition
With the World Food Summit happening this week in Rome, and thinking about my experience of working in the field of malnutrition, two very strong images came to mind. […]
Andrew Rouse and Tom Marshall: Informed consent, the doctor and H1N1 immunisation
How does a doctor obtain informed consent for H1N1 immunisation consistent with General Medical Council guidance? The Department of Health’s guidance does not provide sufficient information for this. This is […]
Mary E Black on flu suits and holy water dispensers
Plagues create business opportunities and the worried well in any era present a commercial opportunity. In the Middle Ages, the Black Death and the Great Plague saw brisk sales in […]