I consider myself a global citizen. My country of birth is different to my nationality on my passport, which again is different to its place of issue, which again is […]
Guest writers
Julia Pakpoor and Shivan Sivakumar: Is high hanging fruit high value?
In the face of chronic non-communicable diseases, the mantra goes, prevention is better than cure. If we know what causes disease, and if we can prevent its risk factors, we […]
Marica Ferri: What can we learn from the evidence based medicine manifesto?
The Evidence Based Medicine Manifesto (EBM manifesto) has been launched to improve the implementation of evidence based interventions by pulling together a clear set of achievable goals, and a strong […]
Jennifer McCaughan and Aisling E Courtney: Is balancing risk the most important skill in clinical medicine?
Every decision, both in life and in medicine, involves a balance of risk: the decision to go on holiday balances the risk of travelling to and staying in a foreign […]
Daniel R Lucey: “Much more must be done to implement post-Ebola reforms”
In a recent Analysis in The BMJ, Suerie Moon and colleagues convincingly argue that not enough has been done to implement actions recommended by seven post-Ebola reports in order “to […]
Abraar Karan: The success trap of academic medicine and the need for change
The career options available to physicians today are more diversified than they have ever been. Physicians are making their presence known in areas that are not fully clinical, including policy, […]
Bernard Merkel: Should patients really be at the centre of healthcare?
I attended the recent Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) policy forum on the Future of Health, “People at the Centre,” with mixed feelings. [1] On the one hand, the […]
Neel Sharma: Fired up, ready to go!
Although I’m not usually political by a long shot, the presidential transition in the US today has made me reflect on Barack Obama’s legacy and his mantra of: “Fired up, […]
David Shaw: The implications of conflicts of interest for informed consent
The General Medical Council (GMC) has detailed guidelines on handling conflicts of interest. These state that “You must not allow any interests you have to affect the way you prescribe […]
Miranda Wolpert: We must set realistic expectations for outcomes in child mental health
The secretary of state for health, Jeremy Hunt, identified Child and Young People’s Mental Health Services as “the biggest single area of weakness in NHS provision at the moment.” Hardly a day […]