I have been a member of the Cochrane Consumer Network for many years. Over this time I have responded to many requests to comment as a patient user or “consumer” […]
Latest articles
Ian Hamilton: Dry January is no match for the growing harms of alcohol consumption
Despite being in its seventh year, we still know little about the effectiveness of campaigns like Dry January, says Ian Hamilton […]
Ellen Waters: Achieving better mental health for vulnerable people in Greece
Doctors of the World is working to provide mental healthcare and psychosocial support to asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, and Greek nationals […]
Holger J. Schünemann: Getting trustworthy guideline recommendations into practice
Practising clinicians, healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers and patients rely on guidelines to help inform their practice, so it is vital that practice guidelines are trustworthy and quick. However, users, creators, […]
Providing healthcare in the camps of the Rohingya
The speed and scale with which over one million Rohingya refugees have crossed over the border to Cox’s Bazaar camp in Bangladesh has led to a critical emergency situation. (1) […]
Late reported clinical trial of the week: Cyclosporine or corticosteroids as an adjunct to plasma exchange in thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (NCT00713193)
Nick DeVito and Ben Goldacre Today we describe a trial that reported late, in breach of the FDA Amendments Act 2007. This late reporting is especially notable, because the FDA themselves […]
Richard Smith: Amateurism still flourishing in scientific journals
In 1995 Stephen Lock, once editor of The BMJ and effectively the first person in Britain to be seriously concerned about research misconduct, called for an end of amateurism in […]
Global health disruptors: Migration
How can we ensure the health of migrants, asks Michaela Told […]
Jeffrey Aronson: When I use a word . . . Treating convulsions in 1618—unicorn’s horn
Last week I discussed how the Pharmacopoeia Londinensis of 1618 described the use of human skull for treating convulsions. This week I describe an even more unusual method of treatment, […]
Savia de Souza: Renaming a disease is only part of the solution
I have had rheumatoid arthritis for nearly a decade now. I used to think that it only affected hand joints and caused them to deform. That was until I got […]