In Germany, patients’ rights to access their health information has been enshrined in the Civil Code since February 2013. The right to “inspect medical records” in § 630 g states […]
Latest articles
Palestine is bearing the brunt of vaccination inequalities
The internationally acclaimed covid-19 vaccination success of Israel has another side, the consequences of which are being felt in the West Bank Palestinian territory where I work, and in the […]
How to lose friends and alienate people? On the problems of vaccine passports
Are “vaccine passports” a good idea? Well, much depends on what is meant by the term, for it is used to refer to a host of very different things. First, […]
Ten reasons to restore ODA research funding
The allocation of Official Development Assistance (ODA) funds to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) has enabled the UK to play a major role in tackling the global challenges embodied in […]
What can we expect from England’s new Singapore-style Office for Health Promotion?
Will England’s new Office for Health Promotion follow Singapore’s example in using apps, gamification, and big brands to encourage healthy living? Nathan Hodson looks at the direction the government may […]
Rapid research in a pandemic: foresight, preparedness, and collaboration
The pandemic was not what we expected. A new respiratory virus had been identified and the WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern. Predictions of possible mortality rates […]
Long covid—looking across data, diseases, and disciplines
By the summer of 2020, I had seen several patients in clinic with ongoing cardiac issues after SARS-CoV-2 infection, from arrhythmias to myocarditis. The term “long covid” was coined on […]
Structural racism is a fundamental cause and driver of ethnic disparities in health
The UK government report on race disparities is a missed opportunity and will lead to a worsening of systemic inequalities, say these authors […]
Vaccinated, yet still clinically extremely vulnerable
Safety concerns have arisen again for healthcare workers who have been shielding during the covid-19 pandemic. Shielding guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) individuals in England will pause tomorrow (31 […]
The challenge of keeping hospitals safe in the era of covid
During the first wave of the pandemic, patient facing healthcare workers and their families were statistically more likely to be admitted to hospital with covid-19 than non-patient facing staff or […]