Missed diagnoses―particularly of cancer, heart attack, and meningitis―and drug errors make up the bulk of malpractice claims brought against doctors in primary care, finds an analysis of published data in BMJ Open. The risk of litigation has not been given a great deal of attention in primary care, say the authors. But with most healthcare […]
Category: In the news
New generation electronic games boosts kids’ physical activity at home
Giving kids new generation “active” electronic games boosts their physical activity at home and has the same effect as stopping them from using the older versions altogether, indicates a small study published in BMJ Open. Most electronic games are no better than watching TV in terms of the body movement and energy expenditure involved, say […]
One in five UK NHS staff report bullying by colleagues
One in five UK NHS staff report bullying by colleagues, with almost half saying they have witnessed bullying, in the past six months, indicates research published in BMJ Open. Managers are the most common source of bullying, with workload pressures and organisational culture contributory factors, the study reveals. The findings are based on the responses of […]
700 women with urinary cancers missing out on prompt diagnosis every year
Around 700 women in England with symptoms of kidney or bladder cancer are missing out on prompt diagnosis and treatment of their condition every year, reveals research in BMJ Open. This may be because family doctors tend to attribute women’s – rather than men’s – initial symptoms to harmless causes, such as bacterial infections, and […]
First impact factor announced: 1.583
BMJ Open’s first impact factor has been announced: 1.583. We are delighted to have this further evidence that BMJ Open is considered a journal of credible, valued research. Does a journal’s impact factor matter? In short – yes. When we surveyed our authors earlier this year, we asked what improvements we could make to […]
Moderate drinking during pregnancy does not seem to harm baby’s neurodevelopment
Moderate drinking during pregnancy – 3 to 7 glasses of alcohol a week – does not seem to harm fetal neurodevelopment, as indicated by the child’s ability to balance, suggests a large study published in BMJ Open. But social advantage may be a factor, as more affluent and better educated mums-to-be tend to drink more […]
Average UK salt content of packaged bread has fallen 20 per cent in a decade
The average salt content of packaged bread sold in the UK has fallen by 20 per cent over the past decade. But salt levels still vary widely, indicating that further targets are required, finds research published in BMJ Open. Bread is the biggest contributor of dietary salt in the UK, providing almost a fifth of […]
Every 10 tobacco ad sightings boost teens’ risk of starting to smoke by almost 40 per cent
Tobacco ads really do persuade teens to take up smoking, with every 10 sightings boosting the risk by almost 40 per cent, reveals research published in BMJ Open. The researchers base their findings on over 1300 ten to 15 year old non-smokers whose exposure to tobacco advertising and subsequent behaviour were monitored over a period […]
The incidence of eating disorders is increasing in the UK
More people are being diagnosed with eating disorders every year and the most common type is not either of the two most well known—bulimia or anorexia—but eating disorders not otherwise specified (eating disorders that don’t quite reach the threshold to be defined as anorexia or bulimia), shows a study published online in BMJ Open. Few […]
Bed sharing with parents increases the risk of cot death fivefold even if the parents are non-smokers
Bed sharing with parents is linked to a fivefold increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), even when the parents are non-smokers and the mother has not been drinking alcohol and does not use illegal drugs, according to a large analysis published online in BMJ Open. While the rate of SIDS has fallen sharply […]