Hypnotics’ association with mortality This week we’re celebrating our fifth anniversary by highlighting some of the articles that have gained us attention, along with some that demonstrate our unique approach. Cited 66 times in Web of Science and with an Altmetric score of 480, “Hypnotics’ association with mortality or cancer: a matched cohort study” is […]
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#BMJOpen5years: 2011 article highlight
Uses and misuses of the STROBE statement This week we’re celebrating our fifth anniversary by highlighting some of the articles that have gained us attention, along with some that demonstrate our unique approach. The use of reporting guidelines has always been central to BMJ Open, and we’re happy to see that one of the articles […]
Five years old and growing
Five years ago today, BMJ Open appeared on the scene. Conceived as a general medical journal to provide authors a fast, transparent route to publication, BMJ Open could have developed in many different ways. Happily it has developed into a journal we’re proud of, and despite its broad scope, it has grown into a journal […]
Membership of social/community groups after retirement linked to longer life
Membership of social groups, such as book clubs or church groups, after retirement is linked to a longer life, with the impact on health and wellbeing similar to that of regular exercise, suggests research published in the online journal BMJ Open. The more groups an individual belongs to in the first few years after s/he stops […]
Higher nurse to patient ratio linked to reduced risk of inpatient death
Death rates 20 per cent lower in hospitals with 6 or fewer patients per registered nurse A higher nurse to patient ratio is linked to a reduced risk of inpatient death, finds a study of staffing levels in NHS hospitals, published in the online journal BMJ Open. In trusts where registered (professionally trained) nurses had […]
The NHS Health Check in England, bereavement by suicide, and public involvement in medical research: Most read articles in January
NHS Health Checks, the risks of bereavement by suicide, and public involvement in medical research The Top 10 Most Read list for January is almost completely comprised of new entries, with the exception of the ever popular review by Kristensen et al on the effects of statins. In the top spot this month is an evaluation […]
Requesting clinical trial protocols
We have recently made some changes to our submission system. If we receive a clinical trial, we will now ask that authors include the original trial protocol. Editor-in-chief, Dr Trish Groves, explains why: Transparent reporting of research has always been at the heart of BMJ Open. From the very start the journal has published all […]
Editors’ Picks 2015: Part Seven
Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate prescription of medicines This week we have been looking at some of our staff editors’ favourite articles from 2015. These papers have covered a variety of important issues in medical research, from the transparency of clinical trials to the publication of negative findings. Our final editors’ pick takes us to Ireland, […]
Editors’ Picks 2015: Part Six
The 2D:4D digit ratio and autism risk: is there an association? In December we surveyed our staff editors to tell us about their favourite articles from 2015. Our penultimate editors’ pick investigates the relationship between autism risk and a putative marker of testosterone exposure: the 2D: 4D digit ratio. In spite of large investments in […]
Editors’ Picks 2015: Part Five
How well reported are interventions in systematic reviews? In December we surveyed our staff editors to tell us about their favourite articles from 2015. Part 5 focuses on another important editorial issue: the quality of reporting in systematic reviews. Clinicians and healthcare professionals often rely on systematic reviews and meta-analyses for information on how effective interventions […]