Accountability regime much more complex than in previous system; potentially competing agendas Clinical Commissioning Groups, the new family doctor-led bodies responsible for commissioning the largest chunk of healthcare in England, are accountable to too many masters with potentially competing agendas, concludes research published in BMJ Open. Clinical Commissioning Groups, or CCGs for short, are membership […]
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UK women scientists have fewer studies funded, and are given less money, than men
Women scientists specialising in infectious disease research have fewer studies funded than men, and receive less funding across most topic areas in the specialty than their male peers, finds a study published in BMJ Open. These gender discrepancies have remained broadly unchanged for more than a decade, the findings show. Attempts should be made to explore […]
Social stigma, patient knowledge and bed sharing: Most read articles in November
The most-read article in November was Snow et al’s article on what happens when patients have more knowledge than their doctors. Werb et al‘s article on international government surveillance systems continues to be popular. Other newly-published papers in the top ten include Rajmil et al‘s look at the impact of the economic crisis on children’s health and Browne et al’s study […]
C-section rate for private patients double that of publicly funded patients
Differences in medical or obstetric risks don’t fully explain disparity. The rate of scheduled caesarean sections among private patients is around double that of publicly funded patients, indicates a study of more than 30,000 women in Ireland, published in BMJ Open. Differences in the medical and obstetric risks between the two groups don’t fully explain […]
NHS 111 increases ambulance and urgent and emergency care use
Call handling service did not reduce pressures during first year of operation, as intended. The call handling service NHS 111 increased the use of ambulance and urgent and emergency care services during its first year of operation, shows a detailed evaluation published in BMJ Open. This is despite the fact that NHS 111 was set […]
Government surveillance systems, cleaning agents and autism: Most read articles in October
The most-read article in October was Werb et al‘s article on international government surveillance systems. Carpenter et al’s article on SIDS and bed sharing remained popular for the third month in a row. Other newly-published papers in the top ten include Vandenplas et al‘s clinical insight on the relationship between asthma and cleaning agents, and Kalil et al’s review of hospital-acquired pneumonia. […]
Large medical research funders committed to open access publishing
But smaller medical charities, although keen, fear impact on budgets and funded researchers. Large medical research funding bodies are fully committed to open access publishing. But although smaller charitable funders back the principle, they worry about the impact open access will have on their budgets and their funded researchers, reveals a qualitative study published in […]
Open access: the research funders’ perspective
Anyone following progress on open access since the Finch Review report last year might think that the UK’s direction of travel is pretty much set. Since the Government and then Research Councils UK (RCUK) backed Gold open access, the same policy endorsed by the Wellcome Trust, it seemed likely that this would become much […]
New cases of autism in UK have levelled off after five-fold surge during 1990s
The number of newly diagnosed cases of autism has levelled off in the UK after a five-fold surge during the 1990s, finds research published in BMJ Open. The findings differ from widely publicised results issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last year, which reported a 78% increase in the prevalence of […]
Journal policy on research funded by the tobacco industry
This article is being copublished as an editorial in the BMJ, Heart, and Thorax and as a blog in BMJ Open. Full references, competing interests, provenance and citation details can be read here. Fiona Godlee editor in chief [1], Ruth Malone editor, Tobacco Control [2], Adam Timmis current/outgoing editor, Heart [2], Catherine Otto incoming editor, Heart [2], Andy Bush coeditor, Thorax [2], Ian Pavord coeditor, Thorax [2], Trish Groves […]