Lots of media coverage would say that it is: the Independent puts it: “Screening heavy smokers with low-dose computer tomography (CT) instead of X-rays can reduce deaths from lung cancer by 20 percent, a massive US study released Thursday shows. Previous studies have shown that helical CT scanning can identify small tumors in the early stages […]
Continue Reading →Andrew Lansley’s big mistake
NICE is not perfect. It never has been. It has, though, been a good start at trying to examine evidence and come to a fair and equitable decision as to what healthcare interventions to publically fund. NICE has faults. It has become a bit too easy on lobbyists – especially health care charity lobbyists – […]
Continue Reading →Slimmed down surgery
a piece on bariatric surgery provision on the NHS (or not) in the BMJ.
Continue Reading →..and on Dr Sam Everington, at the Bromley by Bow Centre….
Dr Everington is a doctor at the politicians’ favourite, the Bromley by Bow Centre, as well as being a ‘professional member’ of the College of Medicine. It’s interesting to note the links with his practice, which is noted on their website as covering a very deprived area of London, and the ‘Inside Out Health and […]
Continue Reading →The Crisis in Caring and dangerous inference
I note with gratitude DC’s digging of the College of Medicine arising from Prince Charles’ Foundation for Integrated Health. The College website, if looked at superficially and uncritically, may seem like a good thing – caring! sharing information with patients! recognising that targets can interfere with good clinical care! – in fact, all the same kind […]
Continue Reading →Early trial results and sex revolution overselling
I’m trying to get hold of the press release or poster or whatever it was from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine that triggered this Guardian article, here: ‘Contraceptive gel could offer alternative to pill’. It’s an opinion piece which says ‘As with the pill, though, these are hormone-based treatments that can have unpredictable consequences […]
Continue Reading →Chilean psychologists
In the BMJ. In all, 33 miners, 69 days, and 26 people sent by the BBC to the San José copper and gold mine to cover their rescue (www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/oct/14/chile-miners-bbc-overspend). The story about the miners trapped deep underground attracted more than 2000 members of the global media to the ringside to watch their individual slow ascent […]
Continue Reading →James Cann and locum doctors
Dragons Den, What they did next: start at about 56.20. Entrepreneur James Caan is visiting one of his businesses. “Let’s get this team going! Let’s get the buzz going!…” (James) “What I think, James, is that it would be really good if you got on the phone and showed us how it’s done…” (lady with telephone […]
Continue Reading →Compression only CPR works
..another study tells it like it is, this one, from JAMA. This isn’t the first bit of evidence that says so, either. Yet every year I have to go and be ‘refreshed’ in the finer points of CPR. We have to pay lots of this, and it is becoming silly – for the last three […]
Continue Reading →Mass effect
I don’t think that most public health messages work effectively. For example; ‘Make a date for cervical screening” “check your breasts” “have you been immunised against flu?” etc, etc. Mainly, I don’t think soundbites tell the whole truth, and I don’t think that mass messaging treats people as individuals. Nor do public health campaigns seek […]
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