Still reflecting on the implications of Super Size Me? Sometimes the way forward can be found by looking back at how things were done in the past. Nowadays many of us feel we have to go to the gym—in part because we drive everywhere instead of walking. Walking does burn calories and thus can help prevent weight gain. Now, using the latest technology, a good old-fashioned walk in the Peak District can determine whether or not your efforts to loose weight measure up...
Continue reading 'Anti-obesity countermeasures'
Tag archive for 'health'
I finally got around to renting Super Size Me, an amateur documentary about the impact of McDonald's on the waistline and health of America. You should see it too.
Continue reading 'USA: United Supersized America'
Over a decade ago in New Zealand I had the privilege of working with a Scottish physician by the name of Richard Rankin. I learned much from him, and find myself repeating three of his sayings in my own practice...
Continue reading 'Rankinisms'
The New General Medical Services Contract (nGMS) for NHS general practitioners changes the way GPs are remunerated. Under the contract GPs are paid performance-related income according to a Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF)—essentially a list of clinical and other standards associated with points (income) for achieving certain target thresholds. One of the informatics challenges of nGMS is therefore the recording of activity in a consistent and efficient manner.
Continue reading 'QOF checklist and Read Codes'
There's a debate going on at the moment about banning smoking in public places. The evidence for the harmful effects of smoking (actively or "passively") appears to be irrefutable and the case for implementing a ban seems watertight—so why are we having a debate?
Continue reading 'Smoking in public places'
As previously raised, there are many competing guidelines (NICE, NSF, PCT, etc.) and formularies (Clinical Terms, prescribing) that clinicians must take account of at the point-of-care. Most clinical systems used in British general practice offer templates to prompt data entry and pick-list formularies for prescribing and coding, but these only go so far. How can a practice take account of this competing management advice to streamline and standardize patient care? The answer, somewhat paradoxically, may be to produce another guideline...
Continue reading 'Guidelines: a solution for guideline overload'
