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| Dear Kelley Perhaps the most important question a doctor can ask a patient In a recent column in the British Medical Journal, UK family physician Dr Des Spence contends that medical practice is becoming increasingly "tyrannical, hierarchical, controlled, intolerant, and dogmatic." I write about this issue this week, and in particular how doctors can sometimes ignore the legitimate and logical ideas they have about their health and how it might be managed. I also reveal what I believe to be perhaps the most useful question any doctor can ask a patient (if offering the best care is the true priority). For more on this, click this link. The British Heart Foundation should stick to the (scientific) facts The British Heart Foundation is the UK's biggest and best known 'heart' charity, and many will see it as a source of balanced and trustworthy advice on reducing the burden of heart attacks and strokes. In one of my blogs this week I write about a 'case study' on the BHF website which, on the face of it, is designed to scare people into taking their medications. Scant on details and bereft of science, it gives a very distorted image of the value of medication, I think, and in this sense does us all a huge disservice. For more on this, click this link. GlaxoSmithKline found guilty of fraud and other illegal practices but no one is going to jail This week, one of the world's largest drug companies (GSK) was found guilty of fraud and other illeal practices. It was fined $3 billion. But, despite the fact that the company was found guilty of criminal activity and, no doubt, has caused harm and suffering to significant numbers of individuals, no one is going to jail. For more on this, click this link. To your good health! Dr John Briffa www.drbriffa.com | | |
