Centre News

Dr Matthew Thompson invited lecture at Health Information Systems Research Centre, University College Cork, Ireland on ‘Implementing new diagnostic technology in primary care- what are the opportunities and challenges?’

"The Saga of Tamiflu – a Pandemic Business"
A TV documentary by Serena Tinari, Harry Häner, Reto Padrutt
Production Falò (RSI), in collaboration with Rundschau (SFR).

This 56 Minutes long investigative documentary, shot in Japan, Italy, England and Switzerland, reconstructs the success story of Tamiflu, the drug governments have stockpiled to protect their populations from the pandemics. It also reveals the serious doubts as to the drug effectiveness and safety circulating in the scientific community. When it came to the market in 2000, Tamiflu had received a luke-warm welcome: it was expensive and promised to reduce the duration of flu symptoms by a day and a half - hardly revolutionary. But thanks to the growing fear of a Influenza pandemic, the drug distributed by the Swiss pharma-giant Roche became a block-buster. “A Pandemic Business” reviews facts, locations and events of Tamiflu's history. It takes a behind-the-scenes look at how the world got prepared for a Pandemic and gives the main players – Roche, the WHO, the physicians and the alleged victims – a voice.
An affair of our days on public health, transparency and unexpected side-effects.

In German, 12 minutes on Rundschau SRF 1 Wednesday the 12th of January at 20.50 (and then on www.sendungen.sf.tv/rundschau/Sendungen/Rundschau).
In Italian, 56 minutes on Falò RSI 1 the 13th of January at 21 o'clock (and then available on www.rsi.ch/falo).

Carl Heneghan on Channel 4s Dispatches The truth about going under the knife

under-the-knife-doctor-Q&A responses from Carl Heneghan

Carl Heneghan is talking on the polypill and understanding your risk reduction

More or Less BBC Radio 4

Investigating the numbers in the news.

Children’s heart and breathing rates are not accurate and not based on evidence

Listen to Dr Matthew Thompson discussing the latest Lancet publication on Talk Radio 702 - The Midday Report

Dr Matthew Thompson Podcast

Guardian online, Carl Heneghan, 26/09/2011
Evidence Aid: Knowledge saves lives after natural disasters

Dr Carl Heneghan, director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine and a clinical reader in the Department of Primary Health Care Sciences at the University of Oxford, writes: ‘Where were you when the tsunami hit in December 2004? ... Have you ever considered how rescue workers and medics on the ground make the right decisions under such extreme circumstances? To improve their decision-making, the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at the University of Oxford organised the first conference on Evidence Aid, held in Oxford on Monday ... Evidence Aid was born after the 2004 tsunami. Its aim is to provide summaries of Cochrane reviews of health research in one place and in a timely fashion for those involved in disaster management ... Yet the evidence to support informed choices in disasters is scarce. Evidence is lacking not only for many health decisions, but also for simple interventions such as what are the best shelters, what is the best way to ensure security, and how best to support displaced people, and many more.’
Full story found here

Vital sign guidelines 'miss sick children'
Posted 24th May 2011
Guidelines for children's heart and breathing rates are inaccurate and not based on evidence, according to researchers.
BBC News HEALTH
University of Oxford
onmedica
KBOI Idaho
medpage TODAY
THE TIMES OF INDIA
DoctorsLounge
U.S.News HEALTH

NHS changes 'risk making child health care worse'
Reforms of the NHS in England are putting the healthcare of children at risk, according to an article in the British Medical Journal. Read the full article

Doctors offered meningitis 'red flag' advice
Doctors should check for leg pain, confusion, stiff neck and sensitivity to light in children as the "red flags" for meningitis, a study says.
The study looked at symptoms at the early stages of the disease by following 1,212 cases at 15 GP surgeries in Oxfordshire and Somerset. Read the full article

Cochrane Journal Club
Our work on Self-monitoring and self-management of oral anticoagulation appears in the Cochrane Journal Club this week
Take a look at the summary, listen to the podcast or view the transcript.

Healthcare articles
Please take a look at articles concerning the work undertaken in MaDOx placed in healthcare industry magazines.

One in seven blood pressure monitors inaccurate
PULSE 26th March 2010

Annual microalbuminuria testing reveals many false positives
PULSE 30th March 2010

BJGP Series Publication

The 2011 February issue of the BJGP contained the first in a series of Horizion Scanning reports from MaDOx Oxford - Primary care diagnostic technology update: point-of-care testing for glycosylated haemoglobin.

Podcasts

Carl Heneghan on Channel 4s Dispatches The truth about going under the knife

under-the-knife-doctor-Q&A responses from Carl Heneghan

Carl Heneghan is talking on the polypill and understanding your risk reduction

More or Less BBC Radio 4

Investigating the numbers in the news.

Children’s heart and breathing rates are not accurate and not based on evidence

Listen to Dr Matthew Thompson discussing the latest Lancet publication on Talk Radio 702 - The Midday Report

Dr Matthew Thompson Podcast

MODDUS Article

Research suggests new tack in identifying childhood meningitis

Red flag symptoms including neck pain or stiffness and photophobia are more indicative of childhood meningitis than headache, pallor and cool peripheries.02 March 2011

LEG pain and cold hands and feet have emerged as leading ‘red flag’ symptoms in diagnosing children presenting with meningococcal disease in a new study.March 2010

OBE for David Mant

We are delighted to announce that David has been awarded an OBE in the New Year's Honours list for services to medicine. For more information see: Oxford University News

NHS White Paper

MaDOx paper Self-monitoring and self-management of oral anticoagulation referenced in new white paper just published by the NHS; Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS which sets out the Government's long-term vision for the future of the NHS. The vision builds on the core values and principles of the NHS - a comprehensive service, available to all, free at the point of use, based on need, not ability to pay.

RCGP Research Paper of the year 2009/10

Congratulations to Dr Clare Bankhead, Research Fellow - Clare made up part of the team that published Risk of ovarian cancer in women with symptoms in primarycare: population based case-control study in the BMJ last year.
This paper has gone onto win RCGP Research paper of the Year Award 2009-2010

Eyes on Evidence from NHS Evidence - Self-monitoring of oral anticoagulation.

Take a look at the lead item for June 2010

HyBeT study underway

MaDOx has appointed Dr David Nunan as a Research Officer on the Study. David joins us from Kings College Hospital where he successfully set up the hospital's new cardiopulmonary exercise testing service. David completed his doctorate assessing the autonomic function of heart failure and transplant patients from Brunel University in June 2009. David has a background in exercise physiology and is accredited with the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), his main interest is in evidence-based medicine and the role of exercise in primary health care.

Professor David Mant retires this year

After 12 years of Head of the Primary Care Department at Oxford University.
Professor Richard Hobbs from the University of Birmingham will be taking up the post of Head of department in May 2011.