Category Archives: medical writing

Do GPs ever regret referrals?

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Dr Justin Coleman

An Australian study (featured today in Medical Observer) has found prostate cancer patients are more likely to regret surgery than radiotherapy. This had me wondering; if my patient regrets surgery, should I then regret having referred them to a surgeon? We would … Continue reading →

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Pharma targeting nurses for ‘education’

Posted on September 13, 2016 by Dr Justin Coleman

Big Pharma shifts focus onto nurses. It’s marketing money well spent. Continue reading →

Posted in medical writing, Naked Doctor | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Deprescribing: a fancy word for ceasing?

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Dr Justin Coleman

What’s old is new again. Hipster beards are so in, they’re out, and where we used to simply cease medications—we now deprescribe them. Continue reading →

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Eat like an Italian

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Dr Justin Coleman

A new study confirms the life-saving power of a Mediterranean diet. So why have I been too lazy to prescribe it until now? Continue reading →

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Diagnostic health apps: coming soon to your smart phone.

Posted on August 23, 2016 by Dr Justin Coleman

Could this week’s new phone app be the world’s smartest diagnostic tool? Or does it just want to be? Continue reading →

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Paracetamol and pregnancy: what’s the fuss?

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Dr Justin Coleman

Today’s health news is all about whether taking paracetamol (Panadol, Tylenol) while pregnant may cause ADHD. What did yesterday’s study actually show? Continue reading →

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Does complementary medicine equal anti-vax?

Posted on August 2, 2016 by Dr Justin Coleman

This week’s systematic review finds many alternative practitioners occupying the middle ground between vaccine and anti-vax camps. Continue reading →

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Pharmacy business model: consumers at risk

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Dr Justin Coleman

Q. “Are patients confused when non-evidence based therapies are sold alongside prescription medicines?”
A. “Yes.” Continue reading →

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Does high antibiotic use prevent serious complications?

Posted on July 5, 2016 by Dr Justin Coleman

A BMJ article yesterday provided strong evidence that doctors who prescribe antibiotics at high rates for respiratory tract infections are not, in fact, protecting their patients from serious bacterial complications such as meningitis. This finding negates the ‘patient safety’ claim repeatedly pulled out … Continue reading →

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Weight-loss surgery: really the most radical treatment in a century?

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Dr Justin Coleman

I spend a lot of time highlighting the commercial forces that promote expensive medical interventions. So yesterday, when I read a lead author describe his new guidelines as “the most radical change in the treatment of type 2 diabetes for almost … Continue reading →

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