Deliberate, calculated attacks on healthcare facilities have become a routine weapon of war. These assaults kill both patients and health workers, and they devastate already vulnerable health systems. Not to mention they violate the Geneva Conventions.
In 2017, there were at least 701 attacks on hospitals, health workers, patients, and ambulances in 23 countries in conflict around the world. More than 101 health workers and 293 patients and others are reported to have died as a result of these attacks. The 2017 report, compiled by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition, only includes events that occurred in the context of armed conflicts or situations of severe political volatility. Continue reading “Effect of Violence on Healthcare”→
Earlier this year, the Brexit Health Alliance published a paper calling on both the UK and EU to put patients first.
It warned that unless a deal can be reached, medicines and medical technologies could be delayed or, in extreme cases, become unavailable to patients.
The Alliance is concerned that if a decision can’t be reached regarding the future co-operation between the UK and the EU on the regulation and trade of medicines and medical devices that up to 120,000 prostate cancer patients throughout Europe could be affected.
Another area at risk is the future of research into new medicines and medical technologies. Without a plan in place, UK and EU patients could lose out on access to the best treatments and medical devices.
Are you concerned about the impact of Brexit?
You can find below what the M3 Global Research community answered to this question.
Let us hear your opinion on this by signing up to receive the Monthly Pulse via email and to take part in paid medical studies.
Citing concerns about the “overwhelming financial debt” facing graduates, N.Y.U. School of Medicine recently announced it would cover the tuition of its medical students, regardless of merit or need.
School officials have become increasingly worried that students burdened by steep debt are pursuing top-paying specialties rather than careers in family medicine, pediatrics, and research. N.Y.U.’s decision may spur other top medical schools to follow suit.
What are your thoughts related to tuition free education?
You can find below what the M3 Global Research community answered to this question.
By registering with M3 Global Research you will receive the Monthly Pulse directly to your inbox and you will be able to give your opinion about relevant healthcare related issue and compare your thoughts with your colleagues around the World.
The new global medical education system, marked by its growing size and complexity, has led to greater concerns about quality assurance of individual graduates and their educational programs.
Assuring a quality medical education varies considerably from country to country, as do training standards. Traditionally there have been two ways to assure quality, assessment of the individual practitioner (e.g., licensure examinations) and accreditation of a school or educational program.
The globalisation of the medical workforce and evidence that suggests that foreign medical graduates perform more poorly on standardized exams than graduates from local schools is leading to an interest in more uniform ways to conduct each quality assurance process.
You can find below what the M3 Global Research community answered to this question.
By registering with M3 Global Research you will receive the Monthly Pulse directly to your inbox and you will be able to give your opinion about relevant healthcare related issue and compare your thoughts with your colleagues around the World.
M3 Global Research is currently recruiting patients with Parkinson’s to participate in usability testing for a new device used in conjunction with a smart phone (both provided) in the United States and in Germany. We’re offering generous compensation to the patients taking part and also the physicians referring them. If you are a member of the M3 Global Research panel, contact M3_US_support@eu.m3.com to find out if you qualify. If you are a patient who is not a member and wish to participate, please register by clicking hereif you are in the USA and here if you are in Germany. You will then receive an invite by email.
Around seven to 10 million people worldwide live with Parkinson’s disease, a condition that currently has no cure. For this year’s WordParkinson’s Day, Parkinson’s UK, a charity that works towards finding a cure and improving life for everyone affected by the condition, has launched the campaign #UniteForParkinsons. It aims to give voice and platform to the Parkinson’s community by featuring their experiences in a world-wide campaign video and encouraging others to do the same. Watch it here:
Complexity of Parkinson’s ‘massively underestimated’ in the UK
In a survey to mark World Parkinson’s Day (Wednesday 11 April), Parkinson’s UK has discovered that 78% of the public massively underestimate how many symptoms of Parkinson’s there are. Although most people are aware of visible symptoms like tremor, Parkinson’s can also come with more than 40 less well-known symptoms such as sleep issues, anxiety and hallucinations. Shockingly, more than a third (37%) thought there were fewer than ten symptoms of Parkinson’s and more than 41% thought there were fewer than 30.
The charity is warning that this lack of awareness means that people with Parkinson’s often feel they need to hide their symptoms in public, or don’t want to go out at all due to being incorrectly judged or mocked. Previous findings from the charity have uncovered:
A quarter (25%) have had symptoms mistaken for drunkenness
11% have been laughed at because of their symptoms
More than a third (34%) feel they would be judged if they were out in public
Almost a third (32%) don’t feel like their symptoms are socially acceptable
These symptoms are merely the tip of the iceberg, it warns, and do not reflect what people with Parkinson’s most want addressing. In a recent project carried out by the charity to identify priorities to focus on for improving everyday life, tremor came 26th on a list of what people with Parkinson’s want research to tackle.
Artificial intelligence to help develop new Parkinson’s treatments
Parkinson’s UK is actively involved in research, and recently one of its research proposals has won the BenevolentAI Award. The project demonstrated how AI technology could solve specific research challenges in Parkinson’s.
There have been no major breakthroughs in Parkinson’s treatments in the last 50 years. Current treatments revolve around medication that works by restoring the level of dopamine in the brain or mimicking its actions; deep brain stimulation (DBS), a type of surgery where electrodes are implanted deep inside specific parts of the brain, but which is not suitable for every patient; and physical therapies such as physiotherapy, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, that are important in the management of the condition.
Parkinson’s UK’s proposal will use BenevolentAI platform’s capabilities to reason, deduce and suggest entirely new treatments for Parkinson’s. The aim is to identify at least three currently available medicines that can be repurposed to address Parkinson’s, and two brand-new ways to treat the condition with new drugs. Read more about the project: Artificial intelligence to help develop new Parkinson’s treatments.
*All rights belong to Parkinson’s UK. We would like to thank the charity for sharing this content with us.
