Voting Begins To Find The Area Of Health Care In Which Doctors Can Make The Greatest Difference To Patient Care

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 09 Apr 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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The BMJ reveals the six topics that have made its shortlist to find the most important thing doctors can do to make a real difference to patient care.

The "Making a Difference" project aims to identify the key aspects of health care in which doctors feel they can make the greatest difference to their patients. These topics will become a focus of activity across the BMJ Group throughout 2008 and beyond.

The list has been compiled by an expert panel from over 200 nominations by BMJ readers and includes topics that affect the lives of millions of people around the world.

The shortlisted topics are:

- Drug resistant infections in poor countries
- Multiple health problems in elderly people
- Excessive drinking in young women
- Management of chronic pain
- Adverse drug reactions in elderly people
- Palliative care beyond cancer

The topics have all been matched with the priorities of national and international organisations and with the mission of the BMJ Group.

Twelve leading doctors and researchers have been chosen to 'champion' each topic. They include Ian Gilmore, President of The Royal College of Physicians, Zulfiqar Bhutta, Chairman of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Aga Khan University, and Jerry Avorn, Chief of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

The champions have highlighted the clinical importance and societal impact of these topics and have suggested how quality improvement initiatives could tackle each challenge to health.

Over the next eight days visitors to bmj.com can read or listen to the champions explaining why they think their topic should win and vote for their favourite. Although the BMJ is read mainly by doctors, anyone can log on and cast their vote.

Voting will close on Wednesday 16 April, 2008 and we will announce the winner at a celebratory event at the International Forum on Quality and Safety in Health Care in Paris on 25 April, 2008.

Dr Fiona Godlee, BMJ Editor says: "One thing that unites BMJ readers is their desire to improve patient care, whether through research, education, health systems management, or direct clinical contact with patients. Any of these topics would make a deserving winner and it will be fascinating to see which one will come out on top."

The BMJ Group will then support and develop the campaign in 2008-9 by commissioning and inviting work on the key topics in the BMJ and the BMJ Group's 24 specialist journals and online education products.

We want to be an active partner for doctors and patients and we are very much looking forward to focusing our resources across the Group to improve knowledge and policy and to make a difference.

Visit the Making a Difference website to view the six topics and to vote for your favourite http://www.bmj.com/makingadifference

British Medical Journal