The Australian – The doctors betraying their oath to do no harm
Medical procedures that don’t help the patient, overdiagnosis, the ‘medicalisation of normal’… two doctors argue that it has to stop.
Worldwide differences in primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator utilization and outcomes in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – Victor Nauffal et al.
Risk stratification algorithms for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and regional differences in clinical practice have evolved over time. We sought to compare primary prevention implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation rates and associated clinical outcomes in US vs. non-US tertiary HCM centres [...]
When the placebo effect is not an effect – Ian Harris
The terms placebo effect, non-specific effects and contextual effects all refer to responses that are separate to the specific effects of surgery: the effect that results from the anatomical and physiological changes brought about by the surgical procedure. The specific surgical effect is best measured [...]
The use of computed tomography in the management of injury in tertiary emergency departments in Western Australia: Evidence of over-testing? Ninh Ha et al.
This study investigated trends in computed tomography (CT) utilisation across different triage categories of injury presentations to tertiary emergency departments (EDs) and associations with diagnostic yield measured by injury severity, hospitalisation and length of stay (LOS) and mortality.
Rethinking low risk micropapillary thyroid cancer: an evidence review for recalibrating diagnostic thresholds and/or alternative labels – Tara Ma et al.
Recalibrating diagnostic thresholds or using alternative labels may mitigate overdiagnosis and overtreatment of microscopic papillary thyroid cancer (mPTC). We aimed to identify and collate relevant epidemiological evidence on mPTC, to assess the case for recalibration and/or new labels.
Preventing Media-Based False Hopes-Reply – Mary O’Keeffe et al.
n Reply We fully agree with the views put forward by du Perron and Finoulst in their response to our Research Letter on the media coverage of early detection tests. In fact, in a recent survey study that we conducted with 22 journalists in Australia, many [...]
Placebo comparator group selection and use in surgical trials: the ASPIRE project including expert workshop – David Beard et al.
The use of placebo comparisons for randomised trials assessing the efficacy of surgical interventions is increasingly being considered. However, a placebo control is a complex type of comparison group in the surgical setting and, although powerful, presents many challenges. This study aimed to provide a [...]
Normalising comparative effectiveness trials as clinical practice – Tom Briffa et al.
There is a lack of high-quality evidence underpinning many contemporary clinical practice guidelines embedded in the healthcare systems, leading to treatment uncertainty and practice variation in most medical disciplines. Comparative effectiveness trials (CETs) represent a diverse range of research that focuses on optimising health outcomes [...]
Improving Breast Density Communication: Does the Provision of Complex Health Information Online Work? Brooke Nickel & Nehmat Houssami
Breast density (BD) is one of a number of independent risk factors for breast cancer. Approximately 40%–50% of women in the breast screening population in the United States are estimated to have dense breasts, making it one of the most common risk factors for breast [...]
Image-guided glucocorticoid injection versus injection without image guidance for shoulder pain – Joshua Zadro et al.
Despite widespread use, our 2012 Cochrane review did not confirm that use of imaging to guide glucocorticoid injection for people with shoulder pain improves its efficacy. To update our review and assess the benefits and harms of image‐guided glucocorticoid injection compared to non‐image‐guided injection for [...]