All articles by julian turner
julian turner
The end of the stethoscope?
As point-of-care ultrasound devices become more accurate, the future of the stethoscope is hanging in the balance, according to a recent editorial in Global Heart.
On the production line: automation in medical diagnostics
How can medical microbiologists confronted with mounting pressure for faster, more accurate results cope with the workload? Dr Eric Claas of Leiden University Medical Centre shares his vision for automation in medical diagnostics and talks about his work with multiplex assays.
Zero tolerance: NHS behavioural and procedural policies
If the NHS wants to create a ‘zero-harm’ culture, then where should it start? Darren Whitehouse, healthcare manager at the Health & Safety Laboratory, looks at the key behavioural and procedural changes required to make a difficult transition.
Arrested development: analysing the UK healthcare market
A growing disease burden, universal healthcare coverage and good access to facilities provide the necessary momentum for the expansion of the UK healthcare market. However, increasing use of generics and government cost-cutting measures aimed at reducing expenditure are restricting growth. GlobalData reports.
Sensors and sensibility: patient monitoring systems
State-of-the-art patient monitoring systems are designed to learn the daily routine of elderly residents, creating a baseline of information with which they constantly compare behaviours and trigger alarms when events are considered outside of the norm.
Are the UK’s A&E departments facing a care crisis?
In recent months, as we head towards the cold season, there has been a notable increase in newspaper column-inches devoted to a perceived crisis taking hold in the UK’s A&E departments. KPMG’s Andrew Hine speaks to Andrew Tunnicliffe about the current situation, how to address it, and his thoughts on the future of this troubled NHS division.
Pocket doctor: smartphone-based chronic disease monitoring
Diane Strong, Emmanuel Agu, Peder Pedersen and Bengisu Tulu of Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Healthcare Delivery Institute dial up Practical Patient Care to discuss their vision for smartphone-based chronic disease monitoring.
At the sharp end: strategies to minimise sharps injuries
The risk to healthcare workers from sharps injuries is well documented. APIC board member Marcia Patrick RN, MSN, CIC talks about the need for employers to have a multilayered exposure management strategy, not least to adhere to evolving legislation.
The hidden costs of wound care
The management of chronic and acute wounds involves professionals from multiple disciplines across acute and community care settings. Paul Trueman of Smith & Nephew explains why this disparate provision of wound care means that the financial burden is often overlooked or poorly understood by healthcare planners.
The big squeeze: the value of bariatric surgery
Bariatric surgery is well thought of in the industry as a procedure for weight-loss problems, but it has become less popular in recent years as hospitals and patients tighten their belts financially. Antonio Torres, president of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders, tells Nic Paton why it remains a vital option.