All articles by julian turner
julian turner
Imagine the future – transforming scanning for scoliosis sufferers
Amid the growing popularisation of CT scans among physicians of all stripes, fears have grown that patients are being subjected to potentially cancerous doses of radiation. But a new imaging system, recently installed in the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, promises to transform dose management for paediatric medicine. Greg Noone talks to Dr David Skaggs about the capabilities of the new scanner and how it promises to transform the scanning regime for scoliosis sufferers.
Detect and prevent: breast cancer in the Middle East
Breast cancer affects women around a decade earlier in the Middle East than in the West, yet the disease is often caught at a later stage and mortality rates are tragically high. Sarah Williams discusses the challenges of prevention and the need for effective national screening programmes with Dr Rola Shaheen, project leader for a comparative study on breast cancer awareness in the Middle East sponsored by the Susan G Komen foundation, and chief of diagnostic imaging at Peterborough Regional Health Center in Ontario, Canada.
MERS mission – Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus first emerged in 2012 and outbreaks have continued ever since, in the Middle East and beyond. Dr Ben Neuman, a virologist at the University of Reading, explains how the infection is currently diagnosed and explains why a quicker and simpler test could be urgently required in the future.
Growth in the Middle East – Deloitte’s 2015 Global Healthcare Sector Outlook
Across the globe, governments, healthcare delivery systems, insurers and consumers are engaged in a persistent tug of war between competing priorities: meeting the increasing demands for healthcare services and reducing the rising costs of those services. Deloitte’s 2015 Global Healthcare Sector Outlook examines the current issues impacting the healthcare sector, provides a snapshot of activity and suggests considerations for stakeholders as they look ahead to addressing these challenges.
Prevention, not cure – the fight against heart failure
In recent years, the Middle East has observed the increased prevalence of risk factors for the development of heart failure, with the disease typically appearing far earlier than in Western countries. Dr Wael Al Mahmeed, chief of cardiology at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City, discusses why this might be the case, and highlights why prevention is better than cure when it comes to reversing the worrying trend.
The wellness awakening – the evolution of healthcare facilities
There is a growing trend for hospital architects to design healthcare facilities that promote wellness. Practical Patient Care Middle East explores how much impact aesthetics can have on recovery with Dr Mounes Kalaawi, CEO of Clemenceau Medical Centre, Lebanon.
Bold progress in MRI – functional magnetic resonance imaging
Functional magnetic resonance imaging is increasingly being used for clinical purposes rather than just research. Practical Patient Care Middle East takes a closer look at the progress being made and asks how long it will be until such technology becomes commonplace in Middle Eastern hospitals.
The battle to beat diabetes
Rates of diabetes across the UAE, and the Middle East and North Africa more broadly, are at an all-time high. But why is incidence so high among emirati populations, and might there be factors other than lifestyle at stake? Practical Patient Care Middle East explores a growing problem, and examines what can be done to ease the burden.
Swat the superbug – taking the fight to drug-resistant bacteria
The prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria has reached a new peak throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council region. Greg Noone talks to Dr Manaf Alqahtani, consultant on infectious diseases and clinical microbiologist at the Bahrain Defence Force Hospital, about the regional situation and how his antibiotic stewardship programme is starting the fight back against superbugs.
Paper cuts – the evolution of the digital hospital
The evolution of the digital hospital is a frequently debated topic in healthcare. The Cleveland Clinic, the first completely paperless hospital in Abu Dhabi, has just opened, but can we expect other hospitals in the region to follow suit, and what will be the impact on patients and healthcare professionals? Rod James speaks to John Daniels of HIMSS Analytics and Joe Hawayek at PA Consulting to find out.