more_vertWe are delighted to invite abstract submissions for Public Health Science: A National Conference Dedicated to New Research in UK Public Health, to be held in London, UK, on Nov 24, 2017. This is the sixth annual conference.
Preference: Statistics, epidemiology and research design
1138
[Editorial] Prospects for neonatal intensive care
In today’s Lancet we publish a clinical Series on neonatal intensive care in higher resource settings. The Series, led by Lex Doyle from The Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, VIC, Australia, includes new approaches to the old nemesis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (which still affects up to 50% of infants born before 28 weeks’ gestation), discusses the delicacy of fine-tuning interventions in response to evolving evidence, and explores the frontier of nutritional research by referring to preterm birth as a nutritional emergency.
[Review] A rapid evidence review of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of alcohol control policies: an English perspective
This paper reviews the evidence for the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of policies to reduce alcohol-related harm. Policies focus on price, marketing, availability, information and education, the drinking environment, drink-driving, and brief interventions and treatment. Although there is variability in research design and measured outcomes, evidence supports the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of policies that address affordability and marketing. An adequate reduction in temporal availability, particularly late night on-sale availability, is effective and cost-effective.
[Correspondence] Stoop to conquer: preventing stroke and dementia together
The timely editorial in The Lancet (Dec 3, p 2713)1 calls for a broadening of our approaches to dementia research. Treatment and prevention of cerebrovascular diseases appear to be the most obvious examples. Covert cerebrovascular disease can contribute to or trigger neurodegeneration. Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases are common in the elderly, most of whom do not develop dementia. However, if an individual has a component of vascular disease, which occurs in 80% of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, it doubles the chances of developing dementia.
[Correspondence] Prolonged glucocorticoid treatment in acute respiratory distress syndrome – Authors’ reply
G Umberto Meduri and Reed A C Siemieniuk incorrectly suggest our Seminar1 misinterprets the literature regarding corticosteroids in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Although more recent studies might have refined the research question, older studies still remain the best evidence to address the question such studies originally asked, and so are not outdated. These older studies are the reason high-dose steroids are not used today.
[Correspondence] Health systems resilience: meaningful construct or catchphrase?
Resilience is an emerging concept in the health systems discourse, further highlighted by infectious disease outbreaks including Ebola virus disease, Zika virus disease, and Middle East respiratory syndrome. However, the definition and exploration of resilience within health systems research remains a source of debate, as underscored at the recent 4th Global Symposium on Health Systems Research; Vancouver, BC, Canada; Nov 14–18, 2016.
Conflicts of interest and expertise of independent commenters in news stories about medical research [Research]
BACKGROUND:
Media coverage of medical research influences the views and behaviours of clinicians, scientists and members of the public. We examined how frequently commenters in news stories about medical research have relevant expertise and have academic and financial conflicts, how often such conflicts are reported and whether there are associations between the conflicts and the disposition of the comments toward the findings of the source research.
METHODS:
We analyzed 104 independent comments in news stories on original clinical research published in high-impact medical journals from Jan. 1 to Mar. 31, 2013, and 21 related journal editorials. Main outcomes were prevalence of relevant academic and clinical expertise, prevalence and reporting of academic and financial conflicts of interest, and disposition of comments toward study findings.
RESULTS:
Only 1 in 6 news stories included independent comments. Overall, 25% of commenters and 0% of editorialists had neither relevant academic nor clinical expertise (p = 0.007). Among the 104 comments, an academic conflict of interest was present for 56 (54%), of which 25 (45%) were reported in the news stories. A financial conflict of interest was present for 33 (32%) of the comments, of which 11 (33%) were reported. When commenters’ conflicts of interest were congruent with the findings of the source research, 97% and 93% of comments associated with academic and financial conflicts of interest, respectively, were favourably disposed toward the research. These values were 16% and 17%, respectively, when the conflicts of interest were not congruent with the research findings.
INTERPRETATION:
Independent commenters in new stories about medical research may lack relevant academic or clinical expertise. Academic or financial conflicts of interest were frequently present among independent commenters but infrequently reported, and were often associated with the disposition of comments about the source research.
[World Report] Research needed to prevent MERS coronavirus outbreaks
After a recent outbreak of MERS coronavirus was contained in Saudi Arabia, WHO calls for more research for a better control of the disease. Sharmila Devi reports.
[Series] Mass incarceration, public health, and widening inequality in the USA
In this Series paper, we examine how mass incarceration shapes inequality in health. The USA is the world leader in incarceration, which disproportionately affects black populations. Nearly one in three black men will ever be imprisoned, and nearly half of black women currently have a family member or extended family member who is in prison. However, until recently the public health implications of mass incarceration were unclear. Most research in this area has focused on the health of current and former inmates, with findings suggesting that incarceration could produce some short-term improvements in physical health during imprisonment but has profoundly harmful effects on physical and mental health after release.
[Comment] Does intensity matter in aphasia rehabilitation?
Aphasia is a serious acquired communication disability, that affects approximately 30% of stroke survivors.1 It is chronic in nature: 50% of people diagnosed with aphasia have persistent communication problems 1 year after stroke.2 Aphasia compromises an individual’s ability to undertake many activities of daily living, resulting in reduced mood and quality of life.3,4 In addition to the personal cost of aphasia, health-care costs for people with aphasia are the highest in stroke care.5 Therefore, the recent identification of recovery from aphasia as one of the top ten research priorities related to life after stroke is unsurprising.