The BMJ Podcast
Health & Wellness Podcasts
Leading the debate on health to engage, inform, and stimulate doctors, researchers, and other health professionals.
Location:
United Kingdom
Genres:
Health & Wellness Podcasts
Description:
Leading the debate on health to engage, inform, and stimulate doctors, researchers, and other health professionals.
Twitter:
@bmj_latest
Language:
English
Episodes
Fixing healthcare's workforce problems
4/26/2024
Where next for psychological safety? Amy Edmundson is professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School. Her work on psychological safety has underpinned so much quality improvement, and she joins us fresh of the stage at the International Forum on Quality and safety in healthcare to talk about the next steps in creating a safe work place.
The BMJ has published two new investigations, looking at the alcohol and tobacco industry funding of public health and education - we’ll hear how the companies who create the problems, are now styling themselves as the solution. Rebecca Coombes joins us to explain what The BMJ has found, and May van Schalkwyk, a researcher from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, explains how commercial conflicts are shaping the wrong education tactics.
And finally, our NHS commissioners have more recommendations - this time on workforce issues. Mary Dixon-Woods, director of THIS institute at the University of Cambridge, and Matt Morgan, intensive care consultant in Cardiff, tell the NHS to get serious about staffing.
02:03 Amy Edmondson on Future Health and Psychological Safety 10:24 The Impact of Corporate Funding on Public Health 19:57 Addressing NHS Workforce Challenges: Insights and Solutions
Reading list;
Our new podcast - Future Health
International forum keynote - Medscape caves in on courses funded by tobacco giant Philip Morris, while medics fear global push into medical education Investigation - Big alcohol: Universities and schools urged to throw out industry-funded public health advice
Commission on the future of the NHS - The future of the NHS depends on its workforce
Duration:00:36:20
Improving NHS gender identity services - Hilary Cass
4/12/2024
Hilary Cass, the former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics, has spent the last 3 years collating the evidence for treatment of gender questioning young people; engaging with those young people, their families and their clinicians - all with the aim of improving NHS treatment of this complex and vulnerable group.
In this interview, Kamran Abbasi, editor in chief of The BMJ, speaks in depth to Cass about her review - about evidence base for transitioning, but also about the way in which the siloing of care for young trans people has failed them.
They discuss the need to support young people in their journey - Cass is clear that the NHS should allow young people to explore their gender, but that ultimately, that may not mean medical intervention at all.
Reading list
The Cass Review - final report
The systematic review and meta-analyses published in Archives of Disease in Childhood
BMJ Opinion: Gender medicine for children and young people is built on shaky foundations
Duration:00:37:34
Derogation, an ultra processed food system, and catch up pay for the NHS
3/29/2024
Derogation, the way in which striking doctors can be recalled to the ward to protect patient safety, was agreed by NHS England and the BMA. Now, new data The BMJ has uncovered shows that the mechanism was rarely used - and when it was tried, was often rejected. Gareth Iacobucci explains what that means about relations between the government, the NHS, and doctors.
Felice Jacka, director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University, is one of the authors of our recent ultra-processed foods umbrella review - and joins the podcast to talk about the link between diet and health; and why goverments need to pay more attention to the food system.
Finally, John Appleby, senior associate at the Nuffield Trust, and Gillian Leng, dean and president elect of the Royal Society of medicine, have been thinking about healthcare funding, and how more stability is essential in securing the service's future.
Reading list
Hospital leaders warned that failure to recall striking doctors risked patient safety in some trusts, documents show
Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes
NHS funding for a secure future
Chapters
00:31 Derogation and doctor strikes 06:59 Ultra processed food producers and health 13:59 Rethinking NHS funding
Duration:00:29:47
The future of the clinical relationship, code sharing, and a Nye-t at the theatre
3/15/2024
In this week's podcast: How AI will affect the clinician-patient relationship? Our annual Nuffield Summit roundtable asks how the promise of tech tools stacks up against reality, and how the future of the therapeutic relationship can be protected (participants below). Your code is as important as your methods, which is why The BMJ now requires you to share it - Ben Goldacre and Nick De Vito, from the Bennett Institute for Applied Data Science at the University of Oxford, explain why it's so important, and how The BMJ's new data and code sharing policy could change research transparency. Nye Bevin set up the NHS when the UK was in the economic doldrums, and the public's need for care was becoming an emergency - BMJ columnist Matt Morgan has helped turn that story into a play, currently showing at the National Theatre; and reflects on the parallels between now and then. 1:58 Nuffield Summit roundtable 17:32 New BMJ rules on data and code sharing 29:03 Aneurin "Nye" Bevan play Taking part in our roundtable were: Rebecca Rosen, Senior Fellow at the Nuffield Trust and GP
Juliet Bouverie, CEO of The Stroke Association
Daniel Elkeles, CEO of London Ambulance Service
Reading list: How is technology changing clinician-patient relationships?
Mandatory data and code sharing for research published by The BMJ
Scalpels and spotlights: bringing theatre to the theatre
Duration:00:36:52
Retracting abortion papers, deafness in the clinic, and 70 years of a medical orchestra
3/1/2024
The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a case on the approval of mifepristone for medical abortion - a case which could change the availability of the drug in the US, and which hinges on papers linking abortion to mental distress. However, those papers are contested (including a paper published by BMJ), and some have been retracted already - Julia Littell and Antonia Biggs tell us how that science is being used in court, and why retraction is essential.
Awakening from anaesthetic is difficult enough, but imagine you're three and only communicate through sign language - which no one can understand. We hear from Kirsten, a mother who thinks everyone should learn at least a few key sign language phrases.
Finally, the London Medical Orchestra is turning 70 - having had their start in The BMJ's letters pages. Stuart Delve and Peter Gough help explain the orchestra's longevity.
01:00 The Supreme Court Case on Medical Abortion
10:27 The Role of Journal Editors in Scientific Integrity
19:54 The Impact of Deafness on Patient Experience
30:57 The Joy of Music in a Medical Career: London Medical Orchestra
References
Analysis: Correcting the scientific record on abortion and mental health outcomes
WYPIT: The importance of British Sign Language
Asha's instagram for BSL tips
London Medical Orchestra's 70th anniversary concert - 6:30pm, Sun, 10 Mar 2024
Duration:00:38:34
Heidi Larson on misinformation, the right exercise to reduce depression, and Breathtaking TV
2/16/2024
Social media, and the rate at which the online world is changing, is worrying - especially the speed at which health disinformation can speed around the globe. We look to tech companies for a solution to the problems of their own making - but Heidi Larson, director of the Vaccine Confidence Project, and professor of anthropology, risk and decision science at LSHTM, joins us to explain why we should be cautious about focussing our attention there.
Next on the podcast, research just published in The BMJ looks at the efficacy of exercise at controlling depressive symptoms - but helps finally answer the key question - which exercise works best. Lead author, Michael Noetel, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Queensland, joins us to explain the research, and how well exercise stacks up against pharmacological treatments.
Finally, while it’s tempting to try and put the pandemic behind us, its effects linger - and many healthcare staff are still dealing with their experience of that time. Rachel Clarke, a palliative care doctor in the UK, joins us to explain why she has felt the need to document the pandemic, first in a book and now in a new TV drama set to air in the UK next week.
06:15 Heidi Larson on vaccine confidence and social media
15:31 Exploring the effectiveness of exercise for depression
26:56 Rachel Clark on seeing her experiences reflected on screen
Reading list
BMJ Collection: How are social media influencing vaccination
Feature: Medical misinformation on social media—are the platforms equipped to be the judge?
Research: Effect of exercise for depression
Duration:00:34:40
A health and care emergency, the US constitutional weakness for pandemic response, ActionAid in conflict zones
2/2/2024
With a new logo, and new music, comes a revamped The BMJ Podcast.
Every two weeks we’ll be bringing you a magazine style show, more variety and perspectives on medicine, health, and wellbeing.
In this episode: Reading list: The BMJ Commission on the Future of the NHSUS covid-19 lessons for future health protection and preparednessThe BMJ Appeal 2023-24: ActionAid offers immediate and long term help
Duration:00:39:46
Christmas 2023 - performing medicine, and prescribing nature
12/22/2023
In this festive edition of the BMJ podcast, we hear about what medicine can learn from music, when it comes to giving a convincing performance, and how we can grow an evidence base for nature prescribing.
Professors Roger Kneebone and Aaron William of the Centre for Performance Science raise the curtain on the performance of medicine, and we hear what your consultation technique could learn from a hairstylist.
Ruth Garside, Professor of Evidence Synthesis, Kerryn Husk, Associate Professor of Health Sciences and Edward Chapman from the Health and Environment Public Engagement Group then discuss 'nature prescribing', and wonder about how to balance maintaining the joy derived from nature and yet create an evidence base for the medicinal benefits associated with it.
Reading list
Medicine: a performing art
Nature prescribing
00:13 Introduction to the BMJ Podcast 00:36 Exploring the Themes of the Christmas Edition 01:38 The Intersection of Medicine and Performance 02:33 The Art and Science of Performance in Medicine 05:04 The Role of Performance in Music 06:29 The Similarities Between Medicine and Music 08:06 The Role of Experiential Learning in Performance 14:11 The Impact of Audience on Performance 19:04 The Benefits of Nature and Green Prescribing 24:52 The Challenges of Measuring the Impact of Nature Prescribing 30:37 The Community's Engagement with Nature Prescribing 33:01 Conclusion and Farewell
Duration:00:33:34
Oxytocin, clinical outcomes, and patient choice, in resource constrained settings
12/21/2023
There’s an inherent tension between creating quality standards that are very clinically focussed, and standards which are very patient centred - especially in settings where clinical outcomes can be compromised by basic lack of resources.
The use of oxytocin to prevent bleeding after birth is an example of this - WHO quality guidelines clearly measure and incentivise use of the drug, but in more wealthy healthcare systems, adherence patient preference is the key measure.
How can we ensure that less wealthy healthcare systems are also patient centred?
Our guests for this discussion;
Nana Twum-Danso, senior vice president, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
Paul Dsane-Aidoo, health specialist, UNICEF Ghana
Keith Cloete, head of department at Western Cape Government: Health
Hosted by Emma Veitch, Collections editor for The BMJ
This podcast is part of The BMJ Quality of Care collection, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the World Bank, which offers critical thinking on both the unfinished agenda and emerging priorities for improving quality of care in low- and middle-income countries.
00:00 Introduction to the podcast
00:48 Introduction of experts and their backgrounds
02:54 Challenges in healthcare systems: south africa's perspective
04:15 The importance of patient-centred care
04:56 The role of data in improving quality of care
06:11 Community engagement and feedback in healthcare
07:58 Tackling global disparities in healthcare
08:41 Balancing clinical outcomes and patient-centred care
10:58 Addressing inequities in healthcare
22:43 The role of governance in improving quality of care
32:56 Overcoming resource constraints in healthcare
36:22 The need for system redesign in healthcare
37:18 Adapting to changing times in healthcare
Duration:00:39:34
Social connection is essential for health; supporting adolescent health and wellbeing
12/14/2023
In this specially curated three-part podcast series from The BMJ, we explore the importance of community and connection to foster adolescent wellbeing.
The discussion covers athe wide array of issues young people face, with a particular focus on the unique challenges of adolescence from a social perspective. The episode unpacks the significance of having supportive relationships within families, schools, and communities and the influence of these relationships on the mental and behavioural health outcomes of adolescents.
It also explores the impact of digitalization on adolescent connection, with discussions on how to balance online interactions with offline engagements. Importantly, it highlights the need for further research into understanding digital and social media interactions and their influence on the health and wellbeing of adolescents in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Our guests:
Ulises Ariel Vélez Gauna, Transmitiendo Diversidad
Flavia Bustreo, Fondation Botnar
Richard Dzikunu, YIELD Hub
Shelani Palihawadana, Young Experts Tech for Health.
Joanna Lai, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEFUnicef)
Hosted by Adam Levy
Supported by the Fondation Botnar and PMNCH, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health. Read the full cCollection of articles showing the importance of investing in adolescent wellbeing.
00:04 Introduction to the podcast series
00:36 Understanding adolescence from a social perspective
01:00 The impact of community and connection on adolescents
01:07 Personal experiences: growing up as an LGBT+ teenager
01:38 The role of supportive relationships in adolescents' lives
02:05 The importance of connectedness in adolescence and beyond
03:27 Treating safe spaces for LGBT+ adolescents
05:23 The unique role of community during adolescence
07:02 The impact of political landscape on LGBT+ community
07:54 The importance of community and connectedness: expert opinions
08:56 The interconnection of social, health, and educational well-being
12:14 The role of digital technology in adolescents' lives
16:56 The importance of investing in adolescents' well-being
43:18 The role of schools in fostering connectedness
45:41 Conclusion: personal reflections on connectedness
Duration:00:48:07
Give children control; supporting adolescent health and wellbeing
12/14/2023
This is the second episode of a special three-part podcast series that delves into adolescent health and wellbeing, focusing on creating a positive trajectory of health from a young age.
The podcast explores physical and mental health issues affecting young people globally, particularly in sexual and reproductive health. We hear how young people are excluded from decisions about their own health, and how grassroots groups around the world are empowering them to take responsibility for their own wellbeing.
We also hear how young people are becoming leaders in social movements, from tackling structural racism to improving nutrition in schools, and how their unique perspectives are vital in making those changes.
Our guests:
Natasha Salifyanji Kaoma, Copper Rose Zambia
Alaa Murabit, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Donald Bundy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Anshu Banerjee, World Health Organisation
Dev Sharma, Bite Back 2030
Hosted by Adam Levy
Supported by the Fondation Botnar and PMNCH, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health. Read the full cCollection of articles showing the importance of investing in adolescent wellbeing.
00:05 Introduction to adolescent health
01:00 Young womens’ menstrual health
02:11 Discussion on candid pride project
03:29 Importance of sexual and reproductive health
04:49 The role of young people in health advocacy
06:17 The epidemiology of early health and lifecourse
10:08 Impact of adolescent health on future generations
18:29 How young people become activists
28:51 Advocacy for women in Libya
28:54 Global forum for adolescents
40:15 Success stories
44:54 Conclusion and preview of next episode
Duration:00:45:29
It’s time for an educational revolution; supporting adolescent health and wellbeing
12/14/2023
In the final episode of this three-part podcast series from The BMJ, we dive into the vital topic of education for adolescents and how it influences the course of life.
This podcast explores barriers, burdens and possibilities of change in the educational system to better support young people, and how the traditional system of schooling is failing to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to lead healthy lives.
We also hear how the value of informal education and its impact on subjects ranging from health to gender equality, and that learning isn’t limited to young people, and the intergenerational benefits of education and its role in shaping societal norms and individual health.
Our guests;
Maziko Matemvu, Uwale
Joanna Herat, UNESCO
Janani Vijayaraghavan, Plan Canada
Atika Ajra Ayon, Plan International
Stefan Germann, Fondation Botnar
Hosted by Adam Levy
Supported by the Fondation Botnar and PMNCH, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health. Read the full cCollection of articles showing the importance of investing in adolescent wellbeing.
00:03 Introduction to the podcast
00:11 The importance of education for adolescents
03:26 The role of education in health and wellbeing
04:43 The impact of education on society
10:21 The power of peer education
11:15 The role of media in education
12:31 The importance of meaningful engagement in education
14:45 The impact of education on health
17:48 The challenges in access to education
26:25 The role of education in combating child marriage
36:37 The impact of climate change on education
44:53 The role of education in mental wellbeing
45:59 Conclusion of the podcast
Duration:00:46:27
Insulin without refrigeration and the complexities of consent
12/12/2023
The December edition of the Talk Evidence podcast discusses the complexities of seeking consent from patients who are part of large data sets, and some new research to help patients living with diabetes in places without certain power supplies.
First patient consent and data - in the UK, two stories that have made the public worry about the use of their health data. Firstly the news that UK biobank, who hold a lot of genomic and health data, allowed research by an insurance company, and second that the NHS has entered a contract with Palentir to do analysis on NHS data.
Natalie Banner, director of ethics at Genomics England has been thinking hard about putting patients at the centre of decision making about their data, and explains why she thinks a sole reliance on a consent model falls short.
Next, uncertain power supplies, such as in conflict or disaster zones, means uncertain refrigeration. Hard enough for most people to survive, but if you need to keep your insulin cold, it can be lifethreatening. However a new cochrane review has found good news about the thermostability of insulin at room temperature.
We ask Phillipa Boulle, MSF Intersectional NCD Working Group Leader and Cyrine Farhat,is a global diabetes advocate based in Lebanon, how this will affect care for patients around the world.
Reading list
Thermal stability and storage of human insulin
Outline
00:06 introduction and overview
00:24 the challenge of seeking consent in big data sets
01:34 understanding consent issues in large datasets
01:52 the role of participant panels in data accountability
02:44 the complexity of public attitudes towards data use
04:54 the importance of transparency and engagement in data use
05:48 the impact of external factors on public trust in data use
07:49 the ethical challenges of using health data
09:17 the limitations of consent in ethical discussions
09:23 the need for more conversation about group benefits, risks, and harms
10:41 the role of governance in ethical decision making
12:05 discussion on the interview with natalie banner
14:59 the challenge of managing chronic conditions in disaster zones
15:15 the impact of temperature and storage conditions on insulin
17:32 interview with Philippa Boulle from medecins sans frontieres
29:10 interview with Cyrine Farhat, a person living with diabetes in lebanon
36:18 discussion on the interviews and the challenges of diabetes management
Duration:00:40:31
Insulin without refrigeration and the complexities of consent
12/11/2023
The December edition of the Talk Evidence podcast discusses the complexities of seeking consent from patients who are part of large data sets, and some new research to help patients living with diabetes in places without certain power supplies.
First patient consent and data - in the UK, two stories that have made the public worry about the use of their health data. Firstly the news that UK biobank, who hold a lot of genomic and health data, allowed research by an insurance company, and second that the NHS has entered a contract with Palentir to do analysis on NHS data.
Natalie Banner, director of ethics at Genomics England has been thinking hard about putting patients at the centre of decision making about their data, and explains why she thinks a sole reliance on a consent model falls short.
Next, uncertain power supplies, such as in conflict or disaster zones, means uncertain refrigeration. Hard enough for most people to survive, but if you need to keep your insulin cold, it can be lifethreatening. However a new cochrane review has found good news about the thermostability of insulin at room temperature.
We ask Phillipa Boulle, MSF Intersectional NCD Working Group Leader and Cyrine Farhat,is a global diabetes advocate based in Lebanon, how this will affect care for patients around the world.
Reading list
Thermal stability and storage of human insulin
Outline
00:06 introduction and overview
00:24 the challenge of seeking consent in big data sets
01:34 understanding consent issues in large datasets
01:52 the role of participant panels in data accountability
02:44 the complexity of public attitudes towards data use
04:54 the importance of transparency and engagement in data use
05:48 the impact of external factors on public trust in data use
07:49 the ethical challenges of using health data
09:17 the limitations of consent in ethical discussions
09:23 the need for more conversation about group benefits, risks, and harms
10:41 the role of governance in ethical decision making
12:05 discussion on the interview with natalie banner
14:59 the challenge of managing chronic conditions in disaster zones
15:15 the impact of temperature and storage conditions on insulin
17:32 interview with Philippa Boulle from medecins sans frontieres
29:10 interview with Cyrine Farhat, a person living with diabetes in lebanon
36:18 discussion on the interviews and the challenges of diabetes management
Duration:00:10:43
The future of the winter ’flu season
12/1/2023
We were accepting of an increase in deaths every winter 'flu season, but Ashish Jha thinks that is not longer a tenable position.
Lessons he learned during his time as the White House Covid-19 coordinator have convinced him we should be taking a different approach to the winter season.
In this interview with Mun-Keat Looi, The BMJ's international features editor, we hear about living with COVID, the future of antivirals, vaccines, and surveillance. They talk about long COVID, the investment required to fight future outbreaks effectively, and the role of the US in the global health response.
Duration:00:38:30
Low carb and cancer screening
11/6/2023
Each episode of Talk Evidence we take a dive into an issue or paper which is in the news, with a little help from some knowledgeable guests to help us to understand what it all means for clinical care, policy, or research.
In this episode:
Helen Macdonald take a deep dive into cancer screening tests, prompted by a paper in JAMA which showed most have no effect on all cause mortality, and news that the NHS is evaluating a single test which screens for 50 common cancers - we ask Barry Kramer, former director of the Division of Cancer Prevention, at the U.S. National Cancer Institute to help explain how to hold those two pieces of knowledge.
Juan Franco has been looking into diet and obesity, prompted by new research in The BMJ and a new Cochrane review, looking at the role of low glycemic index foods in weightloss - we ask Khadidja Chekima, nutritional researcher at Taylor’s University in Malaysia, to define low GI foods, and why it’s so hard to research their role in diet and weightloss
Reading list;
JAMA research - Estimated Lifetime Gained With Cancer Screening Tests; A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
The BMJ news - Clinicians raise concerns over pilot of blood test for multiple cancers
The BMJ research - Association between changes in carbohydrate intake and long term weight changes: prospective cohort study
Cochrane review - Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets for people with overweight or obesity
Duration:00:33:22
Decolonising health and medicine: Episode 5 - Getting our house in order: Decolonising the British Medical Association
10/17/2023
Organisational and student leaders explore the responsibilities of the British Medical Association and The BMJ to understand and respond to its colonial history.
Our panel
Duration:00:46:13
Decolonising health and medicine: Episode 3 - Common terrains of anti-colonial and feminist approaches to the politics of health
10/17/2023
International health leaders discuss how feminist and decolonial advocates in health face similar resistance and attempts to sow divisiveness, and how they can join forces to promote health equity and justice for all.
Our panel
Duration:00:50:07
Decolonising health and medicine: Episode 4 - How to transform global health institutions born of colonial eras
10/16/2023
Leaders from academic and funding organisations discuss the transformative change required to overcome extractive and inequitable research practices in global health, and the need for examining power and privilege within traditional research institutions.
Our panel
Duration:00:53:58
Decolonising health and medicine: Episode 1 - The colonial legacy in clinical medicine
10/16/2023
Healthcare leaders discuss the ways in which colonial-era bias and eugenics persist in today’s medical education and clinical practice in the UK and beyond, and what meaningful change is required to overcome racial and other healthcare inequalities
Our panel
Duration:00:51:51