Download PDF: Clinical Communiqué June 2017 Edition
In this edition
Editorial
Welcome to the winter 2017 edition of the Clinical Communiqué. Since our last edition, we have seen interest in our publication continue to grow, and we have been heartened by the feedback we continue to receive from our readers about the lessons learned. Professional engagement is one of the keys to making work practices safer, and story-telling is a powerful tool for this. Along with the educational messages, the impact of the stories themselves can be a potent catalyst for individual reflection, conversation and change.
In acknowledging the support of our readers further, we are pleased to announce the recent publication of our study which evaluated the effect that the Clinical Communiqué has on its readers in terms of practice change.*
We conducted a survey of our subscribers after the publication of our first four issues of the Clinical Communiqué. There was a substantial number of respondents with over 1000 subscribers participating in the survey. Our results showed that 53.0% of respondents reported that their practice had changed after reading the Clinical Communiqué. Respondents also found that the Clinical Communiqué raised awareness (96.5%) and provided ideas about improving patient safety and care (94.1%) leading them to discuss cases with their colleagues (79.6%) and review their practice (75.7%). Overall, our study found that the design and content of the Clinical Communiqué has generated a positive impact on the healthcare community. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our readers for their time in responding to the survey. A copy of the study can be downloaded from the Communiqués website here.
In this edition, we look at the complex issues surrounding the treatment of pain, and the risks associated with combining sedative medications. We welcome a new case author, Dr Rachel Marr, who works as a general practitioner and a forensic medical officer, and who brings a community perspective to the case summaries.
The societal burden of harm from prescribed sedative and analgesic medications now far exceeds that of illicit drugs. With this in mind, our expert commentary has been written by Dr Shaun Greene, a clinical toxicologist and emergency medicine physician. Dr Greene has a professional interest in recreational drugs and novel psychoactive substances, and is involved in work to reduce harms associated with prescription medication use. He provides an excellent overview on the trends in prescription and over-the counter medications used to treat pain, and includes a number of important resources on the subject for our readers.
* Cunningham N, Pham T, Kennedy B, et al. A cross- sectional survey using electronic distribution of a questionnaire to subscribers of educational material written by clinicians, for clinicians, to evaluate whether practice change resulted from reading the Clinical Communiqué. BMJ Open 2017;7:e014064. doi:10.1136/ bmjopen-2016-014064.