Neil Maltby's excellent blogpost yesterday (Algorithm is going to get you) was a refreshing reminder of some of the odd things we do in the name of science-based physiotherapy. Neil's post was about how we look for pseudo-scientific measurement of things that otherwise can't (and shouldn't) be measured. I've blogged about this before (see here, for example), and complained bitterly about our lack of sophistication when it comes to subjective phenomena like breathlessness, pain, loss (of functional ability), etc., that are the bread-and-butter of everyday life for working physiotherapists. No-one ever wakes up in the morning with a bad headache and says "Wow, I've got a really bad … [Read more...] about More on the measurement of pain
Perception is everything
A recent article in the Boston Globe (Doctors debate safety of their white coats) talked about how doctors had realised that their traditional white coats were 'germ magnets,' and how they were now discarding them in favour of less formal attire. Setting aside the rather obvious question of why a dirty white lab coat would be any more rancid than a dirty shirt - a point also sidestepped in the article - the Globe went on to suggest that the good natured debate that had ensued 'touched on shifting perceptions of the physician’s role.' On the one hand, the white lab coat is a symbol of trust. There are studies that show powerful placebo effects of people wearing white lab coats (see … [Read more...] about Perception is everything
CPN update – November 2015
We have our monthly CPN Executive video conference on Friday this week, and it's been a while since we updated you on some of the things we're doing and some of the projects that we're involved in, so here's a quick summary: Friday's meeting will be the first with two new members. Viviana Guerrero and Michael Rowe joined Barbara Gibson, Simon Kirkegaard, Gwyn Owen, Dave Nicholls, Jenny Setchell and Nicky Wilson on the Exec last month. Viviana is a doctoral candidate and Senior Research Assistant at Griffith University’s Centre of National Research on Disability and Rehabilitation in Australia. (You will have seen some of her work recently with the Spanish translations we've been able … [Read more...] about CPN update – November 2015