What do you do if your bosses are bullies?

This victim of workplace bullying occupied a senior position in the health service. If you witness bullying at work, or if it happens to you, blow the whistle, says the author.

More comment published on 14 January:

• Nigel Hawkes: Resource allocation
• Des Spence: Regrets, I have a few
• Mary Black: Snow
• Theodore Dalrymple: A fully rational life
• Medical Classics: Coma

NICE and the challenge of cancer drugs

The UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has introduced new criteria for appraising end of life treatments. This Analysis article looks at how they might affect availability by applying them to previously refused drugs

More comment published on 13 January:

• Radical treatments for difficult times
• What should the US surgeon general do?

Patient reported outcome measures in trials

Patient reported outcome measures in trials are widely available, but need to be standardised and used appropriately, according go to an editorial about this systematic review. The review determines how often health surveys and quality of life evaluations reach different conclusions from those of primary efficacy outcomes, and whether discordant results make a difference in the interpretation of trial findings.

Unravelling the secrets of ageing

Research is looking into the role of telomeres in disease and ageing. The hope for the future is that measurements of telomere length could be used to detect early disease, allowing preventive measures to be put in place, and eventually that methods will be found to slow or even reverse the shortening. (Picture credit of two chromosomes highlighted where the telomeres are located: Hybrid Medical Animation: SPL).

Increasing uptake of colorectal cancer screening

New approaches hold promise in motivating the 50% of people who do not attend, says this editorial to accompany a randomised controlled trial. The study concludes compliance may be improved by timing invitations close to annual milestones such as winter holidays and birthdays.

Impact of pulse oximetry screening on the detection of duct dependent congenital heart disease

Routine pulse oximetry is an effective and low risk strategy, says the editorial to accompany a prospective screening study that finds introducing pulse oximetry screening before discharge improved total detection rate of duct dependent circulation to 92%. (Picture credit: AJ Photo/SPL).

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