News

New approach is needed to reinvigorate practice based commissioning

The UK government should set out a clear vision for the future of practice based commissioning if the policy is to deliver better services for patients, says the King's Fund, a health policy think tank. It calls for national guidance for GPs and primary care trusts on how best to implement the policy.

Other news published on 20 November:

• New index ranks African countries on child welfare
• European healthcare systems are useful models for US healthcare reform, congressional briefing told
• Devolution weakens UK’s voice in Europe, researcher warns

Comment

Who's watching the watchdogs?

Doctors should be wary of the increasing entanglement of medical journalists and the drug industry, warn Lisa Schwartz, Steven Woloshin, and Ray Moynihan.

Other comment published on 19 November:

• How mad are we?
• "You are bipolar, and I claim my £5"
• Zimbabwe's health system is now in a state of collapse
• Lay your money down

Research

Risk of suicide after suicide attempt according to coexisting psychiatric disorder

According to this Swedish cohort study, the highest population attributable fractions for suicide were for depression in women (population attributable fraction 9.3), followed by schizophrenia in men (4.6), and bipolar and unipolar disorder in women and men (4.1 and 4.0); half the completed suicides occurred within a year of the first attempt. Depression in women and schizophrenia in men carried the highest risk. A second cohort study also highlights the need for interventions to reduce the risk of fatal and non-fatal self-harm in the weeks following hospital discharge. It found that among patients aged 16-64 who were discharged from psychiatric units in England, 6.5% were readmitted for an episode of self harm within a year: previous self harm was the strongest predictor.

See also:

• Editorial: Suicide risk after a suicide attempt

Video

Credit contraction offers opportunity to close gaps in health inequities

Michael Marmot, chairman of the World Health Organization’s commission on social determinants of health, discusses the impact of the world's financial crisis on global health and his wish list for US president elect Barack Obama.