Too scared

Follow-up to Windows 7 "Upgrade" for a MacBook Pro without windows. from Musings on Medical Student Education

I got scared after reading the boot camp installation. Unless someone can reassure me I think I'll have to give it a miss....

James Bateman : 11 Nov 2010 17:03 |  Tags: 7 Mac Macbook Pro Software Software4Students Student Updrade Vista Windows |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Windows 7 "Upgrade" for a MacBook Pro without windows.

I'm just in the process of trying to install windows 7 on a MacBook Pro. Here's the chain of events so far.

1. I bought the software from "Software4students", as a student thinking it was the bonafide software. Its not.
2. On arrival of the software it was an upgrade disk. The software came in an unmarked, loose, nonsealed plastic wallet.
3. I sent it back because I thought I wouldnt be able ot install it on my mac, although i do own genuine windows 7 on my desktop.
4. "Software4students" refused to give me a refund, and sent the software back to me, stating it was in thier T's and C's. I was pretty annoyed by this, but essentially there was nothing that could be done other than trying to take them to court.
5. They sent the disc back to me.
6. I have just read on a blog that I may be able to install it directly on a Mac.
   

So here goes, installing Windows 7 'Upgrade' on a mac with no windows, although I do own Windows, albeit its on another PC.

• Is it just me or is the 'upgrade' bit on the picture above just a little bit too small?
• Am I pretty amazed that its pretty unclear as to weather or not this works or not? Yes.
• Are there lots of students who will by the Windows7 student edition? Yes.
  
• Do I think I should be able to get a refund for software that I haven't used or entered a licence key for? Yes.
  
• 
  

As it turns out I think Im just going to give it a go and hope for the best.

Will it work? I will find out.... Hopefully in less than under 2 hours!

PS... if you are reading this and you know that its not going to work, feel smug now...

James Bateman : 11 Nov 2010 16:54 |  Tags: 7 Mac Macbook Pro Software Software4Students Student Updrade Vista Windows |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

New student webmail… seems to work!

I am quite amazed that the university's switchover to live@edu service from Microsoft seems to have gone very smoothly. In fact I had a problem this morning.

1. I used  the web to find the contact number
2. Rang the contact number
3. Received helpful advice
4. Now my email address seems to work perfectly...

If only everything was this simple... I do have some concerns about the listings of the 5 digit login codes on the address book, and I have emailed the IT service desk to flag this with them (I assume ti is an error?).

James Bateman : 16 Aug 2010 16:37 |  Tags: Edu Email Live Outlook Student |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

The PhD trail begins here…

So I'm delighted to say my PhD in virtual patients is beginning her, supported in full by an arthritis research UK educational research fellowship. I feel very privileged to be sponsored by a charity to perform educational research, and hopefully I will be using this blog as a record of my journey through the PhD application process (which started on Friday following my last submission of my MMedEd project to Warwick Medical School. Onwards and upwards...

Arthritis Research UK can be contacted via their website. I hope to  be organising my own fund raising for the charity, which provides excellent research funding both for clinical and educational research into the management of arthritis.

James Bateman : 09 Aug 2010 23:15 |  Tags: Athritis Mmeded Patient PhD Research Uk Virtual Warwick |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Sativex: Cannabis extract comes to the UK without a whimper?

Writing about web page http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/

Its been a while since those "cannabis to be grown in the UK for medical research" stories in 2002, but it has finally come onto the UK market in the form of Sativex, a cannabinoid spray marketed by Bayer, for use by  Neurologists in the treatment of the spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. So a friend tells me.

So far this week in the news on my drive to work I have been told that:

• Depression is associated with Alzheimer's: "Depressive symptoms and risk of dementia
  The Framingham Heart Study, Neurology". 
• Fat children are fat because not because they don't exercise, but they eat too much. 
• Lots of people are going to have their DNA stored. Biobank
• Cheryl Cole has malaria. Now that's news.
  

I nearly choked on my weetabix when I found out that doctors could be dishing out "cannabis" (well its actually cannabinoids) to anyone (or at least people with Multiple Sclerosis) by my non medical friend. He was told so 'by another friend'. So I investigated, and yes its true. But worry not, I am not a crazed physician on a war against medication, but I'm just a little surprised by the absence of any significant media attention for this.

So a cannabis based medicine is licenced in the UK. Do you have an opinion on this? Well I certainly did before I went to medical school. But lets consider the evidence for this for a minute. If you're not a health professional why not have a quick glance through why. You may not know that you can browse abstracts of virtually all medical research of any quality on the US site PubMed, for free. This is quick, simple, and available to anybody on the internet.

The two main studies are linked below.

Randomised controlled trial of cannabis-based medicine in spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis.
Published in the European Journal of Neurology link here.

and...

A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled parallel-group study of Sativex in subjects with symptoms of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis.
Published in Neurology Research, link here.

So. I've read them. Here are my thoughts. Essentially the first study seems to show that about 40% of the patients given the medicine had at least a 30% improvement in their spasticity, measured on an objective spasticity scale.

Seems to work. I am just a little surprised that it hasnt made it into any of the main newspapers or mainstream media from what I have seen. So if you heard it here first, you heard it here first!

Cannabiods make Sativex what it is, but the image of cannabis leaves is not going to make Middle England rest easy for the new sub lingual preparation. What about the potential for abuse? Could it become a street drug with a value to other recreational drug users? A quick scan through PubMed reveals no case reports of illicit drug use. But as compounds as common as co-codamol find their way into recreational use, it will be surprising if there is not some misuse of the drug, albeit perhaps in small amounts.

What about if you really want to know more? A good place to start is often an established charity. With a quick Internet search, the MS Trust has a well written patient information leaflet on the drug, listing the indications, and the likely responses from the medicine. I found it quite informative as a (non neurology) Healthcare professional.

For a bit of light hearted relief, lets look at the side effect profile of the drug, from the pharmaceutical company. Any of these sound familiar? They compare fairly well with what a leading UK drugs charity says about the side effects of the street drug. 

Thoughts or comments (in particular on the media reaction) to this introduction anyone?

James Bateman : 08 Jul 2010 22:33 |  Tags: Canabis Cannabinoids Licence Medicine Multiple Pain Pubmed Sativex Sclerosis Thc Treatment |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Twitter for Medical Student Lectures?

Writing about web page http://www.medbiq.org/events/conferences/2010/index.html

I had a great time at the International Conference on Virtual Patients in London last week. One of the real positives to come out of the web2.0 discussions was how to hear how students can get engaged with elearning technologies. I personally took one idea as being a really helpful one.

The concept of using twitter and the use of hash-tags (like #lecture) to allow students to post up comments on a running board during the process of a teaching session sounded to me really attractive.

I wonder if anyone else is using a similar technique to help teach, and what their experiences have been. It can be a little daunting teaching groups of 150+, and I guess things could get out of hand, but it sounds like quite an engaging thing to get the students to do. I think Ill roll it out the next time I get to teach a few medical students.

There were quite a few other comments from people attending the conference, I hope to put some of them in a more formal form here.

There is also a great clip on YouTube which really summed up the buzz or the vibe that I'd like to create trying to deliver these new things, from a chap from the University of Arizona. It was interesting to hear the opinions of some of his previous peers on his teaching style, he certainly gets my vote for the high quality production and the messages you get from the video.

James Bateman : 03 May 2010 10:47 |  Tags: Education Lecture Medical Student Teaching Twitter Web |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Health plays key part of UK's first televised election debate: leaders clash on cancer waits

The future of the NHS and service provision formed a central part of this evenings national election debate from Manchester screened live on ITV with concurrent audio on BBC Radio 4. Health care as expected did play an important role this evening. Here are a few quotes from the chief protagonists, Brown and Cameron:

Gordon Brown on the leader of the opposition, and on health care in general.

He [Cameron] couldn't give the same personal guarantees that we're giving about specialist cancer care

Fair to our National Health Service

Protect our helath service

David Cameron: rhetoric, with some serious points.

Choose hope over fear

Stop labours 'job tax' which could destroy our economy

If you work had 'll be behind you

If you're old and you become ill we will always be there for you.

Gordon Brown attacked the leader of the opposition about their plans and possible changes to the two week wait.But what is this two week wait? If you work as a doctor in the NHS, you'll already know, but for those that may not be so well informed, what does the two week wait actually mean in practice?

Essentially the 2WW (as its popular abbreviation) is the target that a patient with suspected cancer should be seen within two weeks of the referral being received. A good system? It seems so. Actually the targets go further, with the first 'definitive treatment' being delivered within the first 62 days from referral. This essentially means if you need an operation to have your cancer out, it is the responsibility of the doctors to diagnose it and treat it definitively. This means the necessary scans, biopsies pre-op checks and the like to achieve things. Lots of NHS initiatives have been criticised. The four hour wait has long been criticised by doctors (including this one) in Accident and Emergency departments, however it does seem to have driven up standards and efficiency in our hospitals. In principle, the two week wait is a good thing. So why would it be cut by the conservatives?

The answer is complex, and not explained in the media writ large. There has been much focus on labours mailshot to potential cancer sufferers, but what politician in their right mind would cut such progress? (Guardian coverage here). The answer lies in policy and procedure, and represents why health is such a sensitive topic. ON the basis of Browns comments above, who without health insurance would not vote Labour? Unless the plans are presented clearly and simply (tonight they were not) it is difficult for those even inside healthcare to make informed voting decisions on such issues.

The conservative leader did consistently focus on the fact that Labour has had 13 years to fix things: how is Labour currently planning to fix things? By saving money, lets look at if its going to hit the workers in the health service (me) or the patients (me). Are there tough choices that have really been outlined for the NHS to date in terms of cuts?

Efficiency Savings: What is the level of 'pain' the NHS can expect?

These points come from the Department of Healths own press release here:  I cant help but provide my own bottom line opinion for what it means to staff and patients.

The Department of Health and the NHS will meet this target through a range of activities including:

• "Up to £1.5bn will be saved by driving down the costs of procurement through securing best prices for goods and services"
  • The bottom line: no pain for the workers or the patients
    
• "£100m will be saved by taking a new approach to the National Programme for IT that offers greater choice to local hospitals"
  • The bottom line: no pain for the workers or the patients (unless you're in IT!)
    
• "£60m will be saved by reducing the amount of energy the NHS uses, to deliver a 10 per cent cut in carbon emissions"
  • No pain for the workers or the patients, lots of energy saving light bulbs on the shopping list
    
• "Up to £70m will be saved from more efficient use of NHS estates"
  • No pain for the workers or the patients, don't expect to buy the local hydrotherapy pool at a cut price
    

• "Up to £555m by reducing staff sickness absence in the NHS."
  • No pain for the workers or the patients, unless you're doing things you shouldn't be.
    

Andy Burnham the health secretary had the following to say on the 4.5billion saved in the budget.

The NHS budget is in a strong position after a decade of record  investment. I am pleased that today’s Budget locks in that growth, guaranteeing that frontline NHS funding will rise with inflation in 2011-12 and 2012-13.  As a result of this funding, the NHS is today more resilient, has more capacity and provides better care than ever before.

Healthcare, two week waits, cancer services, provision of care for the elderly, the payment of this care, and taxation of those receiving it will continue to play a key part in the election leading up to May 2010. As you can see how these policies, and changes to current policy are presented is likely to influence the publics next choice of government.

Missed it? You can catch up on ITV here on what went on. Id be interested to hear comments from anyone and everyone on the above musings...

James Bateman : 15 Apr 2010 22:53 |  Tags: Brown Budget Cameron Cancer Care Clegg Debate Election Health Healthcare NHS Reform Resources Television |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Web Based Learning in Rheumatology, where are we now, and where do we need to be?

We all know about the potential of the web, but how should it be best put to use? Here are some of my musings frommy own thoughts on web based learning and rheumatology as it stands today.

Background

When considering web based learning (WBL), extensive research has been conducted to compare e-learning against more traditional teaching methods. Up until recent years, the majority of educational research studies into WBL were non inferiority studies, or comparisons of additional e-learning resources ‘added into’ standard curricula (Cook, 2005, 2008). The largest meta-analysis of WBL learning in healthcare conducted to date has concluded that it is not if, but how we deliver web based learning that is the most critical question facing educators (Cook, 2008). It was confirmed by Wong (2003) that delivery of web based teaching is not simply a case of ‘putting your course on the web’. Robust evidence does not exist on exactly how the delivery of this material influences learning. Few studies attempt to directly compare two different approaches, with almost no data on an ‘interactive video’ based approach compared to a standard online presentation of material.

WBL in Rheumatology
Education in musculoskeletal medicine provides some evidence for some forms of WBL when added to traditional methods (Wilson, 2006); however I have identified no trials that compare different online strategies to teach a clinical skill. Various e-learning techniques have been tried, but they are often not web based. The Arthritis Research Campaign (ARC) have produced a more traditional CD ROM based e-learning package has been evaluated, and been shown to improve OSCE scores post intervention and improve self reported confidence (Vivekananda-Schmidt, 2005), however WBL has not been studied extensively studied by the ARC, or other research groups.

How is WBL Delivered
Web based learning (WBL) is commonly delivered in the form of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). A VLE can be thought of as a navigational menu driven system by which a student directs his or her educational pathway through a series of resources or activities. Any accessory materials such as pre/ post teaching evaluation can be delivered, with the results often being automatically collated by the VLE. This structure allows the delivery of educational material to trainees, in a reproducible, secure way. Each VLE can be accessed by students and teachers, with different priorities and user privileges available to users depending on a pre determined level of access.

Online material can be presented I a number of formats inside a VLE, namely via traditional text and pictures with associated connections between topics (hyperlinks), or via more detailed methods incorporating video and audio based aids to assist in their development. There is evidence to support that the more sophisticated the technology or advanced the delivery method, there is an increased associated cost. Furthermore this has been shown as one factor to dissuade medical schools in the United States to sharing online e-learning material, or producing open access medical resources (Huang, 2007).

In summary there is a large amount that is still to be studied relating to web based learning in  Rheumatology. Where do we go from here?

Selected References and Further Reading, if you're interested...

Badcock LJ, Raj N, Gadsby K, Deighton CM. Meeting the needs of increasing numbers of medical students--a best practise approach. Rheumatology  2006;45(7):799-803.

Cook DA, Levinson AJ, Garside MD et al. Internet-Based Learning in the Health Professions, A Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2008;300(10):1181-1196.

Cook DA. The research we still are not doing: an agenda for the study of computer-based learning. Acad Med 2005;80:541-8.

Cook DA. Where are we with Web-based learning in medical education? Med Teach. 2006;28(7):594-8.

Downing SM. Reliability: on the reproducibility of assessment data. Med Educ. 2004;38(9):1006-12.   

Huang G, Reynolds R, Candler C. Virtual Patient Simulation at U.S. and Canadian Medical Schools. Acad Med. 2007;82:446-451

Kay LJ, Deighton CM, Walker DJ, Hay EM. Undergraduate rheumatology teaching in the UK: a survey of current practice and changes since 1990. Arthritis Research Campaign Undergraduate Working Party of the ARC Education Sub-committee. Rheumatology. 2000;39(7):800-3

Norman G Eva KW. Quantitative Research methods in medical education. AMSE. Edinburgh 2008.

Vivekananda-Schmidt P, Lewis M, Hassell AB.Cluster randomized controlled trial of the impact of a computer-assisted learning package on the learning of musculoskeletal examination skills by undergraduate medical students. Arthritis Rheum. 2005 15;53(5):764-71.

Wilson AS, Goodall JE, Ambrosini G, Carruthers DM, Chan H, Ong SG, Gordon C, Young SP. Development of an interactive learning tool for teaching rheumatology- a simulated clinical case studies program. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2006 Sep;45(9):1158-61.

Wong G, Greenhalgh T, Russell J, Boynton P, Toon P. Putting your course on the Web: lessons from a case study and systematic literature review. Med Educ. 2003;37(11):1020-3.

James Bateman : 03 Feb 2010 21:23 |  Tags: Based Education Health Internet Learning Musculoskeletal Rheumatology Undergraduate Web |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Use of Smartphones: an example of the Resuscitation Council UK's App for Advanced Life Support

Its always nice to see how technology can help a budding doctor or nurse. There's lots of free tools available, often increasingly to those with smartphones. Via Twitter and other blogs I saw the coverage of apps for the iphone in Haiti,  including offers from companies such as Epocrates to give out free apps to healthcare workers following the earthquake.

I have three thoughts on this having just bought an iPhone

1. It sounds like a very good idea
2. Its a bit of the shame that the battery life of about 24 hours will potentially limit their use in the absence of an adequate power supply
3. The biggest challenge facing healthcare workers out in Haiti is unlikely to be a case of not knowing what to do, and more likely to be a case of not having the right kit to do it
   

For those people who are unfamiliar with apps, and their use on the iPhone, lets take a look at a free iPhone application that's now available from the Resuscitation Council UK.

As a relatively new iPhone user, and owner previously of a Blackberry Curve I'm impressed at apples latest offering in terms of the simple ease of use.

Lets try out the iPhone app from the Resuscitation Council Uk, called iResus.

• The download from the iPhone app store: just select iResus- so far so good
• the download proceeds quickly, and does appear to be 'free' just as it says on the tin. For the purpose of this user, I haven't registered my details, but would do under normal circumstances
• I'm prompted to download what I want. I pick the adult advanced guidelines.
• I'm taken to the iResus home screen after the 60+ guidelines have completed their download
• I can now freely browse guidelines using a simple menu interface, which is intuitive like most iPhone apps. It allows me to browse management, and pictorial algorithms, although does not have anything like the detail of the formal guidelines produced by the Resuscitation Council (understandably in the 100+ page A4 book)
  

So the very simple iPhone interface that guides me through the algorithms, including a helpful signposting of whats going on.

I cant help by being a little worried by the fact the iPhone seems to offer you options as if it was the real thing: i.e. real time information for bradycardia management. I have visions of junior doctors pulling out their iPhone to check the management of the next medical emergency they face.

In conclusion overall the app is an excellent introduction by the Resuscitation Council UK into the world of iPhone apps, and hopefully they will follow suit for other handheld devices. The market for the use of these phones in routine and emergency clinical work is just emerging. Looking at other high quality free apps, perhaps 2010 will be the year of the medical app on the iPhone.

Finally: a test for any armchair TV medics who have watched enough ER or House. What is the rhythm on the strip identified below with a patient hooked up to a defibrillator?*

*if you do not have a medical degree then if you get this right you should  be seriously impressed with yourself!

James Bateman : 22 Jan 2010 18:47 |  Tags: Advanced App Council Haiti Healthcare Iphone Iresus Life Resuscitation Support |  Comments (3) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Merry Christmas to all and sundry at Warwick

Christmas approaches quick! the last few weeks have been busy with my PhD application, lots of work at my current hospital and discussions around my professional project for my MMedEd. This year I have amongst other things...

• managed to update my Twitter (jamesbateman) at least once every two months
• submitted a decent PhD application to the arc which will hopefully have been funded
• adjudicated our hosptial christmas quiz
• attended the BMA careers fair
• totted up a record breaking number of car parking tickets
• fought numerous car milage claim applications
• battled against unfair hospital IT access policies
• regretted buying an Italian car
• been hacked by russian cyber criminals (and won)
  
• unsuccessfully tried to use SPSS
• managed to finish the majority of my key MMedEd modules
• tracked santa on NORAD
• worked hard on my other elearning interests
  
• failed to get any medical education bursaries (again!)
• thought lots about how to reduce my gas bill

That's all folks for 2009.... Lets hope 2010 brings more smooth running educational research projects, good medical training and mince pies.

Merry Christmas

James Bateman : 23 Dec 2009 00:09 |  Tags: Christmas Festive Greetings Merry Students Warwick |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem