Dr Amara Nwosu discusses his paper about peer-led learning as a mechanism to facilitate palliative care education in medical undergraduates.
Nwosu A, Mason S, Roberts A, Hugel H. Does peer-led education have a role in teaching medical students about palliative care? The evaluation of an examination question-writing task. The Clinical Teacher 2013;10(3):151-4 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23656675
In this episode of MyPal Dr Amara Nwosu discusses a recent article from the BMJ by Bjorn Morten Hofmann, University College of Gjovik which poses the question of whether there is too much technology in healthcare.
In this episode of MyPal Dr Amara Nwosu provides an overview publishing in palliative care, discussing the importance of this and sharing some tips for potential authors. The audio was recorded to support an educational session as part of the Merseyside & Cheshire Palliative Care Network Audit Group.
Mahiben Maruthappu, Bruce Keogh. How might 3D printing affect clinical practice?
BMJ 2014; 349 doi: dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g7709 (Published 30 December 2014)
Nanotechnology to diagnose and monitor cancer? Nanopills and smartwatches in disease management and treatment? Sounds like science fiction but that is what researchers at Google are working on right now! Dr Ami Nwosu discusses this in more depth.
I discuss my recent appointment to his Academic Clinical Lecturer (ACL) position in Palliative Care at the University of Liverpool. I then provide a brief overview of the Integrated Clinical Academic Training (ICAT)pathway in the UK which started in 2007.
In the second episode of MyPal I the importance of research and innovation in palliative care. Catch it on SoundCloud. It’s also now available on iTunes!
This is the first episode of an exciting new project that I’m undertaking. This podcast blends discussion of technology, innovation, health, palliative care and research. This first episode provides an overview of the project and outlines what you can expect in the coming weeks.
MyPal is a podcast about technology, innovation and research relevant to Palliative Care. Come and join the conversation about these issues in a way you just might like.
Google have entered into the health research arena. They aim to use technology to diagnose cancer early. I believe is exciting and should cause us to question how technology could be used in palliative care.
Computer science has arguably overtaken medicine as the newest academic discipline. Modern applications like the iPhone (only developed in 2007) have irreversibly changed the way we interact with technology on a daily basis. However, it is not common to hear about medics collaborating with computer scientists or undertaking computer science courses or research. This is in contrast with other academic disciplines such as natural sciences, social sciences and psychology.
The ‘Google X’ project aims to avoid unnecessary deaths. In terms of cancer Google propose a diagnostic ‘smart pill’ that can be swallowed by an individual which. The pull would contain magnetised nanoparticles that would be released into the blood when swallowed. These particles would travel round the body looking for biomarkers, only to return (by action of their magnets) to a wearable device on the wrist to download the results. In addition to cancer Google indicate that other markers (such as sodium) could be monitored.
Google’s aim to reduce unnecessary deaths is admirable; however, should we also be asking how we can use computer science and concepts like nanotechnology to improve palliative care? Or, conversely, should high tech, high cost interventions be avoided at the end of life? This is interesting food for thought. What is certain is that technology and innovation will continue and the role this has in palliative care needs to be considered.
Today I presented my poster on the assessment of hydration states in advanced cancer using bio-electrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA). The work is the result of my PhD which has been submitted for examination. My findings suggest that hydration status (as measured by BIVA) relate to clinically measurable signs, symptoms and survival. Further work is needed to determine how BIVA can be used to guide the management of fluid states in advanced cancer.
Amara Nwosu 