{macro question(showVoteTotal)}
    <div class="poll-question">
      {if keyType == "discussion"}
        <a href="/forums/?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=${key}#forumPostTitle_1" title="View discussion">
          ${poll.Question}
        </a>
      {else}
        ${poll.Question}
      {/if}
      {if showVoteTotal}
        <span class="poll-votes">(${poll.TotalVotes} ${"vote"|pluralise:poll.TotalVotes})</span>
      {/if}
    </div>
  {/macro}
  <div class="slResults" {if !noVote}style="display:none;"{/if}>
    ${question(true)}
    <table class="slAnswerStats" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0">
      {for answer in poll.Answers}
        <tr class="slAnswerStat slAnswerStat_${answer_index}">
          <td class="slAnswer">${answer.Answer}</td>
          <td class="slAnswerBarCell">
            <div class="slAnswerBar">
              <div class="slAnswerCount">${answer.NumberOfVotes} ${"vote"|pluralise:answer.NumberOfVotes} (${answer.PercentageStr}%)</div>
              <div class="slAnswerBarPercent" style="width: ${answer.Percentage}%;"></div>
            </div>
          </td>
        </tr>
      {/for}
    </table>
    {if !noVote}<div class="results"><a href="javascript:void(0);" class="slVoteLink">Go vote!</a></div>{/if}
  </div>

{if !noVote}
  <div class="slVote">
    <div class="slErrorText">You must select one answer before submitting your vote.</div>
    ${question(false)}
    <table class="slAnswers" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
      {for answer in poll.Answers}
        {var answerId = poll.PollKey.Key + '.' + answer_index}
        <tr>
          <td class="slAnswerInput">
            <input type="radio" name="answers" value="${answer_index}" id="${answerId}"/>
          </td>
          <td class="slAnswerText">
            <label for="${answerId}">${answer.Answer}</label>
          </td>
        </tr>
      {/for}
    </table>
    <div style="clear: both; margin-left: 8px;">
      <div class="slSendAnswer"><input class="slVoteButton" type="button" value="Vote" /></div>
      <div class="results"><a href="javascript:void(0);" class="slResultsLink">View Results...</a></div>
    </div>
  </div>
  {/if}

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BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?

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BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?

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I attended a talk by US health journalist Trudy Lieberman recently and she showed us a letter she received from Lifeline, who are a screening company who offer a package of screening offers to anyone,

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Cat:OpenClinicalForum:GeneralClinical

Cat:OpenClinicalForum:GeneralClinicalDiscussion:c7d3aeb7-84ef-4ce5-bf7c-527bcb850880

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Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?

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Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?

BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?

posted at 13/6/2012 10:09 AM BST on bmj.com

*Moderator*

mbillingsley

Posts: 1451
First: 7/4/2011
Last: 24/5/2013

I attended a talk by US health journalist Trudy Lieberman recently and she showed us a letter she received from Lifeline, who are a screening company who offer a package of screening offers to anyone, even if they are not displaying symptoms. They offer tests on strokes, heart disease, aneurysms and osteoporosis.

In addition, they offer a kind of BOGOF (buy one get one free) sort of deal on this package of tests, where you can save $126 if you buy all 5 screening tests. (See below image).

Does anyone advocate this approach? Or is it a cynical disease mongering ploy to make money? Are there any redeeming qualities of this approach?

New post Reply to this post

Re: BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?

posted at 13/6/2012 3:07 PM BST on bmj.com

Dr. K. Ashutosh

Posts: 3045
First: 27/3/2012
Last: 20/5/2013

This approach to sale screening kits to anybody seems to be a cynical disease mongering ploy to make money & nothing more than that.
We should never advocate such unethical & purely commercial approach.

New post Reply to this post

Re: BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?

posted at 13/6/2012 4:18 PM BST on bmj.com

Xenophon

Posts: 9
First: 22/5/2012
Last: 11/7/2012

I find these types of screening company thoroughly abhorrent. I glanced up at the wording of the letter - "potentially life saving" is a term that is bordering on scare-mongering.

I wonder how many of these screening tools (and BTW 60 quid for a mere ECG?!) manage to pick up inconsequential and harmless variations rather than pathology whilst parting people with their hard earned cash...

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Re: BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?

posted at 13/6/2012 4:48 PM BST on bmj.com

Pat Lush

Posts: 339
First: 17/12/2011
Last: 15/5/2013

Yes.
Both worried well and ill people are vulnerable.
I think first we need sensible public health, clean air , clean water, good food, appropriate vaccinations and a caring society. Then we need excellent care for the ill. Thirdly a sensible screening service , as is provided in UK by GPs. Looking for disease in worried well people is sometimes reasonable , but by and large these companies just want to make money. And there are definite disadvantages to inappropriate screening.

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Re: BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?

posted at 17/6/2012 1:34 PM BST on bmj.com

neuromedicine

Posts: 312
First: 2/6/2012
Last: 10/5/2013

no, its unethical.

New post Reply to this post

Re: BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?

posted at 25/6/2012 11:01 AM BST on bmj.com

*Moderator*

mbillingsley

Posts: 1451
First: 7/4/2011
Last: 24/5/2013

And now, BMJ News reports that Margaret McCartney has managed to overturn the UK advertising watchdog's gagging order to keep the details of cases from one of these screening schemes confidential.

Ads had claimed that ultrasonography of the carotid arteries was “your quick and easy way to help prevent a stroke.” But, McCartney was concerned by the “dangerously misleading” claims that screening could “prevent” a stroke and offer “peace of mind.”

The screening company, will now have to stop using "absolute" claims about about the diagnostic capabilities of the screening and was also asked to avoid repeating a claim that it had saved thousands of lives.

http://www.bmj.com/content/344/bmj.e4327

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Re: BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?

posted at 25/6/2012 2:39 PM BST on bmj.com

skyesteve

Posts: 1271
First: 13/4/2010
Last: 23/5/2013

This has been coverd extensively and repeatedly on Dr Margaret McCartney's excellent blog to which I have nothing to add:

http://www.margaretmccartney.com/blog/

(just scroll down a wee bit)

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Forums » Open clinical » General clinical » BOGOF preventative medicine - cynical disease mongering?