Learning from low income countries: what are the lessons?
http://www.100md.com
《英国医生杂志》
EDITOR—Both the BMJ and the Lancet claim to be globally relevant.1 2 We tested this assertion and assessed the opportunities for readers of these journals in developed countries to learn from research from the developing world.
We abstracted research articles from the BMJ ("papers" and "primary care" sections) and the Lancet ("articles") from 1 March 2003 to 28 February 2004. We assessed each article independently as relevant or not relevant to developing countries, and as providing or not providing an opportunity for health professionals working in the UK health system to learn from experience from developing countries.
We found that 75 of 292 (25%) and 50 of 163 (31%) papers in the BMJ and the Lancet respectively were relevant to developing countries, largely in the fields of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and severe acute respiratory syndrome. Only 14 (5%) and 19 (12%), respectively, provided an opportunity for health professionals working in the UK health system to learn from experience from developing countries.
Our results indicate that, despite their claims, both the BMJ and the Lancet continue to focus on wealthy countries to the exclusion of research relevant to developing countries. Furthermore, the opportunity for the NHS to learn from developing countries is very restricted. Overcoming this could be achieved by providing training in writing for international journals, soliciting submissions, accepting articles in languages other than English, assisting in editing suitable articles, and encouraging collaboration between experienced and less experienced researchers, whatever their origin.
James N Newell, senior lecturer
Nuffield Institute for Health, Leeds LS2 9PL J.N.Newell@leeds.ac.uk
Andrew S Furber, clinical lecturer in public health
School for Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA
Competing interests: None declared.
References
About the BMJ. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/aboutsite/aboutbmj.shtml (accessed 16 Apr 2004.)
Horton R. Medical journals: evidence of bias against the diseases of poverty. Lancet 2003;361: 712-13.
We abstracted research articles from the BMJ ("papers" and "primary care" sections) and the Lancet ("articles") from 1 March 2003 to 28 February 2004. We assessed each article independently as relevant or not relevant to developing countries, and as providing or not providing an opportunity for health professionals working in the UK health system to learn from experience from developing countries.
We found that 75 of 292 (25%) and 50 of 163 (31%) papers in the BMJ and the Lancet respectively were relevant to developing countries, largely in the fields of tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and severe acute respiratory syndrome. Only 14 (5%) and 19 (12%), respectively, provided an opportunity for health professionals working in the UK health system to learn from experience from developing countries.
Our results indicate that, despite their claims, both the BMJ and the Lancet continue to focus on wealthy countries to the exclusion of research relevant to developing countries. Furthermore, the opportunity for the NHS to learn from developing countries is very restricted. Overcoming this could be achieved by providing training in writing for international journals, soliciting submissions, accepting articles in languages other than English, assisting in editing suitable articles, and encouraging collaboration between experienced and less experienced researchers, whatever their origin.
James N Newell, senior lecturer
Nuffield Institute for Health, Leeds LS2 9PL J.N.Newell@leeds.ac.uk
Andrew S Furber, clinical lecturer in public health
School for Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA
Competing interests: None declared.
References
About the BMJ. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/aboutsite/aboutbmj.shtml (accessed 16 Apr 2004.)
Horton R. Medical journals: evidence of bias against the diseases of poverty. Lancet 2003;361: 712-13.