Current poll

"Should journals allow peer review only after publication?"

Polls in 2012

• Should we use elective ventilation to increase organ donation?
  Yes 66% (313)
  No 34% (163)
  Read the related news.
• Is providing hospital services seven days a week worth the extra cost?
  Yes 77% (759)
  No 23% (223)
  Read the related news story.
• Should the Health and Social Care Bill for England now be withdrawn?
  Yes 92% (2710)
  No 8% (241)
  Read the related comment article.
• Does anyone understand why we need the government's plans for the NHS?
  Yes 20% (154)
  No 80% (607)
  Read the related comment article.
• Should public funds pay when private healthcare goes wrong?
  Yes 18% (190)
  No 82% (865)
  Read the related editorial.
• Should doctors be able to self prescribe?
  Yes 65% (1052)
  No 35% (562)
  Read the related BMJ careers story.
• Should governments be allowed to censor research because of biosecurity fears?
  Yes 252 (42%)
  No 344 (58%)
  Read the related news story.

Polls in 2011

• Do you think that Charles Byrne's skeleton should...
  a) now be buried at sea? 453 (53%)
  b) be taken off display and stored in private for research purposes? 117 (14%)
  c) remain where it is on public display? 281 (33%)
  Read the related feature.
• Should we treat lower urinary tract symptoms without a definitive diagnosis?
  Yes: 513 (57%)
  No: 382 (43%)
  Read the related head to head debate Yes;No.
• Should the drug industry be given anonymised patient data?
  Yes: 432 (48%)
  No: 469 (52%)
  Read the related news story.
• Should women be able to request a caesarean section?
  Yes: 694 (46%)
  No: 809 (54%)
  Read the related head to head debate Yes;No.
• Has the closure of psychiatric beds gone too far?
  Yes: 539 (85%)
  No: 92 (15%)
  Read the related head to head debate Yes;No.
• Should doctors encourage people to donate a kidney to a stranger?
  Yes: 420 (36%)
  No: 740 (64%)
  Read the related head to head debate No;Yes.
• Do we need to curb population growth to improve global health?
  Yes: 1,105 (77%)
  No: 334 (23%)
  Read the related personal view.
• Should journals sell reprints?
  Yes: 78 (41%)
  No: 110 (59%)
  Read the related head to head debate: Yes;No.
• Should we use total mortality rather than cancer specific mortality to judge cancer screening programmes?

  Yes: 122 (53%)
  No: 110 (47%)
  Read the related head to head debate: Yes, No.

• Should patients be allowed to spend their personal health budgets on non evidence-based treatments, such as aromatherapy?

  Yes: 235 (40%)
  No: 352 (60%)
  Read the related feature

• Should GP practices be visited without warning to assess quality of care?

  Yes: 343 (81%)
  No: 80 (19%)
  Read the related blog

• Does the evidence support the use of mild hypothermia after cardiac arrest?
  Yes: 106 (73%)
  No: 40 (27%)
  Read the related head to head debate:Yes/No
• Should we regulate the food industry or work with it to tackle NCDs?
  Regulate it: 87 (74%)
  Work with it: 30 (26%)
  Read the related articles
• Should countries introduce minimum alcohol pricing?
  Yes: 162 (61%)
  No: 105 (39%)
  Read the related news story
• Should publicly funded research bodies be allowed to withhold research data from industry?
  Yes: 111 (45%)
  No: 133 (55%)
  Read the related blog and news story
• Should families of drug users be provided with naloxone?
  Yes: 170 (66%)
  No: 87 (34%)
  Read related news story
• Is the WHO irrelevant?
  Yes: 171 (33%)
  No: 349 (67%)
  Read related feature
• Should the FDA loosen its conflict of interest rules for advisers?
  Yes: 40 (22%)
  No: 144 (78%)
  Read related news story

• Should postgraduate membership exams no longer be held overseas?
  No: 128 (53%)
  Yes: 115 (47%)
  Read related head to head (Yes; No)

• Does the use of medical titles by non-doctors mislead patients?
  Yes: 444 (83%)
  No: 89 (17%)
  Read related personal view
• Should it be compulsory for adult cyclists to wear helmets?
  Yes: 462 (32%)
  No: 978 (68%)
  Read the related news story
• Are open data a good thing?
  Yes: 143 (82%)
  No: 31 (18%)
  Read related observations column
• Is there evidence that competition in healthcare is a good thing?
  No: 276 (73%)
  Yes: 101 (27%)
  Read related head to head debate
• Should the Health and Social Care Bill now be withdrawn?
  Yes: 1027 (93%)
  No: 74 (7%)
  Read related editorial
• Does knowledge of arts and culture make doctors better clinicians?
  Yes: 346 (80%)
  No: 88 (20%)
  Read related personal view
• Should HIV tests be offered to all patients attending emergency departments?
  Yes: 280 (67%)
  No: 135 (33%)
  Read related news story

• "Are digital rectal examinations performed in primary care a waste of time?"
  No: 278 (65%)
  Yes: 153 (35%)
  Read related personal view

• Should non-medical health professionals be the first port of call for patients with back pain?
  Yes: 111 (39%)
  No: 173 (61%)
  Read related personal view
• Has child protection become a form of madness?
  Yes: 181 (66%)
  No: 93 (34%)
  Read related head to head debate
• Do you feel confident in discussing dying and death with patients?
  Yes: 162 (66%)
  No: 85 (34%)
  Read the related personal view
• Is the peer review system in crisis?
  Yes: 97 (60%)
  No: 65 (40%)
  Read related news story
• Should the UN appoint a representative to investigate violations of medical neutrality in countries like Bahrain?
  Yes: 164 (81%)
  No: 39 (19%)
  Read related editorial
• Should the law on assisted dying be changed?
  Yes: 203 (31%)
  No: 462 (69%)
  Read related head to head debate
• Is nudge an effective public health strategy to tackle obesity?
  Yes: 61 (34%)
  No: 117 (66%)
  Read related head to head
• Do most patients want shared decision making?
  Yes: 144 (72%)
  No: 55 (28%)
  Listen to related podcast
• Should helmets be compulsory for skiers and snowboarders?
  Yes: 343 (65%)
  No: 183 (35%)
  Read related editorial
• Should the opportunity to sit in on surgery be auctioned to the highest bidder?
  No: 277 (86%)
  Yes: 44 (14%)
  Read related personal view
• Compared with now, do you think healthcare in England in five years' time will be: Much better, better, the same, worse, or much worse?
  Much better 49 (4%)
  Better 132 (11%)
  Same 154 (13%)
  Worse 428 (36%)
  Much worse 420 (36%)
  Read all the latest news and comment on the BMJ's NHS reforms microsite
• Have we gone too far in translating ideas from aviation to patient safety?
  Yes 99 (51%)
  No 95 (49%)
  Read related head to head debate
• Is NHS Employers justified in trying to impose a freeze on incremental pay progression for NHS staff?
  Yes 89 (22%)
  No 313 (78%)
• Should children aged 5 years or younger be included in the flu vaccination programme?
  Yes 420 (49%)
  No 440 (51%)
  

  Polls in 2010

• Is it ever justified to submit a hoax abstract to an international meeting?
  Yes 253 (35%)
  No 473 (65%)
  Read related article
• Should a paper supporting Seroxat use in adolescents be retracted?
  Yes 87 (65%)
  No 47 (35%)
  Read related feature
• Should health systems stop supporting low volume units?
  No 156 (64%)
  Yes 87 (36%)
  Read related news story
• Is the UK coalition government turning the clock back on advances in public health?
  Yes 211 (78%)
  No 59 (22%)
  Read related feature
• Should the law on orphan drugs be changed?
  Yes 112 (77%)
  No 33 (23%)
  Read related feature
• Should rationing of drugs be done by individual doctors or by a national body?
  National body: 322 (70%)
  Individual doctors: 137 (30%)
  Read related Q&A briefing
• Does choice matter more to politicians and patient advocates than it does to patients?
  Yes 220 (66%)
  No 113 (34%)
  Read related analysis
• Are the cuts fair?
  No 146 (62%)
  Yes 90 (38%)
  Read related head to head
• Should drug misusers be paid to be sterilised?
  No 314 (68%)
  Yes 145 (32%)
  Read related news story
• Would a tax on high fat/sugar foods help reduce obesity levels?
  Yes 258 (50.5%)
  No 253 (49.5%)
  Read related observations column
• Should NHS mental health services fear the private sector?
  Yes 117 (62%)
  No 72 (38%)
  Read related head to head debate
• Should all athletes have ECG screening?
  Yes 236 (71.5%)
  No 94 (28.5%)
  Read related head to head debate
• Have targeted cancer drugs met expectations?
  No 92 (75.4%)
  Yes 30 (24.6%)
• How confident are you that key proposals of the NHS white paper for England will take effect?
  100%: 28 (9.59%)
  75%: 43 (14.73%)
  50%: 75 (25.68%)
  25%: 93 (31.85%)
  0%: 53 (18.15%)
• Should doctors regulate themselves?
  Yes: 198 (57%)
  No: 151 (43%)
• Should people with dementia be allowed to vote?
  Yes: 208 (52%)
  No: 194 (48%)
  Read related editorial
• Should egg and sperm donors be paid more to reduce shortages in IVF clinics?
  Yes: 124 (44%)
  No: 159 (56%)
  Read related news story
• Should ending mixed sex wards be a government priority?
  Yes: 108 (34%)
  No: 210 (66%)
  Read the related news story
• Should the role of GPs in maternity care be strengthened?
  Yes: 146 (65%)
  No: 80 (35%)
  Read related news story
• Have you ever taken modafinil, methylphenidate, and atomoxetine to boost your cognitive performance?

  No: 363 (91%)
  Yes: 38 (9%)
  Read related editorial

• Should rosiglitazone be withdrawn?
  Yes: 149 (80%)
  No: 38 (20%)
  Read related news story
• Will GP commissioning improve patient care?
  No: 269 (73.7%)
  Yes: 96 (26.3%)
  Read related news story
• How often do you notice bias in industry sponsored educational materials?
  Often: 97 (70.8%)
  Sometimes: 31 (22.6%)
  Never: 9 (6.6%)
• Should locum agencies be regulated?
  Yes: 169 (91%)
  No: 17 (9%)
  Read related feature
• Is offering unemployment advice part of a family doctor's remit?
  No: 175 (71%)
  Yes: 72 (29%)
  Read related editorial
• Should the Quality and Outcomes Framework be abolished?
  Yes: 38 (47%)
  No: 43 (53%)
  Read related head to head
• Is reforming the tax system the best way to address the income inequalities that underlie health inequalities?
  Yes: 95 (64%)
  No: 54 (36%)
  Read related observations column
• Should health policy focus on physical inactivity rather than obesity?
  Yes 318 (83%)
  No 65 (17%)
  Read related head to head
• Is homophobia fuelling Africa's HIV epidemic?
  Yes: 184 (53%)
  No: 162 (47%)
  See related feature
• Is the coalition's health policy going to be good for the NHS?
  Yes: 62 (52%)
  No: 58 (48%)
  See related news story
• Should the world follow Australia and introduce plain packets for cigarettes?
  Yes: 247 (70%)
  No: 105 (30%)
  See the related personal view
• Should medical students be regulated?
  Yes: 456 (67%)
  No: 225 (33%)
  See related head to head debate
• Can the NHS cut costs without substantially damaging the quality of healthcare?
  Yes: 152 (48%)
  No: 165 (52%)
  See related Kings Fund debate page
• Should researchers make the raw data from their studies available to anyone who asks for them?
  Yes: 488 (74%)
  No: 179 (26%)
  Read related observations article
• Is the NHS three times better than in 1979?
  No: 166 (60%)
  Yes: 113 (41%)
  Read related observations article
  
• Which of these situations worry you most in your career? (Total number of votes=326)
  
  1. When it's in the public interest to breach patient confidentiality: 136 votes
  2. Breaking bad news and advance care planning: 94 votes
  3. Appropriate off label prescribing: 35 votes
  4. Maximising people's ability to consent to research involvement: 31 votes
  5. Talking to patients about CPR and a DNACPR order: 30 votes

• Should primary care physicians refuse to see the worried well?
  Yes: 87 (22%)
  No: 310 (78%)
  Read doc2doc discussion
• Will a market deliver quality and efficiency in health care better than central planning ever could?
  Yes: 72 (34%)
  No: 142 (66%)
  Read related head to head debate
• Will the new assisted suicide policy change your practice?
  Yes: 49 (28%)
  No: 123 (72%)
  Read related news story 
• Should homoeopathy be available on the NHS?
  Yes: 2208 (19%)
  No: 8730 (81%)
  Read related news story.
• Has guideline development gone astray?
  Yes 138 (72.6%)
  No 52 (27.4%)
  Read related head to head debate

Polls in 2009

• Which of these songs would you use for CPR training? (Total votes=1764)    
  - Bee Gees - Staying alive: 635 votes (36%)
  - Mandy Miller - Nellie the elephant: 351 votes (20%)
  - Queen - Another one bites the dust: 317 votes (18%)          
  - Other*: 119 votes(7%)          
  - The Whispers - And the beat goes on: 107 votes (6% )
  - KC & The Sunshine Band - That's the way I like it: 95 votes (5%) 
  - The Backstreet Boys - Quit playing games (with my heart): 72 votes  (4%)
  - Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart: 68 votes (4%) 
                                            
  *Includes: Theme from the Archers,  Ave Maria or the Faure Requiem, Anarchy in the UK, Baa baa black sheep, London Bridge, Michael Jackson - Billie Jean, Guns'n'Roses - Knocking on heaven's door

  Read related research article.
                                       

• Would you publicly confess to a serious mistake if you thought others could learn from your experience?
  Yes: 325 (76%)
  No: 104 (24%)
  Read related news story.
• Is the conflict of interest unacceptable when drug companies conduct trials on their own drugs?
  Yes: 400 (75%)
  No: 133 (25%)
  Related head to head
• Should the NHS strive to eradicate all unexplained variation in practice?
  No: 181 (65%)
  Yes: 96 (35%)
  Related head to head
• Do you need a degree to nurse?
  Yes: 308 (39%)
  No: 477 (61%)
  Related forum on doc2doc

• Do restrictions on working hours of doctors compromise surgical education?
  Yes: 279 (69%)
  No: 123 (31%)
  Related analysis

• Was home secretary Alan Johnson justified in sacking his drugs adviser David Nutt?
  Yes: 156 (18%)
  No: 728 (82%)
  Related news story
• Is ageism a common problem in the NHS?
  Yes: 207 (78%)
  No: 57 (22%)
  Related news story
• Will you take the swine flu vaccine?
  Yes: 446 (42%)
  No: 612 (58%)
  Related news story
• Are women doctors still discriminated against?
  Yes: 320 (55%)
  No: 261 (45%)
  Related news story
• Do gyms have responsibilities for people with eating disorders?
  Yes: 186 (39%)             
  No: 296 (61%)           
  Related news story
• Should doctors treating patients with genetic diseases be allowed to disclose information to blood relatives at risk?
  Yes: 315 (69%)             
  No: 142 (31%)           
  Related news story
• Should under 5s be allowed to touch animals at petting farms?
  Votes: Yes: 473 (82%); No: 106 (18%)
  Related news story
• Is population stabilisation crucial to tackling climate change?
  Votes: Yes: 277 (79%); No: 72 (21%)
  Related editorial
• Should all alcohol advertising be banned?
  Votes: Yes: 456 (70%); No: 191 (30%)
  Related editorial
• Should youth mental health become a speciality in its own right?
  Votes: Yes: 243 (72%); No: 94 (28%)
  Related head to head
• Is rate more important than rhythm in treating atrial fibrillation?
  Votes: Yes: 345 (75%); No: 114 (25%)
  Related head to head
• Does Helicobacter pylori really cause duodenal ulcers?
  Votes: Yes: 425 (83%); No: 89 (17%)
  Related head to head
• Should antivirals be given to young people with mild symptoms of A/H1N1?
  Votes: Yes: 65 (14%); No: 390 (86%)
  Related research
• Do not-for-profit nursing homes provide better quality?
  Votes: Yes: 109 (66%); No: 57 (34%)
  Related research
• Should we stop screening women under 25 for cervical cancer?
  Votes: Yes: 156 (35%); No: 287 (65%)
  Related research
• Do you feel equipped to manage patients with swine flu?
  Votes: Yes: 112 (46%); No: 131 (54%)
  Related editorial

• Is systolic blood pressure all that matters?
  Votes: Yes: 89 (17%); No: 434 (83%)
  Related head to head debate: Yes; No

• Have you changed your behaviour as a consequence of swine flu? (July 2009)
  Votes: Yes: 149 (25%); No: 457 (75%)
  Related research

• Would you recommend to your patients, family, or friends to attend breast screening? (July 2009)
  Votes: Yes: 293 (85%); No: 53 (15%)
  Related observation

• Is it acceptable for people to take methylphenidate to enhance performance? (June 2009)
  Votes: Yes: 100 (27%); No: 264 (73%)
  Related head to head debate; Yes; No
• Is medicine failing male patients? (June 2009)
  Votes: Yes: 119 (53%); No: 104 (47%)
  Related personal view

• Does English libel law threaten scientific debate in health care? (June 2009)
  Votes: Yes 92 (80%); No: 23 (20%)
  Related editorial
• Would you blow the whistle if you saw a senior colleague repeatedly making mistakes? (June 2009)
  Votes: Yes 471 (87%); No: 71 (13%)
  Related editorial
• Should blood pressure lowering drugs be offered to all people over a certain age? (May 2009)
  Votes: Yes 132 (33%); No: 272 (67%)
  Related research and editorial

• Should hospices be exempt from following national cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines? (March 2009)
  Votes: Yes 272 (60%); No 180 (40%)
  Related head to head debate: Yes; No
• Should people at risk of reinfarction have defibrillators available at home?(March 2009) 
  Votes: Yes: 39 (49%); No: 40 (51%)
  Related head to head debate: Yes; No
• Will doctor rating sites improve standards of care? (March 2009)
  Votes: Yes: 26 (30%); No: 60 (70%)
  Related head to head debate: Yes; No
• Should all patients be offered online access to their medical records? (March 2009)
  Votes: Yes: 106 (65%); No: 57 (35%)
  Related podcast and blog
• Should men who have ever had sex with men be banned from giving blood? February 2009.
  Votes: No: 300 (55%); Yes: 244 (45%)
  Read related head to head debate: Yes; No
• Who should receive the BMJ Group award for lifetime achievement?  (February 2009)
  The winner will be announced at the awards ceremony on 2 April.
• Doctors and the drug industry: what's in the best interests of patients and the public?  (February 2009)
  
  1. Tighter standards of conduct: 103 votes (42%)
  2. No relationship: 60 votes (25%)
  3. Less but better regulation: 38 votes (16%)
  4. Closer working: 30 votes (12%)
  5. No change:    12 votes (5%)

  Read related articles

• Will the WHO's surgical safety checklist change practice?  (January 2009)
  Votes: Yes 138 (66%); No 71 (34%)
  Read related editorial
• Have NHS targets such as minimum waiting times done more harm than good? (January 2009)
  Votes: Yes (%); No (%)
  Read related head to head debate: Yes; No
• Should doctors work beyond 70? (January 2009)
  Votes: Yes 484 (40%); No 726 (60%)
  Read related news story

 
Polls in 2008

• Should drug companies teach therapeutics to medical undergraduates? (January 2009)
  Votes: Yes 155 (22%); No 560 (78%)
  Read related news feature.
• Should the contraceptive pill be available without prescription? (December 2008)
  Votes: Yes 660 (54%); No 568 (46%)
  Read related head to head debate: Yes; No

• Should smoking in outside public spaces be banned? (December 2008)
  Votes: Yes 416 (58%); No 307 (42%)
  Reead related head to head debate: Yes; No
• Should doctors encourage patients to make decisions about their future care in case incapacity strikes? (December 2008) Votes: Yes 465 (87%); No 67 (13%)
• Would you advise a friend or relative to become a doctor? (December 2008)
  Votes: Yes 461 (52%); No 420 (48%)
  Read related personal view.
• Will financial penalties improve control of hospital acquired infections? (November 2008)
  Votes: Yes 119 (42%); No 164 (58%)         
  Read related analysis.
• Should restaurant menus include nutrition labelling information? (November 2008)
  Votes: Yes 480 (69%); No 217 (31%)
  Read related feature and listen to related podcast.
• Should world leaders be obliged to make their health records public? (November 2008)
  Votes: Yes 211 (34%); No 416 (66%)  
  Read related personal view.
• Should influence immunisation be mandatory for healthcare workers (Novermber 2008)
  Votes: Yes 493 (62%); No 302 (38%)
  Related head to head debate: Yes; No
• Which presidential candidate has better plans for US health reform? (October 2008)
  Votes: Barack Obama 877 (85%); John McCain 160 (15%)
  Read related feature.
• Should developed countries become net exporters of health professionals? (October 2008)
  Votes: Yes: 217 (59%); No: 150 (41%)
  Read related editorial and features (International action on migration of health workers, Fighting the brain drain)
• Should doctors lead on rationing decisions? (October 2008)
  Votes: Yes 155 (62%); No 93 (38%)
  Read related editorial, feature, and analysis (Clinical priority setting, Accountability for reasonableness, Moving forward on rationing)
• Does NICE deserve its bad press? (October 2008)
  Votes: Yes 166 votes (41%); No 236 (59%)
  Read related observations article

;

• Should there be a ceiling on what percentage of GDP countries spend on health? (September 2008)
  Votes: Yes 101 (34%); No 199 (66%)
  Read related head to head debate: Yes; No.

;

• Should medical records remain confidential after a patient's death? (September 2008)
  Votes: Yes 431 (69%); No 195 (31%)
  Read related news.
• Is early intervention in the major psychiatric disorders justified? (September 2008)
  Votes: Yes 303 (85%); No 52 (15%)
  Related head to head debate: Yes; No.
• Should primary care be nurse led? (September 2008)
  Votes: Yes 323 (30%); No 737 (70%)
  Related head to head debate: Yes; No.
• Are national qualifying examinations a fair way to rank medical students?
  (August 2008)
  Votes: Yes 434 (53%); No 389 (47%)
  Related head to head debate: Yes; No
• Should the UK instigate universal childhood immunisation against the varicella zoster virus (responsible for chickenpox and shingles)? (August 2008)
  Votes: Yes 291 (63%) ; No 171 (37%)
  Read related editorial.
• Should the NHS fund drugs that have not yet been approved by NICE?
  (August 2008)
  Votes: Yes 264 (43%); No 354 (57%)
  Read related news.
• Should failed asylum seekers be denied free primary care?
  (July 2008)
  Votes: Yes 289 (36%); No 518 (64%)
  Read related personal view.
• Should doctors advise people to limit the number of children they have for the sake of the environment?
  Votes: Yes 513 (46%); No 609 (54%)
  Read related editor's choice.
• Has the UK's four hour emergency care target compromised patient safety? (July 2008)
  Votes: Yes 172 (72%); No 67 (28%)
• Should disadvantaged people be paid to take care of their health?
  Votes: Yes 183 (34%); No 363 (66%)
• Should geriatric medicine remain a specialty? (July 2008)
  Votes: Yes 587 (80%); No 146 (20%)
• Are international medical conferences an outdated luxury the planet can’t afford?
  (July 2008)
  Votes: Yes 471 (59%); No 324 (41%)
• Are the NHS's founding principles still relevant in 21st century Britain?
  (June 2008)
  Votes: Yes 496 (70%); No 215 (30%)
• Should patients be fined if they miss appointments? (June 2008)
  Votes: Yes 299 (51%); No 292 (49%)
• Should all healthcare interventions be rigorously tested before their introduction?(June 2008)
  Votes: Yes 392 (78%); No 111 (22%)
• Is it feasible for GPs to put all 40-75 year olds on statins based on cardiovascular risk, ethnicity, and family history? (June 2008)
  Votes: Yes 416 (44%); No 522 (56%)
• Were MPs right to allow the creation of "admixed" human and animal embryos for research in the United Kingdom? (May 2008)
  Votes: Yes 271 (36%); No 480 (64%)
• Would you share the answers to exam questions if you were exclusively told them in advance? (May 2008)
  Votes: Yes 57 (58%); No 42 (42%)
• Should hypertension be treated aggressively even in very old patients? (May 2008)
  Votes: Yes 362 (49%); No 374 (51%)
• Should patients be able to pay top-up fees for treatments not funded by the NHS? (May 2008)
  Votes: Yes 375 (71%); No 151 (29%)
• Does it matter if medical graduates don't get jobs as doctors? (May 2008)
  Votes: Yes 1025 (81%); No 246 (19%)
• Do we need polyclinics? (April 2008)
  Votes: Yes 361 (66%); No 188 (34%)
• Should we screen for abdominal aortic aneurysm? (April 2008)
  Votes: Yes 333 (66%); No 175 (34%)
• Which health project would make the greatest difference to health care? (April 2008)
  • Palliative care for all at the end of life: 1552 votes (38%)
  • Combating drug resistant infections in poor countries: 879 votes (22%)
  • Better care for the elderly with multiple health problems: 686 votes (17%) Improving chronic pain management: 487 (12%)
  • Reducing excessive drinking in young women: 331 votes (8%)
  • Helping to reduce adverse drug reactions in elderly patients: 111 votes (3%)
• Are there too many female medical graduates? (April 2008)
  Votes: Yes 454 (44%); No 568 (56%)
• Should pharmaceutical companies enjoy greater legal freedoms to provide prescription drug information directly to the public? (March 2008)
  Votes: Yes 220 (20%); No 870 (80%)
• Should responsibility for signing people off sick be transferred from GPs to occupational health teams? (March 2008)
  Votes: Yes 419 (56%); No 326 (44%)
• Should all doctors have a legal obligation to offer assistance in an inflight medical
  emergency? (March 2008)
  Votes: Yes 458 (53%); No 408 (47%)
• Should doctors change their practice in prescribing antidepressants in the light of last month's research? (March 2008)
  Votes: Yes 876 (71%); No 355 (29%)
• Has the hunt for conflicts of interests gone too far? (February 2008)
  Votes: Yes 197 (45%); No 246 (56%)
• Do you object to continuing medical education being funded by the pharmaceutical industry? (February 2008)
  Votes: Yes 853 (55%); No 669 (45%)
• Should doctors advocate snus and other nicotine replacements? (February 2008)
  Votes: Yes 195 (61%); No 124 (39%)
• Is it time to stop using the term "sudden infant death syndrome"? (February 2008)
  Votes: Yes 584 (60%); No 381 (40%)
• Is the obesity epidemic exaggerated? (February 2008)
  Votes: Yes 987 (73%); No 371 (27%)
• Is climate change a matter for doctors? (January 2008)
  Votes: Yes 805 (69%); No 363 (31%)
• Should the Tooke report on postgraduate medical education and training be implemented in full? (January 2008)
  Votes: Yes 429 (74%); No: 153 (26%)

Previous polls

• Is it acceptable for people to be paid to adhere to medication? (August 2007)
• Should we consider a boycott of Israeli academic institutions? (July 2007)
• Should medical journals carry drug advertising? (July 2007)
• Should folic acid fortification be mandatory? (June 2007)
• Should genetic information be disclosed to insurers? (June 2007)
• Is presumed consent the answer to organ shortages? (May 2007)
• Should women be offered cholesterol lowering drugs to prevent cardiovascular disease? (May 2007)
• Should patient groups accept money from drug companies? (May 2007)
• What is the most important medical advance since 1840? (January 2007)
• Would the NHS benefit from a single, identifiable leader? (December 2003)

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• What is your idea of a good death? (July 2003)

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• What do you think of POEMs? (June 2003)

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• Are doctors and the drug industry too close for comfort? (June 2003)

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• How political should a general medical journal be? (December 2002)

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• Spend (slightly) less on health care and more on the arts (December 2002)

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• Journal policies on competing interests (poll) (December 2002)

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• Ban a word for Christmas and please an old journal (poll) (November 2002)

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• Consent for using leftover body material for scientific purposes (September 2002)

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• Promoting pedestrian and cyclist survey (May 2002)

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• Where will the NHS be in 10 years? (April 2002)

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• Which would do most to improve health in the developed world? (April 2002)

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• Today's non-diseases(February 2002)

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• What's your ideal medical school? (December 2001)

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• Why Richard Smith resigned as professor of medical journalism at Nottingham University (May 2001)

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• Why are doctors so unhappy? (May 2001)

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• New genetics - new ethics (May 2001)

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• How can health research in the developing world best be promoted? (October 2000)

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• Results of readers' polls on topics for theme issues (2000-1) (September 2000)

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• Should BMJ have published an advertisement featuring a woman with bare breasts? (September 2000)

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• England's NHS plan (August 2000)

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• Are you ready to access parts of bmj.com through a hand-held device, such as a Palm Pilot (TM) or Visor (TM)? (May 2000)

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• Should we limit the number of rapid responses we publish from one individual? (April 2000)

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• Should doctors and nurses monitor each others' performance? (April 2000)

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• Continuing medical education (February 2000)

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• How should research articles be shortened for paper publication? (November 1999)

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• Overpopulation and overconsumption: does the world need specific education policies? (October 1999)

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• Doctors' consulting styles - present, future, and desired (September 1999)

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• PubMed Central
  Website visitors' attitude (11 September 1999)
  Authors' attitude (October 1999)

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• ePrints
  Authors' attitude (10 July 1999)

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• How should the BMJ respond to devolution? (May 1999)

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• Who gets the liver? (July 1998)

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• Best and worst things about the NHS (July 1998)

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