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Poll archive
Current poll
Should electronic cigarettes be as freely available as tobacco cigarettes?
India: Should electronic cigarettes be as freely available as tobacco cigarettes?
US: Should electronic cigarettes be as freely available as tobacco cigarettes?
Polls in 2013
- Will access to individual surgeon's performance data improve patient care?
Yes 313 (49%)
No 329 (51%)
Total votes cast 642
Read the related news - US: Do calorie counts on restaurant menus influence your food choices?
Yes 232 (71%)
No 95 (29%)
Total votes cast 327
Read the related research - India: Should medical abortion be easier for Indian women to access?
Yes 57 (77%)
No 17 (23%)
Total votes cast 74
Read the related feature - Is clinical examination dead?
Yes 127 (16%)
No 680 (84%)
Total votes cast 807
Read the related news - India: Should sportspeople be allowed to promote alcohol brands on their sports kit?
Yes 8 (10%)
No 74 (90%)
Total votes cast 82
Read the related news - US: Have the benefits of influenza vaccines been oversold?
Yes 128 (67%)
No 63 (33%)
Total votes cast 191
Read the related feature - Should we sequence everyone's genome?
Yes 331 (30%)
No 781 (70%)
Total votes cast 1112
Read the related head to head Yes: No. - Should governments introduce plain packets for cigarettes?
Yes 717 (72%)
No 285 (28%)
Total votes cast 1002
Read the related article - India: Is it ethical for doctors to take gifts from drug companies?
Yes 49 (25%)
No 147 (75%)
Total votes cast 196
Read the related article - US: Should governments introduce plain packets for cigarettes?
Yes 68 (54%)
No 59 (46%)
Total votes cast 127
Read the related article - US: Should everyone aged 15 - 64 be screened for HIV infection?
Yes 84 (63%)
No 49 (37%)
Total votes cast 133
Read the related article - Should everyone aged 15 - 64 be screened for HIV infection?
Yes 572 (49%)
No 600 (51%)
Total votes cast 1172
Read the related article - Should the legal age for buying tobacco be raised to 21?
Yes 848 (80%)
No 216 (20%)
Total votes cast 1064
Read the related article - US: Should the legal age for buying tobacco be raised to 21?
Yes 137 (71%)
No 57 (29%)
Total votes cast 194
Read the related article - India: Can we leave industry to lead efforts to improve population health?
Yes 11 (24%)
No 34 (76%)
Total votes cast 45
Read the related article - Do patients need to know they are terminally ill?
Yes 1,026 (87.5%)
No 146 (12.5%)
Total votes cast 1,172
Read the related head to head Yes:No - US: Should breast cancer drugs be offered to healthy but high risk women?
Yes: 52 (36%)
No: 94 (64%)
Total votes cast 146
Read the related article - Can we leave industry to lead efforts to improve population health?
Yes: 72 (11%)
No: 594 (89%)
Total votes cast 666
Read the related article - US: Will the sequester change your practice?
Yes: 31 (42%)
No: 43 (58%)
Total votes cast 74
Read the related article - India: Will the Indian Supreme Court's dismissal of Novartis' petition for patent protection discourage companies from investing in new drugs?
Yes: 29 (21%)
No: 111 (79%)
Total votes cast 140
Read the related article - Should drug companies publish the names of doctors to whom they make donations?
Yes: 999 (89%)
No: 129 (11%)
Total votes cast 1,128
Read the related article - Should GPs on the boards of clinical commissioning groups in England stand down if they have conflicts of interest?
Yes: 612 (87%)
No: 91 (13%)
Total votes cast 703
Read the related article - US: Will the new DSM-5 lead to patients being mislabelled as mentally ill?
Yes: 85 (83%)
No: 17 (17%)
Total votes cast 102
Read the related article - India: Are the dangers of antibiotic resistance exaggerated?
Yes: 30 (38%)
No: 49 (62%)
Total votes cast 79
Read the related article - Will 1 April mark the end of the NHS in England?
Yes: 493 (58%)
No: 363 (42%)
Total votes cast 761
Read the related head to head article - US: Should fee-for-service be abolished for physician pay?
Yes: 195 (58%)
No: 144 (42%)
Total votes cast 339
Read the related feature - Is it acceptable for people to take cognitive enhancing drugs to improve performance?
Yes: 326 (43%)
No: 435 (57%)
Total votes cast 761
Read the related news story - India: Should AYUSH doctors be allowed to prescribe allopathic drugs?
Yes: 47% (103)
No: 53% (114)
Total votes cast 217
Read the related blog - Are the dangers of antibiotic resistance exaggerated?
Yes: 19% (216)
No: 81% (909)
Total votes cast 1,125
Read the related news story - Should GPs be fined for rises in avoidable emergency admissions?
Yes: 35% (300)
No: 65% (558)
Total votes cast 858
Read the related head to head Yes:No - US: Should gun ownership be documented in electronic patient records?
Yes: 42% (189)
No: 58% (264)
Total votes cast 453
Read the related feature - Should the NHS work at weekends as it does in the week?
Yes: 64.2% (820)
No: 35.8% (458)
Total votes cast 1,278
Read the related head to head article No: Yes - India: Is security in Indian hospitals adequate to protect doctors from attacks from aggrieved relatives?
Yes: 10.3% (27)
No: 89.7% (236)
Total votes cast 263
Read the related news story - Should David Nicholson resign in the wake of the Mid Staffs inquiry report?
Yes: 88% (651)
No: 12% (85)
Total votes cast 736
Read the related article - Is a focus on risk in psychiatry an effective way of reducing harm to patients and the public?
Yes: 62% (206)
No: 38% (125)
Total votes cast 331
Read the related article - US: Is it right that doctors should publish all industry payments over $10?
Yes: 68% (155)
No: 32% (72)
Total votes cast 227
Read the related article - Will the Francis report lead to improvements in patient care?
Yes: 43% (204)
No: 57% (274)
Total votes cast 478
Read the related articles - Would you encourage your patients to have prostate specific antigen testing?
Yes: 46% (442)
No: 54% (519)
Total votes cast 961
Read the related clinical review article - Are acute hospitals the place for the frail and older people?
Yes: 16% (132 )
No: 84% (697)
Total votes cast 829
Read the related news article - Should free speech be more important than pharma regulation?
Yes: 60.7% (51)
No: 39.3% (33)
Total votes cast 84
Read the related feature - Are antidepressants overprescribed?
Yes: 79.3% (862)
No: 20.7% (226)
Total votes cast 1088
Read the related head to head Yes:No - Will expansion of the NHS abroad benefit UK patients
Yes: 32% (139)
No: 68% (229)
Total votes cast 438
Read the related head to head Yes:No - Is chemical castration an appropriate punishment for rape?
Yes: 56% (67)
No: 44% (52)
Total votes cast 119
Read the related news story - Should everyone over 74 be screened for dementia?
Yes: 45.3% (665)
No: 54.7% (802)
Total votes cast 1,467
Read the related Observations article - What is more important to you—the taste of food or how healthy it is?
Taste: 58.5% (954)
Health: 41.5% (678)
Total votes cast 1632
Read the related Christmas research article - Do you believe that non-coeliac gluten sensitivity exists?
Yes: 66.5% (626)
No: 33.5% (315)
Total votes cast 941
Read the related practice article - Is it ethical to donate second hand implantable devices to the developing world?
Yes: 62.6% (518)
No: 37.4% (309)
Total votes cast 827
Read the related blog - Is there value in conducting periodic health checks?
Yes: 63.5% (415)
No: 36.5% (238)
Total votes cast 653
Read the related research paper - In view of increasing antimicrobial resistance worldwide, have you changed your prescribing practice for antibiotics?
Yes: 77.7% (352)
No: 22.3% (101)
Total votes cast 453
Read the related news story - India: Should the UK withdraw aid to India?
Yes: 37.5% (24)
No: 62.5% (40)
Total votes cast 64
Read the related news story - Is the Liverpool care pathway fit for purpose?
Yes: 73% (467)
No: 27% (173)
Total votes cast 640
Read the related news story - Should all cosmetic surgery advertising be banned?
Yes: 64% (558)
No: 36% (331)
Total votes cast 919
Read the related head to head debate - Is it unethical to donate used cardioverter defibrillators to patients in India?
Yes: 19% (194)
No: 81% (834)
Total votes cast 1028
Read the related news story - Who is mainly at fault for denying access to negative clinical trial results?
Pharma: 395 (69%)
Regulators: 77 (13.5%)
Legislators: 50 (9%)
Ethics committees: 35 (6%)
Universities: 14 (2.5%)
Total votes cast 569
Read the related news story - Will calorie counts on vending machines reduce consumption of unhealthy foods?
Yes: 50.23%
No: 49.77%
Total votes cast 1099
Read the related news story - Is overtreatment an inevitable consequence of market based healthcare systems?
Yes: 83%
No: 17%
Total votes cast 878
Read the related feature - Would a "tan tax" on indoor tanning salons be an appropriate deterrent?
Yes: 55%
No: 45%
Total votes cast 664
Read the related personal view - Does celebrity involvement in public health campaigns deliver long term benefit?
Yes: 46.5%
No: 53.5%
Total votes cast 535
Read the related head to head debate Yes and No - Is doctors' professional use of social media likely to result in more good than harm?
Yes: 57%
No: 43%
Total votes cast 516
Read the related news - Are the causes of obesity mainly environmental?
Yes: 68%
No: 32%
Total votes cast 885
Read the related head to head debate Yes and No - Should altruistic kidney donors be able to choose the recipient of their kidney?
Yes: 48.5%
No: 51.5%
Total votes cast 633
Read the related news - Do abstinence programmes have a role in the treatment of heroin addiction?
Yes: 79%
No: 21%
Total votes cast 315
Read the related personal view - Should doctors allow families to veto organ donation requested by their dead relatives?
Yes: 18.5%
No: 81.5%
Total votes cast 1,570
Read the related personal view - Has the current economic downturn adversely affected the health of your patients?
Yes: 80%
No: 20%
Total votes cast 348
Read the related observations column - Should patients be able to control their own records?
Yes: 58%
No: 42%
Total votes cast 667
Read the related news story - Is their any point in measuring people's feelings of well-being?
Yes: 75%
No: 25%
Total votes cast 586
Read the related news story - Is fanaticism a form of madness?
Yes: 50.9%
No: 49.1%.
Total votes cast 668
Read the related head to head debate Yes and No and blog - Should we screen for type 2 diabetes?
Yes: 83%
No: 17%.
Total votes cast 700
Read the related head to head debate Yes and No - Does having a medical parent help or hinder?
Help: 79%
Hinder: 29%.
Total votes cast 465
Read the related personal view - Will the Olympics increase young people's participation in sport?
Yes: 447 (49.9%%)
No: 449 (50.1%)
Read the related editorial - Should doctor's organisations be neutral on assisted dying?
Yes: 1,137 (17%)
No: 5,455 (83%)
Read the related editorial - Should we abandon cervical spine manipulation for mechanical neck pain?
Yes: 284 (24%)
No: 876 (76%)
Read the related head to head debate Yes and No - Should addicts have their benefits cut if they refuse treatment?
Yes: 806 (65%)
No: 425 (35%)
Read the related news - Should all adults over 50 get statins?
Yes: 189 (21%)
No: 704 (79%)
Read the related research news - Should child immunisation be mandatory?
Yes: 813 (37%)
No: 1366 (63%)
Read the related head to head debate Yes and No - Are doctors justified in taking industrial action in defence of their pensions?
Yes: 514 (65%)
No: 271 (35%)
Read the related head to head debate Yes and No - Should ophthalmologists be encouraged to use bevacizumab to treat age related macular degeneration?
Yes: 257 (75%)
No: 85 (25%)
Read the related feature - What is the most important change to medical education in the past 20 years?
Debt? 22% (131 votes)
Competition to get into medical school? 16% (93 votes)
Competition for training posts? 14% (82 votes)
Workforce planning? 9% (53 votes)
Teaching methods and resources? 40% (238 votes) - Is spending on proton beam therapy going too far too fast?
Yes: 143 (56%)
No: 112 (44%)
Read the related feature - Should doctors have a stronger voice in policy on illegal drug use?
Yes: 984 (83%)
No: 198 (17%)
Read the related news story - Will minimum alcohol pricing reduce problem drinking?
Yes: 258 (33%)
No: 527 (67%)
Read the related news story - Should health professionals take a leading role in tackling climate change?
Yes: 325 (45%)
No: 394 (55%)
Read the related spotlight article - Should Tony Nicklinson, who has locked in syndrome, get medical help to end his life?
Yes: 748 (37%)
No: 1285 (63%)
Read the related news - Should everyone over 65 be screened for atrial fibrillation?
Yes: 498 (61%)
No: 312 (39%)
Read the related news - Does psychoanalysis have a place in modern mental health?
Yes: 575 (63%)
No: 342 (37%)
Read the related head to head debate Yes;No. - Should journals allow peer review only after publication?
Yes 26% (118)
No 74% (344)
Read the related blog. - 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 2012
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)
- When it's in the public interest to breach patient confidentiality: 136 votes
- Breaking bad news and advance care planning: 94 votes
- Appropriate off label prescribing: 35 votes
- Maximising people's ability to consent to research involvement: 31 votes
- 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
- 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 - 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
- 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)
- Tighter standards of conduct: 103 votes (42%)
- No relationship: 60 votes (25%)
- Less but better regulation: 38 votes (16%)
- Closer working: 30 votes (12%)
- No change: 12 votes (5%)
- 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 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%)
