BMJ  2005;331:107 (9 July), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7508.107

Commentary

Challenging the patience of patients

Amye L Leong, director of strategic relations, Bone and Joint Decade 2000-20101

1 1416 Tanglewood Drive, North Wales, PA 19454, USA AmyeLeong@aol.com

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Academic medicine has a critical role in consumer health care. Patients can thank academic medicine for research leading to improved health care, education of medical professionals, and leadership in patient care, research, and education. But times have changed. The growing disincentives to participate in academic medicine and demanding financial, political, demographic, consumer, and technology trends are cause for concern. If academic medicine is to remain a leading player in the business of health, it has to do better.

I applaud the International Campaign to Revitalise Academic Medicine for prompting strategic introspection and global action.1 Patients have had an integral role in the campaign from the start and will continue to contribute. But is that enough? Can we afford to wait for the results of this strategic process or should we demand more of policy makers and academic medical centres now?

The five scenarios offer us a pathway to examine old . . . [Full text of this article]

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