Don't be an ostrich

doi:10.1136/bmj.a2925

Published 10 December 2008, doi:10.1136/bmj.a2925
Cite this as: BMJ 2008;337:a2925

Letters

QOFing whine

Don’t be an ostrich

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

Spence’s sceptical reaction to the quality and outcomesframework (QOF) will have hit home with many general practitioners.¹Few of us spontaneously welcome the nagging computer promptsthat interrupt our consultations, reduce our work to protocolsand guidelines, and ignore the subtle, immeasurable aspectsof the job. Nor do we like to acknowledge how easily our actionshave been manipulated by cash incentives.

But wait, it’s not about us: it’s about our patients.The QOF reminds us to consider evidence based medicine for everypatient, not just when we have the time or the inclination.I agree that applying clinical research findings to patientswith complex cases is not straightforward, but that’swhere the skill comes in. We have to start somewhere, and wecan improve QOF gradually as we see its real impact on our patients’lives.

So do we just squeeze in the extra work, get rich and . . . [Full text of this article]

Jessica Harris, general practitioner¹

¹ Eynsham Medical Group, The Surgery, Long Hanborough, Witney, Oxfordshire OX29 8JL

jessica.harris@metronet.co.uk