http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ipm/2009/07/can_you_put_a_price_on_quality.shtml en-gb 30 Fri 25 Dec 2009 05:34:59 GMT+1 A feed of user comments from the page found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ipm/2009/07/can_you_put_a_price_on_quality.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ipm/2009/07/can_you_put_a_price_on_quality.shtml?page=13#comment2 Hi, listened to the podcast and I can't help feeling that I would rather not know about expensive treatments that might prolong my life for a few months. In fact I would rather avoid unnecessary interventions altogether. Sat 11 Jul 2009 19:49:23 GMT+1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ipm/2009/07/can_you_put_a_price_on_quality.shtml?page=6#comment1 Thanks Maddoc55To be fair to our specialist, she was communicating her concern about one aspect of her job rather than how she deals with her patients as a whole. Also patients are asking about drugs they've read about online which, as you say, may benefit one in twenty people, but which she has to advise patients on - patients who are often desperately searching for something to help them. Sat 04 Jul 2009 09:40:22 GMT+1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ipm/2009/07/can_you_put_a_price_on_quality.shtml?page=0#comment0 As a retired cancer specialist I was disappointed by the inability of you cancer specialist to coherently express the role of the doctor in managing end of life issues. Mrs Rao clearly realised at the end of her battles with bureaucracy that quality is paramount over length of life. It is the duty of clinicians to cure sometimes, reassure often and comfort always; the extension of life by expensive drugs with manifold side-effects is in my thirty year experience a painful and profitless, save for the drug companies, endeavour representing the triumph of hope over judgement. We do well to remember that no life is ever saved by any treatment, just the cause of death on the death certificate changes. Many of these treament will be benefit one in twenty patients which means that 19 in twenty will suffer unpleasant side effects in their final months. Clinical judgement once common is rare due to shortened training and will be rarer due to MTAS and EWTD. Sat 04 Jul 2009 05:23:51 GMT+1