More interesting was a podcast of a radio 4 series MedMatters 'Sugaring the Pill' which looked at the controversial topic of giving incentives to individuals in order to comply with certain health measures, such as taking up HPV vaccination and stopping smoking. The program talked to a couple of punters, a girl getting 20 quid, 5 quid and then a further 20 quid in shopping vouchers for her 3 HPV vaccines and a pregnant mum receiving shopping vouchers worth 40 quid for not smoking. If she gets up to 1 year post delivery with no fags she will have earnt herself £150. Both these interventions were successful, not only for the individuals interviewed but actually increased compliance by 50% in the NHS trusts where this was pilotted.
Another scheme giving 'pounds for pounds' paying peoples membership fee for a diet club was less successful with a high drop out rate.
NICE apparently wrote a document back in 2007 about this kind of incentive scheme and found that 2/3 of a 'citizen's focus group' of lay members of the public found such an intervention successful.
An addicition consultant specialist was strongly enthusiastic saying not using such a scheme that had been found to be so powerful and have an such a strong effect would be negligent.
Then the Coalition Government of course gave a brief press release for the program saying no way they would consider such interventions an acceptable use of public money, surprise surprise.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts
Reading wise, today I've dipped into the BJGP, looking at GPs role in providing maternity care and how we are getting less and less involved in women's care right from the pre-conceptual stage through to the post partum stage. Also articles about managing Diabetic women in their pregnancy, and offering pre-conceptual advice to them, screening for thallesemia which I think we do routinely in Sheffield.
Time to go and play with some leaves now! Collecting and throwing all leaves that were blown off the trees in yesterday's heavy winds.
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