The Political Determinants of Health
Euan Lawson
Abstract
Diagnosis isn't always easy.Editorials this month help shine a light on early diagnosis of lung cancer and the complexities of pointof-care testing.We have research on the implications of thrombocytosis and its causes, plus a systematic review of strategies to curtail our use of low value medical tests.Diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction is proving notoriously challenging for patients and doctors alike -the HFpEF ('heff-peff') maze in the memorable phrase of Sowden and colleagues.Increasingly, two major themes in the BJGP are digital health and the desire to preserve aspects of care we would want as patients ourselves.We have an Analysis article on digital health but the importance of touch is not to be forgotten alongside an important commentary on the power of personal care.Life & Times goes beyond diagnosis to, more than anything, the human elements of clinical practice without which we would all be lost.