Professor Gains Top Publication.
Inconsistent diagnoses of illnesses and the varied treatment paths prescribed are a major problem in the practice of medicine. After being awarded a Harkness Fellowship at Boston University, University of Otago Health Policy Associate Professor Robin Gauld spent a year investigating this problem of unwarranted clinical variation. Due to be published in the prestigious American Journal of Medical Quality, his research focuses on whether unwarranted clinical variation is an issue, what strategies are in place to combat it and whether or not they have been working.
A major concern in the US is the tendency of doctors to over-prescribe treatments and medicine in a bid to avoid possible malpractise lawsuits. Prof. Gauld’s research emphasises the importance of creating a system that works towards streamlining health care and eliminating this problem, making it safer for doctors to practise.