How do our beliefs and interpretations of evidence shape what we do for patients? Simon Carley introduces his SMACC Gold talk on deciding when to change practice, exploring the place of innovators and sceptics and linking to the debate that followed with Scott Weingart.
Iain Beardsell shares his SMACC Gold talk on chronic pain and the personal story behind it. His account follows the preparation, self-doubt and decision to include his family’s experience, showing how that experience shaped his desire to improve care for patients living with persistent pain.
The first St Emlyn’s podcast, from 2014, introduces Iain Beardsell and Simon Carley’s plans for the series. They explain the sharing philosophy of FOAMed and their aim to bring a UK perspective to clinical medicine, critical appraisal and the practical challenges of running an emergency department.
A look back at preparations for the St Emlyn’s team’s appearance in SimWars at SMACC Gold 2014. The post introduces the team’s trailer for the live resuscitation competition and links to other contributions, including a James Bond-themed version.
Should a displaced ankle fracture be X-rayed before reduction? This 2013 journal club challenges the conclusions of a retrospective study, exploring differences between patient groups, missing documentation and the limitations of repeat manipulation as an outcome before accepting a proposed change in practice.
A six-step introduction to using FOAM for professional learning, written after the 2013 London emergency medicine trainees’ conference. It covers building an online profile, finding people and blogs to follow, organising information feeds and regularly reviewing your digital presence.
A 2013 journal club examines a randomised trial comparing GlideScope video laryngoscopy with direct laryngoscopy in trauma patients. It considers survival, uncertainty around a small head-injury subgroup and whether results from a specialist trauma centre apply across emergency medicine.
How do you prepare for an emergency procedure you hope never to perform? In this 2013 reflection on perimortem caesarean delivery, Simon Carley explores advance planning, team roles, equipment and rehearsal for cardiac arrest in pregnancy.
Simon Carley offers an early emergency department response to the Surviving Sepsis guidance discussed in 2013. He highlights its resuscitation targets, antibiotic priorities and three- and six-hour bundles, while questioning how closely the recommendations reflected evolving practice at the time.
Simon Carley looks back at the ideas that changed St Emlyn's practice through FOAM in 2012. His personal top ten spans airway management, ultrasound, analgesia and children's medicines, reflecting on how online discussion can challenge established habits and turn learning into action.