Anna Donald, a pioneer of evidence-based medicine in the UK, died this
week after a protracted struggle with breast cancer. Anna originally
worked as a physician and lecturer in epidemiology and public policy at
University College London and was a founding Clinical Editor of the
British Medical Journal's groundbreaking compendium, Clinical Evidence.
A former Rhodes Scholar, Kennedy Fellow, Caltex Scholar and Menzies
Scholar, in 1999, she co-founded Bazian - a company which could act as
an independent source of evidence provision, and which produces many
evidence resources including Evidence-Based Mental Health, and much of
the material for Clinical Evidence. She was a great ambassador for EBM
and creative force within it. She coined the term "Evidology: A new
medical specialty that enables medical research to be incorporated
systematically into clinical practice [Latin videre to discern,
comprehend; evideri to appear plainly]", and believed that we need to
train a cohort of evidologists with a deep understanding of the nature
of evidence.
Anna was a warm and wonderful person who, during treatments for cancer,
freely discussed her plight, hopes and fears on her blog on the BMJ:
recommended reading for doctors and patients alike. Anna brought a smile
and light into the lives of all those around her.
--
Paul Glasziou
Director, Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine,
Department of Primary Health Care,
University of Oxford www.cebm.net
ph - +44-1865-289298 fax +44-1865-289287
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