Tessa Richards

1 month ago | bmj.com | Tessa Richards

Tessa Richards, patient and patient advocate, BMJ associate editor11Patient authorHospitals are stressful to be in and too often harm patients. Many acute hospital level interventions can be safely provided at home and patients welcome this option, says Tessa RichardsI liked hospitals once. As a junior doctor they were my second home. Fast forward a few decades, following many hospital stays, including scary sojourns in intensive care and high dependency wards, and I now dread being in them.

Jul 11, 2024 | bmj.com | Angela Coulter |Tessa Richards |Ceinwen Giles |Sophia Walker

Opinion BMJ 2024; 386 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.q1385 Cite this as: BMJ 2024;386:q1385 Angela Coulter, chair of trustees12, Tessa Richards, patient advocate3, Ceinwen Giles, co-chief executive officer34, Sophia Walker, patient editor35 1Picker Institute Europe, UK 2Public representative 3Patient author 4Shine Cancer Support, UK 5The BMJ Giving patients real time access to their full electronic health records can help them to manage their health as effectively as possible Patients,...

Jun 6, 2024 | bmj.com | Tessa Richards

Tessa Richards, associate editor121The BMJ2Patient authorIn the quest to find a cause for “medically unexplained symptoms” patients need supportive doctors who don’t trivialise their problems, says Tessa RichardsPatients with persistent, severe, but medically unexplained physical symptoms baffle and frustrate doctors. Without a diagnosis they can’t be put on established disease pathways and it’s hard to know how best to manage them.

Apr 16, 2024 | bmj.com | Tessa Richards

Tessa Richards, associate editor121The BMJ2Patient authorNew initiatives to boost health literacy in populations and organisations need broad input from patients and the public, says Tessa Richards“Sunshine, rest, exercise, diet, friends, and self-confidence” are the “six best doctors in the world,” is a popular quote. As a patient with multiple long term conditions, I’d add “peer support” to that list.

Feb 6, 2024 | bmj.com | Tessa Richards |Peter A Bamber |James Walker

Dear EditorThe Fourth Annual Report on Medical assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada in 2022 revealed that those 13,102 Canadians who ended their lives under Maid, the vast majority cited the “loss of ability to engage in meaningful life activities” as the reason for wanting to die. But other responses have troubled healthcare experts. More than one-third of respondents said their decision was, in part, informed by a feeling they were a perceived burden on family, friends or caregivers.