Who is it for
The course is suitable for all healthcare professionals involved in research, including:
GPs, GP trainees, hospital doctors, foundation doctors, practice and specialist nurses, allied health professionals, physician associates, medical students, and medical trainees.

What you will learn
After completing the course, you will be able to:

• Explain diversity, underrepresented voices, and public involvement in research

• Understand how inclusive practices improve the quality and relevance of health and care research

• Recognise barriers that discourage participation from underrepresented communities

• Apply strategies to make research more inclusive

• Evaluate how effectively your research promotes diversity and inclusion

“China’s scale makes it a living laboratory for global health, but scale alone isn’t enough. To deliver real impact, research must be rigorous, transparent, and internationally connected.”

Dr Jocalyn Clark 
The BMJ’s International Editor and editorial lead for this special collection

The Collection features six analysis articles and an editorial co-authored by experts from The BMJ, Tsinghua University, and the University of Bristol. Together, they chart the evolution of cohort studies in China, from early occupational cohorts to today’s large-scale initiatives, and set out recommendations for the next phase of collaboration and quality assurance.

Editorial

Enhancing cohort studies in China and international collaboration
A new BMJ Collection examines how well designed, large scale research can benefit global health, but that international collaboration is key to unlocking China’s full potential 

Analysis

Landscape analysis of large scale cohort development in China
Zhibin Hu and colleagues advocate for multi-stakeholder collaboration to promote the sustainable development of large scale cohorts in China

International collaboration in cohort studies in China: opportunities and challenges
Zhengming Chen and colleagues outline the key value, opportunities, and challenges of international collaboration in cohort studies in China

Community based cohort studies in China: critical insights for shaping the future of population and public health
Dongfeng Gu and colleagues review community based cohort studies in China, finding strategies to improve the quality and scale of these studies in China and beyond

Breadth versus depth: balancing variables, sample size, and quality in Chinese cohort studies
Weimin Li and colleagues explore the trade-offs and challenges posed by the increasing scale and complexity of cohort studies, highlighting the central argument that “bigger is not always better”

Building sustainable cohort studies in China: a hybrid model for public health research
Xiangmei Chen and colleagues consider the challenges of conducting cohort studies and how they can be overcome

Transforming Chinese cohort studies through artificial intelligence: a new era of population health research
Tien Yin Wong and colleagues explore how artificial intelligence can tackle persistent challenges in Chinese epidemiological studies and analyse the regulatory frameworks and barriers to implementation that must be overcome to ensure equitable, scientifically rigorous population health research

Funding
This BMJ collection was developed in partnership with West China Hospital, Sichuan University and the First Hospital of Jilin University. The BMJ commissioned, peer reviewed, edited, and made the decisions to publish the articles. John Ji and Jocalyn Clark were the lead editors for The BMJ.

Request an interview with The BMJ international editor, Dr Jocalyn Clark, by contacting the BMJ Group media relations team: mediarelations@bmj.com / +44 (0)7825 118 107

About BMJ Group and BMJ Collections
BMJ Group is a global healthcare knowledge provider and publisher of one of the world’s top five most cited general medical journals, The BMJ. For BMJ Group, collections are an important way of bringing evidence together to address key issues in health and research. BMJ Collections help inform policy and guidelines and influence funding decisions by tackling the most pressing health challenges, policy issues and global priorities.

They combine research, analysis and expert commentary, coordinated and commissioned through our global network of researchers, and are developed with academic institutions, funders, non governmental organisations and international bodies. Drawing on leading journals such as The BMJ, BMJ Innovations and BMJ Global Health, they raise awareness and deliver the latest, most relevant evidence through events, targeted dissemination and thought leadership. https://www.bmj.com/collections

“We will close out 2025 in defiance of how it began, by championing the fact that women, in all their diversities, are not passive to political tides but powerful agents of change. Their leadership will strengthen women’s health, innovation, rights, and the entire global health ecosystem. But sustaining that momentum, especially amid shrinking public budgets, will require continued support from government, civil society, philanthropy and business to fuel the wave of innovation women’s health so urgently needs.”

Dr Jocalyn Clark 
The BMJ’s International Editor and editorial lead for this special collection

Leadership and culture change to advance innovation in women’s health
Sapna Kedia and colleagues argue that equitable leadership, supported by training and systemic reform and rooted in marginalised groups’ experiences and community insight, can transform the innovation cycle, from research and development to delivery, making health technologies more inclusive and impactful

Designing clinical practice guidelines for equitable, inclusive and contextualized care
Sabine Oertelt-Prigione and colleagues argue that European clinical practice guidelines need standardised, inclusive, sex and gender sensitive development to not only guide healthcare but also drive innovation and research agendas

Opinion

We need a broader perspective on innovations to advance a women and health agenda
Although biotech innovations have contributed to improvements in health outcomes, we need more comprehensive health innovation to tackle persistent gender and intersectional equity gaps, argue Karla Unger Saldaña and colleagues

Reshaping research and development through women’s leadership
To achieve equitable health systems women need to be the architects of innovation, not merely its recipients, says Fara Ndiaye

Reimagining women’s health is a global imperative
The choices and investments we make to advance women’s health now will define our shared health and prosperity in the future, writes Ru Cheng

Request an interview with The BMJ international editor, Dr Jocalyn Clark, by contacting the BMJ Group media relations team: mediarelations@bmj.com / +44 (0)7825 118 107 

Funding 

This BMJ Collection was developed in partnership with the Gates Foundation. Open access fees were funded by the Gates Foundation. The BMJ commissioned, peer reviewed, edited, and made the decision to publish. Smruti Patel and Jocalyn Clark were the lead editors for The BMJ.

About BMJ Group and BMJ Collections

BMJ Group is a global healthcare knowledge provider and publisher of one of the world’s top five most cited general medical journals, The BMJ. For BMJ Group, collections are an important way of bringing evidence together to address key issues in health and research. BMJ Collections help inform policy and guidelines and influence funding decisions by tackling the most pressing health challenges, policy issues and global priorities.

They combine research, analysis and expert commentary, coordinated and commissioned through our global network of researchers, and are developed with academic institutions, funders, non governmental organisations and international bodies. Drawing on leading journals such as The BMJ, BMJ Innovations and BMJ Global Health, they raise awareness and deliver the latest, most relevant evidence through events, targeted dissemination and thought leadership. https://www.bmj.com/collections

About the Innovation Equity Forum (IEF)

In early 2023, the Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Research on Women’s Health partnered with Camber Collective to establish the Innovation Equity Forum (IEF)—a global coalition of women’s health experts, innovators, and advocates. The IEF was launched to identify and prioritize critical opportunities to advance women’s health innovation worldwide. Its flagship initiative, the Women’s Health Innovation Opportunity Map, is a strategic blueprint to accelerate innovations that reduce women’s morbidity and mortality. 

A new report from the BMJ Future Health Commission, a joint initiative between global healthcare knowledge provider BMJ Group and independent assurance and risk management provider DNV, shows that healthcare professionals (HCPs) feel digital health technologies fail to help them deliver more care with fewer resources.

According to the survey, less than half (47%) think digital technology has eased administrative tasks, just 38% say that it has reduced clinical workload, and only 44% believe that it has contributed to decreasing the cost of delivering healthcare.

Sector professionals have not given up on healthcare’s digital transformation, however. 80% say that digital tools have enabled better care delivery, and three-quarters (76%) are optimistic about healthcare’s digital future. 

The findings have been published in Building Trust for Digital Transformation in Healthcare and are based on a survey of more than 300 HCPs across Northern Europe, alongside in-depth interviews with clinicians and administrative staff across a broad range of healthcare settings.

• BMJ Future Health Commission survey shows healthcare professionals in Europe support digital transformation, but have yet to feel productivity and efficiency gains
• Three-quarters (76%) of healthcare professionals are optimistic about the future of digital transformation
• 59% trust digital health technologies, while 41% are hesitant or doubtful
• Less than half (47%) feel its introduction has eased administrative tasks, and just 38% say clinical workload has reduced
• Experts say improving training and involving clinicians earlier in the digital transformation and adoption process is needed to feel the benefits

The report comes at a time when European countries are boosting digital investment in a bid to create more sustainable healthcare systems. The UK Government’s new 10 year plan for the National Health Service sets an agenda for shifting away from analogue systems. 

While 59% of HCPs indicate that they actively trust digital health solutions, a further 41% are hesitant or doubtful. Experts interviewed by the BMJ Future Health Commission are calling for greater focus on building trust in digital transformation to scale technology adoption faster. 

 “Trust is the critical currency of digital health and operates on two essential layers. Foundational trust is earned through rigorous, transparent   standards and regulation, which set a non-negotiable safety floor for every platform. Just as vital is operational trust earned on the ward, where   frontline clinicians help design, select, and train on certified tools, ensuring technologies fit real-world workflows.

Together, these are effective accelerators of digital transformation in healthcare, building clinical confidence, closing the gap between expectations   and implementation. These insights show that too few healthcare professionals think these technologies help them deliver more care with fewer   resources.”

 Stephen McAdam
 Segment Director, Digital Health, DNV

Those who frequently use electronic health records (EHRs), the most broadly adopted technology according to the survey, are less likely to believe that digital solutions reduce administrative burden and ease the workload of clinical staff, 14 percentage points less than those who do not. The concern is that poor experiences with EHR systems do little to motivate HCPs to trust and support the scaling of other solutions with transformative potential, such as predictive analytics, remote monitoring systems, patient flow management and ambient listening. 

The need for greater trust, combined with the culmination of challenging experiences, shows that building confidence in technology is dependent on healthcare organisations strengthening the processes that connect and implement these tools, while actively managing change among the people who use them. 

Poor interoperability, which allows computer systems or software to exchange and make use of information, appears as the second-highest barrier to adoption, according to HCPs, coming narrowly behind funding constraints.

Healthcare professionals surveyed highlight that earlier clinical involvement and enhanced training can be key drivers in overcoming challenges. Over half (54%) agree that digital solutions gain stronger adoption when endorsed by clinical staff, while nearly two-thirds (61%) see an opportunity to increase HCP participation in technology investment decisions. Training emerges as the most valuable factor for effective implementation, and with greater focus, more clinicians (45%) and non-clinical healthcare workers (43%) can be supported in building confidence and capability in using digital tools.

 “Although healthcare professionals are optimistic about digital health’s potential, many remain sceptical about its impact on efficiency, workload, and costs. Building trust, improving interoperability, enhancing training, and involving clinicians more directly are critical to realising its benefits.”

 Dr Helen Surana
 Associate Director, BMJ Events

The BMJ Future Health Commission report concludes by setting out five recommendations, developed in collaboration with an advisory board of European experts, for healthcare organisations seeking to scale adoption of technology:

1. Evaluate organisational confidence in EHR systems
2. Implement standards for system interoperability
3. Commit to long term staff training
4. Involve clinicians, citizens, and patients in technology design and implementation
5. Boost investment in managing emergent risks

Note to editors

Full recommendations from the report:

• Evaluate organisational confidence in EHR systems: Investment in assessing and improving people, process, and technology within EHR systems can enhance effectiveness and user experience, thereby increasing trust and adoption of new digital health technologies.
• Implement standards for system interoperability: Poor interoperability creates significant trust issues. While European policymakers are developing regulations for standardised processes, healthcare providers can proactively introduce systems and standards today.
• Commit to long-term staff training: Implement dedicated programs for healthcare workers to absorb information over time, provide one-on-one troubleshooting support after deployment, and ensure training targets both clinical and non-clinical professionals to enhance adoption and effective use of new systems.
• Involve clinicians, citizens, and patients in technology design and implementation: Closer involvement of clinicians in digital transformation, potentially through leadership roles like Chief Medical/Clinical Informatics Officer (CMIO), can bridge gaps between departments, enhance data accuracy, patient safety, and clinical efficiency, and improve operational workflows. User experience is crucial for technology success, including in healthcare.
• Boost investment in managing emergent risks: Failure to identify and manage data security and quality risks undermines trust. Organisations should assess data vulnerabilities, determine an acceptable risk appetite, and implement measures to comply with regulations and manage risks effectively for both new and existing technologies.

At the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), tomorrow’s doctors are learning to think critically, act decisively, and publish research with global impact. By embedding BMJ Group’s evidence based tools directly into teaching, clinical rotations, and research training, UNAM is reshaping medical education and strengthening healthcare outcomes across Latin America.

UNAM is Latin America’s largest and most prestigious university, with over 380,000 students enrolled across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and is responsible for producing around a third of all Mexican research. Its Faculty of Medicine is one of the oldest in the Americas, and today, it trains thousands of healthcare professionals annually.

Facing rising demands, including the burden of non-communicable diseases, which now account for three quarters of deaths nationally, relies on BMJ Group to move learning beyond the classroom, creating measurable skills in research, clinical judgment, and open publishing.

Since 2010, the UNAM faculty of medicine has successfully integrated the Group’s resources into its competency based curriculum. Research to Publication (R2P) has expanded research capability, offering structured training and mentorship. 

Within 12 months of completing the programme:

At the bedside, BMJ Best Practice has become the backbone of clinical teaching. Over the past two years, UNAM’s analytics show students accessed it daily on rotations to check diagnoses and treatment plans, averaging more than 550 page views a day. App use consistently outperforms peer institutions, with the most viewed topics reflecting Mexico’s prevalent conditions and supporting safer decisions guided by best evidence during rotations.

At UNAM, BMJ Group’s tools connect the entire pathway from learning to clinical decision making to publishing research. Students progress seamlessly: applying evidence at the point of care with BMJ Best Practice, reinforcing core skills via BMJ Learning, and advancing to authorship with Research to Publication.

In 2024, UNAM became BMJ Group’s first Read and Publish partner in Latin America. This landmark agreement expanded open access opportunities for faculty and students, raising UNAM’s global research visibility while further embedding evidence based practice.

With BMJ Group, our students and faculty move seamlessly from learning to bedside to publication.

Dr Ana Carolina Sepúlveda Vildósola, 
Dean, faculty of medicine, UNAM, Mexico

In 2024, UNAM became BMJ Group’s first Read and Publish partner in Latin America. This landmark agreement expanded open access opportunities for faculty and students, raising UNAM’s global research visibility while further embedding evidence-based practice.

BMJ China and West China Hospital’s Alzheimer’s disease imaging roundtable, December 2024

BMJ Group contributes to the progress of health research, policy, and practice through trusted editorial leadership and a vast global network of experts. We run over 20 roundtables, 100+ webinars, dozens of regional and global panel discussions, and large-scale forums yearly. These clinically relevant platforms successfully connect our journal communities with the evidence-based insight of thought leaders and healthcare decision-makers. Our events are not just discussions; they are accelerators of change.

The Alzheimer’s disease imaging roundtable, hosted in Chengdu in partnership with the Department of Radiology at West China Hospital of Sichuan University and the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry (JNNP), exemplifies how we deliver this value in action. 

Held in December 2024, the roundtable explored how brain scans can help safely introduce new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. These treatments offer fresh hope for millions of people, but they can also cause side effects in the brain, known as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA). These changes can only be seen on MRI scans and may be dangerous if missed. That’s why high-quality imaging is so important. It catches these changes early and ensures patients get the safest, most effective care.

“The consensus we’ve reached on harmonising ARIA imaging protocols could reshape how Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed and monitored, not just in China, but worldwide.”

Professor Na Hu, chief radiologist, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China