Thursday 19 December 2013

Four principles for a better public sector

"Innovative governments are making it easier for citizens to access public services."

Government by design: four principles for a better public sector
D Farrell, A Goodman
McKinsey & Company
December 2013

Read more here.

Diabetes: State of the Nation England 2013

"In the best area four times more people get the checks they need than in the worst."

State of the nation England 2013
Diabetes UK
December 2013

Read more here.

Hard truths: essential actions

"The focus on measuring safety is welcome, but measures should be developed to assess the future risk of harm, not just the occurrence of past harm."

Hard truths: essential actions
The Health Foundation
December 2013

Read more here.

Using clinical communities to improve quality

"If there is one thing that we have learned about improving quality over the past 10 years, it is the importance of clinical leadership and engagement."

Using clinical communities to improve quality
Health Foundation
December 2013

Read more here.

Improving access to health care for Gypsies and Travellers, homeless people and sex workers

"This guide aims to provide professionals with the following:

  • an overview of the health needs of these three vulnerable groups in society
  • practical support to help commissioners to build the understanding of local needs into the Joint
  • Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) and Health and Wellbeing Strategies (HWBS)
  • sample models of how services can meet needs to inform commissioning and local service
  • provision, looking at both health-only and more holistic initiatives"

Improving access to health care for Gypsies and Travellers, homeless people and sex workers
P Gill, U MacLeod, H Lester, A Hegenbarth
Royal College of General Practitioners Clinical Innovation and Research Centre
September 2013

Read more here.

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Systematic reviews for informing policy decisions

"This guide is a short introduction for decision-makers and researchers or anyone else considering whether a systematic review may be appropriate to fill a gap in knowledge or to use as a resource. It will help anybody planning on commissioning a review of what research is already out there. You may be an analyst, evaluator, policymaker or commissioner."

Learning from research: systematic reviews for informing policy decisions
D Gough, S Oliver, J Thomas
Alliance for Useful Evidence
EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London
December 2013

Read more here.

Community engagement to reduce inequalities in health

"Community engagement has been advanced as a promising way of improving health and reducing health inequalities; however, the approach is not yet supported by a strong evidence base."

Community engagement to reduce inequalities in health: a systematic review, meta-analysis and economic analysis
A O'Mara-Eves, G Brunton, D McDaid, S Oliver, J Kavanagh, F Jamal, et al.
NHS National Institute for Health Research
Public Health Research, 4(1), November 2013

Read more here.

Right Care commissioning Resource Centre

Right Care have brought together a range of resources to support the work of commissioners. The Resource Centre includes:

  • Casebooks
  • Online learning videos
  • CCG SPOT Tool
  • Commissioning for Value packs
  • Population Healthcare Glossary
  • Essential reading

Access these resources here.

Housing and public health in England

"Public health colleagues may find it helpful to reflect on the realities of working in local authority housing teams, where life is not necessarily easy."

Under one roof? Housing and public health in England
Ed Harding
Housing Learning and Improvement Network
December 2013

Read more here.

Toward new models for innovative governance of biomedicine and health technologies

"To efficiently translate biomedicine and health technologies from the laboratory bench to the bedside, governance frameworks are having to change to take into account the complexity of the field, using new (and often) iterative regulatory processes."

Toward new models for innovative governance of biomedicine and health technologies
OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers No.11
December 2013

Read more here.

Features of effective medical knowledge resources to support point of care learning

"We identified nine features that influence users' selection of knowledge resources, namely efficiency (with sub-features of comprehensiveness, searchability, and brevity), integration with clinical workflow, credibility, user familiarity, capacity to identify a human expert, reflection of local care processes, optimization for the clinical question (e.g., diagnosis, treatment options, drug side effect), currency, and ability to support patient education."

Features of effective medical knowledge resources to support point of care learning: a focus group study
DA Cook, KJ Sorensen, W Hersh, RA Berger, JM Wilkinson
PLOS One, 25th November 2013

Read more here.

Thursday 12 December 2013

Improving outcomes: a strategy for cancer

"The main focus of the Improving outcomes: a strategy for cancer, was around improving cancer survival through earlier diagnosis of cancer and improved access to the best possible treatment."

Improving outcomes: a strategy for cancer - third annual report
Department of Health, Public Health England, NHS England
December 2013

Read more here.

G8 dementia summit declaration

"We acknowledge the on-going work occurring in our countries and globally to identify dementia as a major disease burden and to address issues related to ageing and mental health."

G8 dementia summit declaration
G8 UK
December 2013

Read more here.

No health without mental health

"The ‘No health without mental health’ strategy sets clear objectives to improve mental health outcomes."

No health without mental health: Mental health dashboard
Department of Health
December 2013

Read more here.

An exploration of the early development of Clinical Commissioning Groups in the English NHS

"This early study raises some important issues and concerns, including the risk that the different bodies to whom CCGs are accountable will have differing (or conflicting) agendas, and the lack of clarity over the operation of sanction regimes."

Accountable to whom, for what? An exploration of the early development of Clinical Commissioning Groups in the English NHS
K Checkland, P Allen, A Coleman, J Segar, I McDermott, S Harrison, C Petsoulas, S Peckham
BMJ Open, 2013, 3:e003769

Read more here.

New models of primary care: practical lessons from early implementers

"This event report summarises three Nuffield Trust seminars that took place to discuss three of the new organisational models described in Securing the Future of General Practice (Smith and others, 2013). These models aim to balance the benefits of small and local organisations with the scale and capacity to improve quality and deliver a wider range of services."

New models of primary care: practical lessons from early implementers
R Rosen, H Parker
Nuffield Trust
December 2013

Read more here.

Read Securing the future of general practice here.

Briefing: The Care Bill second reading in the House of Commons

"While The King’s Fund welcomes the Bill as an important stepping stone to wider reform of care and support, it will not solve the social care funding challenge, nor will it deliver the change needed to meet future health and care needs."

Briefing: The Care Bill second reading in the House of Commons
The King's Fund
December 2013

Read more here.

Improving the public's health: a resource for local authorities

"This resource presents information on evidence-based actions that can help local authorities increase the impact of their activities on health – and demonstrate that impact to others."

Improving the public's health: a resource for local authorities
D Buck, S Gregory
The King's Fund
December 2013

Read more here.

Wednesday 11 December 2013

Hospital readmission performance and patterns of readmission

"These findings suggest that lower readmission rates might best be achieved through use of general strategies and capacities that lower readmission risk globally rather than for specific diagnoses or time periods after admission."

Hospital readmission performance and patterns of readmission: retrospective cohort study of Medicare admissions
K Dharmarajan, et al.
British Medical Journal, 2013, 347:f6571

Read more here.

Sharing health information: toward better, safer care

"Having shared access to patients’ health information means health professionals in primary care – such as GPs, pharmacists and community nurses – can work more closely and effectively in multi-disciplinary teams with doctors, nurses and specialists in hospitals."

Sharing health information: toward better, safer care
Ministry of Health, New Zealand
November 2013

Read more here.

Patient-centredness in integrated healthcare delivery systems

"If providers and payers can take into account patient needs and expectations while implementing innovative healthcare delivery systems, greater acceptance and satisfaction will be achieved."

Patient-centredness in integrated healthcare delivery systems
C Juhnke, AC Muhlbacher
International Journal of Integrated Care, 2013, 13

Read more here.

Towards whole person care

"This paper reviews the case for change in the English health and care system and considers how to move towards a ‘whole person care’ approach."

Towards whole person care
S Bickerstaffe
Institute for Public Policy Research
December 2013

Read more here.

Cancer across the domains: cancer priorities for the new NHS

"The All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer believes the five thematic Domains within NHS England have an important role to play in improving the experiences and outcomes of cancer patients. This report sets out the priorities the APPGC believes NHS England must focus on to deliver these improvements."

Cancer across the domains: cancer priorities for the new NHS
All Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer
November 2013

Read more here.

Is the quality of care in England getting better?

"The ability of the health system in England to monitor quality is increasing and, partly in response to the Francis Inquiry, there have been large changes in the range of ways that quality is assessed and measured."

Is the quality of care in England getting better? QualityWatch Annual Statement 2013
The Health Foundation, Nuffield Trust
November 2013

Read more here.

Admissions avoidance and diabetes

"The document emphasises the scale of the clinical and financial problem of diabetes admissions to UK hospitals and commissioners, and describes models shown to reduce variability."

Admissions avoidance and diabetes: guidance for clinical commissioning groups and clinical teams
Joint British Diabetes Societies for Inpatient Care
December 2013

Read more here.

Meeting needs and reducing distress

"The purpose of this guidance is to provide practical strategies to help identify, assess, understand, prevent and manage clinically related challenging behaviour, by preventing or minimising a person’s distress, meeting their needs, and ensuring that high quality care is delivered within a safe environment."

Meeting needs and reducing distress: guidance on the prevention and management of clinically related challenging behaviour in NHS settings
NHS Protect
December 2013

Read more here.

Commissioning for carers 2013

"Carers are one of the most valuable assets within our communities. They are people whose contribution commissioners need to recognise, support and nurture."

Commissioning for carers 2013
Royal College of General Practitioners
May 2013

Read more here.

NHS services - open seven days a week: every day counts

"Building on the case studies which were presented in Equality for All: Delivering safe care - seven days a week, this publication provides further evidence of what can be achieved by sharing the learning that is emerging from across the NHS."

NHS services - open seven days a week: every day counts
NHS Improving Quality
November 2013

Read more here.

Commissioning for prevention

"As part of the Call to Action, NHS England will be publishing a series of thought pieces aimed at stimulating debate with Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and their local partners, and to help them think about changes that could be made to significantly improve the value of healthcare provision in England - that is, to improve outcomes at the same or lower net expenditure. This is the first in that series."

A call to action: commissioning for prevention
Public Health England, NHS England
November 2013

Read more here.

Tuesday 3 December 2013

Auditing and improving your mental health services

"A guide to auditing and improving your mental health services so that it is effective in supporting people with autism and people with learning disabilities."

Green Light Toolkit
Department of Health, Mental Health Network NHS Confederation, National Development Team for inclusion
November 2013

Access the toolkit here.

Factors influencing trust in doctors

"Trust in doctors seems to be influenced by the doctor's behaviour, perceived comfort levels, personal involvement with the patient, and to a lesser extent by cultural competence and doctor's physical appearance."

Factors influencing trust in doctors: a community segmentation strategy for quality improvement in healthcare
V Gopichandran, SK Chetlapalli
BMJ Open, 2013:e004115

Read more here.

Monday 2 December 2013

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and dementia - where are we now?

"Very little is known about the prevalence of dementia in the UK black and minority populations despite some of these communities being at higher levels of risk than the indigenous white population."

Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and dementia - where are we now?
D Truswell
Race Equality Foundation
November 2013

Read more here.

Older people's prevention services

"A challenge remains in how best to help Third Sector Organisations (TSOs) to set clear objectives and demonstrate their impact, without stifling their holistic and needs-driven approach to development and delivery."

Older people's prevention services: comparing perspectives of local authorities and the third sector
National Institute for Health Research
November 2013

Read more here.

Learning disabilities: good practice project

"The project is all about finding places where services for people with learning disabilities are very good. It aims to get people talking to each other to make services better."

Learning disabilities: good practice project
J Hough, K Martin
Department of Health
November 2013

Read more here.

Clinical commissioning and direct commissioning assurance

"The CCG and Direct Commissioning assurance processes have been designed to provide confidence to patients and the wider public that both CCGs and NHS England are operating effectively to commission safe, high-quality and sustainable services within their resources."

Access the frameworks here.

The NHS Atlas of Variation in Diagnostic Services

"Unwarranted variation in the rates of diagnostic testing is of the utmost relevance to individual patients with the over-use, as well as under-use, of diagnostic tests being potentially serious issues."

The NHS Atlas of Variation in Diagnostic Services
NHS Right Care, Public Health England
November 2013

Read more here.

Putting dementia on the map

"Around 670,000 people in England live with dementia – a number which will double in the next 30 years. This map sets out what we currently know about dementia care, support and research across the country."

Putting dementia on the map
Department of Health
November 2013

Access the map here.

Introduction of new technologies and decision making processes

"Introducing new health technologies, including medical devices, into a local setting in a safe, effective, and transparent manner is a complex process, involving many disciplines and players within an organization."

Introduction of new technologies and decision making processes: a framework to adapt a Local Health Technology Decision Support Program for other local settings
P Poulin, L Austen, CM Scott, M Poulin, N Gall, J Seidel, R Lafreniere
Medical Devices: Evidence and Research, 2013, 6:185-193

Read more here.

State of the nation report on dementia care and support in England

"This report sets out what is known about dementia care, support and research. It highlights where improvements are being made and where progress can be seen – it also shows where improvements are needed, including where better data is necessary."

Dementia: A state of the nation report on dementia care and support in England
Department of Health
November 2013

Read more here.

Patient initiated clinics for patients with chronic or recurrent conditions managed in secondary care

"Patient initiated clinics fit the models of care suggested by policy makers and so further research into long term outcomes for patients and service use in this area of practice is both relevant and timely."

Patient initiated clinics for patients with chronic or recurrent conditions managed in secondary care: a systematic review of patient reported outcomes and patient and clinician satisfaction
R Whear, AK Abdul-Rahman, J Thompson-Coon, K Boddy, MG Perry, K Stein
BMC Health Services Research, 2013, 13:501

Read more here.

Real teams and their effect on the quality of care in nursing homes

"This study investigates the relationship between teams that meet an academic definition of the team concept and quality of care in nursing homes."

Real teams and their effect on the quality of care in nursing homes
AK Havid, A Skogstad, M Veenstra, TI Romoren
BMC Health Services Research, 2013, 13:499

Read more here.