The dynamics of quality: a national panel study of evidence-based standards

"People with long-term health conditions do not always receive the health care they need, and so may suffer avoidable poor health. We aimed to find out if the quality of health care received by people in England had improved over 6 years, for four common long-term health conditions: cardiovascular disease (including heart disease and high blood pressure treatment), depression, diabetes and osteoarthritis."

The dynamics of quality: a national panel study of evidence-based standards
AC Hardcastle, LTA Mounce, SH Richards, MO Bachmann, A Clark, et al.
Health Service Delivery Res 2015;3(11)

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NICE Guideline: Depression in children and young people

The NICE guideline for depression in children and young people has been updated, with a number of changes to the recommendations for safe and effective antidepressant use.

Depression in children and young people: Identification and management in primary, community and secondary care
NICE guidelines [CG28]
March 2015

Find out more here.

Advice from NICE on Medicines Optimisation of Key Therapies

NICE have released a number of evidence-based Key Therapeutic Topics to support medicines optimisation. Access them below:

• Antibiotic prescribing – especially broad spectrum antibiotics (KTT9)
• First-choice antidepressant use in adults with depression or generalised anxiety disorder (KTT8) 
• Low-dose antipsychotics in people with dementia (KTT7)
• Hypnotics (KTT6)
• High-dose inhaled corticosteroids in asthma (KTT5)
• Omega-3 fatty acid supplements (KTT4)
• Lipid-modifying drugs (KTT3)
• Renin-angiotensin system drugs (KTT2)
• Wound care products (KTT14)
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (KTT13)
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (KTT12)
• Minocycline (KTT11)
• Three-day courses of antibiotics for uncomplicated urinary tract infection
• Laxatives (KTT1)

Cost-effectiveness of a universal strategy of brief dietary intervention for primary prevention in primary care

"A healthy diet is associated with reduced risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. The study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a universal strategy to promote healthy diet through brief intervention in primary care."

Cost-effectiveness of a universal strategy of brief dietary intervention for primary prevention in primary care: population-based cohort study and Markov model
MC Gulliford, N Bhattarai, J Charlton, C Rudisill
Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation, 2014, 12:4

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Innovation in health economic modelling of service improvements for longer-term depression

"The purpose of the analysis was to develop a health economic model to estimate the costs and health benefits of alternative National Health Service (NHS) service configurations for people with longer-term depression. Cost-effective service improvements for longer-term depression have been identified. Also identified were limitations of the current evidence for the long term impact of services."

Innovation in health economic modelling of service improvements for longer-term depression: demonstration in a local health community
J Tosh, et al.
BMC Health Services Research, 2013, 13:150

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Collaborative care for depression treatment in primary care

"Depression collaborative care models designed and implemented by primary care practices using evidence based quality improvement improved antidepressant initiation."

Implementing collaborative care for depression treatment in primary care: a cluster randomized evaluation of a quality improvement practice redesign
EF Chaney, LV Rubenstein, CF Liu, EM Yano, C Bolkan, M Lee, B Simon, A Lanto, B Felker, J Uman
Implementation Science, 2011, 6:121

Read more here.