Improving the quality of care in the last days of life: medication

"This document identifies best practice in the way medications should be managed in the last days of life. It sets out practical, high level, evidence-based recommendations to help guide those responsible for care to review their processes and consider ways to make change where necessary."

Improving the quality of care in the last days of life: A practical guide to getting the medications right
London Clinical Networks
April 2016

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Dementia and housing: An assessment tool for local commissioning

"Commissioned by Public Health England ... this self-assessment tool focuses on local commissioning processes and decision-making. The main principle being applied in this tool is that all available assets and resources need to be combined, both to create the conditions that reduce the risk of developing dementia, and to develop a framework of support to help those with dementia, their families and carers, to have as good a quality of life as possible."

Dementia and housing: An assessment tool for local commissioning
Housing Learning & Improvement Network
May 2016

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Improving sexual health for patients in stroke rehabilitation

"Sexual health contributes greatly to quality of life. Research shows that stroke survivors want to learn and talk about sexual health, but are not given information. In keeping with the Canadian Best Practice Recommendations for Stroke Care, this project aimed to provide all stroke rehabilitation inpatients with the opportunity to discuss sexual health concerns with healthcare providers at West Park Healthcare Centre"

Let's Talk About Sex! - Improving sexual health for patients in stroke rehabilitation
M Guo, S Bosnyak, T Bontempo, A Enns, C Fourie, F Ismail, A Lo
BMJ Quality Improvement Reports 2015;4: doi:10.1136/bmjquality.u207288.w2926

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Commissioning services to support women and girls with female genital mutilation

"This documents sets out some key considerations when embarking upon the process to commission services to support FGM survivors. It reflects the standards and characteristics which have developed where commissioning in this area has been successful, and sets out particular elements which should either always be considered or provided."

Commissioning services to support women and girls with female genital mutilation
S Creighton, FGM Prevention programme team
Department of Health
March 2015

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Improving quality of life for people with dementia and their carers through impact investment

"The development of products and services to tackle dementia needs more proactive support from government, policymakers, charities and healthcare professionals"

Remember me: Improving quality of life for people with dementia and their carers through impact investment 
E Ní Ógáin, K Mountain

Nesta
March 2015

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Reducing Care Utilisation through Self-management Interventions

"Very few self-management support interventions achieve reductions in utilisation while compromising patient outcomes. Evidence for significant reductions in utilisation were strongest for respiratory disorders and cardiac disorders."

Reducing Care Utilisation through Self-management Interventions (RECURSIVE): a systematic review and meta-analysis
M Panagioti, G Richardson, E Murray, A Rogers, A Kennedy, S Newman, et al.
Health Service Delivery Research 2014;2(54).

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Self-management support interventions to reduce health care utilisation without compromising outcomes

"Self-management support interventions can reduce health service utilization without compromising patient health outcomes, although effects were generally small, and the evidence was strongest in respiratory and cardiovascular disorders. Further work is needed to determine which components of self-management support are most effective."

Self-management support interventions to reduce health care utilisation without compromising outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
M Panagioti et al.
BMC Health Services Research 2014, 14:356

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Report on inquiry into respiratory deaths

"Strategic and effective investment has the power to bring not only significant savings to the NHS, but improvements in patients’ quality of life and a significant reduction in deaths from respiratory disease."

Report on inquiry into respiratory deaths
APPG on Respiratory Health
June 2014

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RCS commissioning guide: breast reduction surgery

"This guidance relates to patients that present with breast hyperplasia, where breasts are large enough to cause symptoms, infection, pain and adverse effects to quality of life." 

Commissioning guide: breast reduction surgery
Royal College of Surgeons, British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons
May 2014

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Personal health budgets: including people with learning disabilities

"Implementing personal health budgets for people with learning disabilities can improve the quality of support, and thus the quality of life, for individuals and their families."

Personal health budgets: including people with learning disabilities
S Turner, A Giraud-Saunders
Think Local Act Personal

February 2014

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Closing the gap: priorities for essential change in mental health

"High-quality mental health services with an emphasis on recovery should be commissioned in all areas, reflecting local need."

Closing the gap: priorities for essential change in mental health
Social Care, Local Government and Care Partnership Directorate
Department of Health
January 2014

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Capturing value from health technologies in lean times

"The adoption of new health technologies brings potential improvements to quality of life as well as new costs for provincial healthcare systems."

Capturing value from health technologies in lean times
Commentary no.396
A Blomqvist, C Busby, D Husereau
C.D. Howe Institute
December 2013

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Carer quality of life and experiences of health services

"Carer well-being was found to be compromised and differed significantly between the three conditions" [motor neuron disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease]

Carer quality of life and experiences of health services: a cross-sectional survey across three neurological conditions
M Peters, C Jenkinson, H Doll, ED Playford, R Fitzpatrick
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2013, 11:103

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Quality of life of cancer survivors in England

"The study findings indicate that the Cancer PROMs Survey has successfully used a free text comments section to gather insights from survey responders that can help improve quality of patient experience."

Quality of life of cancer survivors in England: analysis of patients' free text comments: final report
University of Southampton, Department of Health
January 2013

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Making integrated out-of-hospital care a reality

"This report discusses the foundations for integrated care for adults, children and young people, with a focus on implementing out-of-hospital care, and connecting primary, community and social care. It highlights key evidence and draws on learning from partners across health and social care."

Making integrated out-of-hospital care a reality
NHS Confederation
December 2012

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Health economics research into supporting carers of people with dementia

"This paper reviews outcome measures commonly used in health services research and health economics research involving carers of people with dementia."

Health economics research into supporting carers of people with dementia: a systematic review of outcome measures
C Jones, R Tudor Edwards, B Hounsome
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2012, 10:142

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Systematic review of health-related quality of life models

"Recommendations are for researchers to use one of the three common HRQOL models unless there are compelling and clearly delineated reasons for creating new models."

Systematic review of health-related quality of life models
T Bakas, et al.
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2012, 10:134

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Factors influencing the implementation of fall prevention programmes

"The issues identified through this synthesis need to be fully considered and addressed if fall-prevention programmes are to be successfully implemented into clinical practice."

Factors influencing the implementation of fall prevention programmes: a systematic review and synthesis of qualitative studies
S Child, V Goodwin, R Garside, T Jones-Hughes, K Boddy, K Stein
Implementation Science, 2012, 7:91

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Chronic kidney disease in England: the human and financial cost

"The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and associated complications and comorbidities on quality of life, mortality and NHS costs in England."

Chronic kidney disease in England: the human and financial cost
M Kerr
NHS Kidney Care

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Associations between demographic, disease related, and treatment pathway related variables and health related quality of life in primary care patients with coronary heart disease

"In the context of this feasibility study the objective of the present research was to investigate the contributions of different disease related (e.g. prior myocardial infarction), pathway related (e.g. basic medication) and demographic variables on patients` perceived health related quality of life (HRQoL) as a relevant and widely used outcome measure in cardiac populations."

Associations between demographic, disease related, and treatment pathway related variables and health related quality of life in primary care patients with coronary heart disease
L Kramer, O Hirsch, K Schlossler, S Trager, E Baum, N Donner-Banzhoff
Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2012, 10:78

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