Friday 30 November 2012

Implementing NICE public health guidance for the workplace


"Making staff health and engagement a central trust value will avoid financial waste and contribute to better patient care."

Implementing NICE public health guidance for the workplace: overcoming barriers and sharing success
Royal College of Physicians
November 2012

Read more here.

Why some people are not offered the medicines that NICE recommends


"Despite best efforts, and a raft of existing initiatives, gaps in diagnostic services, in funding, and in delivery capacity mean that some people that are eligible for a NICE recommended drug are never offered that option."

Bridging the gap: why some people are not offered the medicines that NICE recommends
P Stephens
The IMS Institute
November 2012

Read more here.

Health policy under the coalition government


"This report looks at the policies introduced by the coalition government elected in May 2010 and assesses whether they will address the current and emerging performance issues and what further action is needed."

Health policy under the coalition government: a mid-term assessment
S Gregory, A Dixon, C Ham (eds)
The King's Fund
November 2012

Read more here.

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Ethical decision-making for doctors in the armed forces


"This resource signposts the kinds of ethical factors doctors need to take into consideration when making decisions."

Ethical decision-making for doctors in the armed forces: a tool kit
British Medical Association
November 2012

Access the tool kit here.

Tuesday 27 November 2012

Impact of the Marie Curie Nursing Service on place of death and hospital use at the end of life


"The evaluation examined whether this home-based nursing care helped more people to die at home, and its impact on use and costs of hospital care at the end of life."

The impact of the Marie Curie Nursing Service on place of death and hospital use at the end of life
X Chitnis, T Georghiou, A Steventon, M Bardsley
Nuffield Trust
November 2012

Read more here.

Right Care Casebooks - new additions


Right Care compiles local examples of commissioning work in a series of "Right Care Casebooks". Three more of these casebooks have just been added to the series:

  1. Somerset community-based self-care support service for adults with persistent pain 
  2. What organisation is necessary for commissioners to develop outcomes based contracts?  The COBIC case study
  3. Integrated GP led diabetes care in Bexley – The role of ‘an active integrator’ in developing integration in NHS services

Pathway peer review to improve quality


"This paper explores why and how external peer review can address the vexed question of how best to reinforce existing policy in the pursuit of high-quality care in the NHS."

Pathway peer review to improve quality
B McCormick
The Health Foundation
November 2012

Read more here.

Monday 26 November 2012

Improving health and care: the role of the outcomes frameworks


"This document gives an overview of the three Outcomes Frameworks (public health, adult social care, NHS), their purpose and the way they work together to support the health and care system to meet the challenges it faces."

Improving health and care: the role of the outcomes frameworks
Department of Health
November 2012

Read more here.

NHS continuing healthcare


"This Briefing outlines for commissioners and providers the challenges and opportunities they will need to consider as the responsibilities change for assessing eligibility for and commissioning NHS continuing healthcare."

NHS continuing healthcare
NHS Confederation
November 2012

Read more here.

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

Read more here.

Friday 23 November 2012

Leadership in a matrix


"Matrix organisations are grid-like organisational structures, commonly used in the management of large projects and product development processes, drawing employees from different functional disciplines for assignment to a team, without removing them from their respective positions."

Leadership in a matrix 
C Devane
NHS Confederation
November 2012

Read more here.

Choosing the place of care


"This report has described how locations of outpatient attendance and inpatient admission have changed since the introduction of patient choice in 2006 and the expansion of independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) from 2007 onwards."

Choosing the place of care: the effect of patient choice on treatment location in England, 2003-2011
E Kelly, G Tetlow
Nuffield Trust
November 2012

Read more here.

Reforming incentives to promote evidence-based decisions at the point of care


"This paper adds an important perspective by describing how current financial incentives in the 
fee-for-service system lead to the overuse and underuse of services at the point of care by physicians and other clinicians."

Paying wisely: reforming incentives to promote evidence-based decisions at the point of care
EC Rich, T Lake, C Stone Valenzano
Mathematica Policy Research
October 2012

Read more here.

An integrated framework for assessing the value of community-based prevention


"In its new study, An Integrated Framework for Assessing the Value of Community-Based Prevention, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee proposes a framework to assess the value of community-based, non-clinical prevention policies and wellness strategies."

An integrated framework for assessing the value of community-based prevention
Institute of Medicine
November 2012

Read more here.

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

Read more here.

International profiles of health care systems, 2012


"Each overview covers health insurance, public and private financing, health system organization, quality of care, health disparities, efficiency and integration, care coordination, use of health information technology, use of evidence-based practice, cost containment, and recent reforms and innovations."

International profiles of health care systems: Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Japan, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States
The Commonwealth Fund
November 2012

Read more here.

Patients’ experience of integrated care


"As a coalition of more than 50 charities campaigning for better services for people with cancer and their families, the Cancer Campaigning Group (CCG) believes that integrated cancer care – a seamless, well co-ordinated service, across GP, hospital and social services – is an essential component of high quality care for every patient."

Patients’ experience of integrated care: A report from the Cancer Campaigning Group
Cancer Campaigning Group
November 2012

Read more here.

Proton pump inhibitors: potential cost reductions by applying prescribing guidelines


"There are opportunities for substantial cost savings in relation to proton pump inhibitors prescribing if implementation of clinical guidelines in terms of generic substitution and step-down therapy is implemented on a national basis."

Proton pump inhibitors: potential cost reductions by applying prescribing guidelines
C Cahir, T Fahey, L Tilson, C Teljeur, K Bennett
BMC Health Services Research, 2012, 12:408

Read more here.

Delay in discharge and its impact on unnecessary hospital bed occupancy


"Elderly patients experiencing acute surgical admission and discharge to community hospitals had prolonged length-of-stay due to significant delays associated with care of the elderly provision."

Delay in discharge and its impact on unnecessary hospital bed occupancy
Majeed MU, et al.
BMC Health Services Research, 2012, 12:410

Read more here.

Strategic clinical networks: single operating framework


"Combining the experience of clinicians, the input of patients and the organisational vision of NHS staff, clinical networks have supported and improved the way we deliver care to patients in distinct areas, delivering true integration across primary secondary and often tertiary care."

Strategic clinical networks: single operating framework
NHS Commissioning Board
November 2012

Read more here.

Thursday 22 November 2012

Systematic review of interventions to enhance access to best practice primary health care for chronic disease management, prevention and episodic care


"This review suggests that multiple, linked strategies targeting different levels of the health care system are most likely to improve access to best practice primary health care."

A systematic review of interventions to enhance access to best practice primary health care for chronic disease management, prevention and episodic care
EJ Comino, G Powell Davies, Y Krastev, M Haas, B Christl, J Furler, A Raymont, MF Harris
BMC Health Services Research, 2012, 12:415

Read more here.

A new model for quality improvement in acute inpatient psychiatry


"The acute assessment model attempts to address the need for the NHS to deliver more for less, whilst remaining focused on service-user and staff satisfaction."

A new model for quality improvement in acute inpatient psychiatry: observational data from an acute assessment unit
J Hayes, R Gibbons, F Outim, S Tang, A Chakraborty
Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Short Reports, 2012, 3(9)

Read more here.

Over 150 potentially low-value health care practices


"A total of 5209 articles were screened for eligibility, resulting in 156 potentially ineffective and/or unsafe services being identified for consideration."

Over 150 potentially low-value health care practices: an Australian study
AG Elshaug, AM Watt, L Mundy, CD Willis
Medical Journal of Australia, 2012, 197(10):556-560

Read more here.

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Impact of the Marie Curie Nursing Service on place of death and hospital use at the end of life


"Home-based palliative care has the potential to improve care at the end of life by reducing the demand for costly and often undesirable hospital care, and allowing more people to die at home."

The impact of the Marie Curie Nursing Service on place of death and hospital use at the end of life
X Chitnis, T Georghiou, A Steventon, M Bardsley
Nuffield Trust
November 2012

Read more here.

Collaboration between local health and local government agencies for health improvement


"The results demonstrate that collaborative community partnerships can be established to deliver interventions but it is important to agree goals, methods of working, monitoring and evaluation before implementation to protect programme fidelity and increase the potential for effectiveness."

Collaboration between local health and local government agencies for health improvement
SL Hayes, MK Mann, FM Morgan, MJ Kelly, AL Weightman
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2012 (10):CD007825

Read more here.

Tuesday 13 November 2012

Patient and public engagement


"There will be different types and levels of appropriate engagement depending on the situation, from involvement of individual members of the public in shared decision-making about their own health and care, to local community engagement in co-production of services."

Patient and public engagement: a practical guide for health and wellbeing boards
NHS Confederation
November 2012

Read more here.

Operating principles for joint strategic needs assessments and joint health and wellbeing strategies


"JSNAs and JHWSs are not ends in themselves, but a means to identify the priorities for commissioning to improve health and wellbeing outcomes and reduce health inequalities."

Operating principles for joint strategic needs assessments (JSNA) and joint health and wellbeing (JHWS) strategies
NHS Confederation
November 2012

Read more here.

Encouraging integrated working to improve services for adults and older people


"Agreeing a set of principles to underpin joint working will support effective joint commissioning and prevent it being destabilised by distracting factors."

Encouraging integrated working to improve services for adults and older people
NHS Confederation
November 2012

Read more here.

Patient and public engagement: a practical guide for health and wellbeing boards


"Patient and public engagement (PPE) should take place from the start of the life of health and wellbeing boards and be woven into the DNA of boards throughout their work."

Patient and public engagement: a practical guide for health and wellbeing boards
NHS Confederation
November 2012

Read more here.

Can sustainable hospitals help bend the health care cost curve?


"This study examines data from selected hospitals that have implemented programs to reduce energy use and waste and achieve operating room supply efficiencies."

Can sustainable hospitals help bend the health care cost curve?
S Kaplan, B Sadler, K Little, C Franz, P Orris
The Commonwealth Fund
November 2012

Read more here.

Reporting guidelines for systematic reviews with a focus on health equity


"Increased use of these reporting guidelines will help improve the reporting of effects on both inequities in health outcomes and health care use across gender, socioeconomic position, and other characteristics, both in systematic reviews and eventually primary research, thus contributing to the global agenda to improve health equity."

PRISMA-Equity 2012 Extension: reporting guidelines for systematic reviews with a focus on health equity
V Welch, M Petticrew, P Tugwell, D Moher, J O'Neill, E Waters, H White,
PLOS Med, 2012, 9(10): e1001333

Read more here.

Liaison psychiatry - the way ahead


"The study set out to identify how liaison psychiatry can most effectively contribute to the Government’s quality, innovation, productivity and prevention (QIPP) challenge of improving health outcomes while also reducing healthcare costs."

Liaison psychiatry - the way ahead: issue 249
Mental Health Network
NHS Confederation
November 2012

Read more here.

Friday 9 November 2012

Design and use of performance measures to decrease low-value services and achieve cost-conscious care


"This paper gives an overview of performance measures for low-value services, provides specific examples of possible measures to assess use of low-value services, and discusses how these measures can be used in clinical practice and policy."

Design and use of performance measures to decrease low-value services and achieve cost-conscious care
DW Baker, A Qaseem, P Reynolds, LA Gardner, EC Schneider
Annals of Internal Medicine, Online First 30 October 2012

Read more here.

The match between institutional elderly care management research and management challenges


"Institutional care management research needs to focus more on challenges in integrated care, productivity, ICT and division of labor."

The match between institutional elderly care management research and management challenges - a systematic literature review
K Kokkonen, S Rissanen, A Hujala
Health Research Policy and Systems, 2012, 10:35

Read more here.

Improving GP services in England


"This paper examines whether or not patients’ perceptions about the non-clinical aspects of the quality of care delivered by their GP practices are consistent with practice performance on measures of clinical quality."

Improving GP services in England: exploring the association between quality of care and the experience of patients
VS Raleigh, F Frosini
The King's Fund
November 2012

Read more here.

The Prime Minister's challenge on dementia


"Our ambition is to support wider society to make the change to enable people who have dementia to be able to confidently go about their daily lives safely and free from stigma."

The Prime Minister's challenge on dementia: delivering major improvements in dementia care and research by 2015: a report on progress
Department of Health
November 2012

Read more here.

Doctors and nurses


"To improve the quality of healthcare and get better value for money from the NHS workforce, employers need the motivation and freedom to be better leaders and employers."

Doctors and nurses
T Cawston, A Haldenby, N Seddon
Reform
November 2012

Read more here.

Thursday 8 November 2012

Will pay for performance improve quality of care?


"Beyond the obvious differences between the U.K. National Health Service and U.S. health care settings, some striking differences between the British and American versions of pay for performance might help explain the contrasting results."

Editorial: Will pay for performance improve quality of care? The answer is in the details
AM Epstein
New England Journal of Medicine, 2012, 367(19):1852-1853

Read more here.

Reduced mortality with hospital pay for performance in England


"The introduction of pay for performance in all NHS hospitals in one region of England was associated with a clinically significant reduction in mortality."

Reduced mortality with hospital pay for performance in England
M Sutton, S Nikolova, R Boaden, H Lester, R McDonald, M Roland
New England Journal of Medicine, 2012, 367(19):1821-1828

Read more here.

Wednesday 7 November 2012

Health Innovation Portal


The Health Council of Canada is reporting on innovative health care practices, policies, programs and services so they can be adopted elsewhere in Canada.

Access the Health Innovation Portal here.

Assessing the impact of economic evidence on policymakers in health care


"This is a systematic review of published studies to assess what is known about how economic evidence from cost-effectiveness analysis or cost-utility analysis makes an impact on health care decisionmaking in the United States and in other countries."

Assessing the impact of economic evidence on policymakers in health care: A systematic review
Johns Hopkins University Evidence-Based Practice Center
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
October 2012

Read more here.

What counts as good evidence?


"Research data only really become information when they have the power to change views, and they only really become evidence when they attract advocates for the messages they contain."

What counts as good evidence?
S Nutley, A Powell, H Davies
Research Unit for Research Utilisation
University of St Andrews
November 2012

Read more here.

Innovations in prevention


"There is a need for preventative investment to be more strategic, moving from a part of service delivery, to an explicit, deliberate and integral part of the policymaking and commissioning process, to identify where harm can be prevented and cost savings realised."

Innovations in prevention
R Puttick
NESTA
October 2012

Read more here.

Factors influencing the development of evidence-based practice among nurses: a self-report survey


"Skills in evidence-based practice seem to reduce barriers to using research evidence and to increase use of research evidence in clinical practice."

Factors influencing the development of evidence-based practice among nurses
A Dalheim, S Harthug, RM Nilsen, MW Nortvedt
BMC Health Services Research, 2012, 12:367

Read more here.

Quality with compassion: the future of nursing education


"Graduate nurses have played and will continue to play a key role in driving up standards and preparing a nursing workforce fit for the future."

Quality with compassion: the future of nursing education: Report of the Willis Commission
Royal College of Nursing
November 2012

Read more here.

Hospital quality competition under fixed prices


"The literature shows that more competition increases quality when providers are profit maximisers and marginal cost of treatment is constant."

Hospital quality competition under fixed prices: CHE Research Paper 80
H Gravelle, R Santos, L Siciliani, R Goudie
University of York
November 2012

Read more here.


Integrated ambulance commissioning in the new NHS


"The purpose of this Briefing is to explain how ambulance commissioning currently works for clinical commissioners who may be new to this area."

Integrated ambulance commissioning in the new NHS
National Ambulance Commissioners Group
NHS Confederation
November 2012

Read more here.

Friday 2 November 2012

Competitive integration in the NHS

"Greater integration in healthcare will result in better outcomes for patients and a more seamless patient experience."

All together now: competitive integration in the NHS
H Featherstone, D Skelton, D Prior
Policy Exchange
October 2012

Read more here.

How can payment systems help to deliver better care?

"Based on a review of the English NHS experience of Payment by Results (PbR) and international experience of similar, activity-based payment systems, this report identifies five general lessons about payment systems, draws some conclusions about whether our current Payment by Results system is fit for purpose in view of current and future challenges and presents options for how reforms to PbR could be taken forward."

Payment by results: how can payment systems help to deliver better care?
J Appleby, T Harrison, L Hawkins, A Dixon
The King's Fund
October 2012

Read more here.