Self-assessment toolkit for local Healthwatch and local Healthwatch Commissioners

"This toolkit is not intended to replace any of that advice but sets out some key governance questions for LHW and local commissioners to think about in development discussions and in renegotiating contracts."

Local Healthwatch Governance: a self-assessment toolkit for local Healthwatch and local Healthwatch Commissioners
Local Government Association
July 2015

Read more here.

Impact of referral templates on the quality of referrals

"In this study, the dissemination of referral templates coupled with intermittent surgery visits produced higher quality referrals."

Impact of referral templates on the quality of referrals from primary to secondary care: a cluster randomised trial
H Wahlberg, PC Valle, S Malm, A Ragnhild Broderstad
BMC Health Services Research, 2015, 15:353

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Socioeconomic impact of inaccurate tests

"The results of this analysis suggest that incorrect HER2 test results have far-reaching clinical and economic consequences."

Immunohistochemical expression of HER2 in breast cancer: socioeconomic impact of inaccurate tests
M Vyberg, et al.
BMC Health Services Research, 2015, 15:352

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Neurology services: outpatient analysis

"The resources will help clinicians and commissioners to assess if they comply with recommendations by the Royal College of Physicians that scheduled outpatient care should achieve national access targets and be close to the patient's home to ensure accurate diagnosis of symptoms and long term care for conditions ranging from migraine to motor neuron disease."

Neurology services: outpatient analysis
Public Health England
August 2015

Access the resources here.

Effectiveness of an intermediate care hospital

"Having an ICH in the municipality facilitated shorter length of hospital stay and kept the risk of readmissions, mortality and post-hospitalization care needs at the same level as without an ICH."

Effectiveness of an intermediate care hospital on readmissions, mortality, activities of daily living and use of health care services among hospitalized adults aged 60 years and older—a controlled observational study
U Dahl, A Steinsbekk, R Johnsen
BMC Health Services Research, 2015, 15:351

Read more here.

Informal caregivers of clients with neurological conditions

"Neurological conditions are common among home care clients and a significant proportion of informal caregivers providing care to these clients experience distress. The complexity of clients with neurological conditions suggests the need for multicomponent support strategies for informal caregivers."

Informal caregivers of clients with neurological conditions: profiles, patterns and risk factors for distress from a home care prevalence study
LA Mitchell, J Hirdes, JW Poss, C Slegers-Boyd, H Caldarelli, L Martin
BMC Health Services Research, 2015, 15:350

Read more here.

Integrated collaborative care model vs. a shifted outpatient collaborative care model

"Our findings suggest that shelter-based collaborative mental health care models may be effective for individuals experiencing homelessness and mental illness. Future studies should seek to confirm these findings and examine the cost effectiveness of collaborative care models for this population."

The effectiveness of an integrated collaborative care model vs. a shifted outpatient collaborative care model on community functioning, residential stability, and health service use among homeless adults with mental illness: a quasi-experimental study
V Stergiopoulos, et al.
BMC Health Services Research, 2015, 15:348

Read more here.