National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Blogs This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Transitions to palliative care for older people in acute hospitals: a mixed-methods study
This study finds that patients with palliative care needs represent a signiﬁcant proportion of the hospital inpatient population and that there is a gap between NHS policy regarding palliative and end-of-life care management in acute hospitals in England and current practice. Report National Institute for Health Research - publications (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - November 28, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Quality of care and clinical outcomes Source Type: blogs

A meta-ethnography of patients’ experience of chronic non-malignant musculoskeletal (MSK) pain
National Institute for Health Research -The aim of this study was to increase understanding of patients’ experience of chronic non-malignant MSK pain; utilise existing research knowledge to improve understanding and, thus, best practice in patient care; and contribute to the development of methods for qualitative research synthesis. Report National Institute for Health Research - publications (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - November 28, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Patient involvement, experience and feedback Source Type: blogs

Engagement in research: an innovative three-stage review of the benefits for health-care performance
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) -The aim of this study was to conduct a theoretically and empirically grounded synthesis to map and explore plausible mechanisms through which research engagement might improve health services performance. It suggests that when clinicians and health-care organisations engage in research there is the likelihood of a positive impact on health-care performance. Report NIHR - publications (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - November 13, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: NHS measurement and performance Source Type: blogs

Analysis tackles liver transplant failure
The re-infection of transplanted livers with hepatitis Chemical virus (HCV) – which can irreparably damage the new organ – could be halted by administering a medication which blocks the virus entering the liver, research from the University of Birmingham being presented at the Liver Meeting demonstrates. People who receive a new liver to replace their own organ previously broken by HCV infection are 95 per cent likely to experience recurrent irritation after the transplant, where virus amounts can surpass the pre-transplant amounts within a few days. Importantly, viral duplication and ensuing injury can be a lo...
Source: My Irritable Bowel Syndrome Story - November 7, 2013 Category: Other Conditions Authors: Ken Tags: IBS News Source Type: blogs

A multicentre programme of clinical and public health research in support of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) -The aim of this research was to carry out a programme of linked studies aimed at improving the management of self-harm, reducing the incidence of suicide and providing reliable data to evaluate the impact of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England (2002). Research report NIHR - publications (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - November 1, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Local authorities, public health and health inequalities Mental Health Source Type: blogs

Increasing equity of access to high-quality mental health services in primary care: a mixed-methods study
The objectives were to clarify the mental health needs of people from underserved groups; identify relevant evidence-based services and barriers to, and facilitators of, access to such services; develop and evaluate interventions that are acceptable to underserved groups; establish effective dissemination strategies; and begin to integrate effective and acceptable interventions into primary care. Research report NIHR - publications (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - November 1, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Mental Health Source Type: blogs

Towards a framework for enhancing the performance of NHS boards: a synthesis of the evidence about board governance, board effectiveness and board development
This study aims to add to existing knowledge by (1) providing a theoretical contribution to board governance and relating it to the NHS context, (2) offering fresh insights into effective board composition, structures, processes and behaviours in the NHS, (3) furthering an understanding of how NHS boards can affect organisational performance and (4) summarising and analysing the range of board assessment tools and development interventions available for the NHS. Report National Institute for Health Research - publications (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - October 24, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Leadership and leadership development Regulation, governance and accountability Source Type: blogs

Facilitating knowledge exchange between health-care sectors, organisations and professions: a longitudinal mixed-methods study of boundary-spanning processes and their impact on health-care quality
National Institute for Health Research -This paper explores whether or not boundary-spanning processes stimulate the creation and exchange of knowledge between sectors, organisations and professions and whether or not this leads, through better integration of services, to improvements in the quality of care. Report National Institute for Health Research - publications (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - October 24, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Integrated care Quality of care and clinical outcomes Source Type: blogs

NHS could save £84m using cheaper drug to prevent blindness, trial finds
Researchers say Avastin is just as good as more-expensive Lucentis for treating wet age-related macular degenerationAn image of an eye with wet AMD, the most common cause of blindness, diagnosed in 23,000 people in the UK every year. Photograph: Queen's University Belfast/PASarah Boseley, health editorThe NHS could save more than £84m a year if it used a cheap, unlicensed drug to treat people in danger of going blind rather than the expensive one currently licensed and promoted by leading pharmaceutical companies for the purpose, a ground-breaking trial has shown.Researchers led by Prof Usha Chakravarthy from Queen's Univ...
Source: PharmaGossip - July 19, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs

Commissioning high-quality care for people with long-term conditions
This report highlights the findings of an in-depth study of commissioning, funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research (NIHR HS&DR) Programme. It warns that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will, in a climate of financial austerity, need prioritise collaborative discussion and service planning, as well as leaving space for transactional work such as contract specification, service review and decommissioning. Report Press release Nuffield Trust - publications (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - March 1, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Library Service Source Type: blogs

Missing trial data – briefing notes. Alltrials.net
Doctors need the results of clinical trials to make decisions about which treatment is best. Currently, drug companies and researchers are allowed to withhold the results of clinical trials from doctors and patients if they wish to, alongside other information. This means that we are misled about the benefits and risks of treatments. We can be misled into prescribing an expensive new drug, for example, when in reality an older cheaper one is more effective. Patients are harmed and money is wasted. This problem is very well documented, and widely discussed within the profession. Legislators have failed to engage on the i...
Source: PharmaGossip - February 3, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs

UK Clinical Trials Gateway (UKCTG): public and patient survey 2012
This report reviews UKCTG from a patient perspective and makes recommendations based on the results of a patient and public feedback survey. Whilst UKCTG is generally well received and regarded by the participants in the survey, they highlight the need for better promotion and design of the website. Report NIHR - news (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - January 24, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Library Service Source Type: blogs

Possibilities and pitfalls for clinical leadership in improving service quality, innovation and productivity
This paper is the result of an investigation into the lessons that could be learned from the Darzi model of clinical leadership and what conditions enable and constrain for effective realisation and performance? It identifies four main types of clinical leadership; highlights the need for a focus on patient and user needs; and outlines lessons for the implementation of service redesign. Report Executive summary NIHR - publications (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - January 11, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Library Service Source Type: blogs

Joint commissioning in health and social care: an exploration of definitions, processes, services and outcomes
This report studied examples of joint commissioning across five case study sites which all have different types of joint commissioning arrangements in place. It aimed to use practical examples in order to develop a definition of joint commissioning and to scope out the ways in which integrated commissioning can be implemented. Report Executive summary NIHR - publications (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - January 11, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Library Service Source Type: blogs

Mystery shopper report
This mystery shopper investigation found that many NHS patients are hitting an information "brick wall" when it comes to finding out about clinical research. It also reports that 91% of NHS trusts surveyed are not providing information to support patient choice. A commitment to the promotion and conduct of clinical research is included in the NHS Constitution and this report highlights the need for improvement in this area. Report NIHR - news (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - January 10, 2013 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Library Service Source Type: blogs