Knowledge @lert for Wednesday 18th June

June 18, 2014 Daily News

Mental Health Dementia and Neurology Intelligence Network

Public Health England has launched a new health intelligence network Mental Health Dementia and Neurology Intelligence Network. The network analyses information and data and turns it into health intelligence for commissioners, policy makers, clinicians and health professionals to improve services, outcomes and reduce the negative impact of mental health, dementia and neurology problems. It consists of four pilot profiling tools covering: common mental health disorders; severe mental illness (including psychosis); community mental health profiles (updated from last year’s publication); and neurology (emergency admissions and epilepsy).
Additional link: PHE press release

NICE guidance: Atrial fibrillation

NICE has issued new clinical guidance Atrial fibrillation (update) (CG180). This guideline updates and replaces NICE clinical guideline 36 (published June 2006). It offers evidence-based advice on the care and treatment of people with atrial fibrillation. New recommendations have been added for a personalised package of care and information, referral for specialised management, stroke prevention, rate and rhythm control and the management of acute atrial fibrillation.

Additional NICE guidance

NICE has also published the following guidance:
The MAGEC system for spinal lengthening in children with scoliosis (MTG18) Medical technologies guidance.

Evidence update: Antibiotics for early-onset neonatal infection

NICE has published a new evidence update Antibiotics for early-onset neonatal infection. This update is a summary of selected new evidence relevant to NICE clinical guideline 149 ‘Antibiotics for early-onset neonatal infection: antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of early-onset neonatal infection’ (2012). Evidence updates are intended to increase awareness of new evidence they do not replace current NICE guidance and do not provide formal practice recommendations.

2014 Accountability hearing with the Health and Care Professions Council

The Health Committee has published 2014 Accountability hearing with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)In its first report on the work of the Health and Care Professions Council, the Health Committee backs the HCPC’s approach to regulation of social care workers in opposing the Government’s plans for a voluntary register and supporting a negative register, a barring process for those found to be unfit to practise, as a first step to regulation in this sector. Beyond that first step, the Committee recommends that the Government, working with the HCPC and the Professional Standards Authority “should develop further proposals for more effective regulation to provide proper safeguards in this area”.

Legionnaires’ disease in baby alert

Public Health England and NHS England have temporarily advised against the home use of birthing pools with built-in heaters and recirculation pumps, potentially filled up to 2 weeks in advance of the birth. This follows a single case of Legionnaires’ disease identified in a baby born in this specific type of birthing pool at home.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, 2014 update: how the U.S. health care system compares internationally – The Commonwealth Fund

This update of an annual study examines and compares the U.S. health care system against eleven other countries, including the United Kingdom. It finds that the U.S. underperforms relative to other countries on most dimensions of performance but that the NHS ranks first, closely followed by Switzerland. On dimensions of care relating to accessibility, efficiency and quality of care, the NHS was ranked first amongst all eleven nations but scored lowest for public health and healthy lives.

One Million Unsung Heroes: Secret Change Leaders of the NHS – Health Services Management Centre (HSMC)

At the NHS Confederation earlier this month, undoubtedly there were some elite speakers: Andy Burnham, Jeremy Hunt, Norman Lamb, Simon Stevens. They had some ‘big ticket’ agendas including co-commissioning, integration, place, patient voice, big data and finance all aimed at doing more for less to a higher standard.

Bringing together primary and secondary care data to improve patient care – Imperial College London

The Peter Sowerby Commission Report finds effective implementation and use of electronic health records (EHRs) can reduce errors, identify better ways of providing care, ensure coordination across care teams and give patients better care, better information and provide a better experience with regard to their health and treatment. If EHRs are safely and effectively introduced nationwide, and paper health records are replaced, the NHS in England could lead the world in the delivery of safe and effective patient-centred care. This document presents a strategy to accomplish this goal. It identifies 5 areas for action:

Ensure patients rights and expectations are met
Ensure clinicians have immediate access to up-to-date information
Design fit-for-purpose research databasese and use them responsibly to improve care
Implement open and interoprable electronic systems
Ensure the implementation programme is fit-for-purpose

Modelling, evaluating and implementing cost effective services to reduce the impact of stroke – Programme Grants for Applied Research

Aims to estimate risk of stroke, longer-term needs and outcomes, risk of recurrence, trends and predictors of effective care, to model cost-effective configurations of care, to understand stakeholders’ perspectives of services and to develop proposals to underpin policy. Finds the South London Stroke Register (SLSR) has been a platform for a range of health services research activities of international relevance. The programme has produced data to inform policy and practice with estimates of need for stroke prevention and care services, identification of persistent sociodemographic inequalities in risk and care despite a reduction in stroke risk, quantification of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of care and development of models to simulate configurations of care. Stroke is a long-term condition with significant social impact and the data on need and economic modelling have been utilised by the Department of Health, the NAO and Healthcare for London to assess need and model cost-effective options for stroke care. Novel approaches are now required to ensure that such information is used effectively to improve population and patient outcomes.

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