Category: Research

Evidence updates

Recommendations for continued care and support of people who are clinically extremely vulnerable
Royal College of Physicians (RCP); 2020.
(Statement from the Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, National Voices and specialist societies highlighting the challenges faced by both doctors and patients in identifying and reducing the risks associated with COVID-19 for the most clinically vulnerable people.)

Expanding the primary care workforce in 2020/21 .
NHS England & NHS Improvement; 2020.
(Actions for CCGs, PCNs and STPs resulting from People Plan and Third phase of NHS response to covid-19.)

Reintroduction of NHS continuing healthcare.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2020.
(Sets out how clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will restart NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) assessment processes from 1 September 2020.Published 21 August 2020.)

Virtual training for midwives during a pandemic.
Abramson P. British Journal of Midwifery 2020;28(8):502–503.
(When a baby dies, it is a tragedy at any time but during the COVID-19 pandemic, bereaved families and the professionals supporting them have been faced with additional and often distressing challenges. Restrictions have made access to hospitals difficult for partners and other family members, while support services that would normally be provided for bereaved parents have been unavailable or severely limited.)

Ketamine as a mental health treatment: Are acute psychoactive effects associated with outcomes? A systematic review.
Grabski M. Behavioural Brain Research 2020;392:112629.
(The databases Medline, Embase and PsycInfo were searched. The studies reviewed displayed great variability in methodology and quality of reporting. The most commonly assessed effect was dissociation, measured by the CADSS. Our results suggest that the CADSS total is not consistently associated with antidepressant outcomes. Apart from this, the current literature is too limited to draw definite conclusions on an association between acute psychoactive effects and mental health outcomes.)


Coronavirus and the common cold

New research suggests that infection from a common cold could generate an immune response to COVID -19

The article focuses on one arm of the immune response – the B and T cells which produce antibodies. It shows that people keep T cells from the mild coronaviruses long enough to interact with a new challenge by SARS-CoV-2, meaning that those T cells might recognise SARS-CoV-2 and help to clear the infection. Could this possibly provide an answer as to why some people have less severe effects compared to others? Click here to read more.

To read the whole research, conducted by La Jolla Institute for Immunology click here.

Antibodies latching onto a coronavirus to neutralise it.
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/antibodies-attacking-sarscov2-virus-conceptual-3d-1700617951

Evidence based summaries

Recent research and reports

Should antidepressants be used for major depressive disorder? Jakobsen JC. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine 2020;25(4):130.
The benefits of antidepressants seem to be minimal and possibly without any importance to the average patient with major depressive disorder. Antidepressants should not be used for adults with major depressive disorder before valid evidence has shown that the potential beneficial effects outweigh the harmful effects.

Clinical pathways as a mobile device. Please log in via Athens to access the whole article. Barrett J. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine 2020;25(4):131-137.
Overall, this project supports the development of a mobile application based on the design principles used in the clinical pathways. Providers did indeed use the clinical pathways. They found the pathways easy to use and helped provide evidence-based care in clinical practice. While the iPad was useful for some participants, a small sized tablet and phone would be preferred by others. Future work will be undertaken on mobile application development using multiple screen sizes.

Dementia prevention, intervention and care. The Lancet 2020;:doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6. Excessive alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury, and air pollution have been added to the list of potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia. Together the 12 listed modifiable risk factors account for around 40% of worldwide dementia’s.

Technology and innovation for long term health conditions

Independent Report commissioned by the Academic Health Science Network

The case studies highlighted in the report illustrate how digital technology may have the potential to transform care, build stronger relationships and work effectively as a team in order to support patients.

The paper also makes us question the changes of online services due to COVID-19, encouraging us to discuss the impact of these changes and whether services could be redesigned for the better.

To read the full report click here.

Online Library Resources

Want a one-stop shop way of accessing the Library on your Smartphone?

Download the NEW & FREE EBSCO Mobile App and access library resources on the move via your Open Athens account.


Apple users click here: https://apple.co/3eUuA8Q

Android users click here: https://bit.ly/2ZWSSup


For a Quick Start Guide on using the new EBSCO app please see – https://bit.ly/3eV43In


Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services – Briefing

Evaluating Social Prescribing

This briefing provides a review of the research methods and approaches used to evaluate UK-based social prescribing interventions in recent years, to inform health care and social services professionals, as well as organisations delivering social prescribing interventions and those conducting evaluations of them. It aims to give an overview of how social prescribing has been evaluated, and what can be learned from this.

Online Resources – Knowledgeshare

Knowledgeshare connects health care staff with their local NHS library and knowledge Service

You can join Knowledgeshare by completing this joining form and emailing it to the Gosall Library at academic.library@lancashirecare.nhs.uk. Using the information you provide on this form the library staff will create a profile of you in the system detailing your interests.

Read more about Knowledgeshare here

Government Research

Understanding the provision of occupational health and work-related musculoskeletal services

This research (published by the the DHSC together with the Department for Work and Pensions) maps the current provision of occupational health (OH) in the United Kingdom and reviews work-related musculoskeletal (MSK) services in the NHS. The research aimed to examine the available models of private and NHS service provision; how these are commissioned, resourced and accessed; examine the workforce of private and NHS providers; and investigate the commissioning of MSK and work-related NHS services. The research is intended to inform the ongoing development of policy relating to OH.

Read the report here