Library Support

Literature Searching

Literature searching puts evidence based practice at the forefront of clinical practice- allowing you to find appropriate articles which could have a direct impact upon patients, service planning, clinical support, further research or simply to keep up to date with your area of expertise.

Evidence can support:

  • An audit
  • A care pathway
  • A guideline
  • Protocol development
  • Direct patient care
  • Service planning and decision making
  • Presentations/ training
  • Research
  • Systematic Reviews

Literature searching provides you with the information you need to find the types of articles that will help you with your clinical practice or research. It is a skill that can be developed and should be incorporated into daily practice.

The Library can support you with training on this topic – (either on a 1:1 basis or as a group) should you wish to develop your skills in this area. Please contact; katie.roper@lscft.nhs.uk to arrange a session.

We also provide literature searching as part of our service. Simply fill out the form below and send it back to academic.library@lscft.nhs.uk.

We kindly ask that you give us 10 working days to find the evidence for your request.

Public Health

Current Awareness

Bringing baby home: UK fathers in the first year after the birth Father Institute, June 2022

(This review of empirical evidence about UK fathers and fatherhood in the first postnatal year, explores who fathersare; what they do as caregivers, and what influences this; what impact they have (on children and mothers); and how services engage with them. The review finds that NHS systems are not set up to engage with, assess and support new fathers, despite clear evidence that there is a strong case for routine engagement with them in the perinatal period.)

Public attitudes towards institutions involved in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic King’s College London

(According to this international study of six countries three in four (74 per cent) people in the UK think the government is motivated by building or protecting its own reputation when it comes to Covid-19, while six in ten (61 per cent) believe it is motivated by making lots of money in relation to the pandemic. However, majorities in other nations share the same perceptions. These perceptions also extend, although to a lesser extent, to scientists involved in tackling coronavirus.)

Investigating factors associated with loneliness in adults in England National Centre for Social Research (NatCen)

(The DCMS commissioned the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) to explore factors associated with loneliness in adults in England. The research investigated: the characteristics of those at risk of loneliness; whether the risk factors for loneliness have changed over time; whether any factors predict the alleviation of loneliness over the short term; and the relationship between loneliness and mental wellbeing.)

Make Every Contact Count (MECC) for Menopause training session The Royal Society for Public Health

(MECC for Menopause is aimed at front line health, social, wellbeing, care staff and volunteers, who have direct contact with women accessing services. It aims to raise awareness within the workplace as women often find it difficult to discuss menopause related health problems. This session is delivered by Health Education England and Royal Society for Public Health on Wednesday 13th July 2022.)

Public Health

Current awareness updates

Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in Europe 2022 – 2020 data (2022).
World Health Organization (WHO); 2022.
[The report presents a regional and European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) overview, including traffic-light maps for priority drug–bug combinations of public health relevance, as well as 42 country and area profiles.]

Commentary: Climate change worry among adolescents-on the importance of going beyond the constructive-unconstructive dichotomy to explore coping efforts-a commentary on Sciberras and Fernando (2021). [Abstract]
Ojala M. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27(1):89-91.
[This opinion piece comments on Sciberras and Fernando’s (2021) article in which an 8-year longitudinal study is presented. The authors investigate trajectories of climate change worry through adolescence and associations with measures of depression and engagement with news and politics in late adolescence. Their objective is to explore whether climate change worry is a constructive or unconstructive psychological phenomenon.]

Commentary: Three tasks for eco-anxiety research – a commentary on Thompson et al. (2021). [Abstract]
Pihkala P. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27(1):92-93.

Commentary: Proactive practices to support youth coping with climate change – a commentary on Martin et al. (2021). [Abstract]
Flanagan C. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27(1):94-95.
[Based on the scoping review of literature on youths’ anxieties and worries associated with their understanding of climate change, I suggest three practices for supporting youth coping: emphasizing what they can do through environmental action; emphasizing group over individual efforts – working in peer teams and networking with adult organizations dedicated to environmental action; and focusing on human impact in the place where they reside and ways they can observe and monitor that impact.]

Limitations of the new ISO standard for health and wellness apps.
Neal D. The Lancet Digital Health 2022;4(2):e80-e82.
[Software apps for health and wellness are proliferating rapidly. Policy makers, health-care providers, and consumers can benefit from assessment and standardisation of these apps, to support decision making in a rapidly developing field. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a standard in July, 2021. However, we fear that, in its current form, the standard could stigmatise some app users and worsen inequalities in access to digital health technologies.]

Young people’s engagement with climate change issues through digital media – a content analysis.[Abstract]
Parry S. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27(1):30-38.
[The reporting of climate change issues through social media can influence young people’s mental health and engagement. However, there has been little research undertaken directly with young people in relation to social and digital media’s reporting of climate change, and how this is experienced by young people. This study aimed to explore the interface between climate change and social media reporting for young people.]

Place-based civic science-collective environmental action and solidarity for eco-resilience.[Abstract]
Gallay E. Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2022;27(1):39-46.
[We explored how place-based civic science (PBCS) can provide opportunities to engage youth in environmental understanding through teamwork in which youth feel that they belong to a group larger than themselves and gain a sense of hope from working with others toward shared goals. We argue that combining PCBS pedagogies of collective action and collaborative learning spaces can help to buffer against distress as CYP grapple with global environmental crises.]

Case study: Digital media for sexual health promotion.
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR); 2022.
[This case study provides an overview of a research project carried out by a team of researchers at University College London. The scoping review found that interactive digital interventions (IDIs) are effective for sexual health promotion and HIV prevention. They could be rolled out much more widely to complement school sex and relationships education and sexual health services.]

Physical health checks for people living with severe mental illness: a partnership approach to improving health checks in primary care.
Equally Well UK; 2022.
[This resources provides a partnership approach to improving physical health checks for people living with severe mental illness. Through data and intelligence, a summary of key strategic drivers and policy commitments and accessible check lists, the resource aims to provide guidance on the prioritised action required to prevent premature mortality, morbidity and inequalities experienced by people with severe mental illness.]

Leading the change: social prescribing within the fitness and leisure sector.
UKActive; 2022.
[This report calls for public health initiatives to help raise awareness of social prescribing in gyms, pools and leisure centres in order to reduce the pressure on the NHS. The report, sponsored by Matrix, makes four key recommendations to develop and grow social prescribing within the fitness and leisure sector.]

Signs and symptoms of suicidal ideation in children and adolescents.
Carried out by Frankie Marcelline from Sussex Health on 26/1/2022
[This is a broad evidence search for a new training course for social workers working with children and adolescents with, or at risk of, suicidal ideation/ behaviours and their families. It includes results on signs and symptoms of suicidal ideation in those under18 years old.]


Public Health

Current awareness updates

Violence Prevention Information System (Violence Info).
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.
[Developed in collaboration with the Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Public Health Wales and the World Health Organisation, Violence Info is an online interactive collection of scientific information about the prevalence, consequences, risk factors and preventability of all forms of interpersonal violence. It covers homicide, child maltreatment, youth violence, intimate partner violence, elder abuse and sexual violence.]

Two new tobacco cessation medicines added to the WHO essential medicines list.
World Health Organization (WHO); 2021.
[On 1 October 2021, the WHO announced the updated the Model List where two new medicines have been added, indicating a powerful shift in the fight against the tobacco epidemic. Bupropion and varenicline are medicines which work in a different way from nicotine replacement. The new medicines reduce cravings for nicotine without supplying a nicotine substitute, thereby supporting people in quitting tobacco use and reducing nicotine dependence.]

Healthy weight coach elearning programme: for primary care networks, healthcare practices and pharmacies.
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID); 2021.
[This reference guide is for primary care networks, healthcare practices and pharmacies interested in training staff, and staff interested in undertaking training, to become a healthy weight coach.]

Blood pressure lowering and risk of new-onset type 2 diabetes: an individual participant data meta-analysis.
The Lancet; 2021.
[Blood pressure lowering is an effective strategy for the prevention of new-onset type 2 diabetes. Established pharmacological interventions, however, have qualitatively and quantitively different effects on diabetes. This evidence supports the indication for selected classes of antihypertensive drugs for the prevention of diabetes, which could further refine the selection of drug choice according to an individual’s clinical risk of diabetes.]

Caring for older patients with complex needs: How does England compare with 11 OECD countries?
The Health Foundation; 2021.
[The analysis shows that looking across the system is essential to understand the true resource use of patients with complex needs, if policymakers are to identify areas for improvement in care. The comparatively high mortality rates for people admitted for hip fracture and for people with heart failure and diabetes in England are concerning and require scrutiny by policymakers, commissioners and providers…]

Lunch and learn – April Reminder

Health Literacy Awareness Session

This is just a reminder that the next Lunch and Learn session will be held via Teams on Thursday 29th April between 12pm and 1pm.

This session will discuss:

  • What health literacy awareness is and how it might impact on everyday practice
  • Issues surrounding this topic when working with patients
  • What low health literacy looks and feels like
  • The impact of low health literacy on individuals’ everyday lives and on the services that support them
  • Tools and techniques you can use in practice to overcome these issues

As the session may discuss personal reflections or examples from practice, we will not be recording the April session.

Teams invites have been sent to all our Library registered users. If you would like an invite to be extended to you or you team please email: katie.roper@lscft.nhs.uk

Free online event

Courage of compassion : transforming nurses’ and midwives’ working environments to enable them to flourish

Following the release of the Kings Fund report on The courage of compassion last month, they are providing a  free online event on 3 December in partnership with the RCN Foundation. Their panel will discuss how we can better support nurses and midwives to flourish at work and to provide compassionate care in a sustainable way.

To book your place click here.

Virtual conference

Leading beyond Covid

The virtual conference, taking place between 23rd-26th November 2020, will share practical ideas about transforming work and workplace cultures. It will explore how leadership and teamworking influences people’s work experiences, releasing their full potential to drive improved outcomes for patients and citizens.

There will also be the opportunity to discuss how to create compassionate cultures with other local health and care leaders.

To find out more or book a place click here.

New agreement for NHS junior doctors

Opportunities to train in the independent sector

A new agreement has been reached between independent healthcare providers and the NHS, allowing staff to train in elective surgery or diagnostic activities. Hundreds of thousands of patients are treated in independent facilities with around half a million NHS procedures each year being delivered by independent hospital. This agreement will allow the opportunity to utilise almost all available independent hospital capacity to ease the pressure off the NHS.

Professor Cliff Shearman, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England said;

We are delighted our work with NHSE, HEE and the Independent Health Providers Network has led to this agreement. It’s only right that NHS-funded treatment should help train the NHS workforce of the future. Every opportunity should be taken to provide them with access to good quality training opportunities.”

To find out more click here.

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.)


Top tips for telephone triage and video consulting

Resources to support your practice

Total triage is important to reduce avoidable footfall in practices and reduce the risk and spread of infection. How to establish a remote total triage model in GP using online consultations available here.

Support for telephone and video consulting, GP’s, dentists, mental heath patients and cancer patients can be accessed here.