Advancing knowledge translation in primary care

"Now more than ever, there is a need to embed KT strategies within primary care practice and research to ensure application of relevant findings in practice, overcome the typically slow uptake of evidence into everyday care, and support primary care reforms."

Advancing knowledge translation in primary care
M Menear, K Grindrod, K Clouston, P Norton, F Legare
Canadian Family Physician, 2012, 58(6):623-627

Read more here.

Use of quality indicators to promote accountability in health care

"In this commentary, the authors hope to stimulate innovation in the field of health care performance measurement."

The use of quality indicators to promote accountability in health care: the good, the bad, and the ugly
AJ Forster, C van Walraven
Open Medicine, 2012, 6(2)

Read more here.

World class education and training, for world class healthcare

"The values embedded across Health Education England shall support its goal to develop a flexible and compassionate workforce focused on high quality care that is responsive to changing needs."

World class education and training, for world class healthcare: introducing Health Education England
Health Education England
June 2012

Read more here.

European guideline variations and access to innovative therapies for rheumatoid arthritis

"This report usefully documents the variation in treatment across 12 European countries in the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), and notes the large cost imposed on societies by this disease."

A common disease with uncommon treatment: European guideline variations and access to innovative therapies for rheumatoid arthritis
T Hockley, J Costa-Font
Policy Analysis Centre Limited
June 2012

Read more here.

Impact of telehealth on use of hospital care and mortality

"Over the 12 months that they spent in the trial, patients allocated to receive the telehealth intervention had fewer emergency hospital admissions."

The impact of telehealth on use of hospital care and mortality
A Steventon, M Bardsley
Nuffield Trust
June 2012

Read more here.

Keeping patients safe when they transfer between care providers

"Improving the transfer of information about medicines across all care settings should help to reduce incidents of avoidable harm to patients, improving patient safety and contributing to a reduction in avoidable medicines related admissions and readmissions to hospital."

Keeping patients safe when they transfer between care providers - getting the medicines right
Royal Pharmaceutical Society
June 2012

Read more here.

Emerging mHealth: paths for growth

"This report examines the current state and potential of mHealth in developed and emerging markets, the ongoing barriers to its adoption and the implications for companies in the field."

Emerging mHealth: paths for growth
PricewaterhousCoopers LLP, The Economist Intelligence Unit
June 2012

Read more here.

Academic Health Science Networks

“Every local NHS organisation should aspire to be affiliated to its local Academic Health Sciences Network, which would act as a high quality, high value gateway for any NHS organisation needing support or help with innovation, and provide industry with focused points of access to the NHS.”

Academic Health Science Networks
Department of Health
June 2012

Read more here.

NHS Chief Executive's annual report

"Sir David Nicholson’s annual report highlights progress and achievements across the NHS during the last 12 months, and challenges that remain as the NHS continues through transition."

NHS Chief Executive's annual report
Sir David Nicholson
Department of Health
June 2012

Read more here.

In sickness and in health

"The following are the findings of the survey of nearly 3,400 carers and their experiences."

In sickness and in health
Carers UK
June 2012

Read more here.

Atlas of optical variation - enhanced eye health services in England

"This map shows which community eye care pathways are available where, according to the current arrangement of PCT clusters."

Atlas of optical variation - enhanced eye health services in England
Local Optical Committee Support Unit (LOCSU)
June 2012

Access the map of local eye care services here.

How mental illness loses out in the NHS

"There is one massive inequality within the NHS: the way it treats mental illness as compared with physical illness."

How mental illness loses out in the NHS
Centre for Economic Performance
London School of Economics and Political Science
June 2012

Read more here.

Delivering dignity

"We have to work with older people to shape services around their needs, and listen to patients and residents and their families, carers and advocates, so we learn from their feedback and continually improve dignity in care."

Delivering dignity: securing dignity in care for older people in hospitals and care homes
NHS Confederation
June 2012

Read more here.

Quality improvement through clinical communities

"The paper brings together diverse literatures with important implications for community-based approaches to quality improvement, drawing on these to offer practical lessons for those engaged in improving healthcare quality in practice."

Quality improvement through clinical communities: eight lessons for practice
EL Aveling, GP Martin, N Armstrong, J Banerjee, M Dixon-Woods
Journal of Health Organization and Management, 2012, 26(2)

Read more here.

A CEO checklist for high-value health care

"The items in this checklist reflect core elements for the health care transformation needed to deliver high-value care—better outcomes at lower costs."

A CEO checklist for high-value health care
D Cosgrove, et al.
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
June 2012

Read more here.

Clinical Commissiong Group learning and support tool

"A comprehensive, new CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) learning and support web tool has been published to support CCGs as they prepare for authorisation, the clinical leadership of commissioning and their development beyond authorisation."

Find out more and access the tool here.

Birthplace in England - new evidence

"The Birthplace cohort study is the largest study of its kind in the world, designed to inform those who plan, commission and deliver maternity services."

Birthplace in England - new evidence
SDO Network
NHS Confederation
June 2012

Read more here.

Functions of clinical commissioning groups

This paper sets out the proposed range of clinical commissioning group (CCG) functions, in relation to:

• commissioning responsibilities
• general duties of CCGs
• planning, agreeing and monitoring services
• financial duties
• governance
• specific duties of cooperation
• general duties applying to public or NHS bodies.

The functions of clinical commissioning groups (updated to reflect the final Health and Social Care Act 2012)
Department of Health
June 2012

Read more here.

Atlas of variation in healthcare for people with diabetes

"The aim of the Diabetes Atlas is to identify and quantify the extent of ‘unwarranted’ variation that may be due to unjustified geographical differences in medical practice and/or patients not gaining access to the appropriate level of intervention for their need."

Atlas of variation in healthcare for people with diabetes
NHS Right Care
June 2012

Read more here.

Patient empowerment

"Healthcare policy is driving the need to consider patient empowerment as a measurable patient outcome from healthcare services."

Patient empowerment: the need to consider it as a measurable patient-reported outcome for chronic conditions
M McAllister, G Dunn, K Payne, L Davies, C Todd
BMC Health Services Research, 2012, 12:157

Read more here.

Facilitating improvement in primary care

"Practice coaching, also called practice facilitation, assists physician practices with the desire to improve in such areas as patient access, chronic and preventive care, electronic medical record use, patient-centeredness, cultural competence, and team-building."

Facilitating improvement in primary care: the promise of practice coaching
K Grumbach, E Bainbridge, T Bodenheimer
The Commonwealth Fund
June 2012

Read more here.

Putting patients first - the Productive Series

"All of the examples here are real-life improvement initiatives at various stages of development and implementation during 2011."

Putting patients first - the Productive Series
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
March 2012

Read more here.

Listening to children's views on health provision

"The review provides a synthesis of up-to-date evidence on children and young people’s views and experiences of health provision."

Listening to children's views on health provision: a rapid review of the evidence
I La Valle, L Payne, J Gibb, H Jelicic
National Children's Bureau
May 2012

Read more here.

Atlas of variations in social care

"The atlas examines initiatives to improve care services including additional funds for social care from the NHS and how this resource is being spent."

An atlas of variations in social care: an analysis of the quality of social care services in England
MHP Health Mandate
June 2012

Read more here.

Celebrating early implementer achievements - one year on

This report presents the outcomes of twenty-six Early Implementer Sites (EISs), which were established in March 2011 with the aim of delivering the full health visiting service vision and helping lead a step-change in the way these services are provided across the country.

Celebrating early implementer achievements - one year on
Department of Health
June 2012

Read more here.

Economics of ehealth and mhealth

"As a first step to developing the investment case for mHealth, this article outlines some of the key economic and financial questions that need to be answered in developing in-country eHealth investments."

The economics of ehealth and mhealth
J Schweitzer, C Synowiec
Journal of Health Communication: International Perspectives, 17(sup1):73-81

Read more here.

European database of suspected adverse drug reaction reports

"On this website you can view data on suspected side-effects also know as suspected adverse drug reactions for authorised medicines in the European Economic Area (EEA)."

Access the European database of suspected adverse drug reaction reports.

Dark chocolate consumption as prevention therapy in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease

"Daily dark chocolate consumption could be an effective cardiovascular preventive strategy in this population."

The effectiveness and cost effectiveness of dark chocolate consumption as prevention therapy in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease: best case scenario analysis using a Markov model
E Zomer, A Owen, DJ Magliano, D Liew, CM Reid
British Medical Journal, 2012, 344:e3657

Read more here.

Effectiveness of booklet based vestibular rehabilitation for chronic dizziness in primary care

"Booklet based vestibular rehabilitation for chronic dizziness is a simple and cost effective means of improving patient reported outcomes in primary care."

Clinical and cost effectiveness of booklet based vestibular rehabilitation for chronic dizziness in primary care: single blind, parallel group, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial
L Yardley, F Barker, I Muller, D Turner, S Kirby, M Mullee, A Morris, P Little
British Medical Journal, 2012, 344:e2237

Read more here.

Using care bundles to improve health care quality

"This white paper describes the history, theory of change, design concepts, and outcomes associated with the development and use of bundles over the past decade."

Using care bundles to improve health care quality
R Resar, FA Griffin, C Haraden, TW Nolan
IHI Innovation Series white paper
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
May 2012

Read more here. (Free registration required)

Clinicians in management: does it make a difference

"Those NHS hospital trusts with larger proportions of doctors on their boards are also those which are most likely to achieve quality ratings of four, lower morbidity rates (according to Dr Foster) and higher levels of patient satisfaction."

Clinicians in management: does it make a difference
G Veronesi, I Kirkpatrick, F Vallascas
Centre for Innovation in Health Management
Leeds University Business School
May 2012

Read more here.

Pathology services commissioning toolkit

"This toolkit is for commissioning community (i.e. direct access) pathology services to support commissioners who have undertaken a strategic review of their existing services and wish to improve the quality, effectiveness, affordability and value for money of these services, in line with locally determined objectives and priorities."

The pathology services commissioning toolkit
Department of Health
May 2012

Read more here.

Additional supporting material available here.

Knowledge translation of research findings

"In this paper, we have attempted to briefly summarise some of the key concepts and evidence about the effectiveness of knowledge translation activities targeting different stakeholder groups."

Knowledge translation of research findings
JM Grimshaw, MP Eccles, JN Lavis, SJ Hill, JE Squires
Implementation Science, 2012, 7:50

Read more here.