Using Social Media to Collect Dietary Information for Public Health Policy.

There is no regular, routine measurement of food and nutrient intake regionally in the UK. Our goal was to identify a method to support policy makers tracking the local population food intakes. The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of using social media to obtain a large sample in a short time, with a regional focus; collecting dietary information using online tools.

Dietary risk factors for hip fracture in adults: An umbrella review of meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies.

Aim: To summarise the totality of evidence regarding dietary risk factors for hip fracture in adults, evaluating the quality of evidence, to provide recommendations for practice and further research.

Design: Systematic review of meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies.

Eligibility Criteria: Systematic reviews with meta-analyses reporting summary risk estimates for associations between hip fracture incidence and dietary exposures including oral intake of a food, food group, beverage, or nutrient, or adherence to dietary patterns.

Targeted literature review of current treatments and unmet need in moderate rheumatoid arthritis in the United Kingdom.

Objectives: The burden and treatment landscape of RA is poorly understood. This research aimed to identify evidence on quality of life, caregiver burden, economic burden, treatment patterns and clinical outcomes for patients with moderate RA in the United Kingdom.

Methods: A systematic literature review was performed across multiple databases and screened against pre-defined inclusion criteria.

The Suitability of End Point Designs for Health Technology Assessment in Chronic Pain Studies.

Objectives: To identify the pain instruments and study end points most commonly used in clinical trial settings and to provide insight into the extent to which outcome measures in clinical studies are meeting payer needs.

Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify published clinical studies and ongoing/recently completed registered trials in chronic pain. Inclusion criteria were interventional study, chronic pain in adults, and pain measured within the primary end point.

Disease Burden in the Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Findings From a Time-and-Motion Study.

Purpose: To examine the time burden of managing neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) imposed on physicians, staff, patients, and caregivers.

Design: Mixed-methods, prospective, observational time-and-motion study.

Methods: The multicenter study was conducted from March 2011 through August 2012.

A systematic literature review of utility weights in wet age-related macular degeneration.

Objective: The objective of the study was to conduct a systematic review of utility weight estimates relevant to economic models for wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD).

Methods: A systematic literature search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and EconLit was performed (January 1995-December 2010) and then updated (October 2010-May 2012; February 2012-July 2013) identifying articles reporting utilities in patients with wAMD and visual impairment. Extracted studies were also assessed for compliance with the NICE reference case.

Burden of paediatric influenza in Western Europe: a systematic review.

Background: Influenza illness in children causes significant clinical and economic burden. Although some European countries have adopted influenza immunisation policies for healthy children, the debate about paediatric influenza vaccination in most countries of the European Union is ongoing. Our aim was to summarise influenza burden (in terms of health outcomes and economic burden) in children in Western Europe via a systematic literature review.

Epidemiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a literature review.

The aim of this study is to quantify the burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)--incidence, prevalence, and mortality--and identify trends in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. A structured literature search was performed (January 2000 to September 2010) of PubMed and EMBASE, identifying English-language articles reporting COPD prevalence, incidence, or mortality. Of 2838 articles identified, 299 full-text articles were reviewed, and data were extracted from 133 publications.

Clinical burden and incremental cost of fractures in postmenopausal women in the United Kingdom.

This cohort study of postmenopausal women in the United Kingdom aged ≥50years determined the incremental cost of health care and clinical outcomes in the 12months following incident, selected fractures (non-vertebral non-hip [NVNHF], vertebral [VF] and multiple [MF]). Incremental costs and outcomes of the fracture cohorts were compared with those of cohorts comprised of women without fractures who were individually matched on age and comorbidity. Cohorts were identified from The Health Improvement Network database, a primary health care database, from 2001 to 2005.

Study of the incremental cost and clinical burden of hip fractures in postmenopausal women in the United Kingdom.

Objective: To determine the incremental cost of healthcare and clinical outcomes in the 12 months following incident hip fractures among postmenopausal women in the UK.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of women aged 50 years or older hospitalized for an incident hip fracture within 1 week of the fracture date who were age- and comorbidity-matched to women without fracture. Cohorts were identified in the Health Improvement Network database, and followed up for 1 year.

The From The Heart study: a global survey of patient understanding of cholesterol management and cardiovascular risk, and physician-patient communication.

Objectives: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. A high level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a major CVD risk factor. Guidelines recommend effective cholesterol management and set LDL-C goals, yet deficiencies exist in physician implementation of these recommendations and in patient uptake of the advice.