Evaluating case studies of community-oriented integrated care.

This paper summarises a ten-year conversation within London Journal of Primary Care about the nature of community-oriented integrated care (COIC) and how to develop and evaluate it. COIC means integration of efforts for combined disease-treatment and health-enhancement at local, community level. COIC is similar to the World Health Organisation concept of a Community-Based Coordinating Hub - both require a local geographic area where different organisations align their activities for whole system integration and develop local communities for health.

Barriers, facilitators, and survival strategies for GPs seeking treatment for distress: a qualitative study.

Background: GPs are under increasing pressure due to a lack of resources, a diminishing workforce, and rising patient demand. As a result, they may feel stressed, burnt out, anxious, or depressed.

Aim: To establish what might help or hinder GPs experiencing mental distress as they consider seeking help for their symptoms, and to explore potential survival strategies.

Cost-effectiveness of collaborative care for depression in UK primary care: economic evaluation of a randomised controlled trial (CADET).

Background: Collaborative care is an effective treatment for the management of depression but evidence on its cost-effectiveness in the UK is lacking.

Aims: To assess the cost-effectiveness of collaborative care in a UK primary care setting.

Methods: An economic evaluation alongside a multi-centre cluster randomised controlled trial comparing collaborative care with usual primary care for adults with depression (n = 581).

Clinical effectiveness of collaborative care for depression in UK primary care (CADET): cluster randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the clinical effectiveness of collaborative care with usual care in the management of patients with moderate to severe depression.

Design: Cluster randomised controlled trial.

Setting: 51 primary care practices in three primary care districts in the United Kingdom.

An exploration of the experiences of recent graduates from an interprofessional foundation degree.

This short report describes a study which aimed to explore the experiences of newly qualified assistant practitioners (APs) from an interprofessional foundation degree in long-term conditions. Interviews were carried out with one cohort of newly qualified APs and their employee mentors, 6-9 months after the APs had re-entered full-time practice. Three major themes were identified after analysis of the interview transcripts: widened AP horizons, poor AP pay and conditions and friction between APs and their colleagues.

Collaborative Depression Trial (CADET): multi-centre randomised controlled trial of collaborative care for depression--study protocol.

Background: Comprising of both organisational and patient level components, collaborative care is a potentially powerful intervention for improving depression treatment in UK primary Care. However, as previous models have been developed and evaluated in the United States, it is necessary to establish the effect of collaborative care in the UK in order to determine whether this innovative treatment model can replicate benefits for patients outside the US. This Phase III trial was preceded by a Phase II patient level RCT, following the MRC Complex Intervention Framework.

Ultrasonic particle size fractionation in a moving air stream.

Identification of bio-aerosol particles may be enhanced by size sorting before applying analytical techniques. In this paper, the use of ultrasonic acoustic radiation pressure to continuously size fractionate particles in a moving air stream is described. Separate particle-laden and clean air streams are introduced into a channel and merged under laminar flow conditions.

IAPT: help or hindrance to general practice?

Key Messages: IAPT needs to improve how it expresses itself to the outside world.Commissioning should be concerned with activities that develop and sustain trusting and therapeutic relationships as well as treat illnesses.Polyclinics should enable local people to collaborate and themselves improve their collective mental health.

'Real-life burden of depression' surveys--GP and patient perspectives on treatment and management of recurrent depression.

Depression is a chronic, recurrent illness carrying a heavy burden for the health service and the community. Current evidence suggests that the majority of patients with depression will experience recurrent episodes of illness, although there is extensive evidence that continuation therapy with antidepressant drugs will prevent relapse. Two surveys were designed and distributed in the UK in 2002 to compare the expectations of patients and GPs in the management of relapse in depression.