The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust outpatient services transformation programme to improve quality and effectiveness of patient care.

Background: The Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust outpatient services transformation programme is a strategic change programme delivered as a collaborative approach through the Berkshire West Integrated Care Partnership. The main aim of redesign is to improve capacity in clinics and improve patient experience.

Methods: This was done through a best practice menu and 'how to' guides.

Determinants of asthma control and quality of life in stable asthma: evaluation of two new cough provocation tests.

Introduction: Asthma control and quality of life are poorly associated with traditional asthma biomarkers.

Objectives: In the present study, we evaluated two new cough provocation tests in this respect.

Methods: Asthma Control Questionnaire and Leicester Cough Questionnaire were completed by 36 stable asthmatics.

Cough response to isocapnic hyperpnoea of dry air and hypertonic saline are interrelated.

Background: Mechanisms behind asthmatic cough are largely unknown. It is known that hyperosmolar challenges provoke cough in asthmatic but not in the healthy subjects. It has been postulated that isocapnic hyperpnea of dry air (IHDA) and hypertonic aerosols act via similar mechanisms in asthma to cause bronchoconstriction.

Assessment of inhaled corticosteroid treatment response in asthma using hypertonic histamine challenge-induced cough.

Background And Aims: Bronchial provocation tests may be utilised to monitor the efficacy of the corticosteroid treatment. Unfortunately, these measurements necessitate good patient cooperation during the spirometry. Coughing during such tests is related to the degree of the bronchoconstriction and occurs involuntarily, i.

A pilot study about the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of electronic compliance monitoring in substitution treatment with buprenorphine-naloxone combination.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether or not compliance monitoring by microchip could offer a feasible method for reducing abuse and/or diversion of medication from unsupervised substitution treatment for opioid addiction.

Design: Naturalistic, 4-week pilot study in out patients.

Patients And Interventions: All our patients (N = 12) on buprenorphine-naloxone combination (Suboxone) received their medication for 6 days in a compliance-monitoring device (PharmaDDSi, StoraEnso), which registers date and time of tablet removal.