Publications by authors named "M C Underwood"
Introduction: Sciatica is a debilitating condition that often becomes chronic, and for which there are few effective treatment options. Treatments such as the anti-depressant duloxetine have shown promise, but the evidence is inconclusive. We are describing a high quality, definitive trial to investigate the efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of duloxetine in chronic sciatica.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Surgical patients frequently experience post-operative complications at home. Digital remote monitoring of surgical wounds via image-based systems has emerged as a promising solution for early detection and intervention. However, the increased clinician workload from reviewing patient-submitted images presents a challenge.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPredicting the time to get back to work using statistical models and machine learning approaches.
BMC Med Res Methodol
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study compares machine learning approaches to traditional statistical models for survival analysis, specifically in predicting time to return to work for families with complex issues.
- The results show that no model clearly outperformed the others, with both machine learning and classical models displaying low predictive power.
- While machine learning approaches exhibited better fit metrics, particularly the Random Survival Forest, this did not lead to significantly improved predictive accuracy over classical methods, indicating the need for further refinement of these algorithms.
Background: Physical prehabilitation can enhance patient resilience to surgical stress, but its effects are unclear in vulnerable and frail patients. We aimed to determine the effect of a structured exercise prehabilitation programme on the quality of recovery after cardiac surgery in vulnerable and frail participants.
Methods: This single-blinded, parallel-arm, superiority, randomised controlled trial recruited patients with a Clinical Frailty Scale of 4-6 undergoing cardiac surgery.
Background: Following the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people continue to experience ongoing physical and mental health sequelae after recovery from acute infection. There is currently no specific treatment for the diverse symptoms associated with post-COVID-19 condition. Physical and mental health rehabilitation may help improve quality of life in such patients.
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