Implementing and sustaining dementia care coordinators across integrated care systems: a realist evaluation.

Background: Globally, dementia care is under strain. Rising rates across ageing populations, coupled with overstretched health and care systems, mean that people living with dementia and their carers are missing out on crucial support. Addressing dementia care is a key priority for the UK government.

Team climate, job satsfaction and burnout: results from a national survey of staff in general practice in England.

Background: Measures are needed to address recruitment and retention problems in general practice. A good team climate (relational processes of team working) can mitigate the effects of pressured work environments, but little is known about it in British general practice.

Aim: To assess team climate, explore practice characteristics and workforce combinations associated with favourable team climates, and analyse associations between practice team climate and job satisfaction, intention to remain in post, burnout and measures of practice performance.

Dementia care coordinators in primary care: a realist evaluation.

Background: A dementia care coordinator (DCC) service has recently been implemented across Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB). DCCs are provided at the primary care network (PCN) level and work closely with GP practice teams. The service is intended to help service users navigate the care system and provide proactive support to mitigate crisis points.

Increasing access to CBT for psychosis patients: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial evaluating brief, targeted CBT for distressing voices delivered by assistant psychologists (GiVE3).

Background: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is offered to all patients with a psychosis diagnosis. However, only a minority of psychosis patients in England and Wales are offered CBT. This is attributable, in part, to the resource-intensive nature of CBT.

Dementia care coordinator service in Kent and Medway: a realist evaluation protocol.

Background: Dementia care is a key priority for both NHS England and the UK government. National guidelines highlight the importance of care coordination to address the challenges people living with dementia and their carers can encounter when trying to access the health and care system. To counter these challenges, Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board (ICB) have recently implemented a proactive dementia care coordinator (DCC) service to support people with dementia and their carers from pre-diagnosis to end-of-life care.

Overweight/Obesity and Time Preference: Evidence from a Survey among Adults in the UK.

Introduction: Overweight and obesity is a global problem incurring substantial health and economic implications. This has also been highlighted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which has disproportionately affected overweight and obese individuals. Most of the interventions have concentrated on promotion of physical activities and healthy eating which may involve current sacrifices for future health gains.

A feasibility trial of an intervention in alcohol dependence for structured preparation before detoxification versus usual care: the SPADe trial results.

Background: Individuals who are 'moderately' or 'severely' dependent consume alcohol at levels that are likely to have a severe impact on their own health and mortality, the health and behaviours of others (family members) and to have economic and social implications. Treatment guidelines suggest that treatment needs to be planned with medically assisted withdrawal (also referred to as detoxification), and aftercare support but outcomes are poor with low proportions engaging in after care and high relapse rates. An approach of structured preparation before alcohol detoxification (SPADe) puts an emphasis on introducing lifestyle changes, development of coping strategies for cravings, stress and emotions as well as introducing changes to the immediate family and social environment in advance of alcohol cessation.

Randomised clinical trial: palliative long-term abdominal drains vs large-volume paracentesis in refractory ascites due to cirrhosis.

Background: Palliative care remains suboptimal in end-stage liver disease.

Aim: To inform a definitive study, we assessed palliative long-term abdominal drains in end-stage liver disease to determine recruitment, attrition, safety/potential effectiveness, questionnaires/interview uptake/completion and make a preliminary cost comparison.

Methods: A 12-week feasibility nonblinded randomised controlled trial comparing large-volume paracentesis vs long-term abdominal drains in refractory ascites due to end-stage liver disease with fortnightly home visits for clinical/questionnaire-based assessments.

Feasibility and Utility of mHealth for the Remote Monitoring of Parkinson Disease: Ancillary Study of the PD_manager Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Mobile health, predominantly wearable technology and mobile apps, have been considered in Parkinson disease to provide valuable ecological data between face-to-face visits and improve monitoring of motor symptoms remotely.

Objective: We explored the feasibility of using a technology-based mHealth platform comprising a smartphone in combination with a smartwatch and a pair of smart insoles, described in this study as the PD_manager system, to collect clinically meaningful data. We also explored outcomes and disease-related factors that are important determinants to establish feasibility.

Effectiveness of home or hospital initiation of treatment at diagnosis for children with type 1 diabetes (DECIDE trial): a multicentre individually randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To determine whether, in children with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes who were not acutely unwell, management at home for initiation of insulin treatment and education of the child and family, would result in improved clinical and psychological outcomes at 2 years postdiagnosis.

Design: A multicentre randomised controlled trial (January 2008/October 2013).

Setting: Eight paediatric diabetes centres in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Day case complex devices: the state of the UK.

Objective: Complex cardiac devices including implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) and cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT) devices can safely be implanted as a day case procedure as opposed to overnight stay. We assess how common day case complex device therapy is and the cost implications of more widespread adoption across the UK.

Methods: A freedom of information request was sent to all centres performing complex cardiac devices across the UK to assess the adoption of this technique.

Acceptability to patients, carers and clinicians of an mHealth platform for the management of Parkinson's disease (PD_Manager): study protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial.

Background: Parkinson's disease is a degenerative neurological condition causing multiple motor and non-motor symptoms that have a serious adverse effect on quality of life. Management is problematic due to the variable and fluctuating nature of symptoms, often hourly and daily. The PD_Manager mHealth platform aims to provide a continuous feed of data on symptoms to improve clinical understanding of the status of any individual patient and inform care planning.

Estimation of Quality-adjusted Life Years alongside clinical trials: the impact of 'time-effects' on trial results.

Objectives: The objectives were to investigate the impact of 'time-effect' on the estimation of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) along prospective clinical trials' outcomes using an assumed fixed time duration versus the actual time durations for each case. The 'time' duration is the length of time in a health state.

Methods: Two methods were used in the estimation of QALYs based using EQ-5D 3L scores collected at specific time-point intervals.