Brief Report: Using the Social Communication Questionnaire to Identify Young People Residing in Secure Children's Homes with Symptom Complexes Compatible with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) affects approximately 1% of the general population. The prevalence of ASD, or symptom complexes compatible with ASD, amongst young people residing within Secure Children's Homes (SCH's) remains ill understood. There are critical implications for the resourcing and understanding of the management of young people with social/communication difficulties.

The impact of patient participation direct enhanced service on patient reference groups in primary care: a qualitative study.

Background: NHS policy documents continue to make a wide-ranging commitment to patient involvement. The Patient Participation Direct Enhanced Service (PP-DES), launched in 2011, aimed to ensure patients are involved in decisions about the range and quality of services provided and commissioned by their practice through patient reference groups (PRGs). The aim of this exploratory study is to review the impact of the PP-DES (2011-13) on a sample of PRGs and assess how far it has facilitated their involvement in decisions about the services of their general practices.

A study of role expansion: a new GP role in cardiology care.

Background: The National Health Service is reconfiguring health care services in order to meet the increasing challenge of providing care for people with long-term conditions and to reduce the demand on specialised outpatient hospital services by enhancing primary care. A review of cardiology referrals to specialised care and the literature on referral management inspired the development of a new GP role in Cardiology. This new extended role was developed to enable GPs to diagnose and manage patients with mild to moderate heart failure or atrial fibrillation and to use a range of diagnostics effectively in primary care.

Improving the management of obesity in adults: a pilot of a method to identify important barriers to change and tailor interventions to address them.

Background: A tailored approach to implementation can facilitate the routine use of best evidence, and so improve the quality of care delivered. Tailored implementation involves investigating the context and barriers to change before selecting appropriate interventions. However, there is little evidence on the methods of tailoring.

Placing interprofessional learning at the heart of improving practice: the activities and achievements of CLAHRC in Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland.

Background: The National Institute for Health Research initiative 'collaborations for leadership in applied health research and care' (CLAHRC) in Leicestershire Northamptonshire and Rutland (LNR) is a partnership between the University of Leicester and NHS trusts in LNR that aims to reduce the second gap in translation (the long delay between conducting research and it having an impact on clinical practice).

Method: CLAHRC-LNR appointed specialist staff as boundary spanners and knowledge brokers to improve links between academia and the NHS, and to facilitate a range of activities designed to increase the implementation of research evidence. An interprofessional and interdisciplinary approach is used and incorporates a range of activities including: applied research, service evaluation and pilot projects, education and training events, knowledge dissemination activities and developing networks to increase the use of research in the NHS partners.