Strategies for reducing pain at dressing change in chronic wounds: protocol for a mapping review.

Introduction: Although pain experienced at dressing change has been reported as the worst aspect of living with chronic wounds, UK guidance for their management is primarily tailored to wound healing and only attends to pain as a secondary consideration. Consequently, there is little up-to-date guidance that specifically addresses how patients, carers and healthcare professionals should manage wound-related pain at dressing change. This mapping review will identify, describe and appraise the existing research evidence for strategies used to assess pain intensity and prevent or alleviate pain at dressing change in chronic wounds.

Digital and online symptom checkers and health assessment/triage services for urgent health problems: systematic review.

Objectives: In England, the NHS111 service provides assessment and triage by telephone for urgent health problems. A digital version of this service has recently been introduced. We aimed to systematically review the evidence on digital and online symptom checkers and similar services.

Optimizing the noninvasive ventilation pathway for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease: a systematic review.

: To systematically review quantitative and qualitative literature on optimal provision of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease (MND). : A systematic search of electronic databases, together with supplementary search methods was used to identify relevant literature from the last 20 years. Studies of any empirical design with an English abstract were eligible for inclusion.

Does early intervention improve outcomes in the physiotherapy management of lumbar radicular syndrome? Results of the POLAR pilot randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of undertaking a definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT).

Setting: This was a pilot, pragmatic superiority RCT with a qualitative element, recruiting from 14 general practitioner (GP) practices in England.

Participants: Patients over 18 years of age presenting to their GP with unilateral lumbar radicular syndrome (LRS), defined as radicular pain and/or neurological symptoms originating from lumbar nerve roots, were eligible to participate in the study, those who did not have a clear understanding of the English language or had comorbidities preventing rehabilitation were ineligible.

Interventions to prevent youth violence in Latin America: a systematic review.

Objectives: This review aims to summarise evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to prevent youth violence in Latin America.

Methods: A systematic search on 13 academic databases was conducted to locate studies evaluating a primary or secondary prevention intervention in Latin America. Studies could use any type of quantitative design to assess outcomes related to youth violence.

Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of Interventions to Prevent Youth Violence in Latin America: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Evidence Synthesis.

Youth violence in Latin America is an important public health problem. However, the evidence from preventive programs within the region to address this problem is limited. Identifying context-specific factors that facilitate or hinder the success of interventions is necessary to guarantee the successful implementation of new preventive strategies.

DiPALS: Diaphragm Pacing in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease resulting in death, usually from respiratory failure, within 2-3 years of symptom onset. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is a treatment that when given to patients in respiratory failure leads to improved survival and quality of life. Diaphragm pacing (DP), using the NeuRx/4(®) diaphragm pacing system (DPS)™ (Synapse Biomedical, Oberlin, OH, USA), is a new technique that may offer additional or alternative benefits to patients with ALS who are in respiratory failure.

Using logic model methods in systematic review synthesis: describing complex pathways in referral management interventions.

Background: There is increasing interest in innovative methods to carry out systematic reviews of complex interventions. Theory-based approaches, such as logic models, have been suggested as a means of providing additional insights beyond that obtained via conventional review methods.

Methods: This paper reports the use of an innovative method which combines systematic review processes with logic model techniques to synthesise a broad range of literature.

The impact of gastrostomy in motor neurone disease: challenges and benefits from a patient and carer perspective.

Objectives: This study explores the experience of gastrostomy insertion from the perspective of the patients and their informal carers. Gastrostomy feeding is commonly used to support motor neurone disease (MND) patients with dysphagia. However, there is lack of information describing patient and carer experiences following gastrostomy insertion.

Factors influencing decision-making in relation to timing of gastrostomy insertion in patients with motor neurone disease.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the decision-making process leading up to gastrostomy insertion from the perspective of the patients and their informal carers. Gastrostomy feeding is commonly used to support motor neurone disease patients with dysphagia. However, there is no robust evidence to suggest the optimal timing for gastrostomy insertion.

The impact on the family carer of motor neurone disease and intervention with noninvasive ventilation.

Background: The diagnosis of motor neurone disease (MND) has a profound effect on the functioning and well-being of both the patient and their family, with studies describing an increase in carer burden and depression as the disease progresses.

Aim: This study aimed to assess whether patient use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) impacted on their family carer, and to explore other sources of carer burden.

Design: The study used qualitative interviews and scaled measures of carer health and well-being completed at three monthly intervals until patient end of life.

The use of non-invasive ventilation at end of life in patients with motor neurone disease: a qualitative exploration of family carer and health professional experiences.

Background: Non-invasive ventilation improves quality and quantity of life in patients with motor neurone disease who have respiratory failure. Use of non-invasive ventilation may, however, result in complex clinical issues for end-of-life care, with concerns as to whether and how it should be withdrawn.

Aim: This study aimed to describe carer and health professional experiences of end-of-life care of motor neurone disease patients using non-invasive ventilation.

Reducing the time-lag between onset of chest pain and seeking professional medical help: a theory-based review.

Background: Research suggests that there are a number of factors which can be associated with delay in a patient seeking professional help following chest pain, including demographic and social factors. These factors may have an adverse impact on the efficacy of interventions which to date have had limited success in improving patient action times. Theory-based methods of review are becoming increasingly recognised as important additions to conventional systematic review methods.

The initiation of non-invasive ventilation for patients with motor neuron disease: patient and carer perceptions of obstacles and outcomes.

This study aimed to examine the experiences of patients with motor neuron disease and their carers following the recommendation to use non-invasive ventilation (NIV). Qualitative interviews were carried out with 20 patients and 17 carers within one month of NIV being initiated. The study identified a range of potential barriers to usage including: adverse impressions of the technology; sleep disturbance; the sensation of pressure and pulsing; dry mouth; and mask design issues.

Systematic review and narrative synthesis of the effectiveness of contraceptive service interventions for young people, delivered in health care settings.

A systematic review and narrative synthesis to determine the effectiveness of contraception service interventions for young people delivered in health care premises was undertaken. We searched 12 key health and medical databases, reference lists of included papers and systematic reviews and cited reference searches on included articles. All retrieved literature was screened at title and abstract levels, and relevant articles were taken through to full paper appraisal.

Systematic review and narrative synthesis of the effectiveness of contraceptive service interventions for young people, delivered in educational settings.

Study Objective: This review was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of contraception service interventions for young people that were delivered in educational settings.

Design: We conducted a systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Setting: Interventions were included where they were delivered in educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and pupil referral units.

Professional differences in interprofessional working.

UK government policy is encouraging healthcare staff to blur traditional roles, in the drive to increase joint working between practitioners. However, there is currently a lack of clarity regarding the impact that changes to traditional working practice might have on staff delivering the services, or on patient care. In this article, we report findings from three qualitative case studies examining interprofessional practice in stroke care, in which the influence of professional differences emerged as a significant theme.

Once a week is not enough: evaluating current measures of teamworking in stroke.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: Stroke care has been at the forefront of the drive to deliver health care by teamworking in the UK. Teamworking is the subject of ongoing audit of stroke provision with measures such as a weekly team meeting being used to evaluate services. A qualitative study was recently undertaken to explore these evaluations and to gain further understanding of the processes underlying teamworking practice.