Virtual reality technology for pain management in advanced cancer.

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: Primarily, to determine the effectiveness of a virtual reality (VR) intervention compared to an alternative or no intervention for people living with advanced cancer: on pain intensity, adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs); and secondarily, on additional pain properties (e.g.

Non-Pharmacological Interventions in the Management of Dementia-Related Psychosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: As populations age globally, there is an increasing prevalence of dementia, with an estimated 153 million living with dementia by 2050. Up to 70% of people with dementia experience dementia-related psychosis (D-RP). Antipsychotic medications are associated with many adverse effects in older people.

The Impact of Baseline Intraocular Pressure on Initial Treatment Response in the LiGHT Trial: Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty versus Medication.

Purpose: The Laser in Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension Trial demonstrated the efficacy and safety of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) compared with topical hypotensive medication as first-line therapy for ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma. This substudy explored the impact of pretreatment (baseline) intraocular pressure (IOP) on treatment response.

Design: Post hoc analysis of randomized control trial data.

Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial of Face-to-Face Counseling and Mobile Phone Messages Compared to Usual Care for Smokeless Tobacco Cessation in Indian Primary Care: Project CERTAIN.

Introduction: Smokeless tobacco (SLT) use in low- and middle-income countries has adverse health consequences. We hypothesize that it is feasible to test an intervention of mobile phone messages and face-to-face counseling sessions for SLT cessation in India.

Aims And Methods: We conducted an exploratory, individual parallel two group, randomized controlled trial (RCT), with baseline and end-point (3 months from randomization) assessments in urban primary health centers in Odisha, India.

A psychosocial goal-setting and manualised support intervention for independence in dementia (NIDUS-Family) versus goal setting and routine care: a single-masked, phase 3, superiority, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Although national guidelines recommend that everyone with dementia receives personalised post-diagnostic support, few do. Unlike previous interventions that improved personalised outcomes in people with dementia, the NIDUS-Family intervention is fully manualised and deliverable by trained and supervised, non-clinical facilitators. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of home-based goal setting plus NIDUS-Family in supporting the attainment of personalised goals set by people with dementia and their carers.

Development of a decision-support framework to support professionals and promote comfort among older hospital inpatients living with dementia.

Background: Acute hospital wards can be difficult places for many people living with dementia. Promoting comfort and wellbeing can be challenging in this environment. There is little evidence-based support for professionals working on acute care wards on how to respond to distress and maximise comfort and wellbeing among patients living with dementia.

Antipsychotic dose reduction and discontinuation versus maintenance treatment in people with schizophrenia and other recurrent psychotic disorders in England (the RADAR trial): an open, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Maintenance antipsychotic medication is recommended for people with schizophrenia or recurrent psychosis, but the adverse effects are burdensome, and evidence on long-term outcomes is sparse. We aimed to assess the benefits and harms of a gradual process of antipsychotic reduction compared with maintenance treatment. Our hypothesis was that antipsychotic reduction would improve social functioning with a short-term increase in relapse.

Models of care and the role of clinical pharmacists in UK primary care for older adults: A scoping review protocol.

Introduction: There has been global investment of new ways of working to support workforce pressures, including investment in clinical pharmacists working in primary care by the NHS in the England. Clinical pharmacists are well suited to support older adults who have multiple long-term conditions and are on multiple medications. It is important to establish an evidence base for the role of clinical pharmacists in supporting older adults in primary care, to inform strategic and research priorities.

Exploring how family carers of a person with dementia manage pre-death grief: A mixed methods study.

Objectives: Many family carers of a person with dementia experience pre-death grief. We aimed to identify strategies that help carers manage pre-death grief. We hypothesised that emotion and problem focussed styles would be associated with lower, and dysfunctional coping with higher grief intensity.

Feasibility and acceptability of NIDUS-Professional, a training and support intervention for homecare workers caring for clients living with dementia: a cluster-randomised feasibility trial protocol.

Introduction: Most people living with dementia want to remain living in their own homes, and are supported to do so by family carers and homecare workers. There are concerns that homecare is often unable to meet the needs of this client group, with limited evidence regarding effective interventions to improve it for people living with dementia. We have developed a training and support programme for homecare workers (NIDUS-Professional) to be delivered alongside support sessions for people living with dementia and their family carers (NIDUS-Family).

An online randomised controlled trial of prognosticating imminent death in advanced cancer patients: Clinicians give greater weight to advice from a prognostic algorithm than from another clinician with a different profession.

Background: A second opinion or a prognostic algorithm may increase prognostic accuracy. This study assessed the level to which clinicians integrate advice perceived to be coming from another clinician or a prognostic algorithm into their prognostic estimates, and how participant characteristics and nature of advice received affect this.

Methods: An online double-blind randomised controlled trial was conducted.

Laser in Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension (LiGHT) Trial: Six-Year Results of Primary Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty versus Eye Drops for the Treatment of Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension.

Purpose: The Laser in Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension (LiGHT) Trial has shown selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) to be clinically and cost-effective as a primary treatment of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT) at 3 years. This article reports health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and clinical effectiveness of initial treatment with SLT compared with intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering eye drops after 6 years of treatment.

Design: Prospective, multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Mu-opioid antagonists for opioid-induced bowel dysfunction in people with cancer and people receiving palliative care.

Background: Opioid-induced bowel dysfunction (OIBD) is characterised by constipation, incomplete evacuation, bloating, and gastric reflux. It is one of the major adverse events (AEs) of treatment for pain in cancer and palliative care, resulting in increased morbidity and reduced quality of life. This review is a partial update of a 2008 review, and critiques as previous update (2018) trials only for people with cancer and people receiving palliative care.

The acceptability and effectiveness of eHealth interventions to support assessment and decision-making for people with dementia living in care homes: A systematic review.

Introduction: As dementia progresses, care needs increase leading many to require 24-h care in care homes. eHealth interventions have the potential to improve care processes of assessment and decision-making for people with dementia. However, little is known on the acceptability and effectiveness in care homes.

A feasibility study of a decision aid to support family carers of people with severe dementia or those towards the end-of-life.

Background: Advance care planning in dementia does not always happen. As dementia progresses, decisions are often left for family carers to make with professionals.

Aim: To test the feasibility and acceptability of the delivery and use of a decision aid for family carers of people with severe dementia or towards the end-of-life.

How effective is virtual reality technology in palliative care? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: The efficacy of virtual reality for people living with a terminal illness is unclear.

Aim: To determine the feasibility and effectiveness of virtual reality use within a palliative care setting.

Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

The accuracy of clinician predictions of survival in the Prognosis in Palliative care Study II (PiPS2): A prospective observational study.

Background: Prognostic information is important for patients with cancer, their families, and clinicians. In practice, survival predictions are made by clinicians based on their experience, judgement, and intuition. Previous studies have reported that clinicians' survival predictions are often inaccurate.

How do factors of sociodemographic, health literacy and dementia experience influence carers' knowledge of dementia?

Background: Dementia is a life limiting disease following a progressive trajectory. As carers often become key decision makers, their knowledge of dementia will have health implications for the person living with dementia as well as carer's psychological wellbeing.

Aim: To explore how sociodemographic factors, health literacy and dementia experience influence family carers knowledge about dementia.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of a New psychosocial intervention to support Independence in Dementia (NIDUS-family) for family carers and people living with dementia in their own homes: a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Most people living with dementia want to remain living in their own homes and are supported to do so by family carers. No interventions have consistently demonstrated improvements to people with dementia's life quality, functioning, or other indices of living as well as possible with dementia. We have co-produced, with health and social care professionals and family carers of people with dementia, a new intervention (NIDUS-family).

Longitudinal Outcomes of Gender Identity in Children (LOGIC): study protocol for a retrospective analysis of the characteristics and outcomes of children referred to specialist gender services in the UK and the Netherlands.

Introduction: Specialist gender services for children and young people (CYP) worldwide have experienced a significant increase in referrals in recent years. As rates of referrals increase, it is important to understand the characteristics and profile of CYP attending these services in order to inform treatment pathways and to ensure optimal outcomes.

Methods And Analysis: A retrospective observational study of clinical health records from specialist gender services for CYP in the UK and the Netherlands.

Comparing the performance of the palliative prognostic (PaP) score with clinical predictions of survival: A systematic review.

Background: In patients with advanced cancer, prognosis is usually determined using clinicians' predictions of survival (CPS). The palliative prognostic (PaP) score is a prognostic algorithm that was developed to predict survival in patients with advanced cancer. The score categorises patients into three risk groups in accordance with their probability of surviving for 30 days.

An online international comparison of palliative care identification in primary care using the Surprise Question.

Background: The Surprise Question ('Would I be surprised if this patient died within 12 months?') identifies patients in the last year of life. It is unclear if 'surprised' means the same for each clinician, and whether their responses are internally consistent.

Aim: To determine the consistency with which the Surprise Question is used.