Primary care transformation in Scotland: a comparison two cross-sectional national surveys of general practitioners' views in 2018 and 2023.

Background: The 2018 Scottish GP contract established GP Clusters and multidisciplinary team (MDT) expansion. Qualitative studies have suggested sub-optimal progress.

Aim: To quantify progress since the introduction of the new contract.

A service evaluation of the implementation of a novel digital intervention for hypertension self-monitoring and management system in primary care (SHIP): protocol for a mixed methods study.

Background: Hypertension is a key risk factor for death and disability, and blood pressure reduction is associated with significant reductions in cardiovascular risk. Large trials have shown that interventions including self-monitoring of blood pressure can reduce blood pressure but real-world data from wider implementation are lacking.

Aim: The self-monitoring and management service evaluation in primary care (SHIP) study will evaluate a novel digital intervention for hypertension management and medication titration platform ("Hypertension-Plus") that is currently undergoing initial implementation into primary care in several parts of the UK.

Optical coherence tomography in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis: cross-sectional and longitudinal exploratory analysis from the MS-SMART randomised controlled trial.

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) inner retinal metrics reflect neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS). We explored OCT measures as biomarkers of disease severity in secondary progressive MS (SPMS).

Methods: We investigated people with SPMS from the Multiple Sclerosis-Secondary Progressive Multi-Arm Randomisation Trial OCT substudy, analysing brain MRIs, clinical assessments and OCT at baseline and 96 weeks.

Care home resident identification: A comparison of address matching methods with Natural Language Processing.

Background: Care home residents are a highly vulnerable group, but identifying care home residents in routine data is challenging. This study aimed to develop and validate Natural Language Processing (NLP) methods to identify care home residents from primary care address records.

Methods: The proposed system applies an NLP sequential filtering and preprocessing of text, then the calculation of similarity scores between general practice (GP) addresses and care home registered addresses.

iDiabetes platform-enhanced phenotyping of patients with diabetes for precision diagnosis, prognosis and treatment: study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled study in Tayside, Scotland.

Introduction And Aim: Diabetes is a global health emergency with increasing prevalence and diabetes-associated morbidity and mortality. One of the challenges in optimising diabetes care is translating research advances in this heterogeneous disease into clinical care. A potential solution is the introduction of precision medicine approaches into diabetes care.

Assessment of Home-based Monitoring in Adults with Chronic Lung Disease. An Official American Thoracic Society Research Statement.

There is increasing interest in the use of home-based monitoring in people with chronic lung diseases to improve access to care, support patient self-management, and facilitate the collection of information for clinical care and research. However, integration of home-based monitoring into clinical and research settings requires careful consideration of test performance and other attributes. There is no published guidance from professional respiratory societies to advance the science of home-based monitoring for chronic lung disease.

Genetics of C-peptide and Age at Diagnosis in Type 1 Diabetes.

Identified genetic loci for C-peptide and age at diagnosis (AAD) in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) explain only a small proportion of their variation. Here, we aimed to perform large metagenome-wide association studies (GWAS) of C-peptide and AAD in T1D; and to identify the HLA allele/haplotypes associated with C-peptide and AAD. 7,252 and 7,923 European individuals with T1D were included in C-peptide and AAD GWAS, respectively.

A self-efficacy enhancement alcohol reduction intervention for men on-remand in prison: the APPRAISE feasibility pilot RCT.

Background: As many as 70% of remand prisoners have admitted to being under the influence of alcohol when committing the crime leading to their imprisonment. Providing support and advice regarding alcohol consumption can be effective in some groups of people. There is little evidence regarding this for men on remand in prison.

Interleukin-6, C-Reactive Protein, and Recurrence After Stroke: A Time-Course Analysis of Individual-Participant Data.

Background: Inflammation promotes atherogenesis. Randomized controlled trials of anti-inflammatory therapies for prevention after stroke have not yet demonstrated clear benefit. IL-6 (interleukin-6) and hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) are independently associated with major adverse cardiovascular events poststroke and may guide patient selection in future randomized controlled trials.

Correlation of Pediatric Surgical Infrastructure With Clinical and Economic Outcomes: A Cohort Study.

Introduction: A significant burden of unmet pediatric surgical disease exists in low- and middle-income countries. We sought to assess the associations between the installation of a pediatric operating room (OR) and clinical and economic outcomes for families with children in Ethiopia.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed of children who underwent elective surgery in a tertiary-level Ethiopian public hospital, comparing patient outcomes before and after OR installation in August 2019.

Validation of a 5-Year Prognostic Model for Parkinson's Disease.

Background: A simple prognostic model was previously developed to predict the probability of recently-diagnosed patients reaching negative outcomes (postural instability, dementia or death) in a 5-year period.

Objectives: To validate this model in an independent cohort and establish utility at later time points.

Methods: Validation was performed using data collected in an incident cohort at baseline, 2 and 4 years.

Vitamin D for the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: COPD is a common, preventable and treatable airway disease, and is currently the third leading cause of death worldwide. About one billion people worldwide are estimated to have vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is common among people with COPD, and has been reported to be associated with reduced lung function and increased risk of acute exacerbations of COPD.

Impact of early childhood infection on child development and school performance: a population-based study.

Background: Childhood infection might be associated with adverse child development and neurocognitive outcomes, but the results have been inconsistent.

Methods: Two population-based record-linkage cohorts of all singleton children born at term in New South Wales, Australia, from 2001 to 2014, were set up and followed up to 2019 for developmental outcome (N=276 454) and school performance (N=644 291). The primary outcome was developmentally high risk (DHR) at age 4-6 years and numeracy and reading below the national minimum standard at age 7-9 years.

Laboratory Practices, Potentiality, and Material Patienthood in Genomic Cancer Medicine.

Laboratory practitioners working in oncology are increasingly involved in implementing genomic medicine, operating at the intersection of the laboratory and the clinic. This includes molecular diagnostic work and molecular testing to direct entry into molecular-based clinical trials and treatment decision-making based on molecular profiling. In this article, we draw on qualitative interviews with laboratory practitioners in the United Kingdom to explore the role of laboratory work in genomic cancer medicine, focusing on the handling of patient tissue and making of potentiality to guide patients' present and future care.

Feasibility of forecasting future critical care bed availability using bed management data.

Objectives: This project aims to determine the feasibility of predicting future critical care bed availability using data-driven computational forecast modelling and routinely collected hospital bed management data.

Methods: In this proof-of-concept, single-centre data informatics feasibility study, regression-based and classification data science techniques were applied retrospectively to prospectively collect routine hospital-wide bed management data to forecast critical care bed capacity. The availability of at least one critical care bed was forecasted using a forecast horizon of 1, 7 and 14 days in advance.