BMJ : British medical journal
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Novel consent process for research in dying patients unable to give consent.
To develop a process of advance consent to enable research to be undertaken in patients in the terminal phase. ⋯ Initial assessment suggests that this is a workable consent process allowing research to be undertaken in patients who are unable to give consent at the time of randomisation. Patient accrual rates to date are lower than needed to recruit adequate numbers in the time allotted to answer the research question.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Virtual outreach: economic evaluation of joint teleconsultations for patients referred by their general practitioner for a specialist opinion.
To test the hypotheses that, compared with conventional outpatient consultations, joint teleconsultation (virtual outreach) would incur no increased costs to the NHS, reduce costs to patients, and reduce absences from work by patients and their carers. ⋯ The main hypothesis that virtual outreach would be cost neutral is rejected, but the hypotheses that costs to patients and losses in productivity would be lower are supported.