Health technology assessment : HTA
-
Health Technol Assess · Jul 2014
ReviewInterventions for adult Eustachian tube dysfunction: a systematic review.
Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) is the inability of the Eustachian tube (ET) to adequately perform at least one of its functions: to protect the middle ear from sources of disease, to ventilate the middle ear, and to help drain secretions away from the middle ear. There are a number of treatment options for ETD, but there is little consensus about management. ⋯ The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.
-
Health Technol Assess · Jul 2014
Death, bereavement and randomised controlled trials (BRACELET): a methodological study of policy and practice in neonatal and paediatric intensive care trials.
Researchers have seldom included bereaved parents in studies of participants' views of randomised controlled trials (RCTs); hence our understanding of the impact of trials is based on skewed and incomplete samples. Little is known about parental experiences of the death of a child subsequent to their enrolment in a trial or of provision made for this experience by clinicians and trial teams. The Bereavement and RAndomised ControlLEd Trials (BRACELET) study was funded to consider bereavement in the context of paediatric intensive care (PIC) and neonatal intensive care (NIC) trials. ⋯ Funding for this study was provided by the Health Technology Assessment programme of the National Institute for Health Research.
-
Health Technol Assess · Jun 2014
Maximising the value of combining qualitative research and randomised controlled trials in health research: the QUAlitative Research in Trials (QUART) study--a mixed methods study.
Researchers sometimes undertake qualitative research with randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of health interventions. ⋯ This project was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) as part of the MRC-National Institute for Health Research Methodology Research programme.
-
Health Technol Assess · Jun 2014
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyUnited Kingdom Oscillation Study: long-term outcomes of a randomised trial of two modes of neonatal ventilation.
One in 200 infants in the UK is born extremely prematurely, i.e. before 29 weeks of gestation. Seventy-five per cent of such infants survive, but many have long-term respiratory and/or functional problems. ⋯ Follow-up at 11-14 years of age of extremely prematurely born infants entered into a randomised trial of HFO versus CV has demonstrated significant differences in lung function in favour of HFO. There was no evidence that this was offset by poorer functional outcomes; indeed, HFO children did better in some school subjects. It will be important to determine whether or not these differences are maintained after puberty as this is the last positive effect on lung function.
-
Health Technol Assess · Jun 2014
ReviewA systematic review of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of sensory, psychological and behavioural interventions for managing agitation in older adults with dementia.
Agitation is common, persistent and distressing in dementia and is linked with care breakdown. Psychotropic medication is often ineffective or harmful, but the evidence regarding non-pharmacological interventions is unclear. ⋯ The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.