BMJ open
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Patients who survive an intensive care unit admission frequently suffer physical and psychological morbidity for many months after discharge. Current rehabilitation pathways are often fragmented and little is known about the optimum method of promoting recovery. Many patients suffer reduced quality of life. ⋯ Consent will be obtained from patients and relatives according to patient capacity. Data will be analysed according to a predefined analysis plan.
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Approximately 700 000 people in the UK have dementia, rising to 1.2 million by 2050; one-third of people aged over 65 will die with dementia. Good end-of-life care is often neglected, and detailed UK-based research on symptom burden and needs is lacking. Our project examines these issues from multiple perspectives using a rigorous and innovative design, collecting data which will inform the development of pragmatic interventions to improve care. ⋯ Ethical approval was granted by National Health Service ethical committees for studies involving people with dementia and carers (REC refs. 12/EE/0003; 12/LO/0346), and by university ethics committee for work with healthcare professionals (REC ref. 3578/001). We shall present our findings at conferences, and in peer-reviewed journals, prepare detailed reports for organisations involved with end-of-life care and dementia, publicising results on the Marie Curie website. A summary of the research will be provided to participants if requested.
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The Department of Health's Enhanced Recovery Partnership Programme (ERPP) started a spread and adoption scheme of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) throughout England. In preparation for widespread adoption the ERPP wished to obtain expert consensus on appropriate outcome measures for ERAS, emerging techniques being widely adopted and proposed methods for the continued development and sustainability of ERAS in the National Health Service. The aim of this study was to interrogate expert opinion and define areas of consensus on these issues. ⋯ Consensus was achieved on regular measurement and review of patient experience in ERAS. Agreement was reached on the role of regional analgesia and the use of oesophageal Doppler for intraoperative goal-directed fluid therapy. In order to facilitate the further spread and adoption of best practices and to promote research and education, an ERAS-UK network was recommended.
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Three oral anticoagulants have reported study results for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) (dabigatran etexilate, rivaroxaban and apixaban); all demonstrated superiority or non-inferiority compared with warfarin (RE-LY, ARISTOTLE and ROCKET-AF). This study aimed to assess the representativeness for the real-world AF population, particularly the population eligible for anticoagulants. ⋯ Patients enrolled within RE-LY and ARISTOTLE were more reflective of the 'real-world' AF population in the UK, in contrast with patients enrolled within ROCKET-AF who were a more narrowly defined group of patients at higher risk of stroke. Differences between trials should be taken into account when considering the applicability of findings from randomised clinical trials. However, assessing representativeness is not a substitute for assessing generalisibility, that is, how well clinical trial results would translate into effectiveness and safety in everyday routine care.
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Emergency calls to ambulance services are frequent for older people who have fallen, but ambulance crews often leave patients at the scene without ongoing care. Evidence shows that when left at home with no further support older people often experience subsequent falls which result in injury and emergency-department attendances. SAFER 2 is an evaluation of a new clinical protocol which allows paramedics to assess and refer older people who have fallen, and do not need hospital care, to community-based falls services. In this protocol paper, we report methods and progress during trial implementation. SAFER 2 is recruiting patients through three ambulance services. A successful trial will provide robust evidence about the value of this new model of care, and enable ambulance services to use resources efficiently. ⋯ The Research Ethics Committee for Wales gave ethical approval and each participating centre gave NHS Research and Development approval. We shall disseminate study findings through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.