Impact of COVID-19 on older people’s mental and physical health

Age UK has released a report examining the impact of COVID-19 on older people's mental and physical health one year on.

The report is the second in a series on the impact of the pandemic and is based on research from February 2021.

Age UK found older people had lost independence, were struggling to manage long-term conditions and having difficulties with ongoing symptoms or exacerbated health conditions after catching COVID-19.

Older people continued to say they felt anxious, depressed and fearful with those who felt they had managed during the first wave now starting to struggle.

The report also highlights how older people from lower social grades continue to be worse hit.

Age UK

Young People with Type 2 Diabetes report published

The National Diabetes Audit (NDA) and the National Paediatric Diabetes Audit (NPDA) have published the first Young People with Type 2 Diabetes report. 

It aims to document the number of people with type 2 diabetes up to the age of 40 years, their characteristics and the diabetes care they receive.

NDA data on people of all ages has been linked to NPDA data on children attending specialist paediatric diabetes clinics to create a cohort of young people with type 2 diabetes from both data sets. 

NHS Digital

Impact of digital health services on inequalities

In this article Emma Stone, director of design, research and communications at the Good Things Foundation, explores the potential impact of increased digital health services on inequalities.

She says digital access and skills need to be recognised as wider determinants of health.

Furthermore, as the health system increasingly adopts digital technologies such as wearable trackers and apps, data available for crucial decision-making may become skewed towards groups with improved digital access.

Digital Health

Study: Effect of uncertainty on personal vaccination decisions

A new study investigates the effects of ambiguity on individual decisions to vaccinate.

It shows effects depend on the source of ambiguity which could have an impact on policy perspectives.

Results show reducing uncertainty associated with the vaccine will always encourage vaccination.

However, reducing uncertainty associated with the disease may have unintended side effects and discourage vaccination for some individuals, depending on their risk preferences over health and correlation.

Wiley Online Library

Self Management Week 2021

PIF member ALLIANCE has released the schedule for Self Management Week 2021 which runs from 27 September to 1 October.

Events include panel discussions on new self management research and taster sessions from newly funded self-management projects.

Bookings open on 27 August.

ALLIANCE

A working model for digital health equity

This article shares learnings from equity-minded product builders and offers a framework for using digital health to create a more inclusive future.

It says there are two interconnected forms of inequity affecting digital health – healthcare disparities and technology access disparities.

The Rock Health framework for equity-centred digital health solutions is based around four key points:

  • Work within the community for which you are designing
  • Co-design the solution with a diverse team
  • Build technology that does not include or perpetuate bias
  • Ensure solutions are accessible, discoverable and usable

Rock Health

NHS chief urges people to come forward for life saving cancer checks

NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard has encouraged people with potential cancer symptoms to come forward for lifesaving checks.

Research shows three in five people are concerned about burdening the NHS, with half saying they would delay seeking medical advice compared to before the pandemic.

The message from Mrs Pritchard was released ahead of Monday's launch of the next phase of the Help Us, Help You campaign from NHS England, supported by Public Health England.

This phase of the campaign aims to raise awareness of symptoms of cancers in the abdominal area, urological cancers, and lung cancer.

NHS England

Social prescribing migrant health guide published

Public Health England has released advice and guidance for healthcare practitioners on the health needs of migrant patients.

It includes a summary of findings from a recent PHE evidence review on social prescribing for migrants in the UK.

The guidance also provides a series of recommendations for referrers to social prescribing services, link workers, social prescribing monitoring and evaluation, and future research. 

Public Health England

Vaccine guidance for maternity staff

The Royal College of Midwives has released information on COVID-19 vaccinations for maternity staff.

It includes information on why maternity staff themselves should get the vaccine and advice on supporting pregnant women to get the vaccine.

Royal College of Midwives

Long Covid conference recordings now available

The European Lung Foundation (ELF) has released recordings from its recent Long Covid virtual conference.

Attendees were a mixture of healthcare professionals, people with Long Covid, patient organisation representatives and interested members of the public.

Subtitles in different languages will be added to the recordings in the coming weeks.

ELF

Five questions patients want to be asked about medications adherence

This article outlines how open, non-judgemental communication between patients and healthcare professionals can help improve medications adherence.

It says up to 50% of patients prescribed medications for chronic conditions have issues with compliance.

The article sets out five questions which can be used by healthcare professionals to create more open communication.

Health Union

International learning behind the integrated care system model

NHS Providers has released a briefing on the learning behind integrated care systems (ICSs) and the impact of similar models internationally.

It includes examples of integrated care from the USA and Europe and discusses which countries do population health well.

NHS Providers