Healthwatch Annual Report to Parliament
Healthwatch has published its Annual Report to Parliament, outlining key campaign work and research.
Key topics included in this year's report include:
- Exploring vaccine confidence with people from different backgrounds
- Highlighting the impact of poor NHS admin
- Concerns about patient data use
- Campaigning for everyone to be given health information in way they can understand
Read more and download the annual report via the Healthwatch website here.
Study: Vaccine misinformation on Twitter
A new study exploring misinformation examines almost 300 million Tweets related to COVID-19 vaccines over 1 year.
Researchers found the most popular low-credibility sources had re-share volumes comparable to those of many mainstream media sources and larger than those of authoritative sources such as the World Health Organization.
Throughout the year, there was an increasing trend in the prevalence of low-credibility news about vaccines and a considerable amount of suspicious YouTube videos shared on Twitter.
Tweets by a group of approximately 800 'superspreaders' verified by Twitter accounted for around 35% of all re-shares of misinformation on an average day. The top superspreader was responsible for more than 13% of retweets.
Low-credibility news and suspicious YouTube videos were also more likely to be shared by automated accounts.
Read the study findings in full via the JMIR website here.
NHS programme linked to 20% cut in Type 2 Diabetes risk
An NHS behaviour-change programme has been linked to a reduction in the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes in adults with raised blood sugars.
New research, funded by the NIHR, shows patients referred to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDPP) saw their risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes cut by 20%.
Launched in 2018 and offered to non-diabetic adults with raised blood sugars, or pre-diabetes, NDPP provides exercise and dietary advice to help reduce people’s risk of developing the disease.
Read more about the research findings via the NIHR website here.
Call for greater patient-centricity in pharma
A survey of more than 1,000 healthcare professionals has found patient centricity is the top characteristic they want biotech and pharmaceutical companies to embody.
However, only 45% believe brands are delivering this to a 'great' or 'large' extent.
The top three ways healthcare professionals feel companies could improve their patient centricity are:
- Offer patient support programmes to aid understanding and adherence
- Improve understanding of complex health information
- Demonstrate understanding of lived patient experience
Read the findings in full via the WE Worldwide website here.
Listen: How does accessibility impact your SEO?
In a recent AbilityNet podcast, Google experts shared key insights into Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and accessibility.
They discussed how using alt text, descriptive links, and following the heading hierarchy not only makes websites more accessible but also makes them more likely to show up in search results.
Listen to the podcast via the AbilityNet website here.
Lay member role on interventional procedures committee
PIF member NICE is recruiting a lay member to sit on its interventional procedures committee.
The deadline for applications is 3 April. Lay members can claim for non-staff reimbursement.
Find out more and apply via the NICE website here.
Event: Supporting our Storytellers
The Coalition for Personalised Care is hosting the second in a series of three online workshops on co-production.
Supporting our Storytellers explores how to support and encourage people to share their stories through co-production.
The workshop, which takes place on 22 March, is free of charge.
Find out more and book your place via Eventbrite here.
New guidance on hip fracture services
PIF member the Royal Osteoporosis Society has published new guidance on hip fracture services for healthcare professionals.
Developed in collaboration with researchers from the University of Bristol, the toolkit aims to help improve the quality of hip fracture care across the UK.
Freely available to all healthcare professionals, it provides guidance on different aspects of patient care, making it easier for hospitals to improve the service they provide.
Find out more and access the toolkit via the Royal Osteoporosis Society website here.
Publication of visual resource on menopause
The ALLIANCE has published a visual resource in support of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.
The resource provides insight into the diversity of menopausal experience.
It aims to support women to feel better informed and confident in raising their experience with friends, family, partners, colleagues and GPs.
Find out more and download the resource via the ALLIANCE website here.
Patient materials to support referrals to community pharmacists
Patient materials to support referrals from general practice to community pharmacists are now available.
The communication materials are designed to help practice teams explain to patients why they are being referred for a minor illness consultation under the community pharmacist consultation service (CPCS).
They aim to explain what to expect from a community pharmacist consultation and to increase confidence in the referral process.
Access the campaign resources via the Department of Health and Social Care website here.