What people with multiple conditions say about health equity

The Taskforce on Multiple Conditions has published its final report into the lived experiences of people with multiple conditions.

You only had to ask: What people with multiple conditions say about health equity marks  was informed by a rapid evidence review into the literature on health inequalities and multiple long-term conditions. 

Research for the report itself focused on four areas of England containing communities on low incomes, people from minority ethnic groups and people living in both urban and rural environments. 

The report combines the insights of the professionals and services working in those places with compelling stories from people who shared detailed insights into how they manage their health and how they would like to be supported.

The Richmond Group of Charities

National Disability Strategy published

The Government has published its National Disability Strategy setting out the actions it will take to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

The strategy was informed by the UK Disability Survey, which launched in January 2021, lived experience research and a wider programme of engagement. It it is split into two sections.

Part one outlines immediate practical steps to improve the everyday lives of people with disabilities.

Part two sets out a longer-term ambition to put people with disabilities at the heart of the design and delivery of services.

GOV.UK

Digital health trends in 2021

The IQVIA has published a report assessing the innovation and evidence contributed by digital health tools, as well as barriers and facilitators to their adoption.

Digital Health Trends 2021 covers four key areas – innovation, evidence, regulation and adoption.

It says digital therapeutics and digital care products and tools have increased with more than 250 products now identified.

The body of clinical evidence on app effectiveness has grown, with more than 2,000 studies published since 2007, including almost 1,500 published in the past five years.

The report also highlights the role of digital health tools in the patient journey during COVID-19.

IQVIA

Consultation: Health and wellbeing action plan

PIF member the ALLIANCE has published a draft action plan to help people access trusted health and wellbeing information in their communities.

The action plan was produced with the Scottish Library and Information Council, the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre and the Scottish Government Self Management and Health Literacy Team.

It sets out how libraries will work with partners in health and social care and the third sector to become central hubs for trusted health and wellbeing information.

Key priorities include:

  • Enabling people to use digital health information tools and services.
  • Building digital, information and health literacy, and maximising digital inclusion.
  • Using information services to support mental health and wellbeing.
  • Reaching and empowering groups at risk of exclusion from health and care services.

Find out more and submit your feedback on the plan by clicking on the link below.

ALLIANCE

Why we need more inclusive research

A new evidence collection by NIHR explores the importance and value of inclusive research.

It says the areas with the highest burden of disease have the lowest number of patients taking part in research.

This means diseases which are more common among deprived communities are being studied in healthier populations.

The collection includes a range of studies demonstrating the insight and value of research targeting and engaging under-served populations. 

It also includes recommendations for improving access to clinical research.

NIHR

Study: Self management challenges for patients with multimorbidity

A new study aims to describe challenges in self-management activities among people with multimorbidity during a four-week post-hospital discharge period.

It found self management for patients with multi-morbidity in the first four weeks does not equate to a fixed set of tasks but varies throughout the period.

Challenges included not only the burden of the disease itself but also navigating and understanding the healthcare system.

BMJ Open

NICE rapid guideline on rare blood clotting condition associated with COVID-19 vaccine

NICE has developed a rapid guideline on on the management and follow up of blood clots and low platelet counts associated with COVID-19 vaccination.

Vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis has been reported in rare cases after receiving COVID-19 vaccines.

Although only 14.2 cases per million doses have occurred, the condition can be very serious requiring swift diagnosis and sometimes urgent treatment.

The guideline was developed at the request of NHS England.

NICE

Health literacy in the time of COVID-19

In this article, Impetus Digital’s Natalie Yeadon explores why health literacy has never been more important than during COVID-19.

She highlights the link between poor community health literacy and misinformation, particularly around vaccinations.

The article discusses the impact of COVID-19 on health literacy and measures to improve community health literacy.

pharmaphorum

Recruitment starts for lived experience advisory panel

PIF member the Patients Association has begun recruitment for a lived experience advisory panel.

The panel will advise the Patients Association on how to implement true patient partnership.

Click on the link below to find out more and apply to join the panel.

Patients Association

Bringing the patient voice to the table

The Medical Technology Group (MTG) has responded to NICE guidelines on shared decision making.

It welcomes the guideline but says there is still work to be done with patient involvement still often treated as a box-ticking exercise.

MTG's recent survey of patient group members found, although the patient voice is routinely sought, it lacks weight and value, with little evidence that it has an impact on final decisions.

A lack of transparency on how patient involvement has influenced a decision and poor communication between healthcare systems and patients were also highlighted as key issues.

MTG

A co-produced decision aid to support family carers of people with dementia

Researchers have published a co-produced decision aid for family carers of people living with dementia.

The decision aid covers four areas – changes in care, eating and drinking difficulties, everyday wellbeing and healthcare, tests and medication.

The process behind its development has been published in the hope it will offer a template for decision aid creation and including people living with dementia in coproduction.

Wiley Online Library

Translated COVID-19 immunity and vaccine resources

The British Society for Immunology has translated some of its educational resources on immunity, COVID-19 and vaccines into different languages, including Arabic, Spanish and Yiddish.

The resources are available to download, print and share.

British Society for Immunology

Flu vaccination explained

Public Health England (PHE) has updated patient information leaflets explaining who is eligible for flu vaccination this winter and why they should have it.

The information is available in both HTML and print versions.

PHE