New research has been published into people's attitudes to health technologies and data. The Health Foundation commissioned a survey of 7,201 adults to investigate their attitudes and the key factors affecting their views. Key findings include:
The Health Foundation said the findings of the survey can help inform the process as the government embarks on its plan to shift the NHS from analogue to digital.
Read more about the survey and the findings on the Health Foundation website here.
A third of people discharged from A&E were not given information on how to care for their condition at home, according to a Care Quality Commission (CQC) survey. The survey explores the experiences of more than 45,000 people who used NHS urgent and emergency care services at 120 acute hospital trusts in England. More than a third of people who attended an A&E department and over half who had visited an urgent treatment centre department rated their overall experience as nine or higher out of 10. However, while two thirds of people discharged from A&E said they were given information on how to care for their condition at home, a third said they were not.
Read more about the survey findings on the CQC website here.
A new guideline recommends chronic asthma should be diagnosed by healthcare professionals when people first show symptoms by using simple tests. For the first time, the British Thoracic Society (BTS), PIF member the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) have collaborated to produce a new UK-wide joint guidance for the diagnosis and management of chronic asthma in adults, young people and children. BTS, NICE and SIGN have also developed a new digital resource which will act as a "one stop shop" online. The digital asthma pathway links to tools, resources and information, all stored in a central hub, accessible from each organisation’s website.
Read the new guidance via the NICE website here.
A new report has highlighted the harm caused by the continued use of "inappropriate" out of area placements for mental health inpatient care. The latest investigation by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body explored what drives the need for out of area placements and the impact on patients and families when they are placed far from home. It found the views of patients, families and carers are not always taken into consideration when decisions about out of area placements are made. It also found vital advocacy services, which allow patients to put forward their views, are not always being offered.
Read more about the investigation and the report recommendations on the HSSIB website here.
A campaign aimed at increasing public awareness about the support community pharmacists can offer to patients has moved into its second phase. The campaign focuses on the Pharmacy First service allowing pharmacists to provide prescription medicines for seven common conditions without the need to see a GP. Campaign materials featuring earache, insect bites and urinary tract infections (UTIs) for women aged 16-64 are available now. Further assets will be published shortly.
View available assets on the Department of Health and Social Care website here.
PIF member NICE has joined a host of organisations in signing up to a shared commitment to public involvement in health and social care research. The statement is a joint commitment to improve the extent and quality of public involvement across the sector so that it is consistently excellent. It has been signed by the Health Research Authority and the National Institute for Health and Care Research, PIF members the APBI, Cancer Research UK, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, NHS England, The Patients Association, and a host of other organisations.
Read more about the shared commitment via the Health Research Authority website here.