Evidence hub offers insight into promoting vaccination
A new online evidence hub looks at how to promote vaccination effectively to different UK communities.
The Evidence Collection – Promoting vaccination: The right approach for the right group – is from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).
It highlights research into improving uptake of vaccination and the effectiveness of a wide range of engagement strategies. Good practice tips include:
- Understanding a community’s needs
- Delivering information and vaccines in a community setting
- Taking every opportunity to vaccinate.
Visit the evidence collection on the NIHR website here.
Guidance amplifies voices of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities
New guidance offers insight into the maternity experience of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
It is hoped the insights will help reduce a wide range of health inequalities including high rates of miscarriage, pregnancy loss and child loss.
The guidance was produced by the Friends, Families and Travellers charity as part of the Health and Wellbeing Alliance.
Find out more and download the guidance from the Friends, Families and Travellers website here.
Toolkit looks at money as the root of people’s healthcare problems
A new toolkit is available to help health and care professionals identify and support people with money-related health issues.
The Money Talk Communications Toolkit was launched by the Personalised Care Institute (PCI) and the Money and Pensions Service.
This followed research showing many health and care professionals do not feel equipped to hold financial wellbeing conversations.
Find the toolkit on the PCI’s website here.
Pandemic planning prioritises information needs of vulnerable groups
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has agreed keeping people with autoimmune diseases properly informed in any future pandemic is vital.
Problems in information quality during the COVID-19 pandemic were highlighted to UKHSA’s chief medical advisor Professor Susan Hopkins by the Global Alliance for Patient Access (GAFPA).
A GAFPA consensus statement said people with autoimmune diseases were often left unclear about how they might be affected or what they should do.
In response to the statement, Prof Hopkins told GAFPA the special information needs of this group are a priority in preparedness planning.
View the original consensus statement on the GAFPA website here.
Digital exclusion a major barrier to effective digital communication
More than 4 in 10 NHS staff believe their organisation overwhelms staff and patients with multiple logins for different services.
Respondents to a survey by Digital Health Intelligence also identified other exclusion challenges acting as obstacles to effective digital communication. They included:
- Safeguarding for vulnerable people
- Lack of access to devices or reliable wi-fi connections
- Disability
- Cultural and language barriers
- Low digital literacy.
The survey was completed by 110 NHS staff. There were also in-depth interviews with 10 digital leaders.
Read more on the Digital Health website here.
PIF member trials AI cancer diagnosis aid
An artificial intelligence (AI) tool is being trialled by PIF member Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to help diagnose breast cancer.
A previous trial using the same tool on prostate biopsies led to a 13% increase in cancer detection.
Funding is from the Welsh Government’s Innovation Fund.
Read more about the trials on the Welsh Government website here.
Report: Over-the-counter treatments save the NHS billions
UK over-the-counter (OTC) health treatments save the NHS £6.4 billion in prescription and appointment costs each year.
That’s the finding of an independent report commissioned by PIF member PAGB, a consumer healthcare association.
The report, The Economic Impact of Over-The-Counter Medicines in the UK, also suggests reclassifying OTC medicines could lead to more savings.
Find out more via the PAGB website here.
Survey: How can we make biomedical research greener?
The Medical Research Council (MRC) wants to know how it can support medical researchers to increase environmental sustainability in their work.
An online questionnaire is open to anyone who conducts, supports, or manages, UK-based medical research.
The survey will take between 30 and 60 minutes to complete. The deadline is 5pm on Friday 18 August.
Complete the survey or find out more on the MRC website here.
Online exhibition highlights structural racism in health and social care
Open Wounds, previously on display at The King’s Fund London headquarters, has moved online.
The exhibition looks at the lived experience of black communities in relation to UK health inequalities.
Presented in collaboration with Tottenham Rights, it points to areas where action is needed to reduce health and care inequalities for black people. These include:
- Addressing the issue of stereotypes of black people through education and sharing of stories
- Policy makers gaining a wider understanding of the power dynamics in their field
- The need for urgent and well-informed response to the health concerns of black people.
Visit The King’s Fund website here to see the exhibition.
Study: Value-based measures may not support patient-centred care
Researchers have found value-based healthcare impact measures rarely include the patient’s point of view.
An evidence review found the measures most often used to assess the value of a treatment were not patient-centred.
Instead, the main focus was the point of view of a provider, institution or bill-payer.
Authors say this highlights a gap in research knowledge.
Read the full study on the BMJ website here.
Good design equals accessible design
In an NHS Digital blog, Josh Healey says good design can make web-based services more accessible for everyone.
Josh is user-centred design lead for the Register with a GP Surgery service.
In the blog he explains how redesigning the first website page made the service more accessible for everyone.
He also outlines how the team measured the impact.