Work of cancer52

cancer52 - the common voice for rare and less common cancers

• A video by cancer52 presented at the PHE annual conference June 2018 which shows some of the ongoing work on making more cancer data available for rare and less common cancers. 
• The video includes a series of short interviews in the video with experts from across cancer data and services explain why data is so important to rare and less common cancers.

gammaCore for cluster headache

gammaCore for cluster headache
NICE Medtech innovation briefing [MIB162] October 2018

• gammaCore is used as a daily preventative measure for cluster headache and can be used to treat pain during a headache. gammaCore is applied to the surface of the neck rather than surgically implanted.
• Current research indicates that use of gammaCore alongside standard care may be more effective than standard care only in treating cluster headaches.

Estimating an Individual’s Probability of Revision Surgery After Knee Replacement:

Estimating an Individual’s Probability of Revision Surgery After Knee Replacement: A Comparison of Modeling Approaches Using a National Data Set
Am J Epidemiol. 2018 Oct; 187(10): 2252–2262

• The research constructed and compared several parametric and nonparametric models for predicting prosthesis survivorship after knee replacement surgery for osteoarthritis indicated that the flexible parametric model has a better overall performance compared with other tested parametric methods and has better discrimination compared with the random survival forest approach.
• Data from the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man.

Abstract:

No increase in readmissions or adverse events after implementation of fast-track program in total hip and knee replacement at 8 Swedish hospitals

No increase in readmissions or adverse events after implementation of fast-track program in total hip and knee replacement at 8 Swedish hospitals: An observational before-and-after study of 14,148 total joint replacements 2011–2015
Acta Orthop. 2018 Oct; 89(5): 522–527

• Implementation of a fast-track program in routine care of joint replacement in 8 Swedish hospitals resulted in a decrease in median hospital length of stay from 5 to 3 days in both THR and TKR. 
• The total readmission rate <90 days for THR was 7.2% with fast-track compared with 6.7% in the previous program, and for TKR 8.4% in both groups. 
• Almost half of the readmissions occurred without any AE identified. 
• There was no statistically significant difference concerning readmissions or AE when comparing the programs.

Paediatric home monitoring in CF

Is paediatric home monitoring in CF feasible? There’s an app for that!
Digital Health London 27 September 2018

• CLIMB-CF is a study, funded by the CF Trust and run from Imperial College London, exploring whether it is possible to monitor children and young people with Cystic Fibrosis  at home using an app and some Bluetooth equipment.(https://www.cysticfibrosis.org.uk/the-work-we-do/clinical-care/smartcarecf/climb-cf). 
• The app is currently on trial in the UK and Canada.

Determinants of ICUTelemedicine Effectiveness: An Ethnographic Study.

Determinants of Intensive Care Unit Telemedicine Effectiveness: An Ethnographic Study.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018 Oct 23. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201802-0259OC. [Epub ahead of print]

• A focused ethnographic evaluation of 10 ICU telemedicine programs using site visits, interviews, and focus groups in both facilities providing remote care and the target ICUs.
• Data analysis revealed three domains that influence ICU telemedicine effectiveness: leadership, perceived value and organizational characteristics.
• Location: Pennsylvania, United States

RAPID prostate pathway videos

RAPID prostate pathway videos
RM Partners 16 October 2018

• Two videos explaining the new RAPID (Rapid Access to Prostate Imaging and Diagnosis) pathway to diagnose suspected prostate cancer have been published, one video for staff and one for patients.
• The RAPID pathway is being piloted at three west London Trusts: Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, Imperial College Healthcare Trust, and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Updated MDC Resources

Multidisciplinary Diagnostic Centre (MDC) resources

• The Cancer Research UK ACE Programme has released new resources to support local development and implementation of MDC-based pathways for patients with non-specific but concerning symptoms. 
• Resources include 
• Core data items and metrics list
• Planning guide for MDCs
• MDC patient experience evaluation report
• MDC animation
• MDC planning toolkit
• MDC emerging models

Evaluation of the NHS National Cancer Vanguard

Evaluation of the NHS National Cancer Vanguard: Year 1 report
Cancer Vanguard 8 October 2018

• The Cancer Vanguard was established to pilot and roll out new models of care that would provide innovative high quality cancer care across the whole patient pathway. The Vanguard as a formal collaboration ended at the end of March 2018.
• The evaluation identified the following key partner-level conditions for success:
• Strong local leadership for cancer transformation at programme level
• High-performing teams of project and change managers
• Openness to collaborate across organisational boundaries
• Collaborative working with patients and patient representatives
• A climate of research collaboration
• A strong network of collaboration with cancer charities
• As well as the full report and Executive Summary, an illustration explaining the Cancer Vanguard and the findings of the evaluation are available.

Advanced critical care practitioners

Advanced critical care practitioners at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS FT
NHS Employers 8 October 2018

• This case study looks at how Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust introduced advanced critical care practitioners (ACCPs) into multidisciplinary teams across its critical care units. 

Are on-the-day group and save samples required for elective shoulder, hip and knee arthroplasties?

Are on-the-day group and save samples required for elective shoulder, hip and knee arthroplasties?
Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 2018 Oct 5:1-3. doi: 10.1308/rcsann.2018.0154. [Epub ahead of print]

• Analysis of 711 elective arthroscopy procedures showed that only 48 patients required transfusion during their admission. The vast majority of transfusions were delivered more than 24 hours following the procedure.
• The authors suggest that a formal group and save be completed only if the need for a blood transfusion is formally established, leading to a significant cost saving, a reduction in clinical work load and patients having to undergo fewer procedures.
• Location: Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK

Decision-making and mental capacity - NICE guideline

Decision-making and mental capacity [NG108]
NICE guideline October 2018

• This guideline covers decision-making in people 16 years and over who may lack capacity now or in the future. It aims to help health and social care practitioners support people to make their own decisions where they have the capacity to do so. It also helps practitioners to keep people who lack capacity at the centre of the decision-making process.

Kidney replacement Guidance and Quality Standard updates

Renal replacement therapy and conservative management [NG107]
NICE 3 October 2018

• This guideline covers renal replacement therapy (dialysis and transplantation) and conservative management for people with chronic kidney disease stages 4 and 5.
• Updates and replaces NICE guideline CG125 (July 2011) and NICE technology appraisal guidance 48 (September 2002).
• NICE press release.

Renal replacement therapy services for adults [QS72]

NICE Quality standard updated October 2018

• This quality standard was updated to reflect updated guidance (above) and covers renal replacement therapy services for adults with kidney failure. It includes treatment options, such as dialysis and kidney transplant.

Key issues of neonatal service configuration in England: the NeoNet multimethods study

A framework to address key issues of neonatal service configuration in England: the NeoNet multimethods study
Health Serv Deliv Res 2018;6(35), October 2018

• Geographic analysis and computer models were used to investigate a range of alternative scenarios for neonatal care, looking at the impact of greater and lower levels of centralisation. The models suggest that having fewer units, especially for intensive care, could potentially improve infant survival rates. Costs and resource implications (e.g. the number of nurses required), as well as the impact on parental travel time, were also investigated using these models.

Pan-London Haemato-Oncology Clinical Guidelines

Pan-London Haemato-Oncology Clinical Guidelines
RM Partners 27 September 2018

• The Pan-London Haemato-Oncology Clinical Guidelines consist of three chapters: acute leukaemias and myeloid neoplasms; lymphoid malignancies; and plasma cell disorders.

British HIV Association Standards of care for people living with HIV 2018

British HIV Association Standards of care for people living with HIV 2018
British HIV Association 19 April 2018

• The Standards are designed to provide a reference point against which to benchmark the quality of HIV care in the context of the changing needs of patients and the current financial pressures. They provide information to support top quality care and to inform commissioning decisions to meet the growing need for more efficient and cost-effective services.
• There are eight quality Standards, covering the care that any adult living with HIV in the UK should expect to receive. Each one presents a rationale, quality statements and measurable and auditable outcomes. Three new sections have been introduced looking at HIV prevention, stigma and well-being, and HIV across the life course - young adults and adolescents, young to middle adulthood, older age and palliative care.

Robotic surgery: new robots

Robotic surgery: new robots and finally some real competition!
World J Urol. 2018 Apr;36(4):537-541. doi: 10.1007/s00345-018-2213-y. Epub 2018 Feb 9.

• A short description of the Senhance Surgical Robotic System and the REVO-I Robot Platform and their pros and cons compared to the Da Vinci system is presented. 
• A discussion about the differences between the three robotic systems now in the market is presented, as well as a short review of the present state of robotic assistance in surgery and the future.

Cost analysis of a speech pathology synchronous telepractice service for patients with head and neck cancer.

Cost analysis of a speech pathology synchronous telepractice service for patients with head and neck cancer.

Head Neck. 2017 Dec;39(12):2470-2480

• An Australian study of eighty-two referrals concludes that a synchronous telepractice service provides cost efficiencies over standard care for providing remote specialist speech pathology head and neck cancer intervention.

Abstract

Impact of radiographer immediate reporting of chest X-rays from general practice on the lung cancer pathway (radioX): study protocol

Impact of radiographer immediate reporting of chest X-rays from general practice on the lung cancer pathway (radioX): study protocol for a randomised control trial.
Trials. 2017 Nov 6;18(1):521. doi: 10.1186/s13063-017-2268-x.

• Protocol a UK study to examine the impact of immediate reporting by radiographers of CXRs requested by general practice (GP) on lung cancer patient pathways.
• The radioX trial will examine the hypothesis that immediate reporting of CXRs referred from GP reduces the time to diagnosis of lung cancer or discharge from the lung cancer pathway.
• ISRCTN registry 

Abstract