The NHS Evidence Specialist Collections have been developed to identify and meet the information needs of particular communities of practice. They are web-based collections containing clinical and non-clinical information on the major health priority areas. Each specialist collection identifies and provides access to quality assessed information of relevance to the community that it serves.
An aspect of this involves the production of Annual Evidence Updates, which aim to highlight the best current evidence for selected healthcare topics. Annual Evidence Updates consist of the good quality evidence from a search of research evidence on a particular topic over a 12 month period, plus user-friendly summaries written by relevant experts, and links to guidelines, secondary research and primary research, if applicable. All information included in Annual Evidence Updates has been subject to rigorous selection criteria.
The calendar of currently confirmed Annual Evidence Updates until March 2010 is available here. The following updates are scheduled scheduled for November:
Psoriasis (skin disorders specialist collection) - 2nd November
The results of a search for new guidance and systematic reviews published since the 2008 update. Our usual “what’s new” analysis, discussing the new evidence and its implications for clinical practice, will be written by Professor Chris Griffiths and his team from Manchester University.
Diabetes (diabetes specialist collection) - 9th November
New systematic reviews published in the last 12 months in the field of diabetes. For ease of use, the new evidence has been classified under the following topic headings: co-morbidities, complications, delivery of care, diagnosis/classification, economics, genetics, gestational diabetes, patients, pre-diabetes including metabolic syndrome, pregnancy, prevention/causes/risk, screening, and treatments. As in previous years, the clinical lead of NHS Evidence – diabetes, Dr Roger Gadsby, will provide an overall commentary. Also this year, expert commentaries have been invited on the topics of diabetes nursing, diabetic nephropathy, genetics and dietetics.
CAM for lower back pain (complementary and alternative medicine specialist collection) - 16th November
This update presents a comprehensive collection of up-to-date guidelines, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and selected randomised controlled trials, along with commentaries from experts.
COPD (respiratory specialist collection) - 16th November
Coinciding with World COPD day on 18 November, the evidence update will highlight the new evidence published within the last 12 months. An invited commentary will discuss any new developments in COPD. It is anticipated the update pages will be further updated in early 2010 when the National Strategy for COPD is published, along with further invited commentaries.
Lung cancer (cancer specialist collection) - 16th November
This is the 5th Annual Evidence Update on lung cancer and presents the results of the new evidence that has been published since the previous update in November 2008. This year there are a number of interesting commentaries by members of the expert panel. These include:
- Causes, risks and prevention by John Field and colleagues, Roy Castle, Lung Cancer Research Programme. This highlights socioeconomic factors, respiratory disease risk factors, genetic susceptibility risks and details about a recently developed lung cancer risk prediction modelling tool, currently being assessed in a primary care setting.
- Biological agents in non-small cell lung cancer by Ekaterini Boleti and Michael Cullen. This commentary provides an overview of the emerging studies in this challenging treatment area and discusses the need for further trials to inform routine practice so that these patients benefit from optimal, cost-effective treatment.
- Heparin and survival in cancer by Fergus Macbeth. This review looks at the effect of heparin on patients with small cell lung and other types of cancer.
- Second line chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer by Sarah Danson. The importance of better treatments for relapsed small cell lung cancer is addressed in this commentary.
- ERS/ESTS taskforce guidelines on fitness for radical surgery by Eric Lim and David Baldwin. New guidelines from Europe have been published on fitness for radical therapy and the authors look at the recommendations and highlight the complexities of the issues addressed.
Oral cancer (oral health specialist collection) - 16th November
15-21 November 2009 is Mouth Cancer Awareness Week. This update presents new guidance and systematic reviews that have been published since November 2008. Accompanying this update will be a commentary from David Conway, Clinical Senior Lecturer at Glasgow University Dental School and Honorary Consultant in Dental Public Health at NHS National Services Scotland (NSS).
Glaucoma (eyes and vision specialist collection) - 23rd November
This update will present the evidence published since the 2008 update on the following topics: diagnosis, monitoring/follow up, treatment (medical, surgical and laser), patient education, service provision, routine NHS information.
The topics will be supported by commentaries which will include the key messages from the NICE guideline on Chronic Open Angle Glaucoma published in April this year.
Supportive and palliative care in chronic lung disease (supportive and palliative care specialist collection) - 23rd November
The Annual Evidence Update on supportive and palliative care in chronic lung disease collects together the best new knowledge covering two key symptoms which affect most patients - cough and dyspnoea (breathlessness). Our review of the literature will encompass recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of these symptoms as well as their management using drugs, physical, nursing and other non-pharmacological methods.
HIV/AIDs ( infections specialist collection) - 30th November
This year’s focus is on HIV and children. Specific topics will include:
- Mother to child transmission
- HIV testing in children
- Management of HIV in adolescents and children
Experts in the field will be providing summaries on these subtopics, and links to other useful websites will also be available.
Stroke (stroke specialist collection) - 30th November
The forthcoming Annual Evidence Update covers new high quality evidence (mainly systematic reviews) on stroke rehabilitation. Despite evidence of its effectiveness in reducing mortality and long term disability rehabilitation is often seen as a ‘Cinderella service’: underfunded, understaffed, and with a low profile compared to care at the ‘hi-tech’ end of the spectrum of care.
The National Stroke Strategy sets Quality Markers (QM) across the spectrum of stroke care. QM 10 sets out the ambition for rehabilitation: "People who had had strokes access high-quality rehabilitation and, with their carer, receive support from stroke-skilled services as soon as possible after they have a stroke, available in hospital, immediately after transfer from hospital and for as long as they need it."
Special care dentistry (oral health specialist collection) - 30th November
Since our first Evidence Update in this topic in September 2008, Special Care Dentistry has been officially designated a dental speciality. We are pleased to present our latest Evidence Update on the topic in the week that the two professional societies for special care dentistry hold their meetings (British Society for Disability and Oral Health and British Society of Gerodontology).
The Update brings together new guidance and systematic reviews relevant to Special Care Dentistry that have been published since the last update, accompanied by a commentary on the evidence.
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