CARDIOVASCULAR HORIZON SCANNING Volume 3 Issue 10

Government plans to tackle obesity unveiled

Source: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

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Date of publication: October 2011

Publication type: Press release

In a nutshell: NICE has announced that it will support local authorities by developing new public health guidance on working with local communities to prevent obesity. The NICE guidance is due to be published in November 2012. Guidance on the best practice principles for weight management services is also going to be developed, to help support effective commissioning of local weight management services. £14 million will be invested in the Change4Life programme, to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Guides for commissioners: cardiac rehabilitation services

Source: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

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Date of publication: October 2011

Publication type: Practice guidelines

In a nutshell: NICE has published an interactive guide for commissioners on services for people who need cardiac rehabilitation. This guide updates and replaces the previous NICE guide on commissioning a cardiac rehabilitation service, which was published in 2008. The guide includes a commissioning and benchmarking tool.

Length of publication: 1 webpage

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Development of a tool to improve the quality of decision making in atrial fibrillation

Source: BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 2011, 11 (59)

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Date of publication: October 2011

Publication type: Clinical innovations

In a nutshell: A decision support tool in primary care to be used for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation. The tool helps in the consideration of various treatment options, and presents individualised risk estimates for stroke and bleeding.

Length of publication: 10 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

A review of telehealth in Scotland

Source: The King’s Fund Information & Library Service

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Date of publication: October 2011

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: Telehealth has the potential to provide NHS services more efficiently. This report looks at how the NHS in Scotland is using various technologies such as mobile phones, video-conferencing and self-monitoring equipment. The report gives some examples of cardiology services which have used video-conferencing.

Length of publication: 34 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Provision of commercial weight management programmes

Source: Lancet, 22 October 2011, vol 378 (9801), pp 1444-1445

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Date of publication: 22 October 2011

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: In most areas of England, referral to commercial weight managment programmes is now available, and a recent randomized controlled trial has shown this to be more effective than primary care management. However, weight management programmes run by primary care may still be needed as part of a wider range of provision to reach more patients.

Length of publication: 2 pages

Some important notes: You will need an NHS Athens username and password to access this article. Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement: National Heart Forum eResearch Briefing 27/10/11

Healthy Places

Source: National Heart Forum (NHF)

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Date of publication: 21 October 2011

Publication type: News item

In a nutshell: The NHF announced the launch of Healthy Places, a new interactive online resource developed with the backing of the Department of Health.  It covers legal issues, planning law and regulations to show local councils, planning groups and health practitioners how they can use existing legislation to improve public health. Features a wide range of highly practical case studies from throughout the UK, showing how the legal regulatory environment is used in areas such as travel, food, physical activity, to proactively support healthy communities.

Length of publication: 1 web page

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement:

National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation: annual statistical report 2011

Source: National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation (NACR) and British Heart Foundation

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Date of publication:  October 2011

Publication type: Report

In a nutshell: This is the fifth such annual audit of CR programmes and patient outcomes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is continued increased participation in CR programmes, although 3 out of every 5 eligible patients still do not access the service.  CR programmes are cost-effective in reducing cardiac mortality, promoting self-management and quality of life.  The evidence is increasing that CR also reduces unplanned hospital admissions,  potentially leading to considerable savings for the NHS.

Length of publication: 48 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS library if you cannot access the full text. Follow this link to find your local NHS library.

Acknowledgement: British Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (BACPR)

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