Older men's experiences of community-based health checks in Knowsley, UK

A study using both qualitative and quantitative methods was undertaken to examine the impact of community-based health checks on men in Knowsley, UK. The main objective was to understand whether community-based health checks targeted at specific geographical and age groups were an effective way of improving health in men. Interviews were conducted with 50 service users, and a completed postal questionnaire was received from 178 men who had attended during the service's pilot period. Results indicated that men were generally satisfied with both the content and structure of the health checks. Men spoke favourably of the service they had received, particularly in comparison to their previous experiences of primary care. They reported enjoying using a service that allowed them to examine their own health in a comfortable environment. Knowledge was provided to a group whose awareness of health matters was often poor, and the vast majority of men reported making a variety of positive lifestyle changes as a result of attending. Reported improvements to health included giving up smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, increasing exercise and eating more healthily. The study suggests that services of this nature deserve careful consideration by health care professionals and policy-makers

Strategies for reducing pain at dressing change in chronic wounds: protocol for a mapping review

Introduction Although pain experienced at dressing change has been reported as the worst aspect of living with chronic wounds, United Kingdom (UK) guidance for their management is primarily tailored to wound healing and only attends to pain as a secondary consideration. Consequently, there is little up-to-date guidance that specifically addresses how patients, carers and healthcare professionals should manage wound-related pain at dressing change. This mapping review will identify, describe and appraise the existing research evidence for strategies used to assess pain intensity and prevent or alleviate pain at dressing change in chronic wounds. In addition, it will highlight areas for future research and inform the development of up-to-date guidance for healthcare professionals. Methods and analysis We will search MEDLINE and Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily [via Ovid SP], Embase [via Ovid SP], Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials [via Wiley Cochrane Library], Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature [via EBSCO] and the Web of Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index [via Clarivate Analytics]. Screening will be undertaken independently by two reviewers, with any disagreements resolved through discussion. Included studies will be subject to coding, using a tested data extraction tool, by two reviewers working independently. The methodological quality of the studies included will be reviewed using quality assessment instruments appropriate for each study design (Cochrane Risk of Bias tool (RoB 2); Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of interventions tool (ROBINS-I); Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool (CASP)). Data will be described narratively and also presented visually in an interactive web-based evidence and gap map. Ethics and dissemination As this mapping review does not collect original data, ethical approval is not applicable. Findings will be disseminated via a written report, an interactive online mapping tool and in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations. PROSPERO registration number CRD4202126013