33 research outputs found
Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a telehealth intervention to support the management of long-term conditions: study protocol for two linked randomized controlled trials
Background: As the population ages, more people are suffering from long-term health conditions (LTCs). Health
services around the world are exploring new ways of supporting people with LTCs and there is great interest in the
use of telehealth: technologies such as the Internet, telephone and home self-monitoring.
Methods/Design: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a telehealth intervention
delivered by NHS Direct to support patients with LTCs. Two randomized controlled trials will be conducted in parallel,
recruiting patients with two exemplar LTCs: depression or raised cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. A total of 1,200
patients will be recruited from approximately 42 general practices near Bristol, Sheffield and Southampton, UK.
Participants will be randomly allocated to either usual care (control group) or usual care plus the NHS Direct
Healthlines Service (intervention group). The intervention is based on a conceptual model incorporating promotion of
self-management, optimisation of treatment, coordination of care and engagement of patients and general
practitioners. Participants will be provided with tailored help, combining telephone advice from health information
advisors with support to use a range of online resources. Participants will access the service for 12 months. Outcomes
will be collected at baseline, four, eight and 12 months for the depression trial and baseline, six and 12 months for
the CVD risk trial. The primary outcome will be the proportion of patients responding to treatment, defined in the
depression trial as a PHQ-9 score <10 and an absolute reduction in PHQ-9 ≥5 after 4 months, and in the CVD risk
trial as maintenance or reduction of 10-year CVD risk after 12 months. The study will also assess whether the
intervention is cost-effective from the perspective of the NHS and personal social services. An embedded qualitative
interview study will explore healthcare professionals’ and patients’ views of the intervention.
Discussion: This study evaluates a complex telehealth intervention which combines evidence-based components and
is delivered by an established healthcare organisation. The study will also analyse health economic information. In
doing so, the study hopes to address some of the limitations of previous research by demonstrating the effectiveness
and cost-effectiveness of a real world telehealth interventio
Dialysis and pediatric acute kidney injury: choice of renal support modality
Dialytic intervention for infants and children with acute kidney injury (AKI) can take many forms. Whether patients are treated by intermittent hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or continuous renal replacement therapy depends on specific patient characteristics. Modality choice is also determined by a variety of factors, including provider preference, available institutional resources, dialytic goals and the specific advantages or disadvantages of each modality. Our approach to AKI has benefited from the derivation and generally accepted defining criteria put forth by the Acute Dialysis Quality Initiative (ADQI) group. These are known as the risk, injury, failure, loss, and end-stage renal disease (RIFLE) criteria. A modified pediatrics RIFLE (pRIFLE) criteria has recently been validated. Common defining criteria will allow comparative investigation into therapeutic benefits of different dialytic interventions. While this is an extremely important development in our approach to AKI, several fundamental questions remain. Of these, arguably, the most important are “When and what type of dialytic modality should be used in the treatment of pediatric AKI?” This review will provide an overview of the limited data with the aim of providing objective guidelines regarding modality choice for pediatric AKI. Comparisons in terms of cost, availability, safety and target group will be reviewed
On the perils of ignoring evolution in networks
Here, we reply to the stimulating comments from Sagoff [1] and Rossberg [2] on Segar et al. [3]
The role of evolution in shaping ecological networks
The structure of ecological networks reflects the evolutionary history of their biotic components, and their dynamics are strongly driven by ecoevolutionary processes. Here, we present an appraisal of recent relevant research, in which the pervasive role of evolution within ecological networks is manifest. Although evolutionary processes are most evident at macroevolutionary scales, they are also important drivers of local network structure and dynamics. We propose components of a blueprint for further research, emphasising process-based models, experimental evolution, and phenotypic variation, across a range of distinct spatial and temporal scales. Evolutionary dimensions are required to advance our understanding of foundational properties of community assembly and to enhance our capability of predicting how networks will respond to impending changes
The role of evolution in shaping ecological networks
The structure of ecological networks reflects the evolutionary history of their biotic components, and their dynamics are strongly driven by ecoevolutionary processes. Here, we present an appraisal of recent relevant research, in which the pervasive role of evolution within ecological networks is manifest. Although evolutionary processes are most evident at macroevolutionary scales, they are also important drivers of local network structure and dynamics. We propose components of a blueprint for further research, emphasising process-based models, experimental evolution, and phenotypic variation, across a range of distinct spatial and temporal scales. Evolutionary dimensions are required to advance our understanding of foundational properties of community assembly and to enhance our capability of predicting how networks will respond to impending changes
The role of evolution in shaping ecological networks
The structure of ecological networks reflects the evolutionary history of their biotic components, and their dynamics are strongly driven by ecoevolutionary processes. Here, we present an appraisal of recent relevant research, in which the pervasive role of evolution within ecological networks is manifest. Although evolutionary processes are most evident at macroevolutionary scales, they are also important drivers of local network structure and dynamics. We propose components of a blueprint for further research, emphasising process-based models, experimental evolution, and phenotypic variation, across a range of distinct spatial and temporal scales. Evolutionary dimensions are required to advance our understanding of foundational properties of community assembly and to enhance our capability of predicting how networks will respond to impending changes
The role of evolution in shaping ecological networks
The structure of ecological networks reflects the evolutionary history of their biotic components, and their dynamics are strongly driven by ecoevolutionary processes. Here, we present an appraisal of recent relevant research, in which the pervasive role of evolution within ecological networks is manifest. Although evolutionary processes are most evident at macroevolutionary scales, they are also important drivers of local network structure and dynamics. We propose components of a blueprint for further research, emphasising process-based models, experimental evolution, and phenotypic variation, across a range of distinct spatial and temporal scales. Evolutionary dimensions are required to advance our understanding of foundational properties of community assembly and to enhance our capability of predicting how networks will respond to impending changes