Parent support advisor pilot : first interim report from the evaluation

The Parent Support Adviser (PSA) pilot is a government funded initiative to support 20 Local Authorities (LAs) to introduce PSAs into their workforce. The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) commissioned the Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR) to evaluate the PSA pilot programme from September 2006 – August 2008. A government grant (£40 million) has been made available to fund employment of PSAs over this period. To date, 717 PSAs are in place, supporting parents in 1167 schools. This first Interim Report is based on semi-structured interviews with 97 PSAs, 85 line managers and 23 other professionals in 12 case study LAs during Phase 1 of the evaluation, which was carried out between April and June 2007. Phase 2 of the study will take place during the period October to December 2007; phase 3 will take place during March to June 2008. In addition to these interview-based studies with the 12 case study LAs, an analysis will be made of the data collected by all 20 LAs over the period of the pilot using a standard database devised by CEDAR. Data are being collected on the PSAs’ work with parents and, where this occurs, with children. Finally, a cost effectiveness study will be undertaken. The findings from these phases of the project will be reported in the final report

Pharmacogenetic meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of LDL cholesterol response to statins

Statins effectively lower LDL cholesterol levels in large studies and the observed interindividual response variability may be partially explained by genetic variation. Here we perform a pharmacogenetic meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in studies addressing the LDL cholesterol response to statins, including up to 18,596 statin-treated subjects. We validate the most promising signals in a further 22,318 statin recipients and identify two loci, SORT1/CELSR2/PSRC1 and SLCO1B1, not previously identified in GWAS. Moreover, we confirm the previously described associations with APOE and LPA. Our findings advance the understanding of the pharmacogenetic architecture of statin response

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Home and Online Management and Evaluation of Blood Pressure (HOME BP) using a digital intervention in poorly controlled hypertension: randomised controlled trial

Objective: The HOME BP (Home and Online Management and Evaluation of Blood Pressure) trial aimed to test a digital intervention for hypertension management in primary care by combining self-monitoring of blood pressure with guided self-management. Design: Unmasked randomised controlled trial with automated ascertainment of primary endpoint. Setting: 76 general practices in the United Kingdom. Participants: 622 people with treated but poorly controlled hypertension (>140/90 mm Hg) and access to the internet. Interventions: Participants were randomised by using a minimisation algorithm to self-monitoring of blood pressure with a digital intervention (305 participants) or usual care (routine hypertension care, with appointments and drug changes made at the discretion of the general practitioner; 317 participants). The digital intervention provided feedback of blood pressure results to patients and professionals with optional lifestyle advice and motivational support. Target blood pressure for hypertension, diabetes, and people aged 80 or older followed UK national guidelines. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was the difference in systolic blood pressure (mean of second and third readings) after one year, adjusted for baseline blood pressure, blood pressure target, age, and practice, with multiple imputation for missing values. Results: After one year, data were available from 552 participants (88.6%) with imputation for the remaining 70 participants (11.4%). Mean blood pressure dropped from 151.7/86.4 to 138.4/80.2 mm Hg in the intervention group and from 151.6/85.3 to 141.8/79.8 mm Hg in the usual care group, giving a mean difference in systolic blood pressure of −3.4 mm Hg (95% confidence interval −6.1 to −0.8 mm Hg) and a mean difference in diastolic blood pressure of −0.5 mm Hg (−1.9 to 0.9 mm Hg). Results were comparable in the complete case analysis and adverse effects were similar between groups. Within trial costs showed an incremental cost effectiveness ratio of £11 ($15, €12; 95% confidence interval £6 to £29) per mm Hg reduction. Conclusions: The HOME BP digital intervention for the management of hypertension by using self-monitored blood pressure led to better control of systolic blood pressure after one year than usual care, with low incremental costs. Implementation in primary care will require integration into clinical workflows and consideration of people who are digitally excluded. Trial registration: ISRCTN13790648

Evaluation of the capital modernisation funding for electronic registration in selected secondary schools

This report presents evidence from a study of the government’s capital modernisation programme to support the installation of e-registration systems in secondary schools in England with the highest levels of unauthorised absence provided they did not already have an e-registration system other than one based on an optical mark reader. These are electronic systems that enable schools to take the register twice daily, as a minimum, to meet legal requirements. In practice, and especially over the course of this 3-year project, additional facilities increased substantially, e.g. to include lesson monitoring and means to alert parents by text message. Hence, this was and continues to be a rapidly evolving field: in the near future it may be expected that greater use will be made of biometric data, for example. A total budget of £11.25 million was made available to fund systems in 538 schools, starting from 2002. The evaluation took place over the period April 2002 to December 2005

Parenting early intervention pathfinder evaluation : additional study of the involvement of extended schools

This report addresses the role of schools and extended schools in delivering the Parenting Early Intervention Pathfinder (PEIP). It is part of a larger scale evaluation of PEIP which is an initiative to fund local authorities (LAs) to implement one of three selected parenting programmes: Triple P, Webster-Stratton Incredible Years and Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities. The three programmes were selected by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) following a review of available programmes. The study took place during September-October 2007 and mainly involved interviews (N = 81) with staff in all 20 PEIP LAs: 19 strategic lead officers, 38 facilitators and 24 head teachers or their representatives. The study was also informed by evidence from previous phases of the evaluatio

Parenting Early Intervention Pathfinder Evaluation : 2nd interim report

This report addresses Phase 2 of the evaluation of the roll out of the Parenting Early Intervention Pathfinder (PEIP), an initiative to fund local authorities (LAs) to implement one of three parenting programmes selected by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) following a review of available programmes: Triple P, Webster-Stratton Incredible Years and Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities. The Pathfinder funds 15 LAs (5 per programme) as the core group. In addition, three funded and two non-funded comparison LAs are in the study. The programme started in the summer of 2006 and is due to end by 31 March 2008. The final report is due by the end of March, 2008. The Pathfinder is designed to provide parenting programmes but underlying the rationale is the need to influence positively the behaviour of the children. The Pathfinder is designed to focus on children aged 8-13 years, although it is recognized that the benefits of improved parenting may influence younger and older siblings in the family. The severity of the children’s problems, and whether parents voluntarily seek the support of the programme or are required to attend, are potentially key elements in how the programmes operate

Parent early intervention pathfinders : 1st interim report

The Parent Early Intervention Pathfinder is an initiative to fund local authorities (LAs) to implement one of three selected parenting programmes: Triple P, Webster-Stratton Incredible Years and Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities. The three programmes were selected by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) following a review of available programmes. The Pathfinder funds 15 LAs (5 per programme) as the core group. In addition, three funded and thee (now two) non-funded comparison LAs are in the study. These are spread across England. The programme started in the summer of 2006 and is due to end by 31 March 2008. This evaluation started in September 2006 and the final report is due by the end of March, 2008. The Pathfinder is designed to provide parenting programmes but underlying the rationale is the need to influence positively the behaviour of the children. The Pathfinder is designed to focus on children aged 8-13 years, although it is recognized that the benefits of improved parenting may influence younger and older siblings in the family. The severity of the children’s problems, and whether parents voluntarily seek the support of the programme or are required to attend, are potentially key elements in how the programmes operate. This 1st Interim Report covers the period from September 2006 to February 2007. It focuses mainly on interviews with LA lead officers. In addition, reference is also made to other relevant matters of importance, including the development of the national evaluation