“The more you know, the more you realise it is really challenging to do”: tensions and uncertainties in person-centred support for people with long-term conditions

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank the health professionals who participated in this research and shared their experiences and insights. We thank Louise Cotterell and Bev Smith (Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen) for administrative and clerical support, Darshan Patel and colleagues at the Health Foundation for wonderfully facilitative research management, and NJC Secretarial for transcribing services. This study was funded by the Health Foundation (grant reference 7209). Health Foundation staff took part in one of the knowledge exchange discussions at the end of the project, but played no role in the analysis or writing of this manuscript, for which the authors take full responsibility.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Acupuncture for chronic pain and depression in primary care : a programme of research

Abstract Background There has been an increase in the utilisation of acupuncture in recent years, yet the evidence base is insufficiently well established to be certain about its clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Addressing the questions related to the evidence base will reduce uncertainty and help policy- and decision-makers with regard to whether or not wider access is appropriate and provides value for money. Aim Our aim was to establish the most reliable evidence on the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture for chronic pain by drawing on relevant evidence, including recent high-quality trials, and to develop fresh evidence on acupuncture for depression. To extend the evidence base we synthesised the results of published trials using robust systematic review methodology and conducted a randomised controlled trial (RCT) of acupuncture for depression. Methods and results We synthesised the evidence from high-quality trials of acupuncture for chronic pain, consisting of musculoskeletal pain related to the neck and low back, osteoarthritis of the knee, and headache and migraine, involving nearly 18,000 patients. In an individual patient data (IPD) pairwise meta-analysis, acupuncture was significantly better than both sham acupuncture (p < 0.001) and usual care (p < 0.001) for all conditions. Using network meta-analyses, we compared acupuncture with other physical therapies for osteoarthritis of the knee. In both an analysis of all available evidence and an analysis of a subset of better-quality trials, using aggregate-level data, we found acupuncture to be one of the more effective therapies. We developed new Bayesian methods for analysing multiple individual patient-level data sets to evaluate heterogeneous continuous outcomes. An accompanying cost-effectiveness analysis found transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) to be cost-effective for osteoarthritis at a threshold of £20,000 per quality-adjusted life-year when all trials were synthesised. When the analysis was restricted to trials of higher quality with adequate allocation concealment, acupuncture was cost-effective. In a RCT of acupuncture or counselling compared with usual care for depression, in which half the patients were also experiencing comorbid pain, we found acupuncture and counselling to be clinically effective and acupuncture to be cost-effective. For patients in whom acupuncture is inappropriate or unavailable, counselling is cost-effective. Conclusion We have provided the most robust evidence from high-quality trials on acupuncture for chronic pain. The synthesis of high-quality IPD found that acupuncture was more effective than both usual care and sham acupuncture. Acupuncture is one of the more clinically effective physical therapies for osteoarthritis and is also cost-effective if only high-quality trials are analysed. When all trials are analysed, TENS is cost-effective. Promising clinical and economic evidence on acupuncture for depression needs to be extended to other contexts and settings. For the conditions we have investigated, the drawing together of evidence on acupuncture from this programme of research has substantially reduced levels of uncertainty. We have identified directions for further research. Our research also provides a valuable basis for considering the potential role of acupuncture as a referral option in health care and enabling providers and policy-makers to make decisions based on robust sources of evidence

Association of GP wellbeing and burnout with patient safety in UK primary care : a cross-sectional survey

Background: GPs have particularly high levels of burnout and poor wellbeing. Although both are associated with poorer safety outcomes within secondary care, there have been no quantitative studies investigating this within primary care. Furthermore, little is known about how occupational demands, burnout and wellbeing, and patient safety are all associated. Aim: To investigate whether occupational variables (demands and support) are associated with patient safety outcomes in general practice through their influence on GP burnout and wellbeing. Design and setting: Cross-sectional survey in the UK between March 2016 and August 2017. Method: A total of 232 practising GPs completed an online or paper survey measuring burnout, wellbeing, occupational demands and support, and patient safety. Results: In all, 93.8% of GPs were classed as likely to be suffering from a minor psychiatric disorder, 94.7% as suffering from mild (22.0%) or severe (72.7%) exhaustion, and 86.8% as having mild (37.9%) or severe (48.9%) disengagement. Structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses showed that spending a higher number of hours on administrative tasks and on call, and feeling less supported in their practice, was associated with lower wellbeing, which in turn was associated with a higher likelihood of having reported a near miss in the previous 3 months. A higher number of hours spent on administrative tasks, a higher number of patients seen per day, and feeling less supported were associated with higher burnout levels, which in turn was associated with worse perceptions of safety. Conclusion: To improve patient safety within general practice changes could be made at both practice and individual levels to promote a healthier work environment for staff and patients

Implementing electronic records in NHS secondary care organisations in England : policy and progress since 1998

Background: A number of different policies have aimed to introduce electronic records into National Health Service secondary care organisations in England over recent years. There has been little formal attempt to explore the overall impact of these policies (as opposed to evaluations of individual initiatives) and how they have developed and progressed over time. Sources of data: National NHS IT policy documents and evaluations of national NHS IT policy between 1998 and 2015. Areas of agreement: There has been limited progress in implementing integrated electronic records in secondary organisations since 1998 . Areas of controversy: The management and execution of NHS IT policy has been poor, with over ambitious aims contributing to the limited success. Growing points: Detailed guidance on how to implement electronic records in secondary care organisations is required. The ambitions of current policy should be revisited. Areas timely for developing further research: Research exploring the costs and benefits of different approaches to introducing electronic records is needed