Friday 26 January 2018

Things in the library 26 Jan...

Things you might want to comment on...
 Sheffield's Clinical Commissioning Group are currently consulting on their plans for changing Urgent Care in Sheffield. This is likely to have an impact on every resident so do take time to read the proposals and respond - closing date 31 January. 

Things about life-limiting conditions...
A meta-synthesis of qualitative research exploring parents' psychosocial experiences during complex and traumatic life transitions related to caring for a child with a life-limiting (LLI) or life-threatening illness (LTI) was published in Journal of Pediatric Nursing this week.  A synthesis of the findings demonstrated that parents experience profound and pervasive uncertainty, leading to their own illness experience being described as a dual reality in which fighting for survival and recognising the threat of their child's death were daily challenges. Three key processes emerged: the devastation of living with uncertainty, the emergence of hope, and moving forward.  These findings can support a more comprehensive pediatric nursing plan of care that accounts for the intricacies of the parental experience and the importance of hope.

Things about child sexual exploitation...
Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and HM Inspectorate of Probation have updated inspection guidance on the multi-agency response to child sexual exploitation and missing children. The guidance points out that a further sample of inspections on this theme is planned for 2018, which aims to identify whether agencies have made further progress since the Joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs) in 2016. For 2018, the inspectorate has widened the scope of the investigation to include children associated with gangs or involved with gangs who are at risk of exploitation. This in response to an increasing awareness of the risks to children being exploited for criminal reasons by gangs, in particular the risk of involvement in ‘county lines’. Other updates include: the inspection now considers the role of schools; and references to Local Safeguarding Children Boards have been changed to local safeguarding arrangements.


Things about cross-border children...
Can you contribute? Research in Practice is seeking children’s social workers, local authority
solicitors and children’s guardians with experience of cross-border casework (including care proceedings where an international family placement is explored or instances where a family with a child at risk has fled abroad) to participate in a telephone focus group on behalf of Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB).




Things coming soon...
We are just sending off an order for some new books...if you are searching the library catalogue you may come across items that say 'On order'. If you want to see any of these when they arrive please login with your library ticket number and PIN (ask us if you don't have one) so that you can reserve the items. If there are any resources you would like us to buy for your subject area (books or e-books) then please let us know.

Something to eat...
This celeriac, onion and mustard tart sounds easy and different. Did you know that celeriac has been used in Europe since ancient times (it is mentioned in Homer's Odyssey as selinon apparently).






Friday 19 January 2018

Things in the library 19th Jan...

Things about 15 year-olds...

Public Health England have released further analysis about the wellbeing of 15 year-olds from the 'What about YOUth' survey in 2014. the key findings are;

  • young people who engaged in behaviour which might harm their health such as drinking and smoking, having poor diet or exercising rarely, or who had negative feelings towards their body size reported lower wellbeing than those who did not 
  • self-reported wellbeing varied depending on the relative affluence or deprivation of the family, with those whose families were in more affluent groups and living in the least deprived areas reporting higher average wellbeing 
  • young people who stated that they had a disability, long-term illness or medical condition reported lower wellbeing than those who did not 
  • young people who described their sexual orientation as gay, lesbian, bisexual or ‘other’ were more likely to have lower wellbeing than those who declared themselves heterosexual. On average these young people also reported lower life satisfaction and happiness, and higher anxiety

Things about obesity...
The Government has published its response to the House of Commons Health Select Committee report on Childhood obesity





Things about ADHD and substance use...
Frequent Substance Use (SU) for young adults with childhood ADHD is accompanied by greater initial exposure at a young age and slightly faster progression. Early SU prevention and screening is critical before escalation to intractable levels. This is the conclusion from a longitudinal study published recently in J Child Psychology & Psychiatry



Things about chronic illness...
An article in Journal of Pediatric Nursing considers the 'School Experiences of Siblings of Children with Chronic Illness' - a systematic literature review. It concludes that: 
Many siblings are socially resilient, yet overlooked, members of the family who may present with psychological, academic and peer related difficulties at school following diagnosis of a brother or sister with chronic illness.






Things to attend...

A one off, not to be missed opportunity to hear British journalist, author and presenter of BBC’s Today Programme, Nick Robinson, share stories about his career as a broadcaster and his personal battle to regain his voice following lung cancer. Nick will be joined by his Speech and Language Therapist Julia Selby, an alumni of TUoS. Together they will provide a unique insight into how they worked to get his voice back in shape and ready to go ‘on air’ following months of illness and discuss the long term impact of voice therapy. There will be a drinks reception following the event with an opportunity to meet Nick and Julia. Tickets for the event are priced at £15 and proceeds will be donated to the Macmillan Cancer Support

and also...
The 20th Sir Arthur Hall Memorial Lecture: What will the NHS be facing on its 90th birthday?
by Professor Chris Whitty CBE FMedSi, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Health 
This open event is in the Students' Union Building, The University of Sheffield, at 6pm on Thursday, 15 February 2018.
This year the NHS celebrates its 70th birthday. There have been significant changes in health and medicine in the UK over the last two decades, and in many areas of healthcare very substantial changes since the initial foundation of the NHS in 1948. These include major reductions in the impact of heart disease and stroke, large changes to infectious diseases and many improvements in the prevention and treatment of cancers. In some areas such as diabetes or antimicrobial resistance things are moving in the wrong direction. The demography of the UK has changed and is changing. Many of the trends have been remarkably stable so it is possible realistically to project forward 20 years in many areas of medicine and public health. This helps with planning research and policy. The 2018 Sir Arthur Hall lecture will consider where we have come from and where we are going over the next two decades in health and medicine.

Things hairy...
I am enjoying watching the Hairy Bikers latest series on TV and last week made the Sardinian lamb with fennel which was beautiful, tender and tasty.



Friday 12 January 2018

Things in the library 12th January

Artificially intelligent things..

A new report from Reform illustrates the areas where artificial intelligence (AI) could help the NHS become more efficient and deliver better outcomes for patients.  It also highlights the main barriers to the implementation of this technology and suggests some potential solutions.

AI could support the delivery of the NHS’s Five Year Forward View, which aims to narrow three gaps in health provision. AI could help address the health and wellbeing gap by predicting which individuals or groups of individuals are at risk of illness and allow the NHS to target treatment more effectively towards them. The reduction of the care and quality gap could be supported by AI tools as they can give all health professionals and patients access to cutting edge diagnostics and treatment tailored to individual need. AI could help address the efficiency and funding gap by automating tasks, triaging patients to the most appropriate services and allowing them to self-care.

things facing a ban..
The NHS is taking action on sugar, with almost two thirds of NHS trusts now signed up to a voluntary scheme to reduce sales of sugary drinks to 10 per cent or less of sold beverages.  Hospitals and suppliers have been warned that if they don’t take action to reduce sales of sugary drinks by the end of March 2018, a ban will be introduced in 2018 instead.
Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said: “It’s important the NHS practices what it preaches on healthy food and drink. We want 2018 to be the year when the tasty, affordable and easy option for patients, staff and visitors is the healthy option". NHS England’s voluntary sugary drinks reduction scheme covers sugary soft drinks, milkshakes and hot drinks with added sugar syrups.

accountable things..

An Accountable Care Organisation (ACO) is a model of healthcare organisation where a provider, or group of providers, takes responsibility for the healthcare provision of an entire population. There is no fixed definition of an ACO, but the organisation usually receives an annual, capitated budget to deliver contractually agreed health outcomes. In July 2017, NHS England announced eight areas which would become Accountable Care Systems (precursors to ACOs).

A new Commons Library briefing paper looks at the introduction of Accountable Care Organisations (ACOs) in the NHS in England, the development of the ACO policy, and comment on its potential impact.

things to attend...


Utility Data for Health Technology Assessment 
Monday, 12th - Tuesday, 13th March 2018. 
Early Bird Fee for confirmed bookings received on or before Sunday, 14th January 2018
This course outlines the practical requirements of measuring utility and obtaining utility data for health technology assessment for agencies such as NICE and explores recent research in utilities including EQ-5D-5L valuation, measuring subjective well-being and condition specific preference-based measures.

Course content:

  • What are the key issues in obtaining health state utility values?
  • Does it matter which instruments are used?
  • What is the current NICE reference case and requirements in other jurisdictions?
  • When are EQ-5D and other generic measures not appropriate?
  • What utility instruments are available for children?
  • What are the latest development in EQ-5D including EQ-5D-5L valuation?
  • What should be done when EQ-5D and other generics are not appropriate or not available?
  • How can mapping be used to estimate utility values from disease specific measures?
  • Social value QALY weights
  • How do you search for utility values and what is the role of systematic reviews and meta-analysis of utility values?
  • How should utility values be incorporated into cost effectiveness models?
  • What is the role for wellbeing within HTA?
  • The development of condition specific measures (including the ReQol for mental health).


things to eat in January 
Veganuary is a charity inspiring people to try vegan for January and throughout the rest of the year.

The veganuary website has an amazing selection of recipes that will appeal to you whether you are vegan or not! They include British, American, Indian, Greek, Japanese, French cuisine, healthy recipes, quick recipes and many more. Here is just one example:

One-Pot Linguine with Olives, Capers and Sun-Dried Tomatoes









Friday 5 January 2018

Things in the library 5th Jan...


Happy New Year to you all from Sarah, Gill & Kate

Things about our new service for the New Year...
Keeping up-to-date with all the information published in your speciality can seem daunting and over whelming. Take advantage of our new
  e-promptXtra service to help you filter what you need and access it in ways that suit you. Book a free 1:1 session - or a session for your team - with a library professional to discuss ways to access current information and manage it successfully. More information can be found on our website with a link to a booking form - or contact the library.

Things to read...
The next Reading Group is on Wed 7th Feb at 17:15 when we will be discussing 'Cider House Rules' by John Irving. Set in rural Maine in the first half of this century, it tells the story of Dr. Wilbur Larch--saint and obstetrician, founder and director of the orphanage in the town of St. Cloud's, ether addict and abortionist. It is also the story of Dr. Larch's favourite orphan, Homer Wells, who is never adopted. 'The reason Homer Wells kept his name was that he came back to St Cloud's so many times, after so many failed foster homes, that the orphanage was forced to acknowledge Homer's intention to make St Cloud's his home.' Homer Wells' odyssey begins among the apple orchards of rural Maine. As the oldest un-adopted child at St Cloud's orphanage, he strikes up a profound and unusual friendship with Wilbur Larch, the orphanage's founder - a man of rare compassion and an addiction to ether. What he learns from Wilbur takes him from his early apprenticeship in the orphanage surgery, to an adult life running a cider-making factory and a strange relationship with the wife of his closest friend...

Things about food...
This narrative review describes research from the past 10 years focused on food preference learning from the prenatal period through early childhood (ages 2-5 years). Exposure to a variety of healthy foods from the start, including during the prenatal period, early milk-feeding and the introduction to complementary foods and beverages, can support subsequent acceptance of those foods. Yet development is plastic, and healthier food preferences can still be promoted after infancy. In early childhood, research supports starting with the simplest strategies, such as repeated exposure and modelling, reserving other strategies for use when needed to motivate the initial tasting necessary for repeated exposure effects to begin. This review can help caregivers and practitioners to promote the development of healthy food preferences early in life. Specific implementation recommendations, the role of individual differences and next steps for research in this area are also discussed.

Things about sepsis...
Survival from sepsis has improved in recent years, resulting in an increasing number of patients who have survived sepsis treatment. Current sepsis guidelines do not provide guidance on post-hospital care or recovery. This article concludes in the months after hospital discharge for sepsis, management should focus on
(1) identifying new physical, mental, and cognitive problems and referring for appropriate treatment
(2) reviewing and adjusting long-term medications
(3) evaluating for treatable conditions that commonly result in hospitalisation, such as infection, heart failure, renal failure, and aspiration.
For patients with poor or declining health prior to sepsis who experience further deterioration after sepsis, it may be appropriate to focus on palliation of symptoms.

Things that might happen in 2018...
As we approach Twelfth Night here are Twelve Nuffield Trust experts each giving a brief insight into what might happen in health and social care in 2018.




Things to attend and read...
Sam Guglani, the oncologist and author, will be speaking at the next of the Medical Ethics Society’s book clubs on the evening of Monday 22nd January. They will be discussing his latest book, Histories, reviewed here. They hope to have a good mix of students and staff at the club. Sign up for the event.  Feel free to circulate this to whoever might be interested. Everyone is welcome, whether affiliated to the University, Trust or otherwise.

Things about snacking...
In the news this week as Public Health England (PHE) is helping parents take control of their children’s snacking by launching the first Change4Life campaign promoting healthier snacks.
This is because half of children’s sugar intake, currently around 7 sugar cubes a day, comes from unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks, leading to obesity and dental decay. On average, children are consuming at least 3 unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks a day, with around a third consuming 4 or more. The overall result is that children consume 3 times more sugar than is recommended.
The new Change4Life campaign encourages parents to look for ‘100 calorie snacks, two a day max’ to help them purchase healthier snacks than the ones they currently buy.

Things about CAMHS...
A House of Commons Library briefing on children and young people’s mental health policy was published just before Christmas. Children and young people's mental health - policy, CAMHS services, funding and education.

Things about Twelfth Night...
So tonight is Twelfth Night and tomorrow all your Christmas decorations should be down. The University of Sheffield has a free recycling of Christmas trees tomorrow in Arts Tower car park - just turn up between 9am and 3pm. Traditionally in the UK parties would be held and practical jokes played...eg hiding live birds under a pie crust as in the nursery rhyme 'Sing a Song of Sixpence'... "when the pie was opened the birds began to sing". In English and French custom, the Twelfth-cake was baked to contain a bean and a pea, so that those who received the slices containing them should be designated king and queen of the night's festivities
The RSC have a current production of   Shakespeare's Twelfth Night which will be broadcast live in local cinemas on 14th Feb - I always enjoy these live theatre/film events.

Things to eat and drink...
Traditionally hot mulled cider would be drunk at Twelfth Night - Wassail - a word of Anglo-Saxon origin. It can be made with apple juice if you prefer.
If you prefer why not have a simple and healthy baked apple dessert you can vary the filling with dried cranberries, nuts etc and serve with yogurt or ice-cream.