Telephone consultations to determine whether a patient needs to see their GP face-to-face can deal with many problems, but a study led by researchers at the Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research (University of Cambridge and RAND Europe), found no evidence to support claims by companies offering to manage these services or by NHS England […]
Archives for September 2017
Associations between sexual orientation and diagnosis of cancer: evidence from two national patient surveys in England
Blog by Dr Katie Saunders, Senior Statistician, Cambridge Centre for Health Services Research Risk of cancer appears to vary by sexual orientation but the associations are not well understood. Consequently, we don’t know where best to target preventive efforts and services. The need for better research and data on cancer risks among sexual minorities has […]
For richer, for poorer: how could political pledges to tackle health inequalities be realised?
Join the debate at the Cambridge Festival of Ideas 2017! Wednesday 25 October: 6:00pm – 7:00pm Christ’s College, Yusuf Hamied Theatre, St Andrew’s Street, CB2 3BU Join this panel discussion chaired by Professor Dame Theresa Marteau: How many years less can the poorest 5% of people expect to live compared to the richest 5%? How […]
Home blood pressure monitoring for hypertension works best when combined with intensive support
People who monitor their own blood pressure at home are most likely to see a benefit if they combine it with individually tailored intensive support, according to a new systematic literature review and meta-analysis published this week in PLOS Medicine by an international group led by Oxford University researchers, with contributions from Professor Jonathan Mant […]
Understanding symptom appraisal and help-seeking in people with symptoms suggestive of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the UK, with about 8000 cases diagnosed every year. Only 22% men and 20% women currently survive pancreatic cancer for 1 year or more, and it has the poorest 5-year survival rates of all cancers at less than 4%. This poor prognosis is mainly due to patients […]
Tailored messages almost double the odds of medication adherence
Automated telephone and text messaging interventions almost double the odds of adherence to medication when compared to usual care, according to a systematic review of research studies, published today by Dr Kassavou and Professor Sutton. The review set out to assess how well automated telecommunications (including voice messages and text messages) can support medication adherence. […]