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Showing results for tags 'Diagnosis'.
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Content ArticleThis toolkit created by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine contains information and resources to help patients learn about and engage in the diagnostic process. There are many barriers to patients fully engaging in their diagnosis, and this toolkit aims to help patients take control of their role in the process, as well as equipping healthcare providers to create an atmosphere that allows patients to contribute meaningfully.
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Content ArticleInfants and very young children with cerebral palsy need effective, early intervention to improve life outcomes and minimise secondary complications. This report, from the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cerebral Palsy, outlines several recommendations to improve early identification, intervention and pathways of care of infants and young children with cerebral palsy.
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Content ArticleThe ongoing impact of COVID-19 on health services across Europe has in most cases led to significant reductions in cancer screening, testing and diagnosis. The resultant delays in diagnosis are impacting cancer treatment and survival and are likely to do so for many years to come. Responses in individual countries and for individual tumour groups have differed, but there are common challenges in all countries. Some solutions go above and beyond the obvious actions that all countries are taking, and there are examples of how the system has reacted so far that provides the basis for further discussion on building lasting resiliency into healthcare systems and preparing for post-pandemic recovery. This report, published by IQVIA, highlights some of the approaches already being taken, as well as suggestions for what should be done going forward. It considers different stakeholders – from local pharmacies to national and international organisations – and their roles, as well as multi-stakeholder collaboration and cooperation. It aims to highlight initiatives adopted in some countries that can be shared more widely.
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Content ArticleThis work from Nurek et al. aims to provide a rapid expert guide for post Covid-19 condition ('long covid') clinical services. In the absence of research into mechanisms, therapies and care pathways, yet faced with an urgent need, guidance based on “emerging experience” is required.
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Content ArticleHow have health inequalities impacted the course of the pandemic? How do we optimise infection control across newly-opening schools? And finally: how can we overcome the barriers to wider understanding and recognition of Long Covid (Post-Acute Covid-19 Syndrome)? Dr Nisreen Alwan (University of Southampton) joins LivedHealth hosts Lere and Monique for this episode of Covid in the News to share her personal and professional experience on some huge, important questions for the community.
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News ArticlePatients could be waiting as much as two years for vital operations by the time of the next election due to a “truly frightening” backlog of care caused by the pandemic, the NHS’s former boss has said. Lengthening delays in getting treatment in England are will become a major political problem for Boris Johnson and pose a risk to patients’ health, Sir David Nicholson told the Guardian. “The backlog is truly frightening. We can very easily get to the next election with people waiting over two years. It’s easy to do that,” said Nicholson, citing an explosion in the number of people waiting at least a year since the start of the COVID-19 crisis. “The whole issue of access [to care] is a greater threat to the NHS than privatisation because poor access undermines confidence amongst those people who fund the service – taxpayers,” he added. The widespread suspension of normal NHS diagnostic tests and surgery during the pandemic as hospitals prioritised Covid care has left the service in England with a record 4.59 million people waiting for hospital treatment. That number is set to rise to what the NHS Confederation believes could be as much as 6.9m cases by the end of the year as people on a “hidden waiting list” – who put off seeking help after discovering symptoms of illness – finally visit a GP. According to the most recent figures, the number of people who have been waiting for at least a year has rocketed from 1,613 before the pandemic struck to 304,044. Under the NHS Constitution, 92% of people waiting are meant to be treated within 18 weeks. However, a third of the 4.59 million people have already waited longer than that. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 2 April 2021
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Content ArticleIn this BMJ article, Brenda Denzler describes how earlier traumatic experiences of medical treatment continue to have an impact on her to this day and how medical professionals can make patients feel empowered and in control.
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Content Article
Endometriosis: one woman’s story
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Women's health
It affects an estimated 176 million women worldwide, yet endometriosis can take years to be diagnosed. In this blog, published on the Boots website, Terri White, author, journalist and Editor in Chief of Empire magazine, shares her story of the pain, frustration and delays in diagnosis she has faced. She also offers advice on how to get listened to. -
News Article
Bowel cancer screening capsules the latest in at-home care trend
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
People will be able to check if they have bowel cancer by swallowing a tiny capsule containing miniature cameras, in an extension of patient self-care. In what experts described as a trend towards more NHS at-home care, hastened by the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of people in England will be able to avoid the discomfort of having a camera inserted into their bowel by instead swallowing a capsule the size of a cod liver oil tablet. Pictures transmitted from inside their body during the painless procedure will help doctors judge whether the person has bowel cancer, the second deadliest form of the disease in the UK. The boss of the NHS in England said the procedure, known as a colon capsule endoscopy, is an example of “sci-fi” medicine increasingly deployed to improve care. One of the country’s top doctors said the capsules illustrated a major shift of healthcare out of hospitals that will see more and more diagnosis and treatment of illness done at home. Prof Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “We’re aware that some patients are reluctant to seek help for certain cancers because the diagnostic tests available can be invasive, so this is a fascinating development and we will be very interested to see the results of the trial. “GPs are preparing for an upsurge in cases of suspected cancer cases post-Covid, and the capsule cameras and new test for cervical cancer are welcome developments that could enable more patients to monitor and manage their own health at home without embarrassment or discomfort.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 11 March 2021 -
Content ArticleNHSX's Innovation Team has released its latest digital playbook which focuses on eye care and directs clinicians and organisations to digital tools that can support patient pathways. The resource, which is extensive and features numerous case studies, can be used by eye care specialists looking to digitally enhance their ophthalmology pathways, remote monitoring and sharing of diagnostics.
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Content Article
Getting diagnosed with endometriosis: personal stories
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Women's health
Women share their personal experiences to Endometriosis UK of getting diagnosed with endometriosis. -
Content Article
Endometriosis UK factsheet: Getting a diagnosis
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Women's health
It takes around seven to eight years on average for a woman to get diagnosed with endometriosis from the time she starts experiencing symptoms. Whilst this has reduced from the eleven years measured previously, it is still far too long. The symptoms of endometriosis are very similar to other common conditions. It's important to share as much information with your doctor as possible To help you prepare for a GP appointment, Endometriosis UK has produced a factsheet giving tips on what to say to your GP, what will happen at your appointment, what to do if you are not satisfied that your symptoms are being properly looked into by your GP, how to get a referral and questions to ask your GP. -
News Article
CT scan catches 70% of lung cancers at early stage, NHS study finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Thousands of lives could be saved if people at risk of developing Britain’s deadliest cancer were screened to diagnose it before it becomes incurable, a major NHS study has found. Giving smokers and ex-smokers a CT scan uncovers cancerous lung tumours when they are at an early enough stage so they can still be removed, rather than continuing to grow unnoticed, it shows. Experts are demanding the government moves to bring in routine CT scanning of smokers and ex-smokers in order to cut the huge death toll from lung cancer. About 48,000 people a year are diagnosed with the disease in the UK and 35,100 die from it – 96 a day. Lung cancer is a particularly brutal form of cancer because it is hard to detect and three out of four cases are diagnosed at stage three or four, when it is already too late to give the person potentially life-saving treatment. However, the Summit study, being run by specialists in the disease at University College London Hospital NHS trust, offers real hope that lung cancer can become a condition that is detected early. CT scanning meant that 70% of the growths detected in people’s lungs were identified when the disease was at stage one or two – a huge increase in the usual rate of early diagnosis. “It’s really a major breakthrough for lung cancer,” Dr Sam Janes of UCLH, the senior investigator of the trial, told the Guardian. "Lung cancer has never had anything that enabled us to detect this devastating cancer earlier and offer curative treatment to this number of lung cancer patients.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 14 February 2021 -
Content Article
Patient blog - A tale of two MRIs (10 July 2020)
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Patient stories
This blog by patient Lelainia Lloyd in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences is a personal account of two starkly different MRI appointment experiences. In the first scan, the technologist said very little to Lelainia and the experience left her with significant anxiety about future MRIs. But her second experience was completely different, with the technologist communicating clearly, asking questions and making sure she felt comfortable throughout the process. Lelainia highlights the importance of communicating clearly and compassionately with patients to make them feel safe and able to ask for help. She outlines some practical steps for healthcare workers to help them engage with patients and ensure they are clearly consenting to all aspects of care and treatment. -
EventCancer affects us all. Survival in England is at a record high and patients’ experience of treatment and care has never been higher, but we won’t stop there. We want every person with cancer to have the very best diagnosis, treatment and care. NHS England & Improvement The NHS Long Term Plan set out a clear pathway for the improvement of cancer care, the aim being: • Enable an extra 55,000 people each year to survive for five years or more following their cancer diagnosis. • Three in four cancers (75%) will be diagnosed at an early stage. This virtual conference aims to showcase the forward-thinking and innovative initiatives that are already being implemented across the country. Register
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News Article
Gender identity development service for children rated inadequate
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The UK’s main gender identity development service for children is leaving thousands of vulnerable young people at risk of self-harm as they wait years for their first appointment, according to a highly critical report. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) took immediate enforcement action against the Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust when it completed the inspection in November, which rated the service overall “inadequate” and highlighted overwhelming caseloads, deficient record-keeping and poor leadership. The commission, which heard from young people using the service, parents, carers and staff in the course of its inspection, told the trust that services and waiting times in the Gender Identity Development Services (GIDS) in both their London and Leeds clinics “must improve significantly”, demanding monthly updates on numbers on waiting lists and actions to reduce them. The service has faced major scrutiny in recent years, with some former staff and campaigners raising concerns about the “overdiagnosing” of gender dysphoria, the consequences of early medical interventions and the significant increase in referrals of girls questioning their gender identity. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 20 January 2021 -
Content Article
NHS: Extraordinary You
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Workforce and resources
The 55,000 strong healthcare science workforce of the NHS and its related bodies, the Health Protection Agency and NHS Blood and Transplant, represent the largest group of scientists in a single employment sector in the UK. Their vast scientific knowledge and skill base stretches across some 45 scientific specialisms encompassing biology, genetics, physiology, physics and bioengineering. This knowledge lies at the foundation of the profession’s crucial and often unique role in: providing complex and specialist diagnostic services, analysis and clinical interpretation offering direct therapeutic service provision and support introducing technological and scientific advances into healthcare, and undertaking research, development and innovation providing performance and quality assurance, risk management and clinical safety design and management teaching, training and providing a specialist consultancy and clinical advice service to other clinicians with respect to all of the key functions above. The healthcare science workforce plays a critical part in delivering healthcare. More than 80% of all diagnoses are reached with a contribution from healthcare scientists. This document highlights some of these roles. -
News ArticleThe Becker's Clinical Leadership & Infection Control editorial team chose the top 10 patient safety issues for healthcare leaders to prioritise in 2021, presented below in no particular order, based on news, study findings and trends reported in the past year. COVID-19 Healthcare staffing shortages Missed and delayed diagnoses Drug and medicine supply shortages Low vaccination coverage and disease resurgance Clinical burnout Health equity Healthcare-associated infections Surgical mistakes Standardising safety efforts. Read full story Source: Becker's Healthcare, 30 December 2020
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Content Article
Implementation Approaches for Closing the Loop (2019)
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Diagnostic error
Delayed, missed and incorrect diagnoses are common causes of errors that result in patient harm and inappropriate care. However, some diagnostic errors may be avoided by effectively using health information technology. These resources from the Emergency Care Research Institute provide information on how to implement IT processes to close the loop on diagnostic evaluations. -
Content ArticleFor some, the day we learned of our rare disease diagnosis is a happy day. Odd, isn’t it? Imagine having your closest friends and family thinking that you are overreacting a bit, or that you are searching for some attention? It might be frustrating! Having a diagnosis can be very important, not only in order to consider medical needs, but sometimes it can also come as proof that something is happening to the body, proof to others that there is something going on. Several people across the globe, with different rare diseases, have shared their story, telling us about needing to be heard and understood.
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Content ArticleIf you have a rare disease, the search for a diagnosis can often feel like the longest detective investigation - with no clues, lots of blind alleys and, occasionally, disbelieving authorities. It may seem like things are going nowhere, even for years. Sometimes this is because information on the condition just isn’t available and not enough research has been done; other times it’s difficult to find someone knowledgeable enough to spot the signs of a rare disease. After all, these diseases are so rare that many doctors have never come across them in their careers. Either way, a person with a rare disease can end up playing investigator in their own personal medical mystery – and in some situations even end up solving the case, or devising treatment, for themselves! Read some stories from patients.
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News Article
Hancock calls for routine flu testing as part of major diagnostics expansion
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Matt Hancock has called for British people to routinely get tested for the flu, saying covid diagnostic capacity should be kept and used for “everything” once the pandemic dies down. Speaking at the Commons health and social care committee this morning, the health and social care secretary said the nation “must hold on to” the mass diagnostic capacity it has created for coronavirus. Going further, he called for a change in culture to one of “if in doubt, you get a test”, and for a long-term expansion of diagnostics. Mr Hancock said: “Why in Britain do we think it’s acceptable to solider on when you have flu symptoms or a runny nose, and go in [to work] and make everyone ill? “If you have flu-like symptoms you should have a test for it and find out what is wrong with you and stay at home. We are peculiar outliers in soldiering on and going to work and that… culture, that should change.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 24 November 2020 -
News ArticleBBC News investigation has uncovered failures in the diagnosis of serious medical issues during private baby scans. More than 200 studios across the UK now sell ultrasound scans, with hundreds of thousands being carried out each year. But the BBC has found evidence of women not being told about serious conditions and abnormalities. The Care Quality Commission says there is good quality care in the industry but it has a "growing concern". Private baby scanning studios offer a variety of services. Some diagnose medical issues while others market themselves as providers of souvenir images or video of the ultrasound. Most sell packages providing a "reassurance scan" to expectant mums. Many women BBC News spoke to said they had positive experiences at private studios, but we have also learned of instances where women said they were failed. Charlotte, from Manchester, attended a scan in Salford with one of the biggest franchises, Window to the Womb, to record her baby's sex for a party and check its wellbeing. BBC News has learned the sonographer identified a serious abnormality that meant the baby could not survive, where part or all of its head is missing, called anencephaly. But rather than refer her immediately to hospital and provide a medical report, Charlotte was told the baby's head could not be fully seen and recommended to book an NHS anomaly scan. She was also given a gender reveal cannon and a teddy bear containing a recording of its heartbeat as a present for her daughter. "I was distraught," Charlotte said. "You've bonded with that baby." "It's like a deep cut feeling," she added. "All of it could have just been avoided, we could have processed the news all together as a family because I was with my mum and dad, I would have had the support there." Read full story Source: BBC News, 18 November 2020
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Content ArticleThe Patient Safety Authority has put together information and tips for patients on a range of topics.
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Content Article
Prostate Cancer UK: Best practice pathway
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Men's health
Developed to support healthcare professionals at the front line of prostate cancer diagnosis and care, Prostate Cancer UK's Best Practice Pathway uses easy to follow flowcharts to guide healthcare professionals deliver best practice diagnosis, treatment and support. It sets out how to achieve an early diagnosis in men at higher than average risk of the disease. It also supports use of the most up-to-date, cutting-edge research-led innovations - so that healthcare professionals are equipped and supported to provide the very latest evidence-based best practice to their patients.
