The Right Therapy for Neurological Disorders: From Randomized Trials to Clinical Practice - Patients versus Investigator Expectations and Needs

Author(s):  
Lucie I. Bruijn ◽  
Steve Kolb

Nephrology is a relatively young specialty, which has seen several outstanding achievements in medicine such as the success of dialysis and transplantation. Empirical developments, such as the treatment of renal disease with drugs such as corticosteroids and antimetabolites, have also been successful. However, there is little evidence regarding the best way to apply these treatments. Doing randomized trials of effective treatments is tricky, especially as many nephrologists are confident they have identified the right way to do things. Slowly, this mindset is being changed; prejudices are being challenged, and old, as well as new, treatments properly tested. This section describes some of the investigations that have persuaded some clinicians to make changes to their clinical practice.


Author(s):  
Mike Armour ◽  
Debra Betts ◽  
Kate Roberts ◽  
Susanne Armour ◽  
Caroline A. Smith

Background: Surveys of acupuncture practitioners worldwide have shown an increase in the use of acupuncture to treat women’s health conditions over the last ten years. Published studies have explored the effectiveness of acupuncture for various conditions such as period pain, fertility, and labor induction. However, it is unclear what role, if any, peer-reviewed research plays in guiding practice. Methods: Acupuncturists with a significant women’s health caseload were interviewed online in three small groups to explore factors that contribute to acupuncturists’ clinical decision made around treatment approaches and research. Results: Eleven practitioners participated in the focus groups. The overarching theme that emerged was one of ‘Not mainstream but a stream.’ This captured two themes relating to acupuncture as a distinct practice: ‘working with what you’ve got’ as well as ‘finding the right lens’, illustrating practitioners’ perception of research needing to be more relevant to clinical practice. Conclusions: Acupuncture practitioners treating women’s health conditions reported a disconnect between their clinical practice and the design of clinical trials, predominantly due to what they perceived as a lack of individualization of treatment. Case histories were popular as a learning tool and could be used to support increasing research literacy.


Circulation ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 121 (16) ◽  
pp. 1862-1865
Author(s):  
Joseph S. Alpert
Keyword(s):  

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 297-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Earl ◽  
Olimpia Pop ◽  
Kate Jefferies ◽  
Niruj Agrawal

Earl J, Pop O, Jefferies K, Agrawal N. Impact of neuropsychiatry screening in neurological in-patients: comparison with routine clinical practiceBackground: It is now well recognised that the rate of psychiatric comorbidity is high in patients with neurological disorders. Psychiatric comorbidity has a significant impact on quality of life and often goes undetected in routine clinical practice.Objectives: To compare the rate of detection of psychiatric illness in routine clinical practice with the prevalence of mental illness established using a dedicated screening programme at a regional neuroscience centre and to assess if the screening programme had any enduring impact on routine clinical practice after its completion.Methods: Consecutive admissions to a neurology ward in the 3-month period before (n = 160) and after (n = 158) a dedicated neuropsychiatric screening programme was carried out were identified. Case notes were then reviewed to establish if symptoms of mental illness were identified by the treating neurologists and if patients were referred for neuropsychiatric assessment. Rates of detection of neuropsychiatric problems and rates of referral for treatment were compared with those identified during the screening programme.Results: In routine clinical practice, over two 3-month study periods, psychiatric symptoms were identified in 23.7% of patients and only 10.6% received neuropsychiatric interventions. This is much lower as compared with rates identified (51.3%) and treated (51.3%) during dedicated screening. Detection of mood symptoms decreased from 14.7% pre-screening to 3.8% in the post-screening period.Conclusion: Rate of detection and treatment of neuropsychiatric problems remain low in neurology in-patients in routine clinical practice. Neuropsychiatric screening is effective but does not have sustained effect once it stops. Hence we suggest that active ongoing screening should be incorporated into routine practice.


Author(s):  
Sabiyat Abdulaevna Yakhyaeva ◽  
Naida Isagadzhievna Garabova ◽  
Madina Garunovna Burzhunova

In clinical practice, a sufficiently large number of patients complain of neurological disorders caused by osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Despite this, in some cases, the development and progression of this symptomatology may be due to an anomaly in the structure of the cervical spine (Klippel-Feil syndrome), which is genetically determined. Timely diagnosis of this pathology with the implementation of complex research methods allows you to develop individual tactics for each individual patient, taking into account the severity of clinical manifestations to slow the progression of complications.


2019 ◽  
Vol 161 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-5
Author(s):  
Andrés M. Bur ◽  
Richard M. Rosenfeld

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), developed to inform clinicians, patients, and policy makers about what constitutes optimal clinical care, are one way of increasing implementation of evidence into clinical practice. Many factors must be considered by multidisciplinary guideline panels, including strength of available evidence, limitations of current knowledge, risks/benefits of interventions, patient values, and limited resources. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) is a framework for summarizing evidence that has been endorsed by many national and international organizations for developing CPGs. But is GRADE the right choice for CPGs developed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF)? In this commentary, we will introduce GRADE, discuss its strengths and limitations, and address the question of what potential benefits GRADE might offer beyond existing methodology used by the AAO-HNSF in developing CPGs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Lawler ◽  
Katrina Maclaine ◽  
Alison Leary

Abstract Background This study aims to understand how the implementation of the advanced clinical practice framework in England (2017) was experienced by the workforce to check assumptions for a national workforce modelling project. The advanced clinical practice framework was introduced in England in 2017 by Health Education England to clarify the role of advanced practice in the National Health Service. Methods As part of a large-scale workforce modelling project, a self-completed questionnaire was distributed via the Association of Advanced Practice Educators UK aimed at those studying to be an Advanced Clinical Practitioner or who are practicing at this level in order to check assumptions. Semi-structured phone interviews were carried out with this same group. Questionnaires were summarised using descriptive statistics in Excel for categorical responses and interviews and survey free-text were analysed using thematic analysis in NVivo 10. Results The questionnaire received over 500 respondents (ten times that expected) and 15 interviews were carried out. Advanced clinical practice was considered by many respondents the only viable clinical career progression. Respondents felt that employers were not clear about what practicing at this level involved or its future direction. 54% (287) thought that ‘ACP’ was the right job title for them. 19% (98) of respondents wanted their origin registered profession to be included in their title. Balancing advanced clinical practice education concurrently with a full-time role was challenging, participants underestimated the workload and expectations of employer’s training. There is an apparent dichotomy that has developed from the implementation of the 2017 framework: that of advanced clinical practice as an advanced level of practice within a profession, and that of Advanced Clinical Practitioner as a new generic role in the medical model. Conclusions Efforts to establish further clarity and structure around advanced clinical practice are needed for both the individuals practising at this level and their employers. A robust evaluation of the introduction of this role should take place.


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