There is evidence to suggest that people with diabetes are twice as likely to suffer from depression. It’s therefore important that the cost-effectiveness of treatments for comorbid depression be indentified. The elves have already reported on a review of the effectiveness of collaborative care for people with diabetes and depression, suggesting that the intervention might be effective. While [read the full story…]
While this commentary is based on Canadian experiences, the authors do look at examples of health technology assessments elsewhere, applying the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as the gold standard for others to follow. Health technology assessments are “an evidence-based policy tool that helps inform decision-making on how to balance demand and [read the full story…]
Herbal medicines often represent a cheaper alternative, or a low-cost complement, to standard pharmacotherapy. As a result, improved cost-effectiveness is often touted as a likely benefit of the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Many, myself included, have been openly critical of CAM research, while others have suggested ways in which CAM research could [read the full story…]
Bulimia nervosa (BN) is an eating disorder; the diagnosis of which requires: persistent preoccupation with eating and an irresistible craving for food, episodes of overeating in which large amounts of food are consumed over a short period of time and potentially attempts to counteract the “fattening” effects of food by self-induced vomiting or laxative abuse. [read the full story…]
The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers harmful drinking as the third largest contributor to the Global Burden of Disease, an index of disability, poor health and mortality. The majority of people who suffer from alcohol use disorders do not receive any treatment, due in part to lack of access. One way of increasing the availability [read the full story…]
Personal health budgets will be rolled out to thousands more people across England over the next 18 months. The scheme, which allows patients to choose between standard NHS community care or a budget to spend on services and goods of their choice, has been extensively piloted over the last 3 years and has generally been [read the full story…]
We know that exercise helps people who are going through mental health difficulties, but how can we encourage people to become more active? Exercise referral schemes aim to identify inactive adults in the primary care setting. The GP or healthcare professional then refers the patient to a third-party service, with this service taking responsibility for [read the full story…]
