Annual Evidence Updates for April

Annual Evidence Updates (AEUs) consist of good quality evidence from research over a 12 month period, plus user-friendly summaries written by relevant experts, and links to guidelines, primary and secondary research. Here are the topics that will be published in April:

Cardiac rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation is an important aspect of high quality care for patients who have had a heart attack or undergone cardiac surgery. Access to cardiac rehabilitation remains low, as highlighted through the National Audit, and NHS Improvement are leading a national priority project to help more patients to benefit.
From the 12th April, you will be able to see the AEU for Cardiac rehabiliation here: http://www.library.nhs.uk/cardiovascular/

Colorectal cancer

NHS Evidence – cancer is publishing its AEU on colorectal cancer on the 12 April. It will include a guest editorial by Alan Horgan (Consultant Colorectal Surgeon Nuffield Health, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospital), as well as a list of the latest systematic reviews and guidance published about colorectal cancer since April 2009, patient information and the latest uncertainties about the effects of treatment in colorectal cancer (UK DUETs). You will be able to view it here: http://www.library.nhs.uk/cancer/

Pain

NHS Evidence - supportive and palliative care will publish their fourth AEU on pain in supportive and palliative care on 12th April. This year it will cover general pain management in both cancer and non-cancer chronic disease patients to allow clinicians and researchers to keep up to date on the rapid changes in this area. The AEU will be available here: http://www.library.nhs.uk/palliative/

Schizophrenia

The Schizophrenia AEU will cover the following areas:
* Epidemiology and pathology
* Incidence and prevalence
* UK treatment guidelines and international guidelines
* Risk factors
* Diagnosis
* Treatment including early intervention, antipsychotics (1st and 2nd generation, depot injections), complementary and alternative therapies, psychosocial interventions.
* Prognosis
* Populations and settings (children and adolescents, criminal behaviour, women, caregivers and workplace)
* Co-morbidity
* Dual diagnosis
* Health economics
* Health Service provision
It will be available from the 12th April at NHS Evidence - mental health: http://www.library.nhs.uk/mentalhealth/

Acupuncture

NHS Evidence - complementary and alternative medicine will present its fourth AEU on Acupuncture from 19 April. This update will include a comprehensive list of systematic reviews, meta-analyses and large-scale RCTs accompanied by an expert summary of the best-available evidence. After the 19th April, you'll be able to see the evidence at: http://www.library.nhs.uk/cam/

Obesity

The National Library for Public Health will launch the AEU on childhood obesity on the 19 April, focusing on childhood obesity surveillance and preventative public health interventions. The Update includes a number of key policy documents and guest editorials written by experts, which provide a snapshot of the preventative interventions for childhood obesity and international surveillance activities. Go to http://www.library.nhs.uk/publichealth/ to view the evidence from the 19th April.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

NHS Evidence - musculoskeletal have produced an AEU on Rheumatoid Arthritis, focusing on guidance and systematic reviews published before March 2010. As in recent years the majority of publications relate to various aspects of drug treatments. Although this constitutes a proportion of the clinical activity in relation to this disease, other important developments and various aspects of rheumatoid disease management also feature prominently in the update. Click on http://www.library.nhs.uk/musculoskeletal/ after the 26th April to see the Update.


Supporting people in later life

The purpose of this AEU from NHS Evidence - later life is to highlight important secondary research, guidelines and policy documents which will help health professionals to support older people who are experiencing challenges with independent living due to serious health problems. The focus is on material that falls outside the scope of subject-specific Annual Evidence Updates, such as mental health or cardiovascular disease. This means grappling with challenging search topics such as frailty, long-term conditions and complex morbidities as well as the different settings in which support can be provided for these patients. The Update will be available from the 26th April here: http://www.library.nhs.uk/laterlife/