Public health white paper - healthy lives healthy people

The new government White Paper on public health in the UK - Healthy Lives, Healthy People, is now available online here.

Solutions for Public Health

The Solutions for Public Health website is a goldmine of information about public health, and well worth a look. It contains information on health policy, outcomes, workforce development and commissioning. There is also an excellent publications section where you can find lots of useful statistics.

Today I Learnt That...

TILT (Today I Learnt That) is a new free online learning tool, which aims to capture and share clinical learning. Users can create a personal learning log and also use the site's social networking features, which allows them to follow clinicians and create special interest groups.

This is a brand new and innovative learning tool - well worth exploring.

Exporting from NHS databases into RefWorks

If you regularly use NHS databases and want to be able to export your results into RefWorks reference management software, I've prepared a guide below. Note: you need an NHS Athens account and a RefWorks account to be able to do this.

Image credits: (c) NHS, 2010 (c) RefWorks, 2010

RefWorks_HealthInformationResources

Better understanding and support needed for armed forces veterans

A new report examines the links between mental illness and offending amongst armed forces veterans and calls for more research and support in this area. Findings from Across the Wire, written by Matt Fossey, include evidence to show that only a small percentage of veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and alcoholism and depression are more common. Fossey also states that veterans who have left the armed forces unexpectedly early are more vulnerable to mental illness.

Picture credit: Afghan Villagers Killed By Insurgent Bomb © Getty Images.

Red tape hindering evidence-based practice

Interesting piece in today's Guardian newspaper. Sir Iain Chalmers, editor of the James Lind library, is arguing that red tape and over-regulation of research is hampering proper evaluation of medical treatments. He makes a very interesting point that research results which are disappointing are often never published, thereby skewing the evidence-base. An interesting article and well worth a read.

Image credit: New Technique May Change Debate Over Stem Cell Research © Getty Images.

NMC publishes new guidance and toolkit for raising and escalating concerns

The NMC has published new guidance about raising and escalating concerns about the safety and well-being of patients. The guidance comes with a poster, toolkit, and links for further advice.

Comprehensive Spending Review 2010 - impact on health care

The Department of Health has published a press release outlining the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review on the health service. You can read it here.

NMC gives sneak preview of new safeguarding films

The Nursing and Midwifery Council has published some new film trailers for a series of films on safeguarding adults. The full features will be released next month but in the meantime have a look at the trailers here.

Can you access your student email?

The final installment in my series of 'things new students should know' is about your student email account. Although I'm sure you all have your own personal email accounts, it is important to use your student email when you are corresponding with any lecturers or members of staff at the University. This is because if you are using a hotmail or yahoo account it might be blocked by our spam filters and it may never reach the intended recipient! Make sure you check your student email regularly because all University messages will go through to this address, including library notices (reservation pick ups and overdue books), assignment receipts and BREO announcements.

Find out more about using your student email here.

Have you explored the Health Subject Guide?

Today's post for new students is all about the Health Subject Guide. This guide is designed to point you to all the useful resources you will need throughout your course. You'll also find a guide to literature searching and the latest referencing guidelines. My contact telephone number and email address is also in the guide. So if you haven't had a look already, check it out!

NMC publishes new standards for pre-registration nursing education

Today the NMC has launched their new Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Education. This publication outlines the standards that students will need to gain entry to the NMC register. These new standards have been produced to reflect the move to an all-graduate nursing profession.

#3: Do you know the support services that are available to you?

Number three in our new student series is all about the support services that are available. Coming to University can be scary. You might be feeling anxious about moving away from home, about having to write essays, or about how you are going to juggle your studies with family life, placements, work and other commitments.

There is lots of help available, so don't suffer in silence if you are struggling. From study skills help to computer skills training, counselling to financial advice, we can offer help and advice.

For more information, have a look at our website.

#2: Have you got a copy of the Library Handbook?

Number two in our new student checklist is: have you got a copy of the Library Handbook?

The Library Handbook tells you everything you need to know about using the library - how many books you can take out, how to renew books, contact telephone numbers and opening times, and lots more! You will find Library Handbooks available at every Learning Resources Centre, or alternatively flip through an online copy here.

Welcome New Students! #1 Can you log on?

Welcome to all new health care students at the University of Bedfordshire! The Learning Resources Centre (LRC) is here to help and support you throughout your course. Over the next two weeks blog posts will be dedicated to new students to tell you everything you need to know. And even if you are not a new student, it's always good to have a recap!

So, #1 on the new student checklist is: can you log on? Once you have registered with the University, it takes about 48 hours for all your log ons and passwords to become active. We've tried to make it as easy and simple as possible for you, and for most of the resources (including library resources) you log on in the same way: your username is your student number (which you will find on your ID card) and your password is your date of birth (format ddmmyy). If you are experiencing problems logging on, go to any LRC help desk or ring 01582 743488.

Have a look at this video below for more information on logging on.

NMC new student guidance

Happy Friday!

Just a couple of items today. The Nursing and Midwifery Council have published their student guidance for the new academic year. You can access it here.

In other news, NHS Evidence have released an update on neurological conditions, which includes details of the latest research in brain injury, epilepsy and cerebral palsy.

Have a great weekend!

Stats, stats and more stats

Hope everyone had a good bank holiday. I thought I would draw your attention to the statistics section of the Department of Health website, if you haven't seen it already. All the latest figures on various health administration stuff, for example Accident & Emergency waiting times, or bed availability, is uploaded here regularly. A great site if you want the latest national figures.

Online tutorial to brush up your maths skills

Photo credit: Flickr StreetFlyJZ

http://www.flickr.com/photos/streetfly_jz/2762076152/sizes/m/in/photostream/

The University of Leeds has produced some maths for nurses tutorials which you can access here.

You can choose from quizzes on fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios, and drug calculations. Great if you need to brush up on your maths skills.

If you are feeling nervous about maths, remember you can also make an appointment to see our Professional and Academic Development (PAD) team.

It's official - chocolate IS good for you!

Acknowledgement: Chocolatier Prepares For Valentine's Day © Getty Images.

Persistent URL: http://0-edina.ac.uk.brum.beds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/purl/eig/84785377-001.jpg

A recent piece of research indicates that 'moderate' amounts of chocolate may cut the risk of heart failure.

This nine-year Boston study found that women who ate high quality dark chocolate once or twice per week were 32% less likely to suffer heart failure than those who didn't. However, the researchers warn that only 1-2 squares of dark chocolate per week are sufficient, and if we eat too much we could undo the health benefits. If only it was the other way around, and the more chocolate you ate the healthier you became...I would possibly be the healthiest woman on the planet if that were the case!

New Cochrane review on oxygen use in heart attack

A new Cochrane review has revealed that the effects of giving oxygen to patients with acute heart attack are inconclusive, and highlights the need for more research in this area. Current guidance is that oxygen should not routinely be given to patients with a suspected heart attack.

Updated referencing guidelines

Just to let you know that the 2010-2011 referencing guidelines for the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences are now available online here.

Nothing to worry about, they are the same as last year's except that some of the examples have been updated.

If you have any queries about the guidelines or referencing in general you can leave me a comment or contact me.

Introducing Quertle

Quertle is a new search engine specialising in biomedical literature but also covering health care. It's still very new (and seems mostly to have content which has been culled from BioMed Central and PubMed Central at the moment) but it's worth keeping an eye on. Quertle's unique-selling-point is the way it searches using "conceptual relationships", supposedly making your search results more relevant. A quick search for diabetes retrieves almost 200,000 hits, so there's certainly plenty to read.

New antibiotic resistant bacteria identified

The Health Protection Agency has published information on a newly discovered strain of bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The bacteria is prevalent in India, Pakistan and the UK and about fifty cases in this country have been identified.

For more information you can call the Health Protection Agency's Centre for Infections on 0208 327 7097 or go to their website.

In other news, the World Health Organisation has announced the end of the influenza pandemic. Read more here.

Tips for a healthy Ramadan

NHS Choices have provided some great advice on how to have a healthy and safe Ramadan. Access it here.

Ramadan Mubarak!

Plagiarism in the digital age

I've decided to write about something a little different today. It's true that this isn't strictly 'health info', but nonetheless I think it's still relevant. I recently read a really interesting article in the New York Times about rising cases of plagiarism amongst students. The author argues that online information is so much easier to cut and paste as students perceive the information as 'out there' - not belonging to anyone, and therefore OK to take word-for-word. One student assumed that information on Wikipedia counted as 'common knowledge' so didn't need to be referenced. I kind of get this. But the difficulty is, how do academics, librarians and other professionals get across to students that it isn't OK? This goes beyond learning how to reference correctly (and that in itself can be a challenge), and it goes beyond changing assessment strategies and beyond plagiarism detection software. What we are talking about here is changing students' beliefs and value systems at a time when these same students are encouraged to use and share information online through catch-up TV, Facebook, Twitter and other social media. I'm not surprised students get confused and anxious about it all.

I don't have any answers (sorry). And part of the problem is that academics often can't agree on what plagiarism is and how to deal with it either. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on this issue.

New research on dementia prevention

Acknowledgement: Food Display in a Store Window, Italy © Getty Images.

Persistent URL: http://0-edina.ac.uk.brum.beds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/purl/eig/aa037389-001.jpg

The British Medical Journal has published some interesting research which suggests that dementia can be prevented if other illnesses are treated. The research concluded that treating diabetes and depression, together with a high consumption of fruit and vegetables, can help to prevent onset of dementia. Read more here.

NICE develops set of quality indicators for patient care

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has developed a new set of potential indicators for providing good quality patient care. The new indicators cover foot examination in diabetic patients, dementia treatments, and six new indicators covering mental health. Access the full set here.

Evidence update - neurological conditions

NHS Evidence has published an update of the latest research on neurological conditions. The update includes links to some new Cochrane systematic reviews, with topics including mobility after stroke and the use of music therapy in brain-injured patients. Access the update here.

New England Journal of Medicine revamps website

The New England Journal of Medicine website has had a makeover. The new site offers free registration and a bonus 'premium collection' of noteworthy articles from the journal, with topics including surgery, COPD, salt intake, and pharmacological treatment of shock. You can also register for a table of contents alert email.

We don't have a current subscription to this journal at the University, but if you see an article of interest, you can order it through our Document Supply Service.

NICE issues guidance on weight management in pregnancy

Persistent URL: http://0-edina.ac.uk.brum.beds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/purl/eig/aa043482-001.jpg

Acknowledgement: Female doctor performing ultrasound on pregnant woman © Getty Images.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has issued clinical guidelines on managing weight problems in pregnancy. The guidance warns of the increased health risks to both mother and child if a women is overweight or obese in pregnancy. You can access the full guidance here.

NHS Information Centre publishes diabetes audit figures

The NHS Information Centre has published an audit of diabetes care in the UK for 2008-9. The figures reveal that diagnosis of diabetes has increased by 25% compared to five years ago, and that type 2 diabetes is strongly linked with ethnicity and socio-economic status. The report concludes with a number of recommendations, including the need for diabetes prevention strategies in deprived areas.

Annual Evidence Update for Hepatitis B and C launched

NHS Evidence has published their annual evidence update for Hepatitis B and C. You can access it here.

Health inequalities more severe than World War I

Acknowledgement: Soup Kitchen © Getty Images.

Persistent URL: http://0-edina.ac.uk.brum.beds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/purl/eig/jd7843-001.jpg

The BBC has reported that the health inequalities gap is wider now than in the days of the great depression. They warn that we could see a fall in life expectancy if the gap continues to widen.

New research on dietary interventions for diabetes

The British Medical Journal has published details of a randomised controlled trial which has shown that nutritional advice can improve outcomes in diabetes over and above pharmaceutical interventions. It's an interesting read.

Measuring the impact of public health policy

Have a look at this interesting open source article about measuring the impact of public health policy. It makes some very interesting points about communicating public health research to the public.

Are parents of obese children guilty of neglect?

Acknowledgement: Schoolchildren Still Lured To Traditional Unhealthy Diet Options © Getty Images.

Persistent URL: http://0-edina.ac.uk.brum.beds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/purl/eig/55855281-001.jpg

A new report in the British Medical Journal states that childhood obesity could become a child protection issue.

Whilst the article in the BMJ is more measured in its tone, the newspapers are opting for a more sensational approach, suggesting that overweight children could be snatched away from their 'failing' parents. What are your thoughts on this issue? Whilst childhood obesity is a concerning (and increasing) problem in developed countries, are parents to blame? Or is it a wider issue?

Department of Health structural reform plan

The coalition government has released plans for reform of the Department of Health. You can read more here.

New government White Paper outlines the future of the NHS

The government has published a White Paper on the future of the NHS, called 'Equity and excellence: liberating the NHS'. You can access it here.

Problems accessing Dawsonera e-books

We are currently experiencing some problems with e-books at the moment. If you try to access an e-book via the library catalogue and you get an error message, try this route instead:

If you go here:

http://library.beds.ac.uk/record=b1441896~S20

Choose the top link - 'Dawsonera - choose Enter your institutional username...'

In the section 'Log in to the Reader Portal' choose 'Enter your institutional name and password'

In the section 'Where are you From? choose 'University of Bedfordshire' (Not the 'Test IDP one) from the list and click 'Proceed'

Log in to Dawsonera as usual with your normal username and password

Search for the books you want using the search box in the top right

Hope this helps and apologies for any inconvenience - we're trying to get the problems sorted as soon as we can.

NHS Evidence update - gastroenterology and liver diseases

Check out the July 2010 NHS Evidence update for gastroenterology and liver diseases here.

Sainsbury Centre name change

Hello everyone

Just to let you know that from 21 July, Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health will be changing its name to 'Centre for Mental Health'. Find out more information about the change here.

What to expect if your rights are restricted under the Mental Health Act

The Care Quality Commission has produced some excellent guidance about what to expect for those detained under the Mental Health Act. Access the guidance here.

NHS Evidence update - neurological conditions

NHS Evidence have published a new evidence update for neurological conditions, check it out here.

Fewer heart attacks since smoking ban?

The BBC has reported that since the smoking ban was introduced in the UK there have been fewer heart attacks. However, critics say that heart attack figures have been falling steadily for some time and that the findings of the research study should be treated with caution. What do you think? Is this a piece of research with 'spin' on it? Or do you think that the smoking ban has been responsible for this decline?

NICE podcast on binge drinking

Acknowledgement: Beer Bottle Close-up © Getty Images.
Persistent URL: http://0-edina.ac.uk.brum.beds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/purl/eig/aa029658-001.jpg

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have put together a podcast on how the health service can tackle binge drinking and alcohol problems. Listen to it here.

Drugs misuse evidence update now available

NHS Evidence has released the latest Evidence Update for drugs misuse, focussing on treatment in offender populations.

Gastroenterology and liver diseases evidence update

Here is the latest NHS Evidence update on gastroenterology and liver diseases.

Sainsbury Centre launches workplace depression programme

The Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health has launched a workplace training programme to raise employers' awareness of depression and anxiety at work. You can find more details about it here.

As it's Friday, I thought I'd post a clip of how not to deal with a stressed colleague.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Can you get through the day without coffee?

Acknowledgement: Young woman holding mug © Getty Images.
Persistent URL: http://0-edina.ac.uk.brum.beds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/purl/eig/aa047032-001.jpg

Are you the sort of person that needs a cup of coffee to wake you up in the morning? Well, according to a new study, coffee doesn't make you any more alert but could leave you feeling more tired and sluggish than non-coffee drinkers. This study was interesting as participants' DNA was analysed and they concluded that people who were 'predisposed' to suffering anxiety drank more coffee than non-anxious people. What do you think about this research?

Keeping up to date: RSS feeds

It can be really hard to keep up to date with the latest health information. Have you thought about setting up RSS feeds so that the information comes to you, rather than you having to check lots of different sources? This short video explains how.

New guidance on contraceptive services for socially disadvantaged young people

NICE has released some draft guidance on providing contraceptive services for socially disadvantaged young people. View it here.

The health and socio-economic impact of sport

Have you ever wondered what effect the Olympics or other major sporting events have on our health? Well, wonder no more as a group of researchers have very kindly carried out a systematic review to tell us. For those students carrying out a systematic review at the moment, it would be worth having a look at this one so you can get an idea of the structure and layout. I'm feeling a bit 'meh, whatever' about the World Cup but I'd be interested to hear from any of you sports fans out there. Can sport have that much of an impact on us?

Acknowledgement: Olympic and Paralympic Heroes Parade © Getty Images.

Persistent URL: http://0-edina.ac.uk.brum.beds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/purl/eig/83297299-001.jpg

NMC gets a makeover

The NMC website has had a makeover - I much prefer it. What do you think?

Can you trust health information on the internet?

Would you give a patient health advice you had found from Wikipedia? There is so much health information available on the internet but how do you know you can trust it? This BBC Case Notes radio programme gives some great advice about what you can trust.

Would you lose weight if you were paid to do it?

Hmmm, interesting question. Would you lose weight if you had a financial incentive to do so? The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are discussing this issue tomorrow and Friday. I think for me, it would depend on what the incentive was, but ultimately I don't think it would encourage me to be more healthy in the long term. What do you think?

Acknowledgement: Increasing Obesity Figures Cause Health Concerns © Getty Images.

Persistent URL: http://0-edina.ac.uk.brum.beds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/purl/eig/71148280-001.jpg

Money off Learning Matters books - discount code

Learning Matters are running a 15% discount offer on all their books. Go to the Learning Matters website and enter code LM28 at checkout. For more information click here.

Interruptions linked to medication errors

A recent piece of research in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine has shown that interruptions are linked to medication administration errors. Would you agree?

Chocolate linked to depression

A new research study has found that people who eat chocolate are more prone to depressive illness. But which comes first? Scientists have said that they cannot rule out chocolate as a possible cause. What do you think?

RefWorks

Did you know the library has RefWorks, a reference management program? You can access RefWorks through the library catalogue (you'll need to register for a RefWorks account if you have never used it before). RefWorks will store your references, create a bibliography and lots more. And the good news is that it it web-based, so you can access it wherever you have an internet connection! If you have used RefWorks or would like more information about it feel free to post a comment.

New report - worldwide access to medication for children

Unicef and the World Health Organisation have worked collaboratively to produce a guide to availability and prices of medicines for children worldwide. It also includes food, vitamin and mineral supplements to treat major childhood illnesses and diseases. The guide can be accessed here.

Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives update

The Department of Health have recently launched a progress update on the Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives obesity research and monitoring programme. Details here.

Do children eat what they watch?

Are children's food choices influenced by what they see on TV? The writer of this article thinks so. What do you think?

Annual evidence update - acupuncture

NHS Evidence has published the annual evidence update for acupuncture.

New evidence update on childhood obesity

Today the National Library for Health launches a new annual evidence update on childhood obesity. Check it out here.

'5 a day' benefits in doubt

Have a look at this report which questions the benefits of eating '5 a day'. What do you think? Do you manage to get your 5 a day?

Extended library opening hours

For all of you out there who like to burn the midnight oil, the Learning Resources Centres at Park Square and Polhill will be opening later than usual during the exam period.

Mon - 19 April - Friday 7 May (excluding May 3rd) Mon - Fri
The Library Floors at Park Sq , Luton LRC
will be open 8.30 - 02.00 (unstaffed 22.00 - 02.00)

and Polhill, Bedford Library
will be open 0.8.30 - 00.00 (unstaffed 22.00 - 00.00)

Visit the Learning Resources website for more details.

New information for nurse and midwife prescribers

The Nursing & Midwifery Council have published two new circulars about prescribing unlicensed medicine. Have you read them yet?

Writing an academic report

If you need to write a report and you're not sure of the structure, have a look at this great tutorial. I can also recommend the great book 'The Study Skills Handbook' by Stella Cottrell (we have several copies in the library).

TRIP Answers

TRIP Answers is a free repository of clinical questions and answers from a global network of information services. The site currently holds 6,381 Q&As. Have you visited yet? Click here to check it out.

Health inequalities resource manual

The Department of Health has recently published this health inequalities resource manual, which contains some great 'how to' guides (including how to develop a Balanced Scorecard) and masterclass reports.

Building the National Care Service

Yesterday the government launched a new White Paper, Building the National Care Service, which is already creating some controversy. What are your thoughts about this new strategy?

New report regarding children and passive smoking

The Royal College of Physicians have produced a new report about children and passive smoking.

Tuberculosis annual evidence update

Today is World TB Day. Why not check out this brand new annual evidence update about tuberculosis here.

Electrical maintenance work, 10-11 April 2010

The University's Park Square campus, including the Learning Resources Centre, will be closed on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th April 2010. During this time access to our online resources such as the library catalogue and some of our databases and ejournals will also be unavailable.

New study reveals gender differences in drug use

A new report reveals that there has been a big fall in the number of women being treated for heroin addiction.

Accessing e-books

Don't forget you can access many of our e-books through this portal.

Log in with your student number and password and browse our e-book collection!

Dying Matters

This week is Dying Matters week, aimed to raise awareness of death, dying and bereavement.

Health inequalities intervention toolkit

A new toolkit for assessing health inequalities has been developed. Check it out here.

Public Health in England - drug use

Check out this new report about drug use in England.

Teenage pregnancy strategy launched

The Department for Children, Schools and Families has launched a new strategy on Teenage Pregnancy: Beyond 2010

Department of Health launches tobacco control strategy for England

The Department of Health has published 'A smokefree future', which sets the scene for a vision of a tobacco-free future.

Public Health Interventions Cost Effectiveness Database

A new database has been developed of decision-making tools regarding costing public health interventions to do with alcohol, tobacco, obesity and physical activity, You can access it here.