Keeping up-to-date with new developments and research in your field can be a particularly time consuming process, and then there's knowing where to even start. A number of blogs are now available which link into various aspects of health information, including regional health news, national health news, specialty news and research articles.
For example, the FADE Library based in Liverpool produce daily health news updates (Another 15 Minutes) for the UK, International and Regional (Cheshire and Merseyside, Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Manchester) scanning the local, regional and national papers for alerts to articles published that day in the press.
Halton and St Helens PCT with assistance from other Cheshire and Mersey Librarians produce the weekly New Documents Bulletin which scans websites (Department of Health, Kings Fund, BMA, etc) of relevance to NHS staff working in the PCTs highlighting new reports, documents and information that has been recently added to these websites.
Those with an interest in the commissioning process should check out The Commissioner blog again produced locally by NW healthcare librarians.
The Critical Care Bulletin produced by East Cheshire NHS Trust is a good example of keeping up to date within a particular specialty, highlighting new research articles of interest to critical care staff among other things.
Many of the current awareness blogs allow you to subscribe to the updates via email. Links to current awareness blogs are available in the list on the LEFT handside of this blog, just scroll down to 'Current Awareness' for more details. These will continually be added to so keep checking back to see if there are any in your field.
Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Keeping up-to-date
Friday, 26 October 2007
I read the news today - keeping up with health news
Our friends over at FADE can help you to keep on top of health news published in both the regional and national press in their current awareness 'Another 15 minutes...Health news from FADE'.
You can subscibe to receive daily emails on health news stories from across the UK or even listen to the news updates online.
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Keeping up-to-date with new documents on the www - Document Awareness Bulletin
Keeping up-to-date with new policies, guidelines, consultations, statistics, local and national reports, conferences and events of relevance to PCT staff can be a time-consuming process.
The Document Awareness Bulletin aims to keep NHS staff working primarily in the PCTs up-to-date with new reports etc. The Bulletin is compiled by librarians in Merseyside and Cheshire (including myself!) who scan websites (inclusing Department of Health, Health Protection Agency, Every Child Matters, Kings FUnd, NICE, etc.) for new documents and send out via email on a bi-weekly basis.
Also included in the Bulletin are abstracts of selected research articles (with a PCT focus) published in peer-reviewed journals. Full text can be obtained upon request.
A sample of this week's items include:
Investigating drinking behaviours and alcohol knowledge amongst people resident in the Linacre and Derby wards of Sefton: interim report (17th September 2007)
This reports evaluates the impact of Sefton Primary Care Trust's social marketing campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the negative consequences of excessive alcohol use.
http://www.cph.org.uk/cph_pubs/reports/CH/Sefton Social Marketing Interim Report.pdf
How to put NICE Guidance into practice (24th September 2007)
This guide aims to help organisations: implement NICE guidance and other national policy; comply with core and developmental standards set in Standards for better health; meet the Healthcare Commission’s expectations. This guide is split into three parts – the first two focus on organisations directly responsible for implementation, and the third focuses on commissioning organisations.
http://www.nice.org.uk/download.aspx?o=455522
Why Your Child's Weight Matters (updated 13th September 2007)
The Government has developed a booklet for parents: "Why your child’s weight matters", which includes information on the National Child Measurement Programme, why maintaining a healthy weight is important, and the steps that parents can take to help their family develop a healthy lifestyle.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=148513&Rendition=Web
GP Profiles on NHS Choices (13th September 2007)
Letter from Mark Britnell, Director General of Commissioning and System Management, outlining a proposed initiative to enable GPs to directly change online information on the NHS Choices website.
http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=148542&Rendition=Web
To sign-up to the Bulletin email Michelle at madenm@edgehill.ac.uk
