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Publication The new coronavirus disease: what do we know so far?(MA Healthcare, 2020-05-05) Tang, Sammer; Brady, Mike; Mildenhall, Jo; Rolfe, Ursula; Bowles, Alexandra; Morgan, Kirsty; Tang, Sammer; Medical and DentalSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus that causes the new disease COVID-19. Symptoms range from mild to severe with a higher incidence of severe cases in patients with risk factors such as older age and comorbidities. COVID-19 is mainly spread through the inhalation of respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing or via contact with droplet-contaminated surfaces. Paramedics should be aware that some aerosol-generating procedures may put them at a higher risk of contracting the virus via possible airborne transmission. Use of remote triage clinical assessment is likely to increase as a result of the pandemic. There is no curative drug treatment for the virus and some medications may exacerbate its effects or make patients more susceptible to it. Evidence and guidelines are evolving on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. Paramedics should keep up to date with the latest clinical guidance from their employers.Publication Assessing the broader social outcomes of a community health programme through a social-ecological framework(Taylor and Francis, 2020-01-29) Baker, Colin; Courtney, Paul; Kubinakova, Katarina; Crone, Diane; Billingham, Diana; Billingham, Diana; Admin and ClericalEcological approaches to health promotion have been increasingly adopted to address the complexities of increasing population level physical activity. These approaches understand individual behaviour in terms of the outcome of interactions between multiple biological, psycho-sociological and environmental factors which require complex and multilevel interventions. However, the health promotion field has been hampered by a lack of evaluation frameworks that provide sufficient flexibility to accommodate the complexity of ‘real world’ settings which lie at the heart of ecological approaches. In order to evaluate a small grants community health promotion programme this study deployed a social-ecological evaluation framework operationalised through a Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology. This sought to understand and assess the broader social outcomes relating to the implementation of range of local physical activity and sport projects, and to maintain stakeholder engagement throughout. The formative and summative components of the evaluation are described before results are presented, which include qualitative findings and outcome indicator values. Findings highlight a diverse range of societal outcomes at the individual level for example, improved physical and mental health, and community level for example, community connectedness, which reflect a range of social, personal and interpersonal, and economic benefits. The SROI methodology not only provides social enterprises with a framework for measuring performance and impact, but is also shown to be a valuable management and stakeholder engagement tool for those commissioning local physical activity and sport programmes of this type.Publication Infectious Disease and Primary Care Research-What English General Practitioners Say They Need(MDPI, 2020-05-20) Lecky, Donna; Granier, Steve; Allison, Rosalie; Verlander, Neville; Collin, Simon; McNulty, Cliodna Ann Miriam; Lecky, Donna; Allison, Rosalie; McNulty, Cliodna; Additional Professional Scientific and TechnicalBackground: Infections are one of the most common reasons for patients attending primary care. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is perhaps one of the biggest threats to modern medicine; data show that 81% of antibiotics in the UK are prescribed in primary care. Aim: To identify where the perceived gaps in knowledge, skills, guidance and research around infections and antibiotic use lie from the general practitioner (GP) viewpoint. Design and setting: An online questionnaire survey. Method: The survey, based on questions asked of Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) members in 1999, and covering letter were electronically sent to GPs between May and August 2017 via various primary care dissemination routes. Results: Four hundred and twenty-eight GPs responded. Suspected Infection in the elderly, recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI), surveillance of AMR in the community, leg ulcers, persistent cough and cellulitis all fell into the top six conditions ranked in order of importance that require further research, evidence and guidance. Acute sore throat, otitis media and sinusitis were of lower importance than in 1999. Conclusion: This survey will help the NHS, the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and researchers to prioritise for the development of guidance and research for chronic conditions highlighted for which there is little evidence base for diagnostic and management guidelines in primary care. In contrast, 20 years of investment into research, guidance and resources for acute respiratory infections have successfully reduced these as priority areas for GPs.Publication Peer Review Processes for Quality Improvement in Health Care Settings and Their Implications for Health Care Professionals: A Meta-Ethnography(Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2021-11-17) Tang, Sammer; Bowles, Alexandra; Minns Lowe, Catherine; Tang, Sammer; Medical and DentalIntroduction: Peer review processes are used to improve professional practice in health care, although no synthesis of existing studies has yet been undertaken. These processes are included in the UK professional revalidation processes for medical practitioners and nurses and midwives but not for allied health professionals. The purpose of this review was to identify, appraise, and synthesize the available qualitative evidence regarding health care professionals' experiences and views about peer review processes and to explore the implications for health care professionals in the United Kingdom. Methods: Qualitative review using meta-ethnography, reported according to Meta-ethnography Reporting Guidance guidance. Search strategy was developed using MeSH headings. The following data sources were searched: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, and Ovid full text (between May 2007 and May 2019) (one reviewer with librarian support) plus manual searching. Screening, data extraction, and evaluation were undertaken independently by two reviewers. Studies were independently appraised for quality by two reviewers to identify concepts which were compared and developed into a conceptual model by the team. Results: Thirteen studies (937 participants) were included. Findings explored peer review processes and three key components, namely, purpose, process, and peers. Participants' perceptions of peer review processes were categorized by four main concepts: value/benefits, reflection/shared learning, anxiety about the process, and how to improve "buy-in." Discussion: Evidence supports the introduction and use of peer review processes as a quality improvement tool. Further research exploring whether/how to incorporate peer review processes into the process of assessing continuing fitness to practice for allied health professionals seems appropriate. The time and resources required to implement peer review processes are considered barriers to implementation.Publication Exploring Sex Inequalities in the Return of Spontaneous Circulation: Quantitative analysis of Adult Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in England(Elsevier, 2023-10-31) Tang, Sammer; Brown, Terry; Mapstone, James; Tang, Sammer; Medical and DentalNo abstract available