Shoulder replacement surgery is an effective intervention that can relieve pain and improve function for people with severe shoulder disorders. The use of shoulder replacement has been steadily increasing over time worldwide because of the expanding range of clinical indications, including osteoarthritis, which is most [...]
All tests ‘(…) do harm; some do good as well, and, of these, some do more good than harm at reasonable cost.’ - Muir Gray and Angela Raffle. Medical tests are widely and increasingly marketed directly to consumers via traditional and social media. Such tests may [...]
The anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) can be measured by a blood test and gives an indication of the number of oocytes in the ovaries, but not of oocyte quality . Whilst the test is helpful in assisted reproduction as it roughly indicates the potential number of [...]
Lower limb total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is usually offered to patients to alleviate symptoms of their hip or knee osteoarthritis when conservative management fails. In other orthopaedic conditions, second opinions have been found to result in up to half of the patients initially recommended for [...]
Increasing and maintaining vaccination uptake is crucial for preventing and managing infectious diseases. In the context of the post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic landscape, this paper examines the perceptions of immunisation implementers and policymakers to uncover the challenges and evidence gaps in routine immunisation efforts.
Data on routine childhood vaccination coverage can only tell us who is under-vaccinated; it cannot explain why vaccine coverage is low. Collecting data on the reasons behind under-vaccination is necessary to implement cost-effective strategies that address key barriers and target interventions appropriately. However, no instruments [...]
With over 50% of women suffering from at least one episode of urinary tract infection (UTI) each year and an increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance, efforts need to be made to clearly identify the evidence supporting potential non-drug interventions. This study aims to compare the [...]
Missing outcome data is common in trials, and robust methods to address this are needed. Most trial reports currently use methods applicable under a missing completely at random assumption (MCAR), although this strong assumption can often be inappropriate. Our objective is to identify and summarise current [...]
Patient reported experience measures (PREMs) are tools often utilised in hospitals to support quality improvements and to provide objective feedback on care experiences. Less commonly PREMs can be used to support consumers choices in their hospital care. Little is known about the experience and views [...]
We evaluated the relative effects of newer versus older medications for neonatal conditions and trends in margin of superiority across generations. We assessed network meta-analyses (NMAs) on neonatal pharmacological interventions identified from MEDLINE, Cochrane, and PROSPERO. Interventions were chronologically arranged based on the earliest study [...]