PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Bardsley

Publications and source records attributed to M Bardsley.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Estimating the balance of general practice versus family planning clinic coverage of contraception services in London.

OBJECTIVE: To compare levels of provision of contraception from general practice and family planning clinics for the populations of the 32 London Boroughs. METHOD: Retrospective analysis of routine activity data, including the estimated numbers of first attendance, for 295 family planning clinics (managed by 28 NHS Trusts) and more than 1800 GP partnerships in Greater London, supplemented by data from a survey of family planning clinics. The results were expressed as the estimated percentage of women aged 16-49 obtaining advice on contraception from GPs and family planning clinics. These results were compared to those expected based on results in the General Household Survey. RESULTS: Across London in 1995/96, 12% of women aged 16-49 obtained contraception services from family planning clinics, and 24% obtained contraception services from a GP. At a borough level there was variation from 11% to 25% in coverage by family planning clinics, and from 11% to 41% in coverage by GPs. Estimates of the proportion of women in this age group not using NHS-provided medical or surgical contraception ranged from 0 to 30%. Across all boroughs, there was no consistent relationship between levels of GP activity and family planning clinic activity. CONCLUSION: The results indicate substantial variations between boroughs in the proportion of women using NHS-provided medical or surgical methods of contraception. The absence of any clear inverse relationship between activity in family planning clinics and activity in general practice suggests that changes to one will not be compensated by changes in the other. More specifically, health authorities that opt to purchase lower levels of family planning clinic activity cannot assume that women may opt to use GPs as an alternative. Such a strategy may increase the likelihood that women who would have used family planning clinic services will either not use contraception at all, or will use less effective 'over the counter' methods.

Adolescent↗

Assessing the outcomes of total knee replacement.

The past few years have seen a growth of interest in outcome measurement in a variety of settings including audit, health care management and commissioning - besides the traditional applications in research work. This paper reports on a study of the outcomes of total knee replacement in an acute hospital where the outcomes were studied as part of an audit process. The outcome measures used included clinical and symptomatic measures as well as generic health status scales. The initial study in one hospital was expanded to include a number of others in the same region and a comparative database of outcomes developed. Examples of the results are shown. The technical measures using knee scores and general health status measure show significant improvement from pre-operatively to 3 months later. This improvement was maintained up to the 1-year follow-up on both measures. Although the information systems for collecting and measuring outcomes has been successful, the ability of such measures to lead to behavioural change has been limited. The problems in using outcome measures are discussed in particular in the context of an audit within hospitals, and for purchasing agencies.

Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee↗

Impact of HIV on adult (15-54) mortality in London: 1979-96.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the impact of HIV on mortality in men and women aged 15-54 in London. DESIGN: Combination of routine mortality statistics with reports of AIDS deaths adjusted for underreporting and change in address from time of report to time of death. Calculation of standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) for males including and excluding HIV comparing inner London and outer London with the rest of England and Wales. METHODS: Comparison of trends in all cause mortality and SMRs in males over time. Comparison of trends in HIV related deaths with other main causes of deaths in males and females in London. RESULTS: Age standardised rates for the rest of England and Wales showed a continual decline from 1979 to 1996 but rates in inner London males (ages 15-54) stopped declining around 1984-5 leading to a considerable increase in the SMR for inner London from 127 for 1985-7 to 171 for 1994-6. SMRs excluding HIV related deaths for inner London, however, showed no significant change over this time. There was a fall in HIV related mortality in 1996, though HIV was still the leading cause of death in males and second leading cause of death in females in inner London, and the fourth commonest cause of death in males in outer London. CONCLUSION: These data are the first to indicate the impact of HIV on mortality within a significant population in England and Wales. They show that public health priorities in London are different from the rest of the country. Analyses of trends of all cause mortality in people under 65 may mislead unless they take account of HIV.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Invasive group A streptococcal disease in metropolitan Atlanta: a population-based assessment.

Active, population-based surveillance for invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) disease was conducted in laboratories in metropolitan Atlanta from 1 January 1994 through 30 June 1995. Clinical and laboratory records were reviewed and isolates characterized. One hundred and eighty-three cases of invasive GAS disease were identified (annual incidence, 5.2 cases/100,000). The incidence was highest among blacks (9.7/100,000 per year; relative risk (RR), 1.92; confidence interval (CI), 1.69-2.19; P < .0001) and the elderly, particularly nursing home residents (RR, 13.66; CI, 7.07-26.40; P < .0001). The mean age of patients was 41.3 years (range, 0-95 years). Skin and soft-tissue infections were most common. Mortality was 14.4%; risk of death was significantly higher for patients with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) (RR, 9.73; CI, 3.34-29; P = .0008) and individuals infected with M-type 1 (RR, 7.40; CI, 1.5-16; P = .0084). Fourteen percent of invasive GAS infections were STSS and 3% were necrotizing fasciitis. Invasive GAS disease was associated with varicella infection in children (RR, 12.19; CI, 5.58-26.62; P < .0001). M (or emm) types included M1 (16%), M12 (12%), and M3 (11%). Continued study of GAS disease is essential to further define risk factors and risk of secondary cases and to develop effective prevention strategies.

Adolescent↗

Health authority commissioning for quality in contraception services.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the commissioning of contraception services by London health authorities with accepted models of good practice. DESIGN: Combined interview and postal surveys of all health authorities and National Health Service (NHS) trusts responsible for running family planning clinics in the Greater London area. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Health authority commissioning was assessed on the presence of four key elements of good practice--strategies, coordination, service specifications, and quality standards in contracts--by monitoring activity and quality. RESULTS: Less than half the health authorities surveyed had written strategies or service specifications for contraception services. Arrangements for coordination of services were limited and monitoring was underdeveloped. CONCLUSION: The process of commissioning services for contraception seems to be relatively underdeveloped despite the importance of health problems associated with unplanned pregnancy in London. These findings raise questions about the capacity of health authorities to improve the quality of these services through the commissioning process.

Adult↗

Anglicising DRGs.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Cost Allocation↗