The next century is likely to bring unforeseen genetic and biotechnological discoveries, with new benefits, risks and costs. This paper explores some of the problem areas that healthcare biotechnologies are likely to encounter. Biotechnological interventions may present particular difficulties...

Implementing the findings of research to change the behaviour of health care professionals has become an increasingly prominent issue. However, designing valid studies to evaluate different methods of achieving changes requires considerable care and there are a number of pitfalls evident from...

This report examines the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of screening for diabetic retinopathy by optometrists. There are strong arguments for screening. Diabetic retinopathy is an important public health problem, there is an effective treatment, the natural history of the disease is well...

To explore the impact of introducing therapeutic prescribing by UK optometrists, a literature review of the epidemiology and appropriateness of care for a range of ocular conditions is presented, together with activity data from national sources. A national survey of optometrists is reported,...

There is increasing professional and policy interest in the role of clinical guidelines for promoting effective and efficient health care. The NHS Health Technology Assessment Programme identified an urgent need, when such guidelines are produced, to develop a framework and methods for...

Context: There is clinical uncertainty about the appropriate use of first-line topical treatments for psoriasis. Objective To assess the relative effectiveness and tolerability of topical treatments for psoriasis in primary care. Data sources: All major medical databases of published literature...

This century has seen a phenomenal growth in the development, understanding and use of pharmaceuticals. Additionally, this period has seen the balance of the treatment needs of patients shift dramatically from infectious to cardiovascular and cancer diseases, and from infancy and middle-age to...