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Women's Health Homepage

Welcome to NHS Evidence - women's health

"Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves,
or we know where we can find information upon it."

--Samuel Johnson 

Knowledge must not only be created by the formidable efforts of researchers, but also be systematically organised and made available to clinicians who need it. NHS Evidence - women's health has been developed to serve the information needs of healthcare professionals involved in the care of women. It is however freely accessible by all, including our resourceful patients. Those wishing less detail may find NHS Choices helpful.

NHS Evidence - women's health Annual Evidence Updates

 Annual Evidence Updates aim to highlight the best current evidence for selected healthcare topics. Annual Evidence Updates consist of the good quality evidence from a search of research evidence on a particular topic over a 12 month period, plus user-friendly summaries written by relevant experts, and links to guidelines, secondary research and primary research, if applicable. All information included in Annual Evidence Updates has been subject to rigorous selection criteria.

To access previous NHS Evidence - women's health Annual Evidence Updates please select the following link: AEUs

NHS Evidence - women's health

Provided by NICE, NHS Evidence is a new service which will develop, enhance and expand the services that were previously provided by the National Library for Health (NLH). The NLH and its specialist libraries became part of NHS Evidence on 1 April 2009. Release 1 of the NHS Evidence portal and search engine went live on 30 April 2009 at www.evidence.nhs.uk.

As part of ongoing developments, the specialist libraries have changed their names and are, as a group, called specialist collections. This individual collection is now ’NHS Evidence – women's health’, and you will continue to be able to access all the content and features. The existing URL for the collection will remain for now, but is likely to change later in the year as the specialist collections become fully integrated with the NHS Evidence portal.   

For more information about NHS Evidence, please follow this link to the NHS Evidence website: http://www.evidence.nhs.uk/AboutUs.aspx

UK Database of Uncertainties about the Effects of Treatments

The NHS Evidence - women's health specialist collection has recently begun contributing uncertainties regarding treatment effects to UK DUETs (the UK Database of Uncertainties about the effects of Treatments). Please select the following link for more information about DUETs: UK DUETs

Topics currently being compiled are:

Endometriosis
Uncertainties relating to treatments for endometriosis can be submitted via our general DUETs submission form. To submit an uncertainty please visit submit an uncertainty


Hypertension in pregnancy
We are keen to receive treatment uncertainties regarding hypertension in pregnancy from clinicians/patients/carers. Please select the following link to submit an uncertainty to us: submit an uncertainty

 

Pregnancy and childbirth
If you would like to suggest any uncertainties regarding pregnancy and childbirth, please select the following link to submit an uncertainty to us: submit an uncertainty

 

NHS Evidence - women's health What's New

Hysteroscopic sterilisation by tubal cannulation and placement of implants - NICE Interventional Procedure Guidance 315
This NICE interventional guidance provides information on the procedure, efficacy and safety of hysteroscopic sterilization by tubal cannulation and placement of implant. Consent should ensure patient understanding for additional contraception use until appropriate imaging has been done; and that there is a small risk of pregnancy in the longer term after any form of tubal occlusion procedure. Efficacy outcomes are satisfactory placement, device position 3 months after the procedure and pregnancy rates in the long term.
Laparoscopic treatment for endometrial cancer - a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
This DARE abstract reviews a meta-analysis that evaluated the effectiveness of laparoscopic treatment of endometrial cancer. Four randomised controlled trials were included in the review (n=313 patients). There were no statistically significant differences between laparoscopic surgery and laparotomy for endometrial cancer in terms of overall survival (odds ratio 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI):0.37 to 1.70). Laparoscopic surgery was associated with significantly longer operative times, but significantly less blood loss and post-operative complications compared to laparotomy.
Cost-effectiveness of preventative therapies for postmenopausal women with osteopenia
This NHS EED cost-utility analysis was performed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of raloxifene, alendronate and conservative care in post-menopausal women with osteopenia. The interventions included five-year treatment with raloxifene, alendronate, and conservative care. Conservative care involved weight-bearing exercises with calcium and vitamin D supplements. For 55 and 60 year old women, treatment with raloxifene was cost-effective and as age increased, the cost-effectiveness of raloxifene decreased. By age 75 years alendronate was extendedly dominated by raloxifene.

Women's Health - Patent and Clinical Trial News

WO 2009 095437 A1 Use of eicosapentaenoic acid and or docosahexahenoic acid in women with endometriosis
This world patent application relates to a food preparation comprising essential fatty acids, particularly omega-3 series long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, that can be used to treat post-surgical pain and/or pain due to a relapse after surgery for endometriosis.
US 2009 0209874 A1 Extrapolating Independent Component Analysis knowledge from one epoch to another for improved fetal ECG separation
This patent application describes a method of non-invasively monitoring the fetal ECG using a number of electrodes placed on the mother’s abdomen. Interference from maternal cardiac electrical activity, uterine activity and maternal movement has hindered the development of such technology in the past. The purpose of the ICA is to separate waveforms from these sources so as to generate a series of channel waveform from each source.
US 2009 0197843 A1 Treatment of prevention of unscheduled bleeding in women on progestogen containing medication
This patent application refers to an invention for preventing or treating breakthrough bleeding in women taking progestogen-containing hormonal medication, particularly oral contraceptives and HRT. The invention specifically relates to the suppression of the Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) by either anangiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, an angiotensin II receptor antagonist or a renin inhibitor.

Women's Health - International News

District health barometer 2007-2008
This report, published by the Health Systems Trust in South Africa, discusses important aspects of the health system at a district level. Data included in the report come from a range of sources including the National Department of Health, Statistics SA, the TB register and the National Treasury.
Elements of family planning success
This internet-based resource, developed by USAID, the INFO Project and John Hopkins University, has been designed to create a virtual community for programme managers worldwide and to provide an interactive platform for managers to discuss ideas, recent project successes and lessons learned. The resource aims to improve the design and development of new family planning programs.
Maternal and child oral health
This review, by the Oral Health Research Group of Murdoch Children’s Research Institute for the New Zealand Ministry of Health, investigates factors contributing to the high rate of early childhood dental caries. The review involved assessing the evidence regarding the influence of women’s oral health, during both the pre- and post-natal periods, on gestational and perinatal events, and on the subsequent oral health of their children. It concludes that a relationship exists between maternal periodontal disease and poor birth outcomes (low birth weight and preterm births).

NHS Evidence - women's health specialist collection development

The NHS Evidence - women's health specialist collection is constantly developing in response to newly published resources, changing demand and to feedback from users.

The specialist collection now contains most of the core content material produced, commissioned or licensed by the NHS. We are working towards producing Annual Evidence Updates (AEUs) for each of the main topic areas in women's health and hope to introduce some other new developments soon.

We welcome all feedback from users as we are keen to ensure that the specialist collection reflects the needs of those who use it!

NHS Evidence - women's health has been created by a team of clinicians and information scientists at the Nuffield Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Oxford. Development takes place under the guidance of a National Reference Group containing representative end users.

Mr. Stephen Kennedy         Mrs. Shona Kirtley
Clinical Lead                        Project Co-ordinator/Information Scientist