Background:Persistent postsurgical pain can have a significant effect on the quality of life of women being treated for breast cancer. The aim of this prospective study was to develop a screening tool to identify presurgical demographic, psychological and treatment-related factors that predict persistence of significant pain in the operated area after 6 months from surgery.Methods:Background and self-reported questionnaire data were collected the day before surgery and combined with treatment-related data. Pain in the operated area was assessed 6 months after surgery with a questionnaire. The Bayesian model was used for the development of a screening tool.Results:Report of preoperative chronic pain, more than four or more previous operations, preoperative pain in the area to be operated, high body mass index, previous smoking and older age were included in the six-factor model that best predicted significant pain at the follow-up in the 489 women studied.Conclusion:A six-factor risk index was developed to estimate the risk of developing significant pain after breast cancer surgery. Neither treatment- nor mood-related variables were included in the model. Identification of risk factors may lead to prevention of persistent postsurgery pain. This tool could be used for target prevention to those who are at the highest risk of developing persistent postsurgery pain.

In order to assess the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors, morbidity and mortality among working-age adults, we undertook a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of various lifestyle interventions (diet, exercise, smoking cessation, alcohol intake reduction) in adults followed for 1 year or longer. Twenty-one single-factor and 21 multifactorial interventions were analysed by outcome. Changes in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and total mortality were considered as main outcomes. Changes in weight, total cholesterol, blood pressure, sodium excretion, smoking and alcohol consumption were also analysed, and numbers needed to treat were calculated for smoking, morbidity and mortality. In secondary prevention, both single and multifactorial lifestyle interventions were shown to reduce morbidity and mortality, and multifactorial approaches reduced cholesterol levels. Primary prevention was found to reduce risk factors efficiently, especially when the intervention is multifactorial. Effect sizes were heterogeneous with wide confidence intervals. Standardized ways of describing interventions, measuring their effects and reporting outcomes systematically would facilitate effect-size evaluations. Interventions should optimally be multifactorial and targeted at high-risk patients with multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

BackgroundThe Guidelines International Network (G-I-N) aims to promote high quality clinical guideline development and implementation. Guideline-based performance measures are a key implementation tool and are widely used internationally for quality improvement, quality assurance, and pay for performance in health care. There is, however, no international consensus on best methods for guideline-based performance measures. In order to address this issue, the G-I-N Performance Measures Working Group aimed to develop a set of consensus-based reporting standards for guideline-based performance measure development and re-evaluation.MethodsMethodology publications on guideline-based performance measures were identified from a systematic literature review and analyzed. Core criteria for the development and evaluation process of guideline-based performance measures were determined and refined into draft standards with an associated rationale and description of the evidence base. In a two-round Delphi-process, the group members appraised and approved the draft standards. After the first round, the group met to discuss comments and revised the drafts accordingly.ResultsTwenty-one methodology publications were reviewed. The group reached strong consensus on nine reporting standards concerning: (1) selection of clinical guidelines, (2) extraction of clinical guideline recommendations, (3) description of the measure development process, (4) measure appraisal, (5) measure specification, (6) description of the intended use of the measure, (7) measure testing/validating, (8) measure review/re-evaluation, and (9) composition of the measure development panel.ConclusionsThese proposed international reporting standards address core components of guideline-based performance measure development and re-evaluation. They are intended to contribute to international reporting harmonization and improvement of methods for performance measures. Further research is required regarding validity, acceptability, and practicality.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13012-015-0369-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

No abstract

Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of visual impairment in developed countries. Several improvements in the visualization of posterior segment of the eye together with the introduction of intravitreal anti‐VEGF treatment have revolutionized the prognosis of the wet form of AMD (wAMD). Increasing incidence of wAMD together with the limited resources of society and of the healthcare system poses challenges for the provision and development of care. In context of these current aspects, we aimed to set evidence‐based medical guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow‐up of patients with wAMD.