 |
 |
14 May 2010
We have added and updated some new resources on the therapeutics section of NPC recently — why not take a look?
The therapeutics section of the NPC website contains materials arranged into categories (for example, asthma) which are grouped into topics (for example, respiratory tract). For each theme, a number of resources are available (see below for a more detailed description).
New section
Renin-angiotensin system drugs
A new suite of rooms, which discusses ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-II receptor antagonists and direct renin inhibitors, and how the choice of drug within this class can be guided, is now available in the national support materials section of NPC. The materials include a <60minute eLearning event, key slides, a quiz, a case study, a data focussed commentary and resources to support implementation and facilitate change. A guide to the national support materials and a MeReC Bulletin entitled ‘Angiotensin-II receptor antagonists: what is the evidence for their place in therapy?’ are also available via the library.
Updates to existing sections
The majority of the categories on the following sections have been updated to include new <60minute eLearning events, key slides, quizzes, case studies, data focussed commentaries and patient decision aids.
Schizophrenia
These materials have been updated to include the 2009 NICE guideline recommendations for the management of schizophrenia, focussing in particular on the recommendations made for professionals working in primary care settings, and on the evidence supporting the use of antipsychotics.
Rheumatoid arthritis
NICE guidance on rheumatoid arthritis was issued in February 2009 and considers relief of symptoms, control of disease progression, and support to help patients to cope with the disease. The updated materials highlight the key priorities from NICE and focus on the pharmacological management of rheumatoid arthritis.
Breast cancer
The breast cancer materials are intended to give non-specialists an overview of the treatment and care their patients are likely to be offered. They reflect the recommendations from two NICE clinical guidelines on the management of breast cancer which were published in February 2009.
Pain overview
The new materials highlight the evidence for various treatments for the main types of pain – acute pain, chronic non-cancer pain, neuropathic pain, and cancer pain.
Insomnia
The insomnia materials have been updated to cover new developments around the management of insomnia and give an update on prescribing issues.
Depression
NICE guidance on the management of depression in adults was updated in October 2009. The new materials provide an overview of this, focussing on the use of antidepressants and the evidence supporting them. Non-drug management is also addressed.
What resources are available on the therapeutic section of NPC?
Depending on the topic, some or all of the following resources are available for each therapeutic theme:
- A <60 minute eLearning event, where you can follow slides online and listen to an NPC trainer present a series of short workshops on the theme – generally all in less than 60 minutes
- A key slide set for the theme, with notes, to use in discussion with others
- A data focussed commentary, where you can read how recent prescribing data compares with the evidence base for that theme. There are also questions for reflection
- A patient decision aid which you can download to help explain therapeutic choices to patients so that they can make an informed decision
- One or more quizzes where you can test your knowledge of the theme. The quizzes are formative — getting answers wrong is a valuable way of learning as fully referenced answers are provided
- One or more case studies, which are fictional but represent “real world” scenarios where you can apply your understanding and compare your answers with fully referenced suggested model answers
We are still in the process of developing materials for the NPC website, and are continually updating material.
Please comment on this blog in the NPC discussion rooms, or using our feedback form.
Make sure you are signed up to NPC Email updates — the free email alerting system that keeps you up to date with the NPC news and outputs relevant to you