Tackling differential attainment in specialist GP training in England and Scotland.

In this article NHS England and NHS Education for Scotland describe practical ways we are tackling differences in the attainment of people training as general practitioners (GPs).Trainees from minority ethnic groups and international medical graduates are less likely than others to qualify as GPs. It is difficult to change systemic inequalities, but over the past five years we have made practical changes to GP speciality training. Educators recognise there is an issue and are trying to tackle it.For example, people who had not successfully qualified had an opportunity to return to GP training. When we provided individualised targeted support, the proportion who completed training significantly increased (76%).This was a catalyst for reviewing unconscious bias in GP training. We implemented a national programme to tackle differential attainment and system-level bias. Educators now work with all GP trainees to identify their individual needs. Supervisors are trained to recognise bias and provide targeted support. There is mental health support and regular reviews to see whether trainees are ready to sit exams. Trainee representatives are championing the learner voice in national committees. Exams are being altered to reduce unconscious bias. We are monitoring attainment over time.The key message is that differential attainment should not be in the 'too hard basket'. The narrative is changing from 'can't do' to 'must do', supported by appropriate leadership, promotion and resourcing. There is much more to do, but we are making changes, evaluating and applying our learning. We have moved from talking to taking action.

Risk factors for severe reactions in food allergy: Rapid evidence review with meta-analysis.

This rapid review summarizes the most up to date evidence about the risk factors for severe food-induced allergic reactions. We searched three bibliographic databases for studies published between January 2010 and August 2021. We included 88 studies and synthesized the evidence narratively, undertaking meta-analysis where appropriate. Significant uncertainties remain with respect to the prediction of severe reactions, both anaphylaxis and/or severe anaphylaxis refractory to treatment. Prior anaphylaxis, an asthma diagnosis, IgE sensitization or basophil activation tests are not good predictors. Some molecular allergology markers may be helpful. Hospital presentations for anaphylaxis are highest in young children, yet this age group appears at lower risk of severe outcomes. Risk of severe outcomes is greatest in adolescence and young adulthood, but the contribution of risk taking behaviour in contributing to severe outcomes is unclear. Evidence for an impact of cofactors on severity is lacking, although food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis may be an exception. Some medications such as beta-blockers or ACE inhibitors may increase severity, but appear less important than age as a factor in life-threatening reactions. The relationship between dose of exposure and severity is unclear. Delays in symptom recognition and anaphylaxis treatment have been associated with more severe outcomes. An absence of prior anaphylaxis does not exclude its future risk.

Allergen immunotherapy and/or biologicals for IgE-mediated food allergy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There is substantial interest in immunotherapy and biologicals in IgE-mediated food allergy. METHODS: We searched six databases for randomized controlled trials about immunotherapy alone or with biologicals (to April 2021) or biological monotherapy (to September 2021) in food allergy confirmed by oral food challenge. We pooled the data using random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: We included 36 trials about immunotherapy with 2126 mainly child participants. Oral immunotherapy increased tolerance whilst on therapy for peanut (RR 9.9, 95% CI 4.5.-21.4, high certainty); cow's milk (RR 5.7, 1.9-16.7, moderate certainty) and hen's egg allergy (RR 8.9, 4.4-18, moderate certainty). The number needed to treat to increase tolerance to a single dose of 300 mg or 1000 mg peanut protein was 2. Oral immunotherapy did not increase adverse reactions (RR 1.1, 1.0-1.2, low certainty) or severe reactions in peanut allergy (RR 1,6, 0.7-3.5, low certainty), but may increase (mild) adverse reactions in cow's milk (RR 3.9, 2.1-7.5, low certainty) and hen's egg allergy (RR 7.0, 2.4-19.8, moderate certainty). Epicutaneous immunotherapy increased tolerance whilst on therapy for peanut (RR 2.6, 1.8-3.8, moderate certainty). Results were unclear for other allergies and administration routes. There were too few trials of biologicals alone (3) or with immunotherapy (1) to draw conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: Oral immunotherapy improves tolerance whilst on therapy and is probably safe in peanut, cow's milk and hen's egg allergy. More research is needed about quality of life, cost and biologicals.

EAACI guidelines: Anaphylaxis (2021 update).

Anaphylaxis is a clinical emergency which all healthcare professionals need to be able to recognize and manage. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Anaphylaxis multidisciplinary Task Force has updated the 2014 guideline. The guideline was developed using the AGREE II framework and the GRADE approach. The evidence was systematically reviewed and recommendations were created by weighing up benefits and harms. The guideline was peer-reviewed by external experts and reviewed in a public consultation. The use of clinical criteria to identify anaphylaxis is suggested with blood sampling for the later measurement of tryptase. The prompt use of intramuscular adrenaline as first-line management is recommended with the availability of adrenaline autoinjectors to patients in the community. Pharmacokinetic data should be provided for adrenaline autoinjector devices. Structured, comprehensive training for people at risk of anaphylaxis is recommended. Simulation training and visual prompts for healthcare professionals are suggested to improve the management of anaphylaxis. It is suggested that school policies reflect anaphylaxis guidelines. The evidence for the management of anaphylaxis remains mostly at a very low level. There is an urgent need to prioritize clinical trials with the potential to improve the management of patients at risk of anaphylaxis.

Diagnosing, managing and preventing anaphylaxis: Systematic review.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review used the GRADE approach to compile evidence to inform the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology's (EAACI) anaphylaxis guideline. METHODS: We searched five bibliographic databases from 1946 to 20 April 2020 for studies about the diagnosis, management and prevention of anaphylaxis. We included 50 studies with 18 449 participants: 29 randomized controlled trials, seven controlled clinical trials, seven consecutive case series and seven case-control studies. Findings were summarized narratively because studies were too heterogeneous to conduct meta-analysis. RESULTS: It is unclear whether the NIAID/FAAN criteria or Brighton case definition are valid for immediately diagnosing anaphylaxis due to the very low certainty of evidence. There was also insufficient evidence about the impact of most anaphylaxis management and prevention strategies. Adrenaline is regularly used for first-line emergency management of anaphylaxis but little robust research has assessed its effectiveness. Newer models of adrenaline autoinjectors may slightly increase the proportion of people correctly using the devices and reduce time to administration. Face-to-face training for laypeople may slightly improve anaphylaxis knowledge and competence in using autoinjectors. We searched for but found little or no comparative effectiveness evidence about strategies such as fluid replacement, oxygen, glucocorticosteroids, methylxanthines, bronchodilators, management plans, food labels, drug labels and similar. CONCLUSIONS: Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening condition but, due to practical and ethical challenges, there is a paucity of robust evidence about how to diagnose and manage it.

EAACI guideline: Preventing the development of food allergy in infants and young children (2020 update).

BACKGROUND: This guideline from the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) recommends approaches to prevent the development of immediate-onset / IgE-mediated food allergy in infants and young children. It is an update of a 2014 EAACI guideline. METHODS: The guideline was developed using the AGREE II framework and the GRADE approach. An international Task Force with representatives from 11 countries and different disciplinary and clinical backgrounds systematically reviewed research and considered expert opinion. Recommendations were created by weighing up benefits and harms, considering the certainty of evidence and examining values, preferences and resource implications. The guideline was peer-reviewed by external experts, and feedback was incorporated from public consultation. RESULTS: All of the recommendations about preventing food allergy relate to infants (up to 1 year) and young children (up to 5 years), regardless of risk of allergy. There was insufficient evidence about preventing food allergy in other age groups. The EAACI Task Force suggests avoiding the use of regular cow's milk formula as supplementary feed for breastfed infants in the first week of life. The EAACI Task Force suggests introducing well-cooked, but not raw egg or uncooked pasteurized, egg into the infant diet as part of complementary feeding. In populations where there is a high prevalence of peanut allergy, the EAACI Task Force suggests introducing peanuts in an age-appropriate form as part of complementary feeding. According to the studies, it appears that the most effective age to introduce egg and peanut is from four to 6 months of life. The EAACI Task Force suggests against the following for preventing food allergy: (i) avoiding dietary food allergens during pregnancy or breastfeeding; and (ii) using soy protein formula in the first 6 months of life as a means of preventing food allergy. There is no recommendation for or against the following: use of vitamin supplements, fish oil, prebiotics, probiotics or synbiotics in pregnancy, when breastfeeding or in infancy; altering the duration of exclusive breastfeeding; and hydrolysed infant formulas, regular cow's milk-based infant formula after a week of age or use of emollients. CONCLUSIONS: Key changes from the 2014 guideline include suggesting (i) the introduction of peanut and well-cooked egg as part of complementary feeding (moderate certainty of evidence) and (ii) avoiding supplementation with regular cow's milk formula in the first week of life (low certainty of evidence). There remains uncertainty in how to prevent food allergy, and further well-powered, multinational research using robust diagnostic criteria is needed.

Preventing food allergy in infancy and childhood: Systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review of ways to prevent immediate-onset/IgE-mediated food allergy will inform guidelines by the European Academy of Allergy and Immunology (EAACI). METHODS: The GRADE approach was used. Eleven databases were searched from 1946 to October 2019 for randomized controlled trials (and large prospective cohort studies in the case of breastfeeding). The studies included heterogeneous interventions, populations, and outcomes and so were summarized narratively. RESULTS: Forty-six studies examined interventions to reduce the risk of food allergy in infancy (up to 1 year) or early childhood. The following interventions for pregnant or breastfeeding women and/or infants may have little to no effect on preventing food allergy, but the evidence is very uncertain: dietary avoidance of food allergens, vitamin supplements, fish oil, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and emollients. Breastfeeding, hydrolyzed formulas, and avoiding cow's milk formula may not reduce the risk of cow's milk protein allergy; however, temporary supplementation with cow's milk formula in the first week of life may increase the risk of cow's milk allergy. Introducing well-cooked egg, but not pasteurized raw egg, from 4 to 6 months probably reduces the risk of hen's egg allergy. Introducing regular peanut consumption into the diet of an infant at increased risk beginning from 4 to 11 months probably results in a large reduction in peanut allergy in countries with a high prevalence. These conclusions about introducing peanut are based on moderate certainty evidence, from single trials in high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Sixty percent of the included studies were published in the last 10 years, but much still remains to be understood about preventing food allergy. In particular, there is a need to validate the potential benefits of early introduction of food allergens in a wider range of populations.

Preventing immediate-onset food allergy in infants, children and adults: Systematic review protocol.

BACKGROUND: More than 17 million people across Europe have allergies to food and the burden of food allergies is increasing. In 2014, the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) published guidelines for preventing food allergy. Important research has been published since then and it is essential to ensure the guidelines reflect the latest evidence. A systematic review will be undertaken to help prepare new guidelines due to be published in 2020. METHODS: Eleven bibliographic databases will be searched from inception to 31 October 2019 for randomized controlled trials about any intervention designed to prevent the development of new cases of immediate-type/IgE-mediated food allergy in infants, children and adults. There are few randomized controlled trials about the impact of breastfeeding on food allergy so prospective cohort studies about breastfeeding with at least 1000 participants at general risk or 200 at high risk of food allergy will also be eligible. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach will be used to assess the certainty of the evidence and tabulate summary data. The risk of bias in individual trials will be assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. All data extraction and quality appraisal will be undertaken independently by two reviewers in partnership with a taskforce of EAACI members. CONCLUSIONS: Preventing food allergy has the potential to improve personal well-being and reduce societal healthcare costs. It is important that forthcoming European guidelines take the latest research into account. Past reviews have tended to focus on single interventions or combined food allergy with other outcomes, making it difficult to draw robust conclusions about potential impacts for policy and practice.

Cutting A&E use and health inequalities.

In south west London, nurses, community workers, GPs and others have worked together to develop a programme that supports migrant communities, resulting in a reduction in their use of accident and emergency services. The programme included setting up community education sessions, six-week courses, and bilingual advocacy and interpretation services. Its success relied heavily on the team getting to know local communities, working in partnership and making time to develop trust. The lessons learnt from establishing these services are discussed to help readers improve their equality and diversity practice.

Systematic review of monotherapy with biologicals for children and adults with IgE-mediated food allergy.

Background: Biological therapies relieve symptoms in allergic inflammatory diseases so we systematically reviewed the evidence about whether biological monotherapy could benefit people with IgE-mediated food allergy. Methods: We searched six bibliographic databases from 1946 to 30 September 2021 for randomised and non-randomised controlled trials about biological monotherapy in people with IgE-mediated food allergy confirmed by oral food challenge. We used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach to narratively summarise findings from three trials with 118 participants. The studies were too heterogeneous and sparse to conduct meta-analysis. Results: We included one randomised trial about etokimab, one about omalizumab and one about the discontinued TNX-901. All were in people with peanut allergy in the USA, mostly aged 13+ years. There was a trend towards improved tolerance of peanut during treatment, with few side effects. However, we have very low certainty about the evidence due to the small number of trials and participants. No included trial reported on quality of life or cost-effectiveness. Conclusions: There is not yet enough certainty to support offering etokimab or omalizumab widely for food allergy. Clinicians may consider the merits for individuals, but large randomised trials with standardised measures are needed to confirm the safety, efficacy and most suitable candidates, doses and durations of treatment before more universal use.

Managing food allergy: GA2LEN guideline 2022.

Food allergy affects approximately 2-4% of children and adults. This guideline provides recommendations for managing food allergy from the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network (GA2LEN). A multidisciplinary international Task Force developed the guideline using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II framework and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach. We reviewed the latest available evidence as of April 2021 (161 studies) and created recommendations by balancing benefits, harms, feasibility, and patient and clinician experiences. We suggest that people diagnosed with food allergy avoid triggering allergens (low certainty evidence). We suggest that infants with cow's milk allergy who need a breastmilk alternative use either hypoallergenic extensively hydrolyzed cow's milk formula or an amino acid-based formula (moderate certainty). For selected children with peanut allergy, we recommend oral immunotherapy (high certainty), though epicutaneous immunotherapy might be considered depending on individual preferences and availability (moderate certainty). We suggest considering oral immunotherapy for children with persistent severe hen's egg or cow's milk allergy (moderate certainty). There are significant gaps in evidence about safety and effectiveness of the various strategies. Research is needed to determine the best approaches to education, how to predict the risk of severe reactions, whether immunotherapy is cost-effective and whether biological therapies are effective alone or combined with allergen immunotherapy.

A before and after study of integrated training sessions for children's health and care services.

Recent UK policy drivers such as the National Collaboration for Integrated Care and Support and Making Every Contact Count prioritise integrated care, an approach that seeks to provide more coordinated and seamless health and social care. In children's services, despite many partners, there are challenges around integrating care. A deprived borough of London ran short training and networking sessions for services supporting children and young people. This study examined whether intersectoral training would improve participants' knowledge of local services and joint working (including communication, navigation and confidence in collaboration). As part of a service evaluation, the study utilised a pre-post Likert scale survey design for each training session, a 1-month follow-up survey, and telephone interviews with a subsample of participants. The educational intervention was three sets of 1.5 hr educational workshops from December 2016 to February 2017. There were 302 attendances from 202 individuals from the health (n = 99), education (n = 145), social care (n = 39) and voluntary (n = 19) sectors. The pre and post surveys found significant increases in self-assessed knowledge of health/education/social care/voluntary services and in some elements of joint working. However, these increases were not sustained in any domain after 1 month of follow-up. There was also no difference in self-assessments amongst those who attended three sessions compared to those who attended one or two. Telephone interviewees highlighted networking as being helpful and suggested that informative tasks and diverse attendance would be beneficial in future. To conclude, this study suggests that although short-learning sessions may seem to improve immediate knowledge and some elements of joint working in the short term, any gains are not sustained in the long term. The cost effectiveness of such schemes is in doubt but may be improved by a more targeted delivery of content.

Assessing the safety culture of care homes: a multimethod evaluation of the adaptation, face validity and feasibility of the Manchester Patient Safety Framework.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the cultural characteristics of healthcare organisations is widely recognised to be an important component of patient safety. A growing number of vulnerable older people are living in care homes but little attention has been paid to safety culture in this sector. In this study, we aimed to adapt the Manchester Patient Safety Framework (MaPSaF), a commonly used tool in the health sector, for use in care homes and then to test its face validity and preliminary feasibility as a tool for developing a better understanding of safety culture in the sector. METHODS: As part of a wider improvement programme to reduce the prevalence of common safety incidents among residents in 90 care homes in England, we adapted MaPSaF and carried out a multimethod participatory evaluation of its face validity and feasibility for care home staff. Data were collected using participant observation, interviews, documentary analysis and a survey, and were analysed thematically. RESULTS: MaPSaF required considerable adaptation in terms of its length, language and content in order for it to be perceived to be acceptable and useful to care home staff. The changes made reflected differences between the health and care home sectors in terms of the local context and wider policy environment, and the expectations, capacity and capabilities of the staff. Based on this preliminary study, the adapted tool, renamed 'Culture is Key', appears to have reasonable face validity and, with adequate facilitation, it is usable by front-line staff and useful in raising their awareness about safety issues. CONCLUSIONS: 'Culture is Key' is a new tool which appears to have acceptable face validity and feasibility to be used by care home staff to deepen their understanding of the safety culture of their organisations and therefore has potential to contribute to improving care for vulnerable older people.

International inter-school competition to encourage children to walk to school: a mixed methods feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Active travel to school can be an important contributor to the total physical activity of children but levels have declined and more novel approaches are required to stimulate this as an habitual behaviour. The aim of this mixed methods study was to investigate the feasibility of an international walk to school competition supported by novel swipecard technology to increase children's walking to/from school. METHODS: Children aged 9-13 years old participated in an international walk to school competition to win points for themselves, their school and their country over a 4-week period. Walks to and from school were recorded using swipecard technology and a bespoke website. For each point earned by participants, 1 pence (£ 0.01) was donated to the charity of the school's choice. The primary outcome was number of walks to/from school objectively recorded using the swipecard tracking system over the intervention period. Other measures included attitudes towards walking collected at baseline and week 4 (post-intervention). A qualitative sub-study involving focus groups with children, parents and teachers provided further insight. RESULTS: A total of 3817 children (mean age 11.5 ± SD 0.7) from 12 schools in three cities (London and Reading, England and Vancouver, Canada) took part in the intervention, representing a 95% intervention participation rate. Results show a gradual decline in the average number of children walking to and from school over the 4-week period (week 1 mean 29% ± SD2.5; week 2 mean 18% ± SD3.6; week 3 mean 14% ± SD4.0; week 4 mean 12% ± SD1.1). Post intervention, 97% of children felt that walking to school helped them stay healthy, feel happy (81%) and stay alert in class (76%). These results are supported by qualitative findings from children, parents and teachers. Key areas for improvement include the need to incorporate strategies for maintenance of behaviour change into the intervention and also to adopt novel methods of data collection to increase follow-up rates. CONCLUSIONS: This mixed methods study suggests that an international walk to school competition using innovative technology can be feasibly implemented and offers a novel way of engaging schools and motivating children to walk to school.

Teaching GP trainees to use health coaching in consultations with patients: evaluation of a pilot study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to describe the results of an evaluation of teaching health coaching to GP trainees for use in consultations with patients. DESIGN: Fourteen GP trainees were invited to attend a coaching skills training course. Each trainee was asked to apply coaching skills to up to four patients with long-term conditions. The evaluation used observation, surveys, review of trainee portfolios, and interviews with GP trainees, patients, and other stakeholders. FINDINGS: This evaluation found that it is feasible and useful to train GPs in health coaching. It had positive benefits for GP trainees, their patients, and the wider system. Lessons were also learned about the timing of the training, the style and content, the challenges of practising coaching skills within clinical practice, and selecting the most appropriate patients for coaching. LIMITATIONS: This is a small pilot with a keen group of GP trainees. Further research is needed to determine if such an approach provides meaningful changes to patient outcomes and whether such approaches are cost-effective.

The acute and long-term management of food allergy: protocol for a rapid systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Allergic reactions to plant and animal derived food allergens can have serious consequences for sufferers and their families. The associated social, emotional and financial costs make it a priority to understand the best ways of managing such immune-mediated hypersensitivity responses. Conceptually, there are two main approaches to managing food allergy: those targeting immediate symptoms and those aiming to support long-term management of the condition. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology is developing guidelines about what constitutes an effective treatment for food allergies. As part of the guidelines development process, a systematic review is planned to examine published research about the management of food allergy in adults and children. METHODS: Seven bibliographic databases were searched from their inception to September 30, 2012 for systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, quasi-randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, controlled before-and-after studies and interrupted time series. Experts were consulted for additional studies. There were no language or geographic restrictions. Studies were critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program and Cochrane EPOC Risk of Bias tools. Only studies where people had a diagnosis of food allergy or reported a history of food allergy were included. This means that many studies of conditions that may be caused by food allergy are omitted, because only research in people with an explicit diagnosis or history was eligible. DISCUSSION: Many initiatives have been tested to treat the immediate symptoms of food allergy (acute management) and to deal with longer lasting symptoms or induce tolerability to potential allergens (long-term management). The best management strategies for people with food allergy are likely to depend on the type of allergy, symptom manifestations and age. There is a real need to increase the amount of high quality research devoted to treatment strategies for food allergy. Food allergy can be debilitating and is affecting an increasing number of children and adults. With such little known about how to effectively manage the condition and its manifestations, this appears a priority for future research.