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News and events

What's new

NIHR launches new Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

The NIHR is comitted to ensuring that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) is embedded in everything it does. Launching today (28th September) the EDI it an important step in realising this commitment.

Three out of four people with heart failure could be diagnosed sooner, potentially improving quality of life and reducing costs to the healthcare system.

Researchers from the University of Oxford have today reported that only 1 in 4 people diagnosed with heart failure received a simple, recommended blood test that could have resulted in an earlier diagnosis at a more treatable stage.

An infographic highlighting the main findings and conclusions of the study

BLOG: Natriuretic peptide testing and heart failure survival

NIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer and GP Dr Clare Taylor gives a breakdown of the findings and their importance of a recent publication on heart failure and natriuretic peptide testing by herself and colleagues.

New way to measure complexity in primary care

A new measure of complexity in primary care, which could help with allocating resources based on the practice population’s level of need, has been developed by NIHR Community Healthcare MedTech and In Vitro Diagnostics Cooperative supported researchers.

A photograph of aa woman having her temperature measured using an infrared thermometer.

Comparing infrared thermometers with more traditional methods for measuring children's body temperature

General practitioners commonly measure children’s temperature using a thermometer placed in the armpit or ear canal. New ’non-contact’ thermometers use infrared light to measure temperature without touching the child. They are easy to use and there is no risk of passing on infections. However, we do not know how well they measure temperature compared with thermometers that use the armpit or the ear.

Community Healthcare MIC co-leads platform to accelerate COVID-19 tests into real-world community and hospital use

COVID-19: Online Medical Device Regulation Tool Goes Live

A digital tool to make it easier to understand how medical device regulations apply to your product in the current climate.

The NIHR's Response to COVID-19

The NIHR has established a single, national prioritisation process for COVID-19 research to prevent duplication of effort and ensure that the resources and capacity of the healthcare system are not exceeded.

More news

Features

Lateral flow COVID tests: Convenient and fast but negative results don't rule out infection

24 July 2023

How reliable are rapid COVID tests? Our new study put two popular kits to the test. The results reveal their strengths and limitations and what that means for people using them or relying on their results.

Abstract image of bladder and medical testing

Diagnosing urinary tract infection in primary care

10 July 2023

Thomas Fanshawe's latest blog discusses a study of over 1000 women to evaluate the effectiveness of UTI diagnostic guidelines in primary care. It underlines the potential for misdiagnosis and calls for improved point-of-care tests.

A graphics comparing the pros and cons of two ways to diagnose malaria. Microscopy Current “gold standard” test for malaria. Carried out in a laboratory by examining a drop of the patient's blood under a microscope to look for the presence of the malaria parasites. Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) A type of diagnostic tool (similar to at home Covid tests many will be familiar with). For malaria, these tests typically involve a nger-prick blood sample. Pros • Highly accurate when performed by trained personnel. • Can identify the specic species of malaria parasite, which is important for treatment decisions. • Allows for the quantication of parasites in the blood, which can help assess disease severity. Cons • Can be time-consuming, delaying diagnosis and treatment. • Can put added costs and pressure on busy frontline settings. Pros • Quick results, often within 15–30 minutes. • Simple to use. • Does not require specialised training or equipment. • Can be used in a wide range of settings, including remote areas with limited laboratory facilities. Cons • May not be as accurate as microscopy, particularly for detecting non-falciparum species of malaria. • Cannot quantify the number of parasites in the blood. • Some strains of Plasmodium falciparum with certain gene deletions may not be detected by certain types of RDTs.

Ruling out malaria infection in children in UK emergency departments

29 June 2023

Rising malaria in UK kids post-pandemic: Dr Chris Bird highlights research on the potential of Rapid Diagnostic Tests for quicker malaria detection, reducing painful blood tests and hospital wait times.

Natriuretic peptide testing and heart failure diagnosis

29 June 2023

How can the NHS be made more attractive for hosting commercial medical device studies? Insights from an NIHR industry engagement workshop

8 January 2018

Alex is a post-doctoral researcher in the Interdisciplinary Research in Health Sciences (IRIHS) group in Oxford University's Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. He has a broad social science interest in medical innovation and health research policy. He tweets as @rushforthad