******apologies for cross posting******* 
 
The National Library for Health (NLH) Specialist Libraries have been 
developed to identify and meet the information needs of particular 
communities of practice. They are web-based collections containing 
clinical and non-clinical information on the major health priority areas. 
Each NLH Specialist Library identifies and provides access to quality 
assessed information of relevance to the community that it serves. An 
aspect of this involves the production of Annual Evidence Updates and 
National Knowledge Weeks. National Knowledge Weeks aim to highlight the 
best current evidence for selected healthcare topics - they consist of the 
good quality evidence from an Annual Evidence Update (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 
National Knowledge Weeks has been subject to rigorous selection criteria.

The following Annual Evidence Updates and National Knowledge Weeks are 
scheduled for October:

1st October

Antenatal Care National Knowledge Week (Women’s Health and Screening 
Specialist Libraries)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/womenshealth/ and 
http://www.library.nhs.uk/screening/

The Women's Health and Screening Specialist Libraries are holding a joint 
National Knowledge Week from 1st - 7th October. Focusing on antenatal care 
the Knowledge Week aims to provide health professionals with the most up-
to-date knowledge on the antenatal care and screening offered to pregnant 
women. We know that it is very difficult for busy health professionals to 
keep up-to-date with the huge volume of literature that is published each 
year and so the specialist libraries do this for you so that you don't 
have to!

Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Low Back Pain National 
Knowledge Week (Complementary and Alternative Medicine Specialist Library)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/cam/

The Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Specialist Library has 
organised a National Knowledge Week on CAM for Low Back Pain (1st - 5th 
October 2007) to tie in with the Royal College of General Practitioners 
National Annual Conference on Primary Care, 4th – 6th October 2007, which 
includes a focus on CAM for back pain. The National Knowledge Week on CAM 
for Low Back Pain aims to present a comprehensive collection of up-to-date 
information that has been subject to rigorous selection criteria. Brief 
commentaries have been prepared on the evidence for several topics 
including the use of specific CAM therapies such as acupuncture, herbal 
medicine and spinal manipulation in the management of low back pain. Other 
relevant resources such as studies on the extent of use of CAM in low back 
pain have also been added to the Library.

Osteoarthritis National Knowledge Week (Trauma & Orthopaedics and 
Musculoskeletal Specialist Libraries)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/trauma_orthopaedics/ and 
http://www.library.nhs.uk/musculoskeletal/

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition limiting function and mobility 
generally in the older patient. A considerable amount of health and social 
care resource is consumed in the support of OA sufferers. This important 
topic is examined in the Osteoarthritis National Knowledge Week launched 
by the Trauma & Orthopaedics Specialist Library, in conjunction with the 
Musculoskeletal Specialist Library, on the first of October. We hope that 
you will find something useful that will change the way you meet this 
challenge whether you work in the community, primary care or the acute 
sector. Many of the topics we commissioned charted seas of ignorance with 
our ‘Key Questions’ highlighting gaps in our knowledge awaiting robust 
exploration!

8th October

Ethnic Health National Knowledge Week (Ethnicity and Health Specialist 
Library)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/ethnicity/

The Ethnicity and Health Specialist Library will present its annual 
evidence update during the National Knowledge Week for ethnicity and 
health, 8th – 14th October 2007. Experts will provide informed editorial 
comment alongside selected links to the most reliable and up-to-date 
available evidence relating to the topic and hosted on the NLH Specialist 
Library. Each day during the week, a different sub-topic will be covered, 
under the overall theme of "Cultural Competence in Health Care service 
delivery", and we shall highlight some relevant resources and links 
alongside the expert editorials. Themes to be covered include:

* Diabetic care and obesity
* Interpretation and language support
* Supporting people in mental health
* Screening for disease
* End of life care
* Patient choices.

15th October
 
Breast Cancer National Knowledge Week (Cancer Specialist Library)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/cancer/

The third Breast Cancer National Knowledge Week will be launched on 15th 
October and this update will feature over 40 topics including information 
about:

* Risk factors
* Screening for the over 70s
* Herceptin as adjuvant therapy
* HER2 testing
* Post mastectomy radiotherapy
* Breast reconstruction 
* Sentinel node biopsy training programme
* Management of secondary (metastatic) breast cancer

The contents for National Knowledge Weeks are developed on the basis 
of ‘hot topics’ suggested by members of an Advisory Panel who provide high 
quality summaries which are linked to the latest published evidence. 
Summaries and resources are organised by topic area and links provided to 
the relevant guidance, systematic reviews and clinical trials. Full 
information about contributors is provided, together with a comprehensive 
resources page with quick links to information about statistics, 
epidemiology, databases, appraisal tools, clinical trial portals and 
breast cancer charities.

Palliative Care in Children National Knowledge Week (Child Health and 
Palliative & Supportive Care Specialist Libraries)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/childhealth/ and 
http://www.library.nhs.uk/palliative/

The Palliative & Supportive Care and Child Health Specialist Libraries 
will be presenting the latest collection of evidence and supporting 
information in the National Knowledge Week for Palliative Care in 
Children. Links will be provided to relevant guidance and systematic 
reviews, together with information on developments and organisations 
working in this area. To coincide with this week a presentation will be 
made at the “Presenting Children’s Palliative Care in the Context of 
Change” conference held on 19th October.

22nd October

Palliative and Supportive Care for Chronic Non-Malignant Diseases National 
Knowledge Week (Palliative & Supportive Care Specialist Library)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/palliative/

This knowledge week makes a start on several topics at once by producing a 
very concise tour around the current knowledge in 5 chronic 'non- cancer' 
diseases. It covers a different condition each day: Chronic Heart Failure, 
COPD, End-Stage Renal Disease, Lymphoedema and Nervous System Diseases. 
With support from expert contributors, we aim to build on this with a full 
national knowledge week devoted to each topic in 2008. 

29th October

Epilepsy Annual Evidence Update (Neurological Conditions Specialist 
Library)
http://www.nks.nhs.uk/neurology.asp

The Epilepsy Annual Evidence Update will include a selection of all 
systematic reviews and guidelines published on epilepsy from 2005 onwards. 
The articles are being reviewed by a group of clinicians to assess their 
relevance and validity for inclusion.

Heart Failure National Knowledge Week (Cardiovascular Diseases Specialist 
Library)
http://www.library.nhs.uk/cardiovascular/

The Cardiovascular Diseases Specialist Library is hosting a National 
Knowledge Week on Heart Failure from 29th October 2007. Heart failure is 
common, deadly and preventable, affecting (estimated prevalence) over 
800,000 people in the UK.  Heart failure accounts for about 5% of 
admissions to general medical or elderly care hospital beds, and 
readmission rates can be as high as 50% in the six months following 
initial hospital stay. Annual mortality ranges from 10-50% depending on 
initial severity. 

The evidence base for heart failure prevention, treatment and care has 
grown in recent years as our understanding and awareness of the burden of 
this condition on individuals, their families, the NHS and wider society 
has risen. In 2003 the National Institute for Health and Clinical 
Excellence (NICE) published guidelines on management of chronic heart 
failure in primary and secondary care. Our Knowledge Week is designed to 
update health professionals and patients on significant advances in 
knowledge about heart failure, taking the NICE guideline as our starting 
point for searching the literature.

Seasonal Flu National Knowledge Week (National electronic Library of 
Infection)
http://www.neli.org.uk/

The National electronic Library of Infection is collaborating with the 
Influenza and Respiratory Virus Programme Board of the Health Protection 
Agency to host a Seasonal Flu National Knowledge Week from the 29th of 
October to the 2nd of November. October marks the beginning of the 
seasonal monitoring of influenza activity in the UK, and the National 
electronic Library of Infection aims to provide busy healthcare 
professionals with quick and easy access to the best and most up-to-date 
knowledge through this National Knowledge Week. The articles have been 
selected to provide best evidence of current guidance or information about 
circulating influenza virus strains, their impact on different population 
groups, the flu vaccine uptake programme and guidance on the use of 
antiviral therapy.

Niamh Leonard
Information Manager - Specialist Libraries
0790 9991527

NHS Institute, Knowledge and Learning Team: National Library for Health
www.library.nhs.uk