******apologies for cross posting*******

The NHS Evidence Specialist Collections 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 specialist collection 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, which aim to highlight the best current evidence for selected healthcare topics. Annual Evidence Updates consist of the good quality evidence from 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 Annual Evidence Updates has been subject to rigorous selection criteria.

The calendar of Annual Evidence Updates until March 2010 is available at www.library.nhs.uk/forlibrarians/sl.

The following Annual Evidence Updates are scheduled for September:

7 September

Annual Evidence Update on Hepatitis B/C (NHS Evidence - gastroenterology and liver diseases)

www.library.nhs.uk/gastroliver

The Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Specialist Collection is launching its third Annual Evidence Update on Hepatitis B and C on Monday 7 September to coincide with the British Association for the Study of the Liver Annual Meeting.

The Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Project Team has carried out a systematic literature search on Hepatitis B and C to identify all high level evidence published since the date of the last AEU in 2008, including guidelines, systematic reviews, health technology assessments and economic evaluations. Leading experts from around the UK have read and appraised these for their validity and relevance to the busy clinician. A list of the papers deemed worthy of inclusion, along with expert commentaries by our reviewers, will be freely available on the site at www.library.nhs.uk/gastroliver. This year we have also begun to identify uncertainties in research to contribute to the DUETs project (see www.library.nhs.uk/duets for more details).

We welcome feedback about the Update - please contact us with any comments on [log in to unmask].

Annual Evidence Update on Gastrointestinal symptoms in supportive and palliative care (NHS Evidence - supportive and palliative care)

www.library.nhs.uk/palliative

The second supportive and palliative care Annual Evidence Update on symptom management in gastroenterology collects together the latest high quality evidence on 3 topics:

* Mouth care

* Diarrhoea

* Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) feeding

14 September

Annual Evidence Update on Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia (NHS Evidence - later life)

www.library.nhs.uk/laterlife

The Annual Evidence Update aims to provide healthcare professionals with a clear path to the most important recent evidence surrounding the 5 types of dementia:

* Alzheimer's

* Vascular Dementia

* Dementia with Lewy Bodies

* Frontotemporal Dementia

* Mixed Dementia

Annual Evidence Update on Eczema (NHS Evidence - skin disorders)

www.library.nhs.uk/skin

NHS Evidence - skin disorders is producing its third Annual Evidence Update on Atopic Eczema on 14 September 2009, with the results of a search for new national guidance and systematic reviews published since the 2008 Annual Evidence Update. There will be the collection’s usual “what’s new” analysis, discussing the new evidence and its implications for clinical practice—this year written by Professor Hywel Williams and Dr Jonathan Batchelor.

21 September

Annual Evidence Update on Osteoarthritis (NHS Evidence – musculoskeletal and NHS Evidence - trauma and orthopaedics)

www.library.nhs.uk/musculoskeletal and www.library.nhs.uk/trauma_orthopaedics

At the end of September, NHS Evidence – musculoskeletal in conjunction with NHS Evidence – trauma and orthopaedics will release their latest Annual Evidence Update on Osteoarthritis. As in the past, this publication will consist of all of the relevant systematic reviews that have been published in the last 12 months along with any other important material such as national guidelines. As always, we hope that you will find this valuable and we welcome feedback, so please do let us know what you think.

Annual Evidence Update on Surgical aspects of faecal incontinence (NHS Evidence - surgery, anaesthesia, perioperative and critical care)

www.library.nhs.uk/theatres

NHS Evidence – surgery, anaesthesia, perioperative and critical care will be publishing its second Annual Evidence Update (AEU) on the surgical management of faecal incontinence. The update will coincide with National Continence Awareness Week 2009 beginning 21 September. NICE guidance on faecal incontinence was published in June 2007 based on literature published prior to October 2006. Having published the first update in September 2008, this AEU will highlight relevant, good quality evidence published between July 2008 and July 2009, focusing specifically on surgical management (including biofeedback and implants).

28 September

Annual Evidence Update on Antenatal and Pregnancy Care (NHS Evidence - women's health)

www.library.nhs.uk/womenshealth

This Annual Evidence Update (AEU) aims to provide clinicians with the most up-to-date knowledge on the antenatal and pregnancy care offered to women. The update brings together the results of a comprehensive literature search for new research published since July 2008. The 2009 AEU builds on the AEU from last year and adds to this any new evidence identified from the up-to-date literature search. Topics include:

* information needs

* common pregnancy problems

* provision of antenatal care

* antenatal ultrasound

* fetal heart rate monitoring.

We know that it is very difficult for busy clinicians to keep up-to-date with the huge volume of literature that is published each year and so NHS Evidence - women's health does this for you so that you don't have to!

Annual Evidence Update on Hyperthyroidism (NHS Evidence - ENT and audiology)

www.library.nhs.uk/ent

Research on thyroid disorders continues to proliferate and this evidence update will present a concise summary of the latest guidelines, systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials on hyperthyroidism, combined with a list of current therapeutic uncertainties to prioritise future research. Multiple databases have been searched to capture all emerging evidence for the period September 2008 to August 2009.

Niamh Leonard
Information Manager - Specialist Collections