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Effective Health Care and Effectiveness Matters

Effective Health Care bulletins were based on a systematic review and synthesis of research on the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of health service interventions. The work was carried out following established methodological guidelines, with advice from expert consultants for each topic. The bulletins were subject to extensive and rigorous peer review.

From 1992 to 2004 the bulletins played a central role in the development and promotion of evidence informed practice in the NHS. We produced 53 issues and distributed around 3.25 million paper and 1.6 million electronic copies to key audiences in the NHS and beyond.

Effectiveness Matters provided updates on the effectiveness of important health interventions for practitioners and decision makers in the NHS. They covered topics in a short and journalistic style, summarising the results of high-quality systematic reviews. Over 90,000 copies were distributed free within the NHS.

Effective Health Care and Effectiveness Matters were subject to extensive and rigorous peer review.

The contents of each should be considered in relation to the time of original publication as significant new research evidence is likely to have become available.

Effective Health Care 

Volume 8 (2003-2004)

  1. Inhaler devices for the management of asthma and COPD (PDF , 204kb)
  2. Treating nocturnal enuresis in children (PDF , 196kb)
  3. The management of colorectal cancers (PDF , 227kb)
  4. Effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs in black people (PDF , 1,207kb)
  5. Management of head and neck cancers (PDF , 603kb)
  6. Diagnosing urinary tract infection in the under fives (PDF , 671kb)

Volume 7 (2001-2002)

  1. Effectiveness of laxatives in adults (PDF , 214kb)
  2. Acupuncture (PDF , 208kb)
  3. Homeopathy (PDF , 207kb)
  4. Interventions for the management of CFS/ME (PDF , 211kb)
  5. Improving the recognition and management of depression in primary care (PDF , 220kb)
  6. The prevention and treatment of childhood obesity (PDF , 210kb)

Volume 6 (2000)

  1. Complications of diabetes: renal disease and promotion of self-management (PDF , 292kb)
  2. Promoting the initiation of breastfeeding (PDF , 295kb)
  3. Psychosocial interventions for schizophrenia (PDF , 258kb)
  4. Management of upper gastro-intestinal cancers (PDF , 248kb)
  5. Acute and chronic low back pain (PDF , 192kb)
  6. Informing, communicating and sharing decisions with people who have cancer (PDF , 246kb)

Volume 5 (1999)

  1. Getting evidence into practice (PDF , 312kb)
  2. Dental restoration: what type of filling? (PDF , 288kb)
  3. Management of gynaecological cancers (PDF , 297kb)
  4. Complications of diabetes: screening for retinopathy; management of foot ulcers (PDF , 286kb)
  5. Preventing the uptake of smoking in young people (PDF , 284kb)
  6. Drug treatments for schizophrenia (PDF , 286kb)

Volume 4 (1998)

  1. Cholesterol and coronary heart disease: screening and treatment (PDF , 220kb)
  2. Pre-school hearing, speech, language and vision screening (PDF , 134kb)
  3. Management of lung cancer (PDF , 137kb)
  4. Cardiac rehabilitation (PDF , 141kb)- Cardiac rehabilitation - Erratum (PDF , 5kb)
  5. Antimicrobial prophylaxis in colorectal surgery (PDF , 119kb)
  6. Deliberate self-harm (PDF , 669kb)

Volume 3 (1997)

  1. Preventing and reducing the adverse effects of unintended teenage pregnancies (PDF , 142kb)
  2. The prevention and treatment of obesity (PDF , 149kb)
  3. Mental health promotion in high risk groups (PDF , 140kb)
  4. Compression therapy for venous leg ulcers (PDF , 207kb)
  5. Management of stable angina (PDF , 126kb)
  6. The management of colorectal cancer (PDF , 147kb)

Volume 2 (1995-1996)

  1. The prevention and treatment of pressure sores (PDF , 237kb)
  2. Benign prostatic hyperplasia: treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms in olde (PDF , 220kb)
  3. Management of cataract (PDF , 178kb)
  4. Preventing falls and subsequent injury in older people (PDF , 219kb)
  5. Preventing unintentional injuries in children and young adolescents (PDF , 221kb)
  6. Management of primary breast cancer (PDF , 171kb)
  7. Total hip replacement (PDF , 144kb)
  8. Hospital volume and health care outcomes, costs and patient access (PDF , 154kb)

Volume 1 (1992-1995)

  1. Screening for osteoporosis to prevent fractures (PDF , 1,368kb)
  2. Stroke rehabilitation (PDF , 1,251kb)
  3. The management of subfertility (PDF , 2,419kb)
  4. The treatment of persistent glue ear in children (PDF , 1,972kb)
  5. The treatment of depression in primary care (PDF , 1,384kb)
  6. Cholesterol: screening and treatment (PDF , 1,108kb)
  7. Brief interventions and alcohol abuse (PDF , 1,373kb)
  8. Implementing clinical practice guidelines (PDF , 1,489kb)
  9. Management of menorrhagia (PDF , 1,278kb)

Effectiveness Matters

Volume 6 (2002)

  1. Cost-Effectiveness Matters: The NHS Economic Evaluation Database (PDF , 53kb)
  2. The Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (PDF , 62kb)

Volume 5 (2001)

  1. Accessing the evidence on clinical effectiveness (PDF , 127kb)
  2. Counselling in primary care (PDF , 422kb)

Volume 4 (1999)

  1. Treating head lice and scabies (PDF , 95kb)
  2. Drug treatment of essential hypertension in older people (PDF , 115kb)

Volume 3 (1998)

  1. Smoking cessation: what the health service can do (PDF , 70kb)
  2. Prophylactic removal of impacted third molars: is it justified? (PDF , 76kb)

Volume 2 (1996-97)

  1. Influenza vaccination and older people (PDF , 74kb)
  2. a. Screening for prostate cancer (PDF , 60kb)b. Screening for prostate cancer: Information for men considering or asking for PSA (PDF , 573kb) (patient information leaflet)

Volume 1 (1995)

  1. Aspirin and myocardial infarction (PDF , 76kb)
  2. Helicobacter pylori and peptic ulcer (PDF , 81kb)