NICE Pathways: mapping our guidance
17 Apr 2014 12:00 PM
More than 90 per cent of NICE guidance can now
be viewed through NICE Pathways - the fastest and easiest way of accessing NICE
guidance and resources
NICE Pathways have been developed to provide a
simple way of seeing everything NICE has said on a particular topic. Each NICE
pathway maps out our guidance, and brings together all relevant NICE products
such as quality standards, and support tools.
Over the past year, the amount of guidance that can be
accessed via NICE Pathways has more than doubled, so that 92 per cent is now
available.
NICE Pathways that have been recently added include ones
on contraceptive services, head injury, and mental wellbeing and older
people.
The
NICE Pathway on dementia is among the most frequently visited pathways in
NICE's library.
Around 670,000 people in England are thought to have
dementia - a condition costs the NHS an estimated £19 billion. Yet less
than half of people with the condition ever receive a formal diagnosis. Though
many people with dementia receive excellent care, the quality of support
offered at care homes can often differ.
Advice on the diagnosis, assessment, management and care
of people with the condition can be found in NICE's dementia pathway, which maps out all of NICE's
recommendations on the topic
Information covered includes advice for primary care
professionals on when to refer people with early signs for specialist
assessment.
The
pathway provides recommendations for the integration and coordination of health and social care, for the
planning and delivery of services such as home care, day services, and
specialist mental health services.
Recommendations from NICE technology appraisals of drugs
for Alzheimer's disease can be found within the node for dementia interventions. The 'Into Practice'
link at the top of the pathway also provides access to a range of resources to
help implement the guidance, such as support for commissioners and support for
education and learning.
Other popular topics in NICE's library include the
pathways on diabetes and obesity. Both bring together clinical
recommendations, public health advice on areas such as physical activity, and
guidance relevant for local government.
Professor Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive of NICE,
said: "With 92 per cent of our guidance now accessible, there is no better
time to use NICE Pathways, especially if they are new to you.
"Our pathways are designed to be useful for anyone
who uses our guidance, presenting both a broad overview of a topic area, and
detailed recommendations which can be explored further."
She
added: "Each pathway pulls together everything that NICE has said on a
topic. So visiting the NICE Pathway on dementia or diabetes, will provide you
with advice not just from the relevant clinical guideline, but from technology
appraisals and quality standards too."
Professor Tony Kendrick, Professor of Primary Care and
Population Sciences at the University of Southampton, said: "NICE Pathways
are a logical and useful way of bringing together various pieces of guidance
together under one banner.
"The ability to get an overview of a topic is
particularly useful, as it allows you to get an outline of a topic area but
also access the relevant detail."