This month in Eyes on Evidence

Eyes on Evidence survey
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Premature death in people with learning disabilities
A population-based cohort study in south west England reports that people with learning disabilities die roughly 16 years younger than the general population and are around twice as likely to die from causes preventable by good healthcare.

Self-harm and suicide in prisons
A case–control study reports that self-harm is common in the prison population in England and Wales, in particular among women prisoners, and is associated with a raised risk of suicide.

Admissions to hospital for any type of infection and childhood vaccinations
An observational study in Denmark finds that admissions to hospital for any infection after receiving the combined vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella are lower than after receiving the combined vaccine for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, and Haemophilus influenzae type b.

Radical radiotherapy or prostatectomy for prostate cancer
In a retrospective analysis of Swedish national data, for men with non-metastatic prostate cancer radical radiotherapy was associated with higher mortality than radical prostatectomy.

Effects of decision aids on patients’ decision-making about treatments or screening
A Cochrane review notes that decision aids may increase patients’ understanding of risks associated with different options for medical treatment or screening and may increase the likelihood of making a choice that matches their values and stated preferences.

Antibiotic prescribing in UK primary care
A NICE Medicines Evidence Commentary outlines reports that there were improvements in some aspects of antibiotic prescribing in primary care between 1999 and 2011, but there remain some areas of concern and significant variation between GP practices.

Evidence Updates
NICE has recently published Evidence Updates on:

• Preventing type 2 diabetes: population and community-level interventions
• Headaches