Take a deep breath

To accompany last year's outcomes strategy for COPD and asthma, DH has produced a companion document that sets out best practice guidance for commissioners, particulraly in the transition period, ahead of the CCGs and the NHS Commissioning Board taking up the reins.  As Pulse points out, the guidance includes a case-finding approach to identifying undiagnosed patients.  A Swedish study of the use of a mini-spirometer in improving diagnosis of COPD finds it a highly effective device.  The companion document also reveals that DH is trialling the use of microspirometry in case finding in Yorkshire and Humber: the project is due to report in late 2012.

Pack shot

DH has launched its consultation on food labelling, aimed at a creating single system of front of pack nutritional information display.   Currently, around 80% of food products sold in the UK do provide nutritional labelling, but there are many systems.  DH estimates that if the big 7 supermarkets all hamonised their nutritional labelling, this would affect about half of all the food sold in the UK.  Responses are due in by 5 August.  Join the queue!  A recent study of Australian consumers found rather poor understanding of energy labelling at least.  The May issueof Public Health Nutrition carries a few articles on the subject, , looking at strategies to increase food label use int he US, German consumer responses to traffic light labelling systems and an online test from New Zealand of consumer response to low sodium labelling.