Preface It is an honor to pen an introduction to this special issue of Translational Andrology and Urology (TAU) focused on interstitial cystitis (IC)/bladder pain syndrome (BPS). The response to our invitations to contribute manuscripts on this timely subject has been overwhelming and resulted in the need to publish two issues of the journal—October 2015 and December 2015—to accommodate the su...

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is an evidence-based decision-making process, focusing on evaluating health technologies for funding within a healthcare system. 'Health technologies' include medications, medical devices, diagnostics, medical procedures and services. Health Technology Assessment international (HTAi) is a global society for those who produce, use, partic...

BACKGROUND Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally. Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is an evidence-based intervention recommended for patients with CVD, to prevent recurrent events and to improve quality of life. However, despite the proven benefits, only a small percentage of those would benefit from CR actually receive it worldwide. This paper by the International Co...

The headache history is discussed as a model for establishing effective doctor patient communication. A thorough knowledge regarding headache onset, course and current features provides a basis for diagnosis and management. The principles of acceptance, validation, empathy, respect and advocacy are explored.