Reducing lifestyle risk behaviours in disadvantaged groups in high-income countries: A scoping review of systematic reviews

ObjectiveTo describe available evidence from systematic reviews of alternative healthcare delivery arrangements relevant to high-income countries to inform decisions about healthcare system improvement.DesignScoping review of systematic reviews.Data sourcesSystematic reviews of interventions indexed in Pretty Darn Quick-Evidence.Eligibility criteriaAll English language systematic reviews evaluating the effects of alternative delivery arrangements relevant to high-income countries, published between 1 January 2012 and 20 September 2017. Eligible reviews had to summarise evidence on at least one of the following outcomes: patient outcomes, quality of care, access and/or use of healthcare services, resource use, impacts on equity and/or social outcomes, healthcare provider outcomes or adverse effects.Data extraction and synthesisJournal, publication year, number and design of primary studies, populations/health conditions represented and types of outcomes were extracted.ResultsOf 829 retrieved records, 531 reviews fulfilled our inclusion criteria. Almost all (93%) reviews reported on patient outcomes, while only about one-third included resource use as an outcome of interest. Just over a third (n=189, 36%) of reviews focused on alternative information and communications technology interventions (including 162 reviews on telehealth). About one-quarter (n=122, 23%) of reviews focused on alternative care coordination interventions. 15% (n=80) of reviews examined interventions involving changes to who provides care and how the healthcare workforce is managed. Few reviews investigated the effects of interventions involving changes to how and when care is delivered (n=47, 9%) or interventions addressing a goal-focused question (n=38, 7%).ConclusionA substantial body of evidence about the effects of a wide range of delivery arrangements is available to inform health system improvements. The lack of economic evaluations in the majority of systematic reviews of delivery arrangements means that the value of many of these models is unknown. This scoping review identifies evidence gaps that would be usefully addressed by future research.

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Alternative service models for delivery of healthcare services in high-income countries: a scoping review of systematic reviews

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-024385 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. e024385 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Rebecca L Jessup ◽

Denise A O’Connor ◽

Polina Putrik ◽

Kobi Rischin ◽

Janet Nezon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health System ◽

Health Systems ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

High Income ◽

Primary Data ◽

Delivery Of Healthcare ◽

Service Models ◽

Alternative Delivery

IntroductionCosts associated with the delivery of healthcare services are growing at an unsustainable rate. There is a need for health systems and healthcare providers to consider the economic impacts of the service models they deliver and to determine if alternative models may lead to improved efficiencies without compromising quality of care. The aim of this protocol is to describe a scoping review of the extent, range and nature of available synthesised research on alternative delivery arrangements for health systems relevant to high-income countries published in the last 5 years.DesignWe will perform a scoping review of systematic reviews of trials and economic studies of alternative delivery arrangements for health systems relevant to high-income countries published on ‘Pretty Darn Quick’ (PDQ)-Evidence between 1 January 2012 and 20 September 2017. All English language systematic reviews will be included. The Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care taxonomy of health system interventions will be used to categorise delivery arrangements according to: how and when care is delivered, where care is provided and changes to the healthcare environment, who provides care and how the healthcare workforce is managed, co-ordination of care and management of care processes and information and communication technology systems. This work is part of a 5-year Partnership Centre for Health System Sustainability aiming to investigate and create interventions to improve health-system-performance sustainability.Ethics and disseminationNo primary data will be collected, so ethical approval is not required. The study findings will be published and presented at relevant conferences.

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The Scoping Review of Smart Healthcare Applications in Medical Health (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.18681 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Cheng Hang Wu ◽

Ching Ju Chiu ◽

Yen Ju Liou ◽

Chun Ying Lee ◽

Susan C. Hu

Keyword(s):

Systematic Reviews ◽

Mobile Health ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Search Strategy ◽

Rapid Development ◽

Related Research ◽

Geographic Access ◽

Smart Healthcare ◽

Research Findings ◽

Healthcare Interventions

BACKGROUND There is still no consensus on research terms for smart healthcare worldwide. The study conducted by Lewis 10 years ago showed extending geographic access was the major health purpose of health-related information communication technology (ICT), but today's situation may be different because of the rapid development of smart healthcare. Objective: The main aim of this study is to classify recent smart healthcare interventions. Therefore, this scoping review was conducted as a feasible tool for exploring this domain and summarizing related research findings. OBJECTIVE The main aim of this study is to classify recent smart healthcare interventions. Therefore, this scoping review was conducted as a feasible tool for exploring this domain and summarizing related research findings. METHODS The scoping review relies on the analysis of previous reviews of smart healthcare interventions assessed for their effectiveness in the framework of a systematic review and/or meta-analysis. The search strategy was based on the identification of smart healthcare interventions reported as the proposed keywords. In the analysis, the reviews published from January 2015 to December 2019 were included. RESULTS The number of publications for smart healthcare's systematic reviews has continued to grow in the past five years. The search strategy yielded 210 systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses addressed to target groups of interest. 68.5% of these publications used mobile health as a keyword. According to the classification by Lewis, 37.62% of the literature was applied to extend geographic access. According to the classification by the Joint Commission of Taiwan (JCT), 48.84% of smart healthcare was applied in clinical areas, and 60% of it was applied in outpatient medical services. CONCLUSIONS Smart healthcare interventions are being widely used in clinical settings and for disease management. The research of mobile health has received the most attention among smart healthcare interventions. The main purpose of mobile health was used to extend geographic access to increase medical accessibility in clinical areas. CLINICALTRIAL none

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Assessing the indirect effects of COVID-19 on healthcare delivery, utilization and health outcomes: a scoping review

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckab047 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Charlotte M Roy ◽

E Brennan Bollman ◽

Laura M Carson ◽

Alexander J Northrop ◽

Elizabeth F Jackson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Outcomes ◽

Health Effects ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Cardiovascular Health ◽

Healthcare Delivery ◽

Final Analysis ◽

High Income ◽

Future Research ◽

Published Data ◽

Local Health

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and global efforts to contain its spread, such as stay-at-home orders and transportation shutdowns, have created new barriers to accessing healthcare, resulting in changes in service delivery and utilization globally. The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the literature published thus far on the indirect health effects of COVID-19 and to explore the data sources and methodologies being used to assess indirect health effects. Methods A scoping review of peer-reviewed literature using three search engines was performed. Results One hundred and seventy studies were included in the final analysis. Nearly half (46.5%) of included studies focused on cardiovascular health outcomes. The main methodologies used were observational analytic and surveys. Data were drawn from individual health facilities, multicentre networks, regional registries, and national health information systems. Most studies were conducted in high-income countries with only 35.4% of studies representing low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Conclusion Healthcare utilization for non-COVID-19 conditions has decreased almost universally, across both high- and lower-income countries. The pandemic’s impact on non-COVID-19 health outcomes, particularly for chronic diseases, may take years to fully manifest and should be a topic of ongoing study. Future research should be tied to system improvement and the promotion of health equity, with researchers identifying potentially actionable findings for national, regional and local health leadership. Public health professionals must also seek to address the disparity in published data from LMICs as compared with high-income countries.

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Assessing Time of Eating in Commensality Research

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18062941 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (6) ◽

pp. 2941

Author(s):

Henrik Scander ◽

Maria Lennernäs Wiklund ◽

Agneta Yngve

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Time Use ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Search Term ◽

Working Population ◽

Nutritional Health ◽

The Family ◽

Use Studies

Commensal meals seem to be related to a better nutritional and metabolic health as well as an improved quality of life. The aim of this paper was to examine to what extent research was performed using the search term commensality related to assessment of timing of meals. A scoping review was performed, where 10 papers were identified as specifically addressing the assessment of timing of commensality of meals. Time use studies, questionnaires, and telephone- and person-to-person interviews were used for assessing meal times in relation to commensality. Four of the studies used a method of time use registration, and six papers used interviews or questionnaires. Common meals with family members were the most common, and dinners late at night were often preferred for commensal activities among the working population. In conclusion, the family meal seemed to be the most important commensal meal. It is clear from the collected papers and from previous systematic reviews that more studies of commensal meals in general and about timing aspects in particular and in relation to nutritional health are essential to provide a solid background of knowledge regarding the importance of timing in relation to commensal meals.

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A scoping review of female drowning: an underexplored issue in five high-income countries

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10920-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kym Roberts ◽

Ogilvie Thom ◽

Susan Devine ◽

Peter A. Leggat ◽

Amy E. Peden ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Risk Factors ◽

United Kingdom ◽

New Zealand ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Scoping Review ◽

The United States ◽

Clinical Treatment ◽

High Income ◽

Public Health Issue

Abstract Background Drowning is a significant public health issue, with females accounting for one third of global drowning deaths. The rate of female drowning has not decreased within high-income countries and presentations to hospital have increased. This scoping review aimed to explore adult female unintentional drowning, including risk factors, clinical treatment and outcomes of females hospitalised for drowning. Methods A systematic search of the literature following the PRISMA-ScR framework was undertaken. The databases OVID MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, OVID Emcare, Web of Science, Informit and Scopus were accessed. Study locations of focus were Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Studies from January 2003 to April 2019 were included. The quality of evidence of included studies was assessed using GRADE guidelines. Results The final search results included 14 studies from Australia (n = 4), Canada (n = 1), New Zealand (n = 1), United States (n = 6), United Kingdom (n = 1), and one study reporting data from both Australia and United States. Nine studies reported risk factors for female drowning including age, with the proportion of female drowning incidence increasing with age. Although females are now engaging in risk-taking behaviours associated with drowning that are similar to males, such as consuming alcohol and swimming in unsafe locations, their exposure to risky situations and ways they assess risk, differ. Females are more likely to drown from accidental entry into water, such as in a vehicle during a flood or fall into water. This review found no evidence on the clinical treatment provided to females in hospital after a drowning incident, and only a small number of studies reported the clinical outcomes of females, with inconsistent results (some studies reported better and some no difference in clinical outcomes among females). Conclusion Adult females are a group vulnerable to drowning, that have lacked attention. There was no single study found which focused solely on female drowning. There is a need for further research to explore female risk factors, the clinical treatment and outcomes of females hospitalised for drowning. This will not only save the lives of females, but also contribute to an overall reduction in drowning.

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Mapping evidence on the distribution of the costs associated with cancer of prostate, cervix, and female breast in the sub-Saharan Africa: protocol for a scoping review

Systematic Reviews ◽

10.1186/s13643-021-01672-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cebisile Ngcamphalala ◽

Ellinor Ostensson ◽

Mbuzeleni Hlongwa ◽

Themba G. Ginindza

Keyword(s):

Systematic Reviews ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Economic Burden ◽

Indirect Costs ◽

Economic Consequences ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Breast Cancers ◽

Direct And Indirect Costs ◽

Female Breast ◽

Sub Saharan

Abstract Background Despite the well-documented information on cancer prevention and management, among noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), globally, cancer continues to be the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality with devastating economic consequences. The burden is disproportionately more among developing countries and the extent of evidence available on the economic consequences (direct and indirect costs) of cancer remains unknown in low-income countries particularly in the sub-Saharan region. Understanding the costs of illness is important to inform decision-making on setting up health care policies and informing economic evaluation of interventions. This study aims to map evidence on the distribution of the economic burden (direct and indirect costs) associated with prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of three predominant cancers: prostate, cervix, and female breast in the sub-Saharan Africa. Methods This scoping review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), and will be conducted following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework. We will search PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINHAL (via EBSCOhost platform), Science Direct, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Africa-Wide Information, Google Scholar, and WHO Library. We will perform hand-searching of the reference lists of included studies and other relevant documents. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. We will include primary studies from all study designs reporting costs associated with prevention, diagnosis and treatment of prostate, cervical, and breast cancers in the sub-Saharan region. Data analysis will involve quantitative (e.g., frequencies) and qualitative (e.g., thematic analysis) methods. A narrative summary of findings will be presented. Discussion This review will map the extent of information available on the economic burden (direct and indirect costs) of prostate, cervical, and breast cancers in the sub-Saharan region. Further guidance for future research in the subject area will be discussed. Systematic review registration Open Science Framework

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Scoping review assessing the evidence used to support the adoption of mobile health (mHealth) technologies for the education and training of community health workers (CHWs) in low-income and middle-income countries

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019827 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. e019827 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Niall Winters ◽

Laurenz Langer ◽

Anne Geniets

Keyword(s):

Systematic Reviews ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Low Income ◽

Health Workers ◽

Education And Training ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Mobile Technologies ◽

Middle Income ◽

And Training ◽

Formal Theories

ObjectivesUndertake a systematic scoping review to determine how a research evidence base, in the form of existing systematic reviews in the field of mobile health (mHealth), constitutes education and training for community health workers (CHWs) who use mobile technologies in everyday work. The review was informed by the following research questions: does educational theory inform the design of the education and training component of mHealth interventions? How is education and training with mobile technology by CHWs in low-income and middle-income countries categorised by existing systematic reviews? What is the basis for this categorisation?SettingThe review explored the literature from 2000 to 2017 to investigate how mHealth interventions have been positioned within the available evidence base in relation to their use of formal theories of learning.ResultsThe scoping review found 24 primary studies that were categorised by 16 systematic reviews as supporting CHWs’ education and training using mobile technologies. However, when formal theories of learning from educational research were used to recategorise these 24 primary studies, only four could be coded as such. This identifies a problem with how CHWs’ education and training using mobile technologies is understood and categorised within the existing evidence base. This is because there is no agreed on, theoretically informed understanding of what counts as learning.ConclusionThe claims made by mHealth researchers and practitioners regarding the learning benefits of mobile technology are not based on research results that are underpinned by formal theories of learning. mHealth suffers from a reductionist view of learning that underestimates the complexities of the relationship between pedagogy and technology. This has resulted in miscategorisations of what constitutes CHWs’ education and training within the existing evidence base. This can be overcome by informed collaboration between the health and education communities.

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