scholarly journals Effectiveness of hospital avoidance interventions among elderly patients: A systematic review

CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 504-513
Author(s):  
Caillie Pritchard ◽  
Alyssa Ness ◽  
Nicola Symonds ◽  
Michael Siarkowski ◽  
Michael Broadfoot ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTObjectiveOlder patients with complex care needs and limited personal and social resources are heavy users of emergency department (ED) services and are often admitted when they present to the ED. Updated information is needed regarding the most effective strategies to appropriately avoid ED presentation and hospital admission among older patients.MethodsThis systematic review aimed to identify interventions that have demonstrated effectiveness in decreasing ED use and hospital admissions in older patients. We conducted a comprehensive literature search within Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from database inception to July 2019 with no language restrictions. Interventional study designs conducted in populations of 65 years and older were included. Primary outcomes were ED visits and hospital admissions. Secondary outcomes included hospital readmission, mortality, cost, and patient-reported outcomes.ResultsOf 7,943 citations reviewed for eligibility, 53 studies were included in our qualitative synthesis, including 26 randomized controlled trials (RCT), 8 cluster-RCTs, and 19 controlled before-after studies. Data characterization revealed that community-based strategies reduced ED visits, particularly those that included comprehensive geriatric assessments and home visits. These strategies reported decreases in mean ED use (for interventions versus controls) ranging from -0.12 to -1.32 visits/patient. Interventions that included home visits also showed reductions in hospital admissions ranging from -6% to -14%. There was, however, considerable variability across individual studies with respect to outcome reporting, statistical analyses, and risk of bias, which limited our ability to further quantify the effect of these interventions.ConclusionVarious interventional strategies to avoid ED presentations and hospital admissions for older patients have been studied. While models of care that include comprehensive geriatric assessments and home visits may reduce acute care utilization, the standardization of outcome measures is needed to further delineate which parts of these complex interventions are contributing to efficacy. The potential effects of multidisciplinary team composition on patient outcomes also warrant further investigation.

CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (S1) ◽  
pp. S6-S6
Author(s):  
A. Ness ◽  
N. Symonds ◽  
M. Siarkowski ◽  
M. Broadfoot ◽  
K. McBrien ◽  
...  

Introduction: Overuse of acute care services, particularly emergency department (ED) use, is an important topic for healthcare providers and policy makers within Canada and abroad. Prior work has shown that frail elderly patients with complex medical needs and limited personal and social resources are heavy users of ED services and are often admitted when they present to the ED. Updated information on the most effective strategies to avert ED presentation and hospital admission focused specifically on elderly patients is needed. Methods: This systematic review addressed the question: what interventions have demonstrated effectiveness in decreasing ED use and hospital admissions in elderly patients? Comprehensive literature searches were conducted in databases including Ovid Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials with no language or date restrictions. Citations were limited to interventional studies. Grey literature and reference list searches, as well as communication with experts in the field were performed. Consensus or a third reviewer resolved any disagreements. Original research regarding interventions conducted in populations 65 years or older with acute illness, either living in community or facility-living were included. Primary outcomes were ED visits and hospital admissions. Secondary outcomes included: mortality, cost, and patient-reported outcomes such as health-related quality of life and functional status. Results: Forty-three relevant studies were identified including 22 randomized controlled trials (RCT), 2 cluster-RCT, 2 trials with non-random allocation, 4 before-after studies, 6 quasi-experimental studies, and 7 cohort studies. Intervention settings included: home visits (22), long-term care (7), outpatient or primary care clinics (8), and ED (3) or inpatient (3). Data characterization revealed that home-based, outpatient and/or primary care-based strategies reduced ED visits and hospitalizations, particularly those which included comprehensive geriatric assessments, home visits or regular face-to-face contact and interdisciplinary teams. Hospital-based models generally showed no difference in ED or inpatient service utilization. There was, however, considerable variability across individual studies with respect to reporting of outcomes, statistical analyses performed, and overall risk of bias. Conclusion: Various interventional strategies have been studied to avert ED presentation and hospital admission for frail elderly patients. More rigorous methodology and standardization of outcome measures is needed to quantitatively assess the effects of these programs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. 1813-1823
Author(s):  
Ann Young ◽  
Ani Orchanian-Cheff ◽  
Christopher T. Chan ◽  
Ron Wald ◽  
Stephanie W. Ong

Background and objectivesVideo-based telemedicine provides an alternative health care delivery model for patients with CKD. The objective was to provide an overview of the available evidence on the implementation and outcomes of adopting video-based telemedicine in nephrology.Design, setting, participants, & measurementsMEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINAHL were searched in December 2019 and again in January 2021 for studies using video-based telemedicine for adults across the spectrum of kidney disease. Study types included peer-reviewed clinical trials, observational studies, and descriptive studies available in full text. Search results were independently screened by two authors, who then independently reviewed and extracted data from the eligible studies. Results were synthesized in tabular format, summarizing study characteristics by area within nephrology; the video-based interventions used; and clinical, health care utilization, and patient-reported outcomes.ResultsAfter reviewing 1870 unique citations, 24 studies were included (four randomized controlled trials, six cohort studies, five pre-post intervention studies, seven case series, and two qualitative studies). Video-based technology was used to facilitate care across all stages of CKD. Although earlier studies used a range of institution-specific technologies that linked main hospital sites to more remote health care locations, more recent studies used technology platforms that allowed patients to receive care in a location of their choice. Video-based care was well received, with the studies reporting high patient satisfaction and acceptable clinical outcomes.ConclusionsVideo-based telemedicine is being used for kidney care and has evolved to be less reliant on specialized telemedicine equipment. As its use continues to grow, further primary studies and systematic reviews of outcomes associated with the latest innovations to video-based care in nephrology can address knowledge gaps, such as approaches to sustainable integration and minimization of barriers to access.


2019 ◽  
pp. bmjspcare-2019-001902
Author(s):  
Francesco Sparano ◽  
Neil K Aaronson ◽  
Mirjam A G Sprangers ◽  
Peter Fayers ◽  
Andrea Pusic ◽  
...  

ObjectivesInclusion of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in cancer randomised controlled trials (RCTs) may be particularly important for older patients. The objectives of this systematic review were to quantify the frequency with which older patients are included in RCTs with PROs and to evaluate the quality of PRO reporting in those trials.MethodsAll RCTs with PRO endpoints, published between January 2004 and February 2019, which included a patient sample with a mean/median age ≥70 years, were considered for this systematic review. The following cancer malignancies were considered: breast, colorectal, lung, prostate, gynaecological and bladder cancer.Quality of PRO reporting was evaluated using the International Society for Quality of Life Research–PRO standards. Studies meeting at least two-thirds of these criteria were considered to have high-quality PRO reporting.ResultsOf 649 RCTs identified with a PRO endpoint, only 72 (11.1%) included older patients. Of these, 35 trials (48.6%) were conducted in patients with metastatic/advanced disease. PROs were primary endpoints in 20 RCTs (27.8%). Overall survival was the most frequently reported clinical outcome in studies of patients with metastatic/advanced cancer (n=28, 80%). One-third of the RCTs (n=24, 33.3%) were considered to have high-quality PRO reporting. Overall, the largest prevalence of RCTs with high-quality PRO reporting was observed in prostate and colorectal cancers.ConclusionsOur review indicates not only that PRO–RCT-based studies in oncology rarely include older patients but also that completeness of PRO reporting of many of them is often suboptimal.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e028300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily J Hotton ◽  
Sophie Renwick ◽  
Katie Barnard ◽  
Erik Lenguerrand ◽  
Julia Wade ◽  
...  

IntroductionAssisted vaginal birth (AVB) can markedly improve maternal and neonatal outcomes arising from complications in the second stage of labour. Historically, both forceps and ventouse devices have been used to assist birth; however, they are not without risk and are associated with complications, such as cephalohaematoma, retinal haemorrhage and perineal trauma. As new devices are developed to overcome the limitations of existing techniques, it is necessary to establish their efficacy and effectiveness within randomised controlled trials (RCTs). A major challenge of evaluating complex interventions (ie, invasive procedures/devices used to assist vaginal birth) is ensuring they are delivered as intended. It can be difficult to standardise intervention delivery and monitor fidelity, and account for the varying expertise of clinicians (accoucher expertise). This paper describes the protocol for a systematic review aiming to investigate the reporting of device standardisation, monitoring and training in trials evaluating complex interventions, using AVB as a case study.Methods and analysisRelevant keywords and subject headings will be used to conduct a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature and ClinicalTrials.gov, for RCTs and pilot/feasibility studies evaluating AVB. Abstracts will be screened and full-text articles of eligible studies reviewed for inclusion. Information relating to the following categories will be extracted: standardisation of device use (ie, descriptions of operative steps, including mandatory/flexible parameters), monitoring of intervention delivery (ie, intervention fidelity, confirming that an intervention is delivered as intended) and accoucher expertise (ie, entry criteria for participation, training programmes and previous experience with the device). Risk of bias of included studies will be assessed.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required because primary data will not be collected. Findings will be disseminated by publishing in a peer-reviewed journal and presentations at relevant conferences.


2019 ◽  
Vol 214 (06) ◽  
pp. 320-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Briggs ◽  
Gopalakrishnan Netuveli ◽  
Nick Gould ◽  
Antigone Gkaravella ◽  
Nicole S. Gluckman ◽  
...  

BackgroundPreventing suicide and self-harm is a global health priority. Although there is a growing evidence base for the effectiveness of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapies for a range of disorders, to date there has been no systematic review of its effectiveness in reducing suicidal and self-harming behaviours.AimsTo systematically review randomised controlled trials of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapies for suicidal attempts and self-harm.MethodWe searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Psycharticles, CINAHL, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for randomise controlled trials of psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapies for reducing suicide attempts and self-harm.ResultsTwelve trials (17 articles) were included in the meta-analyses. Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic therapies were effective in reducing the number of patients attempting suicide (pooled odds ratio, 0.469; 95% CI 0.274–0.804). We found some evidence for significantly reduced repetition of self-harm at 6-month but not 12-month follow-up. Significant treatment effects were also found for improvements in psychosocial functioning and reduction in number of hospital admissions.ConclusionsPsychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapies are indicated to be effective in reducing suicidal behaviour and to have short-term effectiveness in reducing self-harm. They can also be beneficial in improving psychosocial well-being. However, the small number of trials and moderate quality of the evidence means further high-quality trials are needed to confirm our findings and to identity which specific components of the psychotherapies are effective.Declaration of interestNone.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana Raj ◽  
Halimatus Sakdiah Minhat ◽  
Nor Afiah Mohd. Zulkefli ◽  
Norliza Ahmad

BACKGROUND The increasing screen time exposure among young children in general and the reported negative consequences associated with excessive ST, calls for focused strategies to reduce ST, especially among young children. OBJECTIVE This systematic review aimed to identify effective parental intervention strategies to reduce ST among preschool children. METHODS A total of five databases, namely Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, Medline Complete, PubMed, and Scopus, were searched for randomised controlled trials that involved intervention strategies in ST reduction among preschool children. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines were used. RESULTS A total of nine studies were assessed. The results showed that besides providing knowledge and awareness regarding ST, having restrictive practices, offering alternative activities to parents, and removal of screen from child’s bedroom were the most common strategies used by studies that reported successful intervention. Intervention duration of between six to eight weeks was sufficient to produce ST reduction. Face-to-face method was the commonest mode of delivery. Theoretical constructs that aimed at increasing parental self-efficacy, listing outcome expectations, and offering reinforcement of strategies that targeted both the parents and home environment were beneficial in reducing ST. CONCLUSIONS By offering appropriate strategies to parents, a reduction in the amount of ST was observed among the children. Future intervention studies could benefit in exploring culturally adapted strategies, especially in developing countries. Trials of higher quality would also facilitate the drawing of conclusions in future research. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO No: CRD42020199398


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Najmeh Seifi ◽  
Ali Jafarzadeh Esfahani ◽  
Alireza Sedaghat ◽  
Reza Rezvani ◽  
Majid Khadem-Rezaiyan ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effect of pre-, pro-, and synbiotics on feeding tolerance of enterally fed critically ill adult patients. Methods MEDLINE, Science Direct, Web of Knowledge, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched up to November 2019. English language randomized controlled trials reporting the effect of pre, pro or synbiotics on the feeding tolerance of enterally fed critically ill adult patients were included. Results Overall, 15 papers were selected for review. Among six studies reporting the energy intake, only two studies showed significantly higher energy intake in the prebiotic-receiving groups. Among four RCTs reporting frequency or time to achieve the target calorie, only one found a significant effect of probiotics to reduce the time to achieve a target dose of calorie. About the prevalence or duration of diarrhea, 7 out of 12 RCTs reported a beneficial effect. All but one study found no beneficial effects for gut microbiota manipulation on clinical endpoints including length of stay (LOS) in hospital and intensive care unit (ICU). Conclusion It should be noticed that the heterogeneity in study designs, product format, and ICU patient populations makes it difficult to draw any general conclusion. Overall, it seems that pre, pro, or synbiotics have no significant beneficial effect on feeding tolerance and clinical endpoints in critically ill adults, but they may reduce the prevalence or duration of diarrhea.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e044888
Author(s):  
Rita McMorrow ◽  
Barbara Hunter ◽  
Christel Hendrieckx ◽  
Dominika Kwasnicka ◽  
Leanne Cussen ◽  
...  

IntroductionType 2 diabetes is a global health priority. People with diabetes are more likely to experience mental health problems relative to people without diabetes. Diabetes guidelines recommend assessment of depression and diabetes distress during diabetes care. This systematic review will examine the effect of routinely assessing and addressing depression and diabetes distress using patient-reported outcome measures in improving outcomes among adults with type 2 diabetes.Methods and analysisMEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Complete, PsycInfo, The Cochrane Library and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be searched using a prespecified strategy using a prespecified Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes, Setting and study design strategy. The date range of the search of all databases will be from inception to 3 August 2020. Randomised controlled trials, interrupted time-series studies, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, case–control studies and analytical cross-sectional studies published in peer-reviewed journals in the English language will be included. Two review authors will independently screen abstracts and full texts with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer, if required, using Covidence software. Two reviewers will undertake risk of bias assessment using checklists appropriate to study design. Data will be extracted using prespecified template. A narrative synthesis will be conducted, with a meta-analysis, if appropriate.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval is not required for this review of published studies. Presentation of results will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidance. Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020200246.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. e042597
Author(s):  
Xinyuan Liu ◽  
Qing Yang ◽  
Zhongning He ◽  
Shukun Yao

IntroductionFunctional constipation (FC) is a common digestive system disease, with an uptrend in morbidity and mortality, resulting in huge social and economic losses. Although the guidelines recommend lifestyle intervention as a first-line treatment, lifestyle intervention is not widely used in clinic. Inulin can be used as the basic material of functional food. Clinical studies have shown that inulin supplementation is associated with increased frequency of bowel movements, but has certain side effects. Therefore, the efficacy and safety of inulin in the treatment of FC need to be further evaluated.Methods and analysisWe will search Medline, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Wanfang Database and China Biomedical Literature Database. We will also search the China Clinical Trial Registry, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and related conference summaries. This systematic review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. RevMan V.5.3.5 will be used for analysis.Ethics and disseminationThis systematic review will evaluate the efficacy and safety of inulin supplementation for the treatment of FC. All included data will be obtained from published articles, there is no need for the ethical approval, and it will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Due to lack of a new systematic review in this field, this study will combine relevant randomised controlled trials to better explore the evidence of inulin supplementation in the treatment of FC and guide clinical practice and clinical research.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020189234.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mandi L. Pratt-Chapman ◽  
Ash B. Alpert ◽  
Daniel A. Castillo

Abstract Purpose Cancer research on sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations is gaining momentum. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine what is currently known in the research literature regarding patient-reported health outcomes after cancer treatment among SGM populations. Methods In March 2021, a medical librarian conducted a systematic keyword search on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The primary inclusion criterion was assessment of at least one physical, psychosocial, emotional, or functional patient-reported health outcome related to the impacts of cancer diagnosis and/or treatment. Articles that met inclusion criteria were reviewed in their entirety, charted in a Word Table, and assessed for quality. Quality considerations included study design, sampling approach, diversity of sample, measures used, and analytic procedures. Studies were synthesized based on type of cancer study participants experienced. Results Sixty-four studies were included in the final analysis: most were quantitative, secondary analyses or cross-sectional studies with convenience samples, and focused on people with a history of breast or prostate cancer. Differences between sexual minority men and women in terms of coping and resilience were noted. Few studies reported on experiences of transgender persons and none reported on experiences of intersex persons. Conclusions A growing literature describes the patient-reported health outcomes of SGM people with a history of cancer. This study summarizes important between-group differences among SGM and heterosexual, cisgender counterparts that are critical for clinicians to consider when providing care. Implications for cancer survivors Sexual orientation and gender identity are relevant to cancer survivors’ health outcomes. Subgroups of SGM people have differential experiences and outcomes related to cancer and its impacts.


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