Factors influencing maternal health in indigenous communities with presence of traditional midwifery in the Americas: protocol for a scoping review

IntroductionIndigenous mothers often receive culturally unsafe services that do not fully respond to their needs. The objective of this scoping review is to collate and assess evidence that identifies factors, including the role and influence of traditional midwives, that affect maternal health in indigenous communities in the Americas. The results will map Western perspectives reflected in published and unpublished literature to indicate the complex network of factors that influence maternal outcomes. These maps will allow for comparison with local stakeholder knowledge and discussion to identify what needs to change to promote culturally safe care.Methods and analysisA librarian will search studies with iterative and documented adjustments in CINAHL, Scopus, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), MEDLINE, Embase and Google Scholar without any time restrictions, and use Google search engine for grey literature. Included studies will be empirical (quantitative, qualitative or mixed); address maternal health issues among indigenous communities in the Americas; and report on the role or influence of traditional midwives. Two researchers will independently screen and blindly select the included studies. The quality assessment of included manuscripts will rely on the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Two independent researchers will extract data on factors promoting or reducing maternal health in indigenous communities, including the role or influence of traditional midwives. Fuzzy cognitive mapping will summarise the findings as a list of relationships between identified factors and outcomes with weights indicating strength of the relationship and the evidence supporting this.Ethics and disseminationThis review is part of a proposal approved by the ethics committees at McGill University and the Centro de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales in Guerrero. Participating indigenous communities in Guerrero State approved the study in 2015. The results of the scoping review will contribute to the field of cultural safety and intercultural dialogue for the promotion of maternal health in indigenous communities.

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Maternal health and Indigenous traditional midwives in southern Mexico: contextualisation of a scoping review

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054542 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e054542

Author(s):

Iván Sarmiento ◽

Sergio Paredes-Solís ◽

Anna Dion ◽

Hilah Silver ◽

Emily Vargas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Maternal Health ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Health Centre ◽

Self Care ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Cultural Safety ◽

Primary Concern ◽

Southern Mexico ◽

Care Practices ◽

The Impact

ObjectivesCollate published evidence of factors that affect maternal health in Indigenous communities and contextualise the findings with stakeholder perspectives in the Mexican State of Guerrero.DesignScoping review and stakeholder fuzzy cognitive mapping.Inclusion and exclusionThe scoping review included empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods) that addressed maternal health issues among Indigenous communities in the Americas and reported on the role or influence of traditional midwives before June 2020. The contextualisation drew on two previous studies of traditional midwife and researcher perspectives in southern Mexico.ResultsThe initial search identified 4461 references. Of 87 selected studies, 63 came from Guatemala and Mexico. Three small randomised trials involved traditional midwives. One addressed the practice of traditional midwifery. With diverse approaches to cultural differences, the studies used contrasting definitions of traditional midwives. A fuzzy cognitive map graphically summarised the influences identified in the scoping review. When we compared the literature’s map with those from 29 traditional midwives in Guerrero and eight international researchers, the three sources coincided in the importance of self-care practices, rituals and traditional midwifery. The primary concern reflected in the scoping review was access to Western healthcare, followed by maternal health outcomes. For traditional midwives, the availability of hospital or health centre in the community was less relevant and had negative effects on other protective influences, while researchers conditioned its importance to its levels of cultural safety. Traditional midwives highlighted the role of violence against women, male involvement and traditional diseases.ConclusionsThe literature and stakeholder maps showed maternal health resulting from complex interacting factors in which promotion of cultural practices was compatible with a protective effect on Indigenous maternal health. Future research challenges include traditional concepts of diseases and the impact on maternal health of gender norms, self-care practices and authentic traditional midwifery.

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Identifying Environmental Determinants Relevant to Health and Wellbeing in Remote Australian Indigenous Communities: A Scoping Review of Grey Literature

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18084167 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 4167

Author(s):

Amal Chakraborty ◽

Mark Daniel ◽

Natasha J. Howard ◽

Alwin Chong ◽

Nicola Slavin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Classification System ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Environmental Indicators ◽

Health Concern ◽

Environmental Determinants ◽

Health And Wellbeing

The high prevalence of preventable infectious and chronic diseases in Australian Indigenous populations is a major public health concern. Existing research has rarely examined the role of built and socio-political environmental factors relating to remote Indigenous health and wellbeing. This research identified built and socio-political environmental indicators from publicly available grey literature documents locally-relevant to remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (NT), Australia. Existing planning documents with evidence of community input were used to reduce the response burden on Indigenous communities. A scoping review of community-focused planning documents resulted in the identification of 1120 built and 2215 socio-political environmental indicators. Indicators were systematically classified using an Indigenous indicator classification system (IICS). Applying the IICS yielded indicators prominently featuring the “community infrastructure” domain within the built environment, and the “community capacity” domain within the socio-political environment. This research demonstrates the utility of utilizing existing planning documents and a culturally appropriate systematic classification system to consolidate environmental determinants that influence health and disease occurrence. The findings also support understanding of which features of community-level built and socio-political environments amenable to public health and social policy actions might be targeted to help reduce the prevalence of infectious and chronic diseases in Indigenous communities.

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A scoping review of the use of log data for evaluating mobile Apps (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.31407 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ane van Schalkwyk ◽

Sara Grobbelaar ◽

Euodia Vermeulen

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Data Analysis ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Research Approach ◽

Log Data ◽

Data Framework ◽

Log Data Analysis ◽

Google Search

BACKGROUND There is a growing trend in the potential benefits and application of log data for the evaluation of mHealth Apps. However, the process by which insights may be derived from log data remains unstructured, resulting in underutilisation of mHealth data. OBJECTIVE We aimed to acquire an understanding of how log data analysis can be used to generate valuable insights in support of realistic evaluations of mobile Apps through a scoping review. This understanding is delineated according to publication trends, associated concepts and characteristics of log data, framework or processes required to develop insights from log data, and how these insights may be utilised towards evaluation of Apps. METHODS The PRISMA-ScR guidelines for a scoping review were followed. The Scopus database, the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR), and grey literature (through a Google search) delivered 105 articles of which 33 articles were retained in the sample for analysis and synthesis. RESULTS A definition for log data is developed from its characteristics and articulated as: anonymous records of users’ real-time interactions with the application, collected objectively or automatically and often accessed from cloud-based storage. Publications for theoretical and empirical work on log data analysis have increased between 2010 and 2021 (100% and 95% respectively). The research approach is distributed between inductive (43%), deductive (30%), and a hybrid approach (27%). Research methods include mixed-methods (73%) and quantitative only (27%), although mixed-methods dominate since 2018. Only 30% of studies articulated the use of a framework or model to perform the log data analysis. Four main focus areas for log data analysis are identified as usability (40%), engagement (15%), effectiveness (15%), and adherence (15%). An average of one year of log data is used for analysis, with an average of three years from the launch of the App to the analysis. Collected indicators include user events or clicks made, specific features of the App, and timestamps of clicks. The main calculated indicators are features used or not used (24/33), frequency (21/33), and duration (18/33). Reporting the calculated indicators per ‘user or user group’ was the most used reference point. CONCLUSIONS Standardised terminology, processes, frameworks, and explicit benchmarks to utilise log data are lacking in literature. Thereby, the need for a conceptual framework that is able to standardise the log analysis of mobile Apps is determined. We provide a summary of concepts towards such a framework. CLINICALTRIAL NA

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The characteristics and capabilities of the available open source health information technologies supporting healthcare: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Health & Care Informatics ◽

10.14236/jhi.v25i4.1022 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 230-238 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ather Akhlaq ◽

Brian McKinstry ◽

Aziz Sheikh

Keyword(s):

Open Source ◽

Health Information ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Information Technologies ◽

Information Science ◽

Complete Solution ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Health Information Technologies ◽

Study Characteristics ◽

Google Search

IntroductionDue to the many advantages of open source software (OSS), including reduced cost of licensing, more flexibility in terms of customisation and redistribution, better quality and no vendor lock-in, OSS in healthcare is increasingly gaining importance. Various open source health information technologies (OS-HITs) are continuously being designed and developed for different areas of healthcare to increase organisational efficiencies and quality of care at minimum costs. The objective of this scoping review is to identify the kinds of existing OS-HITs, their characteristics (e.g. functions) and capabilities (e.g. advantages/disadvantages) for various healthcare stakeholders (physicians and patients) and healthcare sectors (e.g. clinical, administrative).MethodsWe will conduct a scoping review to identify the range of available OS-HITs in international literature from 1980 to September 2018. Searches will be conducted in six major international databases, namely: Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature Plus, Excerpta Medica Database, Global Health, Library Information Science and Technology Abstracts, Medline and Web of Science to identify relevant published research. We will also search the Google search engine and Google Scholar for on-going and unpublished work and the grey literature. Searches will be peer-reviewed by two independent reviewers and will not be limited by methodology or language. Next, selected references will be tabulated for study characteristics by author affiliation, country of origin, the name of OS-HIT, healthcare area/sector, system requirements, stakeholders, complete solution and web link. Furthermore, functions, benefits/advantages, disadvantages and outcomes (e.g. usability) of OS-HITs will be extracted. Narrative and interpretative synthesis of data will be undertaken.ResultsWe will report our findings in a peer-reviewed journal.

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A review of the impact of financing mechanisms on maternal health care in Australia

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-019-7850-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Haylee Fox ◽

Stephanie M. Topp ◽

Emily Callander ◽

Daniel Lindsay

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Maternal Health ◽

Health System ◽

Search Engine ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Maternal Health Care ◽

World Health ◽

Google Search ◽

The Impact ◽

Out Of Pocket Costs

Abstract Background The World Health Organization states there are three interrelated domains that are fundamental to achieving and maintaining universal access to care - raising sufficient funds for health care, reducing financial barriers to access by pooling funds in a way that prevents out-of-pocket costs, and allocating funds in a way that promotes quality, efficiency and equity. In Australia, a comprehensive account of the mechanisms for financing the health system have not been synthesised elsewhere. Therefore, to understand how the maternal health system is financed, this review aims to examine the mechanisms for funding, pooling and purchasing maternal health care and the influence these financing mechanisms have on the delivery of maternal health services in Australia. Methods We conducted a scoping review and interpretative synthesis of the financing mechanisms and their impact on Australia’s maternal health system. Due to the nature of the study question, the review had a major focus on grey literature. The search was undertaken in three stages including; searching (1) Google search engine (2) targeted websites and (3) academic databases. Executive summaries and table of contents were screened for grey literature documents and Titles and Abstracts were screened for journal articles. Screening of publications’ full-text followed. Data relating to either funding, pooling, or purchasing of maternal health care were extracted for synthesis. Results A total of 69 manuscripts were included in the synthesis, with 52 of those from the Google search engine and targeted website (grey literature) search. A total of 17 articles we included in the synthesis from the database search. Conclusion Our study provides a critical review of the mechanisms by which revenues are raised, funds are pooled and their impact on the way health care services are purchased for mothers and babies in Australia. Australia’s maternal health system is financed via both public and private sources, which consequentially creates a two-tiered system. Mothers who can afford private health insurance – typically wealthier, urban and non-First Nations women - therefore receive additional benefits of private care, which further exacerbates inequity between these groups of mothers and babies. The increasing out of pocket costs associated with obstetric care may create a financial burden for women to access necessary care or it may cause them to skip care altogether if the costs are too great.

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Timeliness of routine childhood vaccination in low- and middle-income countries, 1978–2021: Protocol for a scoping review to map methodologic gaps and determinants

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0253423 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (6) ◽

pp. e0253423

Author(s):

Oghenebrume Wariri ◽

Uduak Okomo ◽

Yakubu Kevin Kwarshak ◽

Kris A. Murray ◽

Chris Grundy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Childhood Vaccination ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries ◽

Routine Childhood ◽

Vaccination Timeliness ◽

Google Search ◽

Full Search ◽

Low And Middle Income

The literature on the timeliness of childhood vaccination (i.e. vaccination at the earliest appropriate age) in low-and middle-income countries has important measurement and methodological issues that may limit their usefulness and cross comparison. We aim to conduct a comprehensive scoping review to map the existing literature with a key focus on how the literature on vaccination timeliness has evolved, how it has been defined or measured, and what determinants have been explored in the period spanning the last four decades. This scoping review protocol was developed based on the guidance for scoping reviews from the Joanna Briggs Institute. We will include English and French language peer-reviewed publications and grey literature on the timeliness of routine childhood vaccination in low-and middle-income countries published between January 1978 through to 2021. A three-step search strategy that involves an initial search of two databases to refine the keywords, a full search of all included electronic databases, and screening of references of previous studies for relevant articles missing from our full search will be employed. The search will be conducted in five electronic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, CINAHL and Web of Science. Google search will also be conducted to identify relevant grey literature on vaccination timeliness. All retrieved titles from the search will be imported into Endnote X9.3.3 (Clarivate Analytics) and deduplicated. Two reviewers will screen the titles, abstracts and full texts of publications for eligibility using Rayyan–the web based application for screening articles for systematic reviews. Using a tailored data extraction template, we will extract relevant information from eligible studies. The study team will analyse the extracted data using descriptive statistical methods and thematic analysis. The results will be presented using tables, while charts and maps will be used to aid the visualisation of the key findings and themes. The proposed review will generate evidence on key methodological gaps in the literature on timeliness of childhood vaccination. Such evidence would shape the direction of future research, and assist immunisation programme managers and country-level stakeholders to address the needs of their national immunisation system.

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Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder resources for educators working within primary school settings: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045497 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. e045497

Author(s):

Briana Lees ◽

Elizabeth J Elliott ◽

Steve Allsop ◽

Sue Thomas ◽

Julia Riches ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lived Experience ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Open Science ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Fetal Alcohol ◽

Human Research Ethics ◽

Google Search ◽

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum

IntroductionMany children affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) exhibit neurocognitive delays that contribute to secondary consequences, including a disrupted school experience. Educators often have limited knowledge or experience in the identification, referral, management and accommodation of students with FASD. Effective resources and tools for educators are crucial to ensure these students are supported in their ongoing learning, development and school participation. This scoping review aims to identify and evaluate resources for educators that aid in the identification, management, or accommodation of students with FASD.Methods and analysisA search will be conducted in 9 peer-reviewed and 11 grey literature databases, Google search engine, two app stores and two podcast streaming services (planned search dates: November 2020 to February 2021). Relevant experts, including researchers, health professionals and individuals with lived experience of FASD, will be contacted in February and March 2021 to identify additional (including unpublished) resources. Resources will be selected based on registered, prespecified inclusion–exclusion criteria, and the quality of included resources will be critically appraised using a composite tool based on adaptions of the National Health and Medical Research Council FORM Framework and the iCAHE Guideline Quality Checklist. Relevant experts will also be requested to provide feedback on included resources.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval for this scoping review was obtained from the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee (2020/825). Results of the review will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations, and seminars targeting audiences involved in the education sector.Trial registrationOpen Science Framework: osf.io/73pjh.

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Mapping instruments for assessing and stratifying frailty among community-dwelling older people: a scoping review

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052301 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e052301

Author(s):

Luiz Eduardo Lima Andrade ◽

Beatriz Souza de Albuquerque Caciqu New York ◽

Rafaella Silva dos Santos Aguiar Gonçalves ◽

Sabrina Gabrielle Gomes Fernandes ◽

Álvaro Campos Cavalcanti Maciel

Keyword(s):

Older People ◽

Latin American ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Frailty Phenotype ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Study Selection ◽

Community Dwelling Older People

ObjectiveTo map in the current literature instruments for the assessment and stratification of frailty in community-dwelling older people, as well as to analyse them from the perspective of the Brazilian context.DesignScoping review.Study selectionThe selection of studies took place between March and April 2020. Includes electronic databases: Medline, Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences, Scopus, Web of Science and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Literature Health Alliance, in addition to searching grey literature.Data extractionA data extraction spreadsheet was created to collect the main information from the studies involved, from the title to the type of assessment and stratification of frailty.ResultsIn summary, 17 frailty assessment and stratification instruments applicable to community-dwelling older people were identified. Among these, the frailty phenotype of Fried et al was the instrument most present in the studies (45.5%). The physical domain was present in all the instruments analysed, while the social, psychological and environmental domains were present in only 10 instruments.ConclusionsThis review serves as a guideline for primary healthcare professionals, showing 17 instruments applicable to the context of the community-dwelling older people, pointing out advantages and disadvantages that influence the decision of the instrument to be used. Furthermore, this scoping review was a guide for further studies carried out by the same authors, which aim to compare instruments.

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Exploration of recovery of people living with severe mental illness (SMI) in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC): a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032912 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. e032912 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fadia Gamieldien ◽

Roshan Galvaan ◽

Bronwyn Myers ◽

Katherine Sorsdahl

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

Latin American ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Low Income ◽

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Mental Health Policy ◽

Middle Income ◽

Middle Income Countries

IntroductionThe construct of recovery was conceptualised in high-income countries and its applicability in low-income and middle- income countries is underexplored. A scoping review is proposed to synthesise knowledge, review conceptual overlap and map key elements of recovery from severe mental illness in low-income and middle-income countries. We aim to appraise the literature so as to inform future recovery-oriented services that consider the cultural and contextual influences on recovery from severe mental illness.Methods and analysisThe following electronic databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, SCOPUS (which included contents of Embase), PsycINFO, CINAHL, Africa-Wide Information, PsycARTICLES, Health source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Academic Search Premier and SocINDEX all via the EBSCOHOST platform, the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, the Cochrane Centre Register of Controlled Trials) and grey literature sources will be searched between May and December 2019. Eligible studies will be independently screened for inclusion and exclusion by two reviewers using a checklist developed for this purpose. Studies published between January 1993 and November 2019 that focus on recovery from severe mental illness in a low-income and middle-income country will be included. Findings will be compared and discrepancies will be discussed. Unresolved discrepancies will be referred to a third reviewer. All bibliographic data and study characteristics will be extracted and thematically analysed using a tool developed through an iterative process by the research team. Indicators will be classified according to a predefined conceptual framework and categorised and described using qualitative content analysis.Ethics and disseminationThe review aims to synthesise information from available publications, hence it does not require ethical approval. The results will be disseminated through publications, conference presentations and future workshops with stakeholders involved within the recovery paradigm of mental health policy and practice. The scoping review title is registered with the Joanna Briggs Institute.

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Community engagement approaches for malaria prevention, control and elimination: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049812 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (10) ◽

pp. e049812

Author(s):

Kiran Raj Awasthi ◽

Jonine Jancey ◽

Archie C A Clements ◽

Justine E Leavy

Keyword(s):

Community Engagement ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Public Health Intervention ◽

Malaria Prevention ◽

Free Text ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Wide Range ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

Google Search

Community engagement (CE) is important for malaria prevention, control and ultimately elimination. As the decline of malaria has plateaued over the last 5 years, strengthening CE approaches will be necessary to enhance health promotion practice and policy to drive malaria transmission down further. Countries have adopted a wide range of public health intervention approaches for malaria prevention and control that best suit their context. This review will examine the existing evidence on the various CE approaches adopted by malaria programmes across the world and their outcomes.Methodology and analysisThe review methodology will follow the updated Joanna Briggs Institute guide for scoping review, 2017, which is based on the framework developed by Arksey and O’Malley and further developed by Levac Colquhoun and O’Brien. Proquest, Web of Knowledge and Medline will be searched for publications from January 2000 to 31 March 2021 while Google search engine will be used to find any grey literature. The eligibility criteria will be as follows: review will include primary studies written in the English language using appropriate study designs and methods, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods designs; and case, programme or project reports. Information on CE approaches designed specifically for malaria prevention, control, elimination and their outcomes will be explored. Subheadings and free text terms for ‘community engagement’ and ‘malaria’ will be used for the search. The article screening and data extraction will be examined by two reviewers after the initial search, and any disputes will be resolved by a third reviewer through discussion. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews guide will be used to present the review methods and the results from the search. The scoping review results will identify and map the available evidences, sources of information and research gaps in the area of CE as one approach for malaria prevention, control and/or elimination.Ethics and disseminationThis study only aims to review secondary sources and does not require human research ethics committee approval. The findings of the scoping review will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for wider dissemination.

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