Use of behavioural activation to manage pain: a scoping review protocol

IntroductionChronic pain is a distressing condition and often poorly treated and managed. Psychological therapies are considered first-line intervention for people with chronic pain. Common psychological therapies require extensive clinician training and specialist qualifications. One approach that does not need lengthy training nor specialist qualification, but has empirical support in other health domains, is behavioural activation (BA). BA seeks to increase engagement in behaviours that are valued by the person and progress through behaviours that can increase mood and develop skills that build satisfying routines. BA can help people to manage their condition through scheduling behaviours, promoting routine and mastery over their condition. The extent to which BA has been used to support people living with chronic pain is not clear.Methods and analysisThis scoping review aims to identify published studies describing the application of BA to support people living with chronic pain. To map the evidence regarding BA and chronic pain, including the study type and the associated evidence, a scoping review was adopted. The search will be conducted in bibliographic databases, clinical trial registries and grey literature. No date limits will be applied to the search strategy. Screening of titles and abstracts, and full-text screening, will be independently undertaken by two investigators using Covidence software. Any disagreement between investigators will be resolved by a third investigator. Data from included publications will be extracted using a customised data extraction tool.Ethics and disseminationThe scoping review is an analysis of existing data and therefore ethics approval is not required. The findings of this scoping review will further our understanding of how BA has been used to support people living with chronic pain and inform future training and education programmes in this area.

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Addressing barriers to the conduct and application of research in complementary and alternative medicine: a scoping review

BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies ◽

10.1186/s12906-021-03371-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yasamin Veziari ◽

Saravana Kumar ◽

Matthew Leach

Keyword(s):

Alternative Medicine ◽

Complementary And Alternative Medicine ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Educational Strategies ◽

The Cochrane Library ◽

Complementary And Alternative

Abstract Background Over the past few decades, the popularity of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has grown considerably and along with it, scrutiny regarding its evidence base. While this is to be expected, and is in line with other health disciplines, research in CAM is confronted by numerous obstacles. This scoping review aims to identify and report the strategies implemented to address barriers to the conduct and application of research in CAM. Methods The scoping review was undertaken using the Arksey and O’Malley framework. The search was conducted using MEDLINE, EMBASE, EMCARE, ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, JBI and the grey literature. Two reviewers independently screened the records, following which data extraction was completed for the included studies. Descriptive synthesis was used to summarise the data. Results Of the 7945 records identified, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. Using the oBSTACLES instrument as a framework, the included studies reported diverse strategies to address barriers to the conduct and application of research in CAM. All included studies reported the use of educational strategies and collaborative initiatives with CAM stakeholders, including targeted funding, to address a range of barriers. Conclusions While the importance of addressing barriers to the conduct and application of research in CAM has been recognised, to date, much of the focus has been limited to initiatives originating from a handful of jurisdictions, for a small group of CAM disciplines, and addressing few barriers. Myriad barriers continue to persist, which will require concerted effort and collaboration across a range of CAM stakeholders and across multiple sectors. Further research can contribute to the evidence base on how best to address these barriers to promote the conduct and application of research in CAM.

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Place, Power, and Premature Mortality: A Rapid Scoping Review on the Health of Women in Appalachia

American Journal of Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/08901171211011388 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 089011712110113

Author(s):

Jessica R. Thompson ◽

Lauren R. Risser ◽

Madeline N. Dunfee ◽

Nancy E. Schoenberg ◽

Jessica G. Burke

Keyword(s):

Women’S Health ◽

Women's Health ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Ecological Factors ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Theoretical Frameworks ◽

Appalachian Women ◽

Social Ecological

Objective: Appalachian women continue to die younger than in other US regions. We performed a rapid scoping review to summarize women’s health research in Appalachia from 2000 to 2019, including health topics, study populations, theoretical frameworks, methods, and findings. Data Source: We searched bibliographic databases (eg, PubMed, PsycINFO, Google Scholar) for literature focusing on women’s health in Appalachia. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Included articles were: (1) on women’s health in Appalachia; (2) published January 2000 to June 2019; (3) peer-reviewed; and (4) written in English. We excluded studies without reported data findings. Data Extraction: Two coders reviewed articles for descriptive information to create summary tables comparing variables of interest. Data Synthesis: Two coders co-reviewed a sub-sample to ensure consensus and refine data charting categories. We categorized major findings across the social-ecological framework. Results: A search of nearly 2 decades of literature revealed 81 articles, which primarily focused on cancer disparities (49.4%) and prenatal/pregnancy outcomes (23.5%). Many of these research studies took place in Central Appalachia (eg, 42.0% in Kentucky) with reproductive or middle-aged women (82.7%). Half of the studies employed quantitative methods, and half used qualitative methods, with few mixed method or community-engaged approaches (3.7%). Nearly half (40.7%) did not specify a theoretical framework. Findings included complex multi-level factors with few articles exploring the co-occurrence of factors across multiple levels. Conclusions: Future studies should: 1) systematically include Appalachian women at various life stages from under-represented sub-regions; 2) expand the use of rigorous methods and specified theoretical frameworks to account for complex interactions of social-ecological factors; and 3) build upon existing community assets to improve health in this vulnerable population.

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Regulatory frameworks for clinical trial data sharing during the Pandemic and beyond: A scoping review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.33591 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nachiket Gudi ◽

Prashanthi Kamath ◽

Trishnika Chakraborty ◽

Anil G. Jacob ◽

Shradha Parsekar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Data Sharing ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Clinical Trial Data ◽

Trial Data ◽

Policy Documents ◽

Regulatory Documents ◽

Share Data

BACKGROUND Data sharing from clinical trials is well recognized and has widely gained recognition amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The competing interests of powerful stakeholders expressed through data exclusivity practices make clinical trial data sharing a complex phenomenon. The wider acceptance of data sharing practices in the absence of mandated policy creates uncertainty among trial investigators to count for risks vs benefit from sharing trial data. Data sharing becomes further complex as the trial data sharing is governed by the regional policies. This drew our attention to explore policies for informed data sharing. OBJECTIVE This scoping review aimed to map the existing literature around the regulatory documents that guide trial investigators to share clinical trial data. METHODS We followed a Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review approach and have reported the article according to the PRISMA extension for Scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). In addition to the use of the electronic databases, a targeted website search was performed to access relevant grey literature. The articles were screened at the title-abstract and the full text stages based on the selection criteria. All the included articles for data extraction were in English language. Data extraction was done independently using a pre-tested data extraction sheet. Included literature focused on clinical trial data sharing policies, guidelines, or SOPs. A narrative synthesis approach was used to summarize the findings. RESULTS This scoping review identified four articles and 13 policy documents from the grey literature. A majority of the clinical trial agencies require an agreement for data sharing between the data requestor/organization and trial agency. None of the policy documents mandates informed consent for data sharing. The time interval to share data underlying results, varies from six to 18 months from the time of trial publication. Depending upon trial data, policies follow both controlled and open access models. Regulatory documents identified in both scientific and grey literature emphasized on good research principles of protection of privacy of participant data and data anonymization through data sharing agreement between the data requester and trial agency. Need for an informed consent and cost of data sharing, timeline to share data, incentives, or reward to promote data sharing and capacity building for data sharing have remained grey areas in these policy documents. CONCLUSIONS This paper acknowledges the vital role of clinical data sharing from a public health perspective. We found that given the challenges around clinical trial data sharing, developing a feasible mechanism for data sharing is important. We suggest that standardizing data sharing processes by framing a concise policy with key elements of data sharing mechanisms could be easier to practice rather than a rigid and comprehensive data sharing policy. CLINICALTRIAL This scoping review protocol has not been registered and published.

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Virtual Reality in Medical Students’ Education: A Scoping Review (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.34860 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Haowen Jiang ◽

Sunitha Vimalesvaran ◽

Jeremy King Wang ◽

Kee Boon Lim ◽

Sreenivasulu Reddy Mogali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Education ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Virtual Worlds ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Data Extraction ◽

3D Models ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Future Research ◽

Psychomotor Skills ◽

Group Setting

BACKGROUND Virtual reality (VR) is a digital education modality that produces a virtual manifestation of the real world and it has been increasingly used in medical education. As VR encompasses different modalities, tools and applications, there is a need to explore how VR has been employed in medical education. OBJECTIVE The objective of this scoping review is to map existing research on the use of VR in undergraduate medical education and to identify areas of future research METHODS We performed a search of 4 bibliographic databases in December 2020, with data extracted using a standardized data extraction form. The data was narratively synthesized and reported in line with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. RESULTS Of 114 included studies, 69 studies (61%) reported the use of commercially available surgical VR simulators. Other VR modalities included 3D models (15 [14%]) and virtual worlds (20 [18%]), mainly used for anatomy education. Most of the VR modalities included were semi-immersive (68 [60%]) and of high interactivity (79 [70%]). There is limited evidence on the use of more novel VR modalities such as mobile VR and virtual dissection tables (8 [7%]), as well as the use of VR for training of non-surgical and non-psychomotor skills (20 [18%]) or in group setting (16 [14%]). Only 3 studies reported the use conceptual frameworks or theories in the design of VR. CONCLUSIONS Despite extensive research available on VR in medical education, there continues to be important gaps in the evidence. Future studies should explore the use of VR for the development of non-psychomotor skills and in areas other than surgery and anatomy.

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Clinical parameters and biomarkers predicting spontaneous operational tolerance after liver transplantation: a scoping review protocol

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.21501.2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 2059

Author(s):

Christian Appenzeller-Herzog ◽

Steffen Hartleif ◽

Julien Vionnet

Keyword(s):

Autoimmune Disease ◽

Viral Hepatitis ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Clinical Parameter ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Narrative Form ◽

Clinical Parameters ◽

Clinical Trial Registries ◽

Operational Tolerance

Objective: This scoping review aims at systematically mapping reported prognostic factors for spontaneous immunosuppression (IS) free allograft tolerance (operational tolerance, OT) in non-viral hepatitis and non-autoimmune disease liver transplant (LT) recipients who are undergoing immunosuppression withdrawal (ISW). The results may inform the subsequent conduct of a systematic review with a more specific review question. Background: LT is currently the most effective treatment for end-stage liver diseases. Whereas the short-term outcomes after LT have dramatically improved over the last decades, the long-term outcomes remain unsatisfactory, mainly because of side effects of lifelong IS, such as infections, cardiovascular diseases, malignancies, and nephrotoxicity. ISW studies have shown that OT can be achieved by a subset of LT recipients and recent research has identified biomarkers of OT in these patients. However, an evidence-based selection algorithm for patients that can predictably benefit from ISW is not available to date. The planned review will, therefore, map existing knowledge on prognostic clinical parameters and biomarkers for OT. Inclusion criteria: We will consider studies that record any clinical parameter or biomarker before the initiation of ISW in paediatric or adult non-viral hepatitis and non-autoimmune disease LT recipients and analyse their possible association with ISW outcomes (OT or non-tolerance). Studies addressing the effectiveness of OT-inducing treatments will be excluded. Methods: Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library will be searched for relevant articles or conference abstracts. Full-texts of selected abstracts will be independently screened for inclusion by two reviewers. References and citing articles of included records will be screened for additional relevant records. Clinical trial registries will be searched for ongoing studies, and their investigators contacted for the sharing of unpublished data. Data from included records will be independently extracted by two reviewers using a prespecified data extraction table and presented in both tabular and narrative form.

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Type and use of digital technology in learning health systems: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026204 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. e026204

Author(s):

Lysanne Lessard ◽

Agnes Grudniewicz ◽

Antoine Sauré ◽

Agnieszka Szczotka ◽

James King ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Systems ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Digital Technology ◽

Technology Use ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Future Research ◽

Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽

Ethical Approval ◽

Review Protocol

IntroductionHealth systems in North America and Europe have been criticised for their lack of safety, efficiency and effectiveness despite rising healthcare costs. In response, healthcare leaders and researchers have articulated the need to transform current health systems into continuously and rapidly learning health systems (LHSs). While digital technology has been envisioned as providing the transformational power for LHSs by generating timely evidence and supporting best care practices, it remains to be ascertained if it is indeed playing this role in current LHS initiatives. This paper presents a protocol for a scoping review that aims at providing a comprehensive understanding of how and to what extent digital technology is used within LHSs. Results will help to identify gaps in the literature as a means to guide future research on this topic.Methods and analysisMultiple databases and grey literature will be searched with terms related to learning health systems. Records selection will be done in duplicate by two reviewers applying pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data extraction from selected records will be done by two reviewers using a piloted data charting form. Results will be synthesised through a descriptive numerical summary and a mapping of digital technology use onto types of LHSs and phases of learning within LHSs.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required for this scoping review. Preliminary results will be shared with stakeholders to account for their perspectives when drawing conclusions. Final results will be disseminated through presentations at relevant conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals.

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Quality of patient, family, caregiver and public engagement in decision-making in healthcare systems: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032788 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. e032788

Author(s):

Clayon Hamilton ◽

M Elizabeth Snow ◽

Nancy Clark ◽

Shannon Gibson ◽

Maryam Dehnadi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Family Caregiver ◽

Research Question ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Healthcare Systems ◽

Evaluation Framework ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Scientific Article

IntroductionTo advance person- and family-centred healthcare, government initiatives have supported the engagement of patients and family caregivers in decision-making in healthcare systems. There is, however, no consensus on how to define success for such initiatives. This scoping review aims to identify the key elements for defining the quality of patient and family caregiver engagement in decision-making across the engagement domains (individual, community/organisation, system) of British Columbia’s healthcare system. We will use those elements to develop a conceptual evaluation framework.Methods and analysisThis scoping review follows Arskey and O’Malley’s methodology. (1) The research question was identified through team discussions. (2) Articles for data source will be identified using a librarian-informed search strategy for seven bibliographic databases as well as grey literature sources. (3) Selected articles will be relevant to the evaluation of patient and family caregiver engagement in healthcare systems. (4) Two researchers will independently extract data into predefined and emerging categories. (5) The researchers will reconcile and organise the identified elements. The research team’s collective perspective will then refine the elements, and select, interpret and summarise the results. (6) Persons from key stakeholder groups will be consulted to refine the emergent conceptual framework.Ethics and disseminationWe will seek ethics approval for the stakeholder consultation. This study follows an integrated knowledge translation approach. The results will inform evaluation of the Patients as Partners Initiative of the British Columbia Ministry of Health, and will be disseminated as a scientific article, a research brief, and presentations at conferences and stakeholder meetings.

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Mapping evidence on HIV status awareness among key and vulnerable populations in sub-Sahara Africa: a scoping review protocol

Systematic Reviews ◽

10.1186/s13643-020-01537-w ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Clement Avoka ◽

Patience Adzordor ◽

Vitalis Bawontuo ◽

Diana A. Akila ◽

Desmond Kuupiel

Keyword(s):

Vulnerable Populations ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Public Health Issue ◽

Future Research ◽

Hiv Status ◽

Data Extraction Form ◽

Review Protocol ◽

Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Abstract Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) continue to be a major public health issue, especially in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). Literature shows significant HIV status awareness, testing, and treatment have generally improved among the population since the inception of the UNAIDS 90:90:90 programme. Despite this, it is possible literature gaps exist that require future research to inform in-country programmes to improve the gains post-UNAIDS 90:90:90 programme. This study, therefore, aims to synthesize literature and describe the evidence on HIV status awareness among key and vulnerable populations in SSA focusing on the first UNAIDS 90 since it is essential for treatment initiation. Method This systematic scoping review will be guided by the framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley and improved by Levac and colleagues. Literature searches will be conducted in PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and Science Direct from 2016 to 2020. A snowball approach will also be used to search for relevant articles from the reference of all included studies. This study will include both published and grey literature, articles that include HIV key and vulnerable populations, HIV status awareness, and evidence from SSA countries. Two reviewers will independently conduct the abstract and full-text article screening as well as pilot the data extraction form. Thematic content analysis and a summary of the themes and sub-themes will be reported narratively. Discussions The evidence that will be provided by this study may be useful to inform in-country programmes to improve the gains made post-UNAIDS 90:90:90 programme from 2021 onwards. This study also anticipates identifying literature gaps to guide researchers interested in this field of study in the future. Peer review journals, policy briefs, and conference platforms will be used to disseminate this study’s findings.

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What does integrated care mean from an older person’s perspective? A scoping review

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035157 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. e035157

Author(s):

Michael T. Lawless ◽

Amy Marshall ◽

Manasi Murthy Mittinty ◽

Gillian Harvey

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Integrated Care ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Secondary Outcome ◽

Coordinated Care ◽

Healthcare Settings ◽

Care Relationships ◽

Integrated Or

ObjectiveTo systematically map and synthesise the literature on older adults’ perceptions and experiences of integrated care.SettingVarious healthcare settings, including primary care, hospitals, allied health practices and emergency departments.ParticipantsAdults aged ≥60 years.InterventionsIntegrated (or similarly coordinated) healthcare.Primary and secondary outcome measuresUsing scoping review methodology, four electronic databases (EMBASE, CINAHL, PubMed and ProQuest Dissertation and Theses) and the grey literature (Open Grey and Google Scholar) were searched to identify studies reporting on older adults’ experiences of integrated care. Studies reporting on empirical, interpretive and critical research using any type of methodology were included. Four independent reviewers performed study selection, data extraction and analysis.ResultsThe initial search retrieved 436 articles, of which 30 were included in this review. Patients expressed a desire for continuity, both in terms of care relationships and management, seamless transitions between care services and/or settings, and coordinated care that delivers quick access, effective treatment, self-care support, respect for patient preferences, and involves carers and families.ConclusionsParticipants across the studies desired accessible, efficient and coordinated care that caters to their needs and preferences, while keeping in mind their rights and safety. This review highlights the salience of the relational, informational and organisational aspects of care from an older person’s perspective. Findings are transferable and could be applied in various healthcare settings to derive patient-centred success measures that reflect the aspects of integrated care that are deemed important to older adults and their supporters.

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Substance use disorders among African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) people in Canada: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-028985 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (7) ◽

pp. e028985

Author(s):

Joseph D Nguemo ◽

Ngozi Iroanyah ◽

Winston Husbands ◽

LaRon E Nelson ◽

Geoffrey Maina ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Substance Use Disorders ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Bibliographic Databases ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

African Caribbean ◽

Scientific Meetings ◽

English Articles

IntroductionPrevious research demonstrated that substance use continues to be one of the most complex and prevalent problems among African, Caribbean and Black (ACB) people. A number of studies were conducted to characterise substance use patterns in this population. To our knowledge, this is the first known review in Canada characterising substance use disorders on ACB people.This scoping review seeks to answer the following research questions: What characterises substance use disorders among ACB people in Canada? What are the different types and prevalence of substance use among ACB people in Canada? Do ACB people in Canada use more than one substance? What factors are associated with substance use among ACB people in Canada? What are the health and social impacts of substance use in ACB people in Canada?Methods and analysesThis study will use the methodological framework for scoping reviews developed by Arksey and O’Malley. We will search electronic bibliographic databases including Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO and CINAHL. We will limit our search to English articles published between 2000and2019. In addition, we will conduct a grey literature search. Two investigators will independently screen citations and full-text articles. Our findings will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis for scoping reviews guidelines. We will provide a descriptive summary of the studies and summarise the findings with respect to the outcomes and report any gaps that might require further investigation.Ethics and disseminationOur proposed study does not involve human participants; therefore, research ethics approval is not required. This study will provide evidence that will inform the development of strategies for appropriate interventions, as well as policy and further research. The results will be disseminated through publications in open access peer-reviewed journals, presentations at scientific meetings and to the lay public.

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