scholarly journals Impact of interventions including vaccination against Neisseria meningitidis on the frequency of meningitis in the African meningitis belt: a scoping review protocol

F1000Research ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 1922
Author(s):  
Niurka Molina ◽  
Greissi Justiniani ◽  
Lisset Urquiza ◽  
Maria Eugenia Toledo ◽  
Chukwuemeka Onwuchekwa ◽  
...  

In the African meningitis belt (region from Senegal to Ethiopia), there are around 30,000 reported cases of meningococcal disease per year. The main aetiological agent is Neisseria meningitidis of serogroup A. Since 2010, vaccination efforts have increased and hundreds of millions of people have been vaccinated. There are indications that the epidemiology of meningococcal disease is changing. This is the protocol of a scoping review, the objective of which is to describe the extent and nature of the research evidence about the impact of vaccination on meningitis frequency. Primary studies and reviews are eligible for inclusion in the review if they assess the impact of interventions that include N. meningitidis vaccination in countries of the African meningitis belt, report meningitis frequencies, and include an element of comparison. The sources of records are electronic databases (MEDLINE, Cochrane register of clinical trials, African Index Medicus, and clinicaltrials.gov), surveillance reports at country level, online resources of large stakeholders involved in vaccination, reference lists of included records, and experts in the field. The search strategy is based on the combination of the condition of interest, the intervention, and the geographical region. The findings of this review will be presented using figures, tables, and thematic narrative synthesis. This review will not produce a pooled estimate of what the impact of vaccination is, but will give insight in how the authors of the included records assessed the impact.

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Pallikadavath ◽  
R Patel ◽  
CL Kemp ◽  
M Hafejee ◽  
N Peckham ◽  
...  

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Cardiovascular adaptations as a result of exercise conducted at high-intensity and high-volume are often termed the ‘Athlete’s heart’. Studies have shown that these cardiovascular adaptations vary between sexes. It is important that both sexes are well represented in this literature. However, many studies assessing the impact of high-dose exercise on cardiovascular outcomes under-recruit female participants. Purpose This scoping review aimed to evaluate the representation of females in studies assessing the impact of high-dose exercise on cardiovascular outcomes and demonstrate how this has changed over time. Methods The scoping review protocol as outlined by Arksey and O’Malley was used. OVID and EMBASE databases were searched and studies independently reviewed by two reviewers. Studies must have investigated the effects of high-dose exercise on cardiovascular outcomes. To assess how the recruitment of females has changed over time, two methods were used. One, the median study date was used to categorise studies into two groups. Two, studies were divided into deciles to form ten equal groups over the study period. Mean percentage of female recruitment and percentage of studies that failed to include females were calculated. Results Overall, 250 studies were included. Over half the studies (50.8%, n = 127) did not include female participants. Only 3.2% (n = 8) did not include male participants. Overall, mean percentage recruitment was 18.2%. The mean percentage of recruitment was 14.5% before 2011 and 21.8% after 2011. The most recent decile of studies demonstrated the highest mean percentage of female recruitment (29.3%) and lowest number of studies that did not include female participants (26.9%). Conclusion Female participants are significantly underrepresented in studies assessing cardiovascular outcomes caused by high-dose exercise. The most recent studies show that female recruitment may be improving, however, this still falls significantly short for equal representation. Risk factors, progression and management of cardiovascular diseases vary between sexes, hence, translating findings from male dominated data is not appropriate. Future investigators should aim to establish barriers and strategies to optimise fair recruitment. Mean percentage females recruited per study (%) Percentage studies that do not include women (%) Overall (n = 250) 18.2 50.8 (n = 127) Studies before 2011 (n = 121) 14.5 59.5 (n = 72) Studies after 2011 (n = 129) 21.8 42.6 (n = 55) Table 1: Female recruitment characteristics. The year 2011 (median study year) was chosen as this divides all included studies into two equal groups.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. e049883
Author(s):  
Sarah Firman ◽  
Radha Ramachandran ◽  
Kevin Whelan ◽  
Oliver C Witard ◽  
Majella O’Keeffe

IntroductionPhenylketonuria (PKU) is a disorder of protein metabolism resulting in an accumulation of phenylalanine in the body. Dietary management consists of altering the sources of ingested protein to limit phenylalanine intake. Current dietary protein guidelines for PKU are based on limited scientific evidence, thus it remains unclear whether current practice leads to optimal protein status in people with PKU. To date, no attempt has been made to systematically evaluate the protein status of people with PKU, using a combination of validated anthropometric, biochemical and functional measurement tools. Furthermore, factors known to influence protein status in the general population warrant consideration when determining protein status in individuals with PKU, alongside factors unique to PKU such as the type of protein substitute consumed. Understanding the impact of these variables on protein status is crucial to developing a personalised approach to protein recommendations for optimising health and functional outcomes in people with PKU. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review is to examine existing evidence regarding the protein status of people with PKU, and to investigate the nutritional and lifestyle variables that influence protein status.Methods and analysisThis review will be guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, along with guidance from Levac et al, Pawliuk et al and the Joanna Briggs Institute. The following databases will be searched: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, CENTRAL, Web of Science and Scopus, alongside grey literature. Identified literature will be assessed by two independent reviewers for inclusion. Descriptive numerical analysis will be performed and a narrative summary will accompany the tabulated results describing how study findings relate to the review questions.Ethics and disseminationThis review protocol does not require ethical approval. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication, presented at relevant conferences, and shared with a patient research advisory group to inform discussions on future research.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 118
Author(s):  
Patricia Hall ◽  
Thilo Kroll ◽  
Julianne Hickey ◽  
Diarmuid Stokes ◽  
Olive Lennon

Background: Growing consensus supports public and patient involvement (PPI) in research as the lived experience of patients, family carers and users of health and social care services bring unique insights to healthcare research. The impact and burden of stroke present ongoing challenges for those living with its consequences and could potentially limit PPI activity. This review aims to explore PPI in published stroke research to identify and describe the extent, nature and design of PPI activities, the type/s of studies involved and the profile of PPI participants engaged in stroke research. Methods: This systematic scoping review, guided by the Arksey & O’Malley five step framework, will be reported according to the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines. PPI is embedded at each stage of this proposed scoping review from conceptualisation, participation, contribution and collaboration. The Population, Concept, Context (PCC) structure defines the research question which asks - How is PPI in stroke research currently being conducted and how do the study authors report their PPI activities and its impact? A comprehensive range of electronic databases including PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsychINFO and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews will generate a broad range of studies. Grey literature (e.g. OpenGrey, Leanus) and internationally recognised stroke organisation websites will be searched for additional research reports. Data extraction will adhere to the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, with results collated and mapped to the research cycle stage/s. Conclusions: The outlined scoping review protocol will comprehensively identify and map the existing scientific literature that reports PPI in stroke research. Findings will be presented in relation to PPI conceptualisation, participant profiles and activities in stroke research, volume, type and range of approaches. Knowledge gaps and future priorities for PPI in stroke research will be identified.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e024653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaheh Nosratmirshekarlou ◽  
Samreen Shafiq ◽  
Zahra S Goodarzi ◽  
Davide Martino ◽  
Tamara Pringsheim

IntroductionTourette syndrome is a common childhood-onset neuropsychiatric disorder, with tics that wax and wane in frequency and severity over time. The purpose of the proposed scoping review is to map the types of evidence available pertaining to the effect of diet, sleep and exercise on tic severity and identify key concepts and gaps in research.MethodsOur scoping review will use the six-step framework recommended by Arksey and O’Malley, with enhancements from Levacet aland Joanna Briggs Institute. We will attempt to identify all the relevant literature regardless of study design. We will search six electronic databases, the reference lists of all selected studies and the grey literature for studies examining an association between dietary factors, sleep or physical exercise and tics, or studies of interventions targeting diet, sleep or exercise to reduce tics. Our analysis plan includes description of the reported associations among dietary factors, sleep and physical exercise and tics, the effects of interventions, the research methodologies and how outcomes are measured.Ethics and disseminationAn approval from a recognised committee is not required to conduct the proposed review, as the study entails secondary analysis of the literature available publicly. For dissemination of the study, the results will be submitted for publication to peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at relevant public forums and conferences.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e031653 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lillian Hung ◽  
Annette Berndt ◽  
Christine Wallsworth ◽  
Neil Horne ◽  
Mario Gregorio ◽  
...  

IntroductionThe disabilities associated with dementia make the adjustment to staying in a care setting stressful. Separation from family can exacerbate the effects of stress. The use of touch screen tablets such as an iPad may offer potential to support the person with dementia staying in a care setting. Although electronic devices are used among people with dementia for a variety of purposes, a comprehensive review of studies focusing on their impact in care settings for social connection and patient/resident behaviour is lacking. This scoping review will focus on the use of touch screen tablets to support social connections and reducing responsive behaviours of people with dementia while in a care setting, such as a hospital ward.Methods and analysisThis scoping review will follow Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology. The review team consists of two patient partners and three family partners, a nurse researcher, a research assistant and an academic professor. All authors including patient and family partners were involved in preparing this scoping review protocol. In the scoping review, we will search the following databases: MEDLINE, AgeLine, Cochrane, CINAHL, PsycINFO and IEEE. Google and Google Scholar will be used to search for additional literature. A hand search will be conducted using the reference lists of included studies to identify additional relevant articles. Included studies must report on the impact of using a touch screen technology intervention that involves older adults with dementia in care settings, published in English since 2009.Ethics and disseminationThis review study does not require ethics approval. By examining the current state of using touch screen tablets to support older people with dementia in care settings, this scoping review can offer useful insight into users’ needs (eg, patients’ and care providers’ needs) and inform future research and practice. We will share the scoping review results through conference presentations and an open access publication in a peer-reviewed journal.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Cecilie Tscherning ◽  
Hilary Louise Bekker ◽  
Tina Wang Vedelø ◽  
Jeanette Finderup ◽  
Lotte Ørneborg Rodkjær

Abstract Background The patients’ and the carers’ roles in health service research has changed from being solely participants in studies to also being active partners and co-designers in the research process. Research carried out with or by patient partners is an increasingly accepted component of health service research in many countries, but how researchers can best approach engaging patient partners in the research process is still not clear. There is a need for guidance to support researchers when engaging patient partners and assess how such engagement impacts on research outputs. The aim of this paper is to present a protocol for a scoping review of published literature on how to engage patient partners effectively in the research process. Investigating this aim implies examining: a) how to engage patient partners in the research process; and b) what impact such engagement has on research outputs. This scoping review protocol is the first to examine how to engage patient partners effectively across different diseases and research areas. Methods A scoping review using a systematic process informed by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework will be carried out across six electronic databases using the terms ‘patient participation’, ‘community participation’, ‘research personnel’, ‘patient and public involvement’ and ‘patient partner’. We will include published reviews concerning engagement of patient partners in the research process in healthcare settings, and exclude studies assessing engagement in treatment and healthcare. Two reviewers will screen the titles and abstracts of articles independently for inclusion, and extract data from articles that meet the inclusion criteria. Where there is disagreement, a third reviewer will be consulted to facilitate consensus. The data elicited will include: author and study characteristics; research aims and findings; description of patient engagement in the research process; and assessment impact. Descriptive data and narrative analysis will synthesize findings. Discussion To understand how to engage patient partners effectively in the research process, the impact of such engagement must be taken into consideration to give a qualified suggestion for future guidance. We hope this review will raise awareness of which common elements constitute effective engagement of patient partners in the research process.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy Blaise Bucyibaruta ◽  
Leah Maidment ◽  
Carl Heese ◽  
Mmapheko Doriccah Peu ◽  
Lesley Bamford ◽  
...  

Healthcare acceptability is an important concept in health sciences including psychology, yet, it remains controversial and poorly understood by all health researchers. Healthcare acceptability cuts across all health disciplines and refers to human behavioural constructs such as attitude, trust and respect, which are expressed when patients and health professionals interact. Many studies have described the acceptability of maternal healthcare, but there is no universally accepted definition. We describe a protocol for a scoping review of existing literature to shed-light-on the definition and conceptualisation of maternal healthcare acceptability from patients’ perspectives. We will employ a search strategy, with eligibility criteria, to search for relevant articles from electronic and grey literature. Two researchers will independently screen the retrieved articles using Rayyan software and chart data from included articles. An inter-reviewer agreement of 80% will be deemed appropriate. We will interpret key findings in line with available evidence, while being consistent with the research purpose. We will discuss the study’s limitations, implications for practice and propose future research projects.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e027370
Author(s):  
Gillian Parker ◽  
Tim Rappon ◽  
Whitney Berta

BackgroundThere is recognition that the overuse of procedures, tests and medications strains the healthcare system financially and can cause unnecessary stress and harm to patients. In recent years, several initiatives have targeted the reduction or elimination of low-value practices in healthcare. Research suggests that passive interventions, such as the publication of guidelines, are often not sufficient to change behaviour and that active change interventions - interventions which actively implement strategies to change practices - are required to effect significant, sustained practice change. The purpose of this scoping review is to identify and characterise studies of active change interventions designed to reduce or eliminate low-value healthcare practices.MethodsWe will conduct a review of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Scopus databases from inception. Building on previous research, 40 key terms will be used to search literature. The screening process will be conducted separately by two researchers, with discrepancies resolved by a third. Empirical studies of active change interventions used to reduce or eliminate low-value practices will be included. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis will be used to categorise the characteristics of the studies.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval is not required for this study. This scoping review will provide insights into the impact of several characteristics of active change interventions, including the number of interventions (single-faceted or multifaceted) and the level of implementation (individual or organisational). These results can provide guidance and direction for future research in de-implementation. The results will be disseminated through presentations at national and international conferences and the publication of a manuscript.


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