scholarly journals The Contributions of MEDLINE, Other Bibliographic Databases and Various Search Techniques to NICE Public Health Guidance

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Levay ◽  
Michael Raynor ◽  
Daniel Tuvey
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Database Search ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Search Techniques ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Health Guidance ◽  
Guidance Development

Abstract Objective – To make recommendations for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on the factors to consider when choosing databases and search techniques when producing systematic reviews to support public health guidance development. Methods – Retrospective analysis of how the publications included in systematic reviews commissioned by NICE on obesity, spatial planning, and tuberculosis were retrieved. The included publications were checked to see if they were found from searching MEDLINE, another database or through other search techniques. Results – MEDLINE contributed 24.2% of the publications included in the obesity review, none of the publications in the spatial planning review and 72% of those in the tuberculosis review. Other databases accounted for 9.1% of included publications in obesity, 20% in spatial planning and 4% in tuberculosis. Non-database methods provided 42.4% of the included publications in the obesity review, compared to 5% in the spatial planning review and 24% in the tuberculosis review. It was not possible to establish retrospectively how 24.2% of the publications in the obesity review and 75% in the spatial planning review were found. Conclusions – Topic-specific databases and non-database search techniques were useful for tailoring the resources to the review questions. The value of MEDLINE in these reviews was affected by the degree of overlap with clinical topics, the domain of public health, and the need to find grey literature. The factors that NICE considers when planning a systematic search are the multidisciplinary nature of public health and the different types of evidence required.

scholarly journals The impact of disinvestment on alcohol and drug treatment delivery and outcomes: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzie Roscoe ◽  
Jennifer Boyd ◽  
Penny Buykx ◽  
Lucy Gavens ◽  
Robert Pryce ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Drug Treatment ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Alcohol And Drug Treatment

Abstract Background In the context of substantial financial disinvestment from alcohol and drug treatment services in England, our aim was to review the existing evidence of how such disinvestments have impacted service delivery, uptake, outcomes and broader health and social implications. Methods We conducted a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence (PROSPERO CRD42020187295), searching bibliographic databases and grey literature. Given that an initial scoping search highlighted a scarcity of evidence specific to substance use treatment, evidence of disinvestment from publicly funded sexual health and smoking cessation services was also included. Data on disinvestment, political contexts and impacts were extracted, analysed, and synthesized thematically. Results We found 20 eligible papers varying in design and quality including 10 related to alcohol and drugs services, and 10 to broader public health services. The literature provides evidence of sustained disinvestment from alcohol and drug treatment in several countries and a concurrent decline in the quantity and quality of treatment provision, but there was a lack of methodologically rigorous studies investigating the impact of disinvestment. Conclusions This review identified a paucity of scientific evidence quantifying the impacts of disinvestment on alcohol and drug treatment service delivery and outcomes. As the global economy faces new challenges, a stronger evidence base would enable informed policy decisions that consider the likely public health impacts of continued disinvestment.

scholarly journals The Association between Post-Migration Nutrition and Lifestyle Transition and the Risk of Developing Chronic Diseases among Sub-Saharan African Migrants: A Mixed Method Systematic Review Protocol

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4706
Author(s):  
Blessing Akombi-Inyang ◽  
Md. Nazmul Huda ◽  
Aletta E. Schutte ◽  
Rona Macniven ◽  
Sophia Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Insight Into

Sub-Saharan African (SSA) migrants face nutrition and lifestyle changes upon arrival in a host country. The shift in diet and lifestyle reflects post-migration acculturation and could predispose migrants to nutrition- and lifestyle- related chronic diseases. A mixed-methods systematic review of published studies and the grey literature on post-migration nutrition and lifestyle transition among SSA migrants will be undertaken. Studies published in English and conducted from 2000 to 2020 using quantitative and/or qualitative methods will be included. Ten bibliographic databases will be searched: Scopus, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Global Health, CINAHL, PubMed, ProQuest, PsycINFO, Informit and Web of Science. Data extraction will be informed by the Cochrane PROGRESS-Plus framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute manual. The quality of the included studies will be appraised for risk of bias using validated tools. An integrated approach to quantitative and qualitative data synthesis through data transformation will be undertaken, and a narrative synthesis of the findings will be provided. This protocol is guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines and provides insight into the scope and parameters of the systematic review to be conducted. The aim of the review is to evaluate the association between post-migration nutrition and lifestyle transition and the risk of developing chronic diseases among SSA migrants in Australia. This review will provide insight into possible areas for interventions to improve the health of migrants. Systematic Review Registration: The protocol was registered with the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews CRD42020206560.

Using grey literature when evaluating effectiveness in digital health and health and welfare technology: a source worth considering (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Landerdahl Stridsberg ◽  
Matt X Richardson ◽  
Ken Redekop ◽  
Maria Ehn ◽  
Sarah Wamala Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Welfare Technology

UNSTRUCTURED The need for assessing the effectiveness and value of interventions involving digital health and/or health and welfare technology is becoming more important, due to the rapidly growing development of these technologies and their areas of application. Systematic reviews gather the available evidence based on published articles and make it accessible to researchers, practitioners, decision makers and policy makers. A thorough and systematic search in several bibliographic databases is essential when reviewing literature. But should publications outside the realm of traditional publication databases - known as grey literature – also be included? Can grey literature contribute to broaden the results of the review and how systematic can you be when searching for it INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-27267

Incidence of Staphylococcus aureus and its Enterotoxins in Chicken Meat and its Products

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Health Hazard ◽  
Chicken Meat ◽  
Isolation Technique ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Unsaturated Fat ◽  
Permissible Limits ◽  
Production Activity ◽  
Different Types

Chicken meat are being widely consumed as they contain high protein and a healthier unsaturated fat type. Chicken burger represent a consumer palatable chicken product. Both chicken and its products are liable to different types of contamination during their preparation and processing. Contamination by S. aureus and its enterotoxins poses a major public health hazard to chicken meat consumes. During this study 100 different samples of chicken fillet, deboned thigh, wing, mechanically deboned meat (MDM) and chicken burger (20 each) was collected from market and investigated for their S. aureus count and ability of the isolated strains to produce enterotoxins using conventional plating and isolation technique as well as using SET-RPLA toxin detection kit. Results revealed that mean values of S. aureus count in all samples exceeded the permissible limits and hence being unacceptable. MDM isolated exhibited staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) production of three different types SEA, SEC and SED. Meanwhile chicken burger S. aureus isolates produced only SEA and SEC enterotoxins. While isolated S. aureus from chicken fillet and deboned thigh didn’t exhibit any enterotoxin production activity. It’s recommended to follow the hygienic practices during different processing stages to avoid the risk of S. aureus and its enterotoxins.

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

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.

scholarly journals Artificial intelligence for good health: a scoping review of the ethics literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Murphy ◽  
Erica Di Ruggiero ◽  
Ross Upshur ◽  
Donald J. Willison ◽  
Neha Malhotra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Ethical Implications

Abstract Background Artificial intelligence (AI) has been described as the “fourth industrial revolution” with transformative and global implications, including in healthcare, public health, and global health. AI approaches hold promise for improving health systems worldwide, as well as individual and population health outcomes. While AI may have potential for advancing health equity within and between countries, we must consider the ethical implications of its deployment in order to mitigate its potential harms, particularly for the most vulnerable. This scoping review addresses the following question: What ethical issues have been identified in relation to AI in the field of health, including from a global health perspective? Methods Eight electronic databases were searched for peer reviewed and grey literature published before April 2018 using the concepts of health, ethics, and AI, and their related terms. Records were independently screened by two reviewers and were included if they reported on AI in relation to health and ethics and were written in the English language. Data was charted on a piloted data charting form, and a descriptive and thematic analysis was performed. Results Upon reviewing 12,722 articles, 103 met the predetermined inclusion criteria. The literature was primarily focused on the ethics of AI in health care, particularly on carer robots, diagnostics, and precision medicine, but was largely silent on ethics of AI in public and population health. The literature highlighted a number of common ethical concerns related to privacy, trust, accountability and responsibility, and bias. Largely missing from the literature was the ethics of AI in global health, particularly in the context of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Conclusions The ethical issues surrounding AI in the field of health are both vast and complex. While AI holds the potential to improve health and health systems, our analysis suggests that its introduction should be approached with cautious optimism. The dearth of literature on the ethics of AI within LMICs, as well as in public health, also points to a critical need for further research into the ethical implications of AI within both global and public health, to ensure that its development and implementation is ethical for everyone, everywhere.

scholarly journals Conceptualising natural and quasi experiments in public health

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank de Vocht ◽  
Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi ◽  
Cheryl McQuire ◽  
Kate Tilling ◽  
Matthew Hickman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Public Health Research ◽  
Natural Experiments ◽  
Target Trial ◽  
Design Elements ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Natural or quasi experiments are appealing for public health research because they enable the evaluation of events or interventions that are difficult or impossible to manipulate experimentally, such as many policy and health system reforms. However, there remains ambiguity in the literature about their definition and how they differ from randomized controlled experiments and from other observational designs. We conceptualise natural experiments in the context of public health evaluations and align the study design to the Target Trial Framework. Methods A literature search was conducted, and key methodological papers were used to develop this work. Peer-reviewed papers were supplemented by grey literature. Results Natural experiment studies (NES) combine features of experiments and non-experiments. They differ from planned experiments, such as randomized controlled trials, in that exposure allocation is not controlled by researchers. They differ from other observational designs in that they evaluate the impact of events or process that leads to differences in exposure. As a result they are, in theory, less susceptible to bias than other observational study designs. Importantly, causal inference relies heavily on the assumption that exposure allocation can be considered ‘as-if randomized’. The target trial framework provides a systematic basis for evaluating this assumption and the other design elements that underpin the causal claims that can be made from NES. Conclusions NES should be considered a type of study design rather than a set of tools for analyses of non-randomized interventions. Alignment of NES to the Target Trial framework will clarify the strength of evidence underpinning claims about the effectiveness of public health interventions.

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