scholarly journals Grey literature in evaluating effectiveness in digital health and/or health and welfare technology: a source worth considering (Preprint)

10.2196/29307 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Landerdahl Stridsberg ◽  
Matt X Richardson ◽  
Ken Redekop ◽  
Maria Ehn ◽  
Sarah Wamala Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Digital Health ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Welfare Technology

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

Problems and Barriers related to the Use of Digital Health Applications: A Scoping Review Protocol (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Godwin Denk Giebel ◽  
Christian Speckemeier ◽  
Carina Abels ◽  
Kirstin Börchers ◽  
Jürgen Wasem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Screening Process ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Review Protocol ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Health Applications

BACKGROUND Usage of digital health applications (DHA) is increasing internationally. More and more regulatory bodies develop regulations and guidelines to enable an evidence-based and safe use. In Germany, DHA fulfilling predefined criteria (Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen (="DiGA")) can be prescribed and are reimbursable by the German statutory health insurance scheme. Due to the increasing distribution of DHA problems and barriers should receive special attention. OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify relevant problems and barriers related to the use of DHA fulfilling the criteria of DiGA. The research done in this area will be mapped and research findings will be summarized. METHODS Conduct of the scoping review will follow published methodological frameworks and PRISMA-Scr criteria. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO), reference lists of relevant articles and grey literature sources will be searched. Two reviewers will assess eligibility of articles by a two-stage (title/abstract and full-text) screening process. Only problems and barriers related to DHA fulfilling the criteria of DiGA are included for this research. RESULTS This scoping review serves to give an overview about the available evidence and to identify research gaps with regards to problems and barriers related to DiGA. Results are planned to be submitted to an indexed, peer-reviewed journal in the fourth quarter of 2021. CONCLUSIONS This is the first review identifying problems and barriers specifically to the use of the German definition of DiGA. Nevertheless, our findings can presumably be applied to other contexts and health care systems as well.

scholarly journals Understanding digital health ecosystem from Australian citizens’ perspective: A scoping review

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (11) ◽  
pp. e0260058
Author(s):  
Abraham Oshni Alvandi ◽  
Chris Bain ◽  
Frada Burstein
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Related Services ◽  
Scoping Literature Review ◽  
Usability Data ◽  
Care Technology

Background Digital health (DH) and the benefits of related services are fairly well understood. However, it still is critical to map the digital health care landscape including the key elements that define it as an ecosystem. Particularly, knowing the perspectives of citizens on this digital transformation is an important angle to capture. In this review we aim to analyze the relevant studies to identify how DH is understood and experienced by Australian citizens and what they may require from DH platforms. Materials and methods A scoping literature review was conducted across several electronic databases (ACM Digital Library, OVID, PubMed, Scopus, IEEE, Science Direct, SAGE), as well as grey literature. Additionally, citation mining was conducted to identify further relevant studies. Identified studies were subjected to eligibility criteria and the final set of articles was independently reviewed, analyzed, discussed and interpreted by three reviewers. Results Of 3811 articles, 98 articles met the inclusion criteria with research-based articles–as opposed to review articles or white papers– comprising the largest proportion (72%) of the selected literature. The qualitative analysis of the literature revealed five key elements that capture the essence of the digital health ecosystem interventions from the viewpoint of the Australian citizens. The identified elements were “consumer/user”, “health care”, “technology”, “use and usability”, “data and information”. These elements were further found to be associated with 127 subcategories. Conclusions This study is the first of its kind to analyze and synthesize the relevant literature on DH ecosystems from the citizens’ perspective. Through the lens of two research questions, this study defines the key components that were found crucial to understanding citizens’ experiences with DH. This understanding lays a strong foundation for designing and fostering DH ecosystem. The results provide a solid ground for empirical testing.

scholarly journals Protecting the Public Interest when Regulating Health Professionals Providing Virtual Care: A Scoping Review Protocol

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Leslie ◽  
Sophia Myles ◽  
Tracey L Adams ◽  
Catharine Schiller ◽  
Jacob Shelley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Public Interest ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Regulatory Reform ◽  
Health Profession ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
The Public ◽  
Virtual Care

Abstract Background: Virtual care is transforming the nature of healthcare, particularly with the accelerated shift to telehealth and virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health profession regulators face intense pressures to safely facilitate this type of healthcare while upholding their legislative mandate to protect the public. Challenges for health profession regulators have included providing practice guidance for virtual care, changing entry to practice requirements to include digital competencies, facilitating interjurisdictional virtual care through licensure and liability insurance requirements, and adapting disciplinary procedures. This scoping review will examine the literature on how the public interest is protected when regulating health professionals providing virtual care.Methods: This review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology. Academic and grey literature will be retrieved from health sciences, social sciences, and legal databases using a comprehensive search strategy underpinned by Population-Concept-Context (PCC) inclusion criteria. Articles published in English since January 2015 will be considered for inclusion. Two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts and full-text sources against specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Discrepancies will be resolved through discussion or by a third reviewer. One research team member will extract relevant data from the selected documents and a second will validate the extractions.Discussion: Results will be presented in a descriptive synthesis that highlights implications for regulatory policy and professional practice, as well as study limitations and knowledge gaps that warrant further research. Given the rapid expansion of virtual care provision by regulated health professionals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, mapping the literature on how the public interest is protected in this rapidly evolving digital health sector may help inform future regulatory reform and innovation.Review registration: This protocol is registered with the Open Science Framework (10.17605/OSF.IO/BD2ZX).

scholarly journals Mobile safety alarms based on global positioning system technology in elderly care: a systematic review of evidence based on a general evidence framework for digital health technologies (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Ehn ◽  
Matt X Richardson ◽  
Sara Landerdahl Stridsberg ◽  
W. Ken Redekop ◽  
Sarah Wamala-Andersson
Keyword(s):  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Tier 1 ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Standard Framework

BACKGROUND Global Positioning System (GPS) alarms aim at supporting users in independent daily indoor and outdoor activities. GPS alarms are implemented in social care, particularly in Nordic countries. Previous systematic reviews report lack of clear evidence of the effectiveness of GPS alarms on the health and welfare of users and their families, as well as social care provision. Evidence on effectiveness can support informed decision on implementation of health and welfare technologies. Standardized evidence frameworks have been developed to ensure that new technologies are clinically effective and offer economic value. However, systematic reviews seldom assess identified evidence using the frameworks. OBJECTIVE This study provides an up-to-date systematic review on evidence from existing studies of GPS-based alarms’ effects on health, welfare and social provision in elderly care, compared to non-GPS standard care. Moreover, the study findings are assessed against the evidence standard framework for digital health technologies (DHTs) established by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in UK. METHODS The review was conducted according to recommended guidelines. Primary studies published in peer-reviewed and grey literature between January 2005 and August 2020 were identified through searches in 13 databases and several sources of grey literature. Articles were included if the studied population was persons 50 years and older, who either received social care for elderly or social care for persons with dementia; employed GPS devices that enabled the users to initiate alarms and/or localization of user position and/or geofencing functions as an intervention; were performed in Canada, US, EU, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Korea, or Japan; and addressed outcomes related to health, welfare and social care outcomes by use of quantitative methods. Study findings were categorized and summarized according to the requirements for “active monitoring” DHTs (i.e. tier 3b) of the NICE evidence standard framework. RESULTS 16 of the 986 screened records met the eligibility criteria. 7 peer-reviewed publications and 9 grey literature studies contributed with information. Best practice evidence was identified according to standards for tier 1 category “Relevance to current pathways in health/social care system” and minimum standard evidence was identified according to standards for tier 1 category “Credibility with health, social care professionals” of the NICE framework. However, several evidence categories in tiers 1 and 2 could not be assessed and no clear evidence demonstrating effectiveness in outcomes or improvements in outcomes could be identified. The evidence required for DHTs tracking patient location (tier 3b) in the NICE framework was therefore insufficient. CONCLUSIONS The evidence in current grey and peer-reviewed literature for GPS-based mobile alarms’ beneficial effects on health and welfare of older adults and social care provision is insufficient. Future research should utilize knowledge produced in previous studies and systematic reviews. CLINICALTRIAL Not required, no primary study.

Public-private partnerships and collaboration in digital health: a scoping review and case study analysis of applications during the COVID-19 pandemic (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nishali Kirit Patel ◽  
Elinor Wahal ◽  
Adriana Mancilla Galindo ◽  
Alejandra Rodarte ◽  
Tim Jesudason ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Literature Search ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Search Results ◽  
Stage Process

BACKGROUND The emergence of digital technologies over the past decade has presented a novel opportunity to address healthcare challenges associated with COVID-19 and accelerate progress towards achieving the health-related goals under the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have played a vital role in scaling up digital health solutions and disseminating curated scientific information in the face of the infodemic. However, several challenges remain around the effectiveness of PPP-related digital solutions and antagonistic viewpoints of engaging the private sector. We sought to evaluate the role of public-private partnerships in the digital public health space during COVID-19 and identify key lessons learned and challenges in the uptake of digital health solutions globally. OBJECTIVE Electronic and grey literature search results from PubMed, Google, and Google Scholar were screened by one reviewer through a two-stage process. We included all relevant systematic reviews, interventional, observational, and descriptive studies published in English published from January 2020 to June 2021. Two case study analyses on digital health chatbots, informed by expert opinion, were also performed to assess for the role of public-private partnerships in advancing digital public health solutions. METHODS Electronic and grey literature search results from PubMed, Google, and Google Scholar were screened by one reviewer through a two-stage process. We included all relevant systematic reviews, interventional, observational, and descriptive studies published in English published from January 2020 to June 2021. Two case study analyses on digital health chatbots, informed by expert opinion, were also performed to assess for the role of public-private partnerships in advancing digital public health solutions. RESULTS Forty-five articles met the inclusion criteria for qualitative analysis, the majority of which were secondary research. Results of the publications can be broadly categorized into three groups: (1) models and definitions of public-private partnerships used in the healthcare space; (2) purposes of and motivations of public-private partnerships in global public health; and (3) and facilitators, barriers, and challenges to date. CONCLUSIONS The literature review as well as the case studies analysis reveal that PPPs can represent a valid option for tackling global healthcare issues with a digital health approach. Further research is needed to complement the initial findings of the present paper, as well as to assess a wider pool of case studies and the different features that they might present.

scholarly journals PNS195 Piloting a Comprehensive Search for Definitions of Digital Health in the Grey Literature: Preliminary Results from a Systematic Scoping Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. S673-S674
Author(s):  
Z. Zrubka ◽  
A. Burrell ◽  
C.V. Asche ◽  
L. Vinuesa ◽  
V. Zah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Comprehensive Search

scholarly journals Associations Between Digital Health Intervention Engagement, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

10.2196/23180 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. e23180
Author(s):  
Matthew Mclaughlin ◽  
Tessa Delaney ◽  
Alix Hall ◽  
Judith Byaruhanga ◽  
Paul Mackie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Vote Counting

Background The effectiveness of digital health interventions is commonly assumed to be related to the level of user engagement with the digital health intervention, including measures of both digital health intervention use and users’ subjective experience. However, little is known about the relationships between the measures of digital health intervention engagement and physical activity or sedentary behavior. Objective This study aims to describe the direction and strength of the association between engagement with digital health interventions and physical activity or sedentary behavior in adults and explore whether the direction of association of digital health intervention engagement with physical activity or sedentary behavior varies with the type of engagement with the digital health intervention (ie, subjective experience, activities completed, time, and logins). Methods Four databases were searched from inception to December 2019. Grey literature and reference lists of key systematic reviews and journals were also searched. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they examined a quantitative association between a measure of engagement with a digital health intervention targeting physical activity and a measure of physical activity or sedentary behavior in adults (aged ≥18 years). Studies that purposely sampled or recruited individuals on the basis of pre-existing health-related conditions were excluded. In addition, studies were excluded if the individual engaging with the digital health intervention was not the target of the physical activity intervention, the study had a non–digital health intervention component, or the digital health interventions targeted multiple health behaviors. A random effects meta-analysis and direction of association vote counting (for studies not included in meta-analysis) were used to address objective 1. Objective 2 used vote counting on the direction of the association. Results Overall, 10,653 unique citations were identified and 375 full texts were reviewed. Of these, 19 studies (26 associations) were included in the review, with no studies reporting a measure of sedentary behavior. A meta-analysis of 11 studies indicated a small statistically significant positive association between digital health engagement (based on all usage measures) and physical activity (0.08, 95% CI 0.01-0.14, SD 0.11). Heterogeneity was high, with 77% of the variation in the point estimates explained by the between-study heterogeneity. Vote counting indicated that the relationship between physical activity and digital health intervention engagement was consistently positive for three measures: subjective experience measures (2 of 3 associations), activities completed (5 of 8 associations), and logins (6 of 10 associations). However, the direction of associations between physical activity and time-based measures of usage (time spent using the intervention) were mixed (2 of 5 associations supported the hypothesis, 2 were inconclusive, and 1 rejected the hypothesis). Conclusions The findings indicate a weak but consistent positive association between engagement with a physical activity digital health intervention and physical activity outcomes. No studies have targeted sedentary behavior outcomes. The findings were consistent across most constructs of engagement; however, the associations were weak.

Contextualising Digital Health Contributions to Fighting the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Maeder ◽  
Niranjan Bidargaddi ◽  
Patricia Williams
Keyword(s):  
Public Perception ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
Technical Aspects ◽  
Health Innovations ◽  
Public Media ◽  
Biomedical Technologies ◽  
Delivery Practices

The COVID-19 pandemic has catalysed numerous changes worldwide in healthcare systems and service delivery practices, many relying on biomedical technologies including digital health. The rapid development and widespread adoption of these changes has led to many being reported on extensively in grey literature and public media, but not yet in the conventional scientific peer reviewed literature. In particular, digital health contributions have received much attention but the main topics of reporting have been prominent public perception issues, with technical aspects being largely ignored. This perspective paper therefore responds to the need for a systematic contextualisation framework to describe digital health contributions to the current COVID-19 pandemic situation.  The framework recommends four focus areas or “dimensions” for contextual settings: clinical processes, health system, stakeholder and technology.  Two examples are used to motivate these dimensions:  mobile phone tracking, and telehealth consultations. It is suggested that use of the framework in presenting digital health innovations more broadly and in context using these example cases, will convey a more informative understanding of the nature of such contributions now and in the post-COVID-19 period.

Optimizing Training Programs and Opportunities for Professional Development in the Era of Digital Pain Interventions: A Unique Opportunity for Collaboration (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amara Nasir ◽  
Syed Hazique Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Digital Health ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Optimal Care ◽  
Medical Specialties ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Pain Intervention ◽  
Pain Patients ◽  
Patient Centric

UNSTRUCTURED Introduction: New digital health technologies provide accessible adjuncts to alleviating pain in the general population. The advent novel digital pain interventions have resulted in a rapidly evolving learning environment. Improving knowledge and understanding of these digital patient-centric approaches to treating pain is vital for our current practitioners and new cadre of trainees. The objective of this manuscript is to initiate a discussion about digital pain intervention educational needs of residents as well as attendings in PM&R, anesthesia and neurology. Methodology: After reviewing Accreditation Council Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and relevant American Board of Medical Specialties policies and best available evidence, including grey literature, we interviewed a group of practicing physicians in physiatry, anesthesiology and neurology, including program directors, to provide expert opinion, guidance and formulate recommendations on educational requirements, research endeavors, and learning techniques and opportunities in utilizing digital health interventions for management of pain. IRB approval was not required. Conclusions: We hope that this manuscript will serve as the basis of designing a comprehensive educational program and outlining opportunities for research that prioritizes optimal care for pain patients and leverages the unique and complementary knowledge base within our fields.

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