scholarly journals Rates of Attrition and Dropout in App-Based Interventions for Chronic Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz ◽  
Sumathy Ravi ◽  
Leonard Arnolda ◽  
Xiaoqi Feng ◽  
Glen Maberly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Dropout Rate ◽  
Dropout Rates ◽  
Dropping Out ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Central Register

BACKGROUND Chronic disease represents a large and growing burden to the health care system worldwide. One method of managing this burden is the use of app-based interventions; however attrition, defined as lack of patient use of the intervention, is an issue for these interventions. While many apps have been developed, there is some evidence that they have significant issues with sustained use, with up to 98% of people only using the app for a short time before dropping out and/or dropping use down to the point where the app is no longer effective at helping to manage disease. OBJECTIVE Our objectives are to systematically appraise and perform a meta-analysis on dropout rates in apps for chronic disease and to qualitatively synthesize possible reasons for these dropout rates that could be addressed in future interventions. METHODS MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL (Central Register of Controlled Trials), and Embase were searched from 2003 to the present to look at mobile health (mHealth) and attrition or dropout. Studies, either randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or observational trials, looking at chronic disease with measures of dropout were included. Meta-analysis of attrition rates was conducted in Stata, version 15.1 (StataCorp LLC). Included studies were also qualitatively synthesized to examine reasons for dropout and avenues for future research. RESULTS Of 833 studies identified in the literature search, 17 were included in the review and meta-analysis. Out of 17 studies, 9 (53%) were RCTs and 8 (47%) were observational trials, with both types covering a range of chronic diseases. The pooled dropout rate was 43% (95% CI 29-57), with observational studies having a higher dropout rate (49%, 95% CI 27-70) than RCTs in more controlled scenarios, which only had a 40% dropout rate (95% CI 16-63). The studies were extremely varied, which is represented statistically in the high degree of heterogeneity (I<sup>2</sup>&gt;99%). Qualitative synthesis revealed a range of reasons relating to attrition from app-based interventions, including social, demographic, and behavioral factors that could be addressed. CONCLUSIONS Dropout rates in mHealth interventions are high, but possible areas to minimize attrition exist. Reducing dropout rates will make these apps more effective for disease management in the long term. CLINICALTRIAL International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) CRD42019128737; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019128737

scholarly journals Rates of Attrition and Dropout in App-Based Interventions for Chronic Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

10.2196/20283 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. e20283
Author(s):  
Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz ◽  
Sumathy Ravi ◽  
Leonard Arnolda ◽  
Xiaoqi Feng ◽  
Glen Maberly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Dropout Rate ◽  
Dropout Rates ◽  
Dropping Out ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Central Register

Background Chronic disease represents a large and growing burden to the health care system worldwide. One method of managing this burden is the use of app-based interventions; however attrition, defined as lack of patient use of the intervention, is an issue for these interventions. While many apps have been developed, there is some evidence that they have significant issues with sustained use, with up to 98% of people only using the app for a short time before dropping out and/or dropping use down to the point where the app is no longer effective at helping to manage disease. Objective Our objectives are to systematically appraise and perform a meta-analysis on dropout rates in apps for chronic disease and to qualitatively synthesize possible reasons for these dropout rates that could be addressed in future interventions. Methods MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL (Central Register of Controlled Trials), and Embase were searched from 2003 to the present to look at mobile health (mHealth) and attrition or dropout. Studies, either randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or observational trials, looking at chronic disease with measures of dropout were included. Meta-analysis of attrition rates was conducted in Stata, version 15.1 (StataCorp LLC). Included studies were also qualitatively synthesized to examine reasons for dropout and avenues for future research. Results Of 833 studies identified in the literature search, 17 were included in the review and meta-analysis. Out of 17 studies, 9 (53%) were RCTs and 8 (47%) were observational trials, with both types covering a range of chronic diseases. The pooled dropout rate was 43% (95% CI 29-57), with observational studies having a higher dropout rate (49%, 95% CI 27-70) than RCTs in more controlled scenarios, which only had a 40% dropout rate (95% CI 16-63). The studies were extremely varied, which is represented statistically in the high degree of heterogeneity (I2>99%). Qualitative synthesis revealed a range of reasons relating to attrition from app-based interventions, including social, demographic, and behavioral factors that could be addressed. Conclusions Dropout rates in mHealth interventions are high, but possible areas to minimize attrition exist. Reducing dropout rates will make these apps more effective for disease management in the long term. Trial Registration International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) CRD42019128737; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019128737

scholarly journals Meta-Analysis: Randomized Trials of Lactobacillus plantarum on Immune Regulation Over the Last Decades

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Zhao ◽  
Chuantao Peng ◽  
Hafiz Arbab Sakandar ◽  
Lai-Yu Kwok ◽  
Wenyi Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Central Register ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Ifn Γ ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Regulatory Effects ◽  
Mean Differences ◽  
Necrosis Factor

Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum strains, belong to lactic acid bacteria group, are considered indispensable probiotics. Here, we performed meta-analysis to evaluate the regulatory effects of L. plantarum on the immunity during clinical trials. This meta-analysis was conducted by searching across four most common literature databases, namely, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed. Clinical trial articles that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were analyzed by Review Manager (version 5.3). p-value &lt; 0.05 of the total effect was considered statistically significant. Finally, total of 677 references were retrieved, among which six references and 18 randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. The mean differences observed at 95% confidence interval: interleukin (IL)-4, −0.48 pg/mL (−0.79 to −0.17; p &lt; 0.05); IL-10, 9.88 pg/mL (6.52 to 13.2; p &lt; 0.05); tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, −2.34 pg/mL (−3.5 to −1.19; p &lt; 0.05); interferon (IFN)-γ, −0.99 pg/mL (−1.56 to −0.41; p &lt; 0.05). Therefore, meta-analysis results suggested that L. plantarum could promote host immunity by regulating pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

scholarly journals Azithromycin in patients with Covid-19; a systematic review and metanalysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Ayerbe ◽  
Ivo Forgnone ◽  
Carlos Risco-Risco ◽  
Maria Perez-Pinar ◽  
Salma Ayis
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Random Effects Models ◽  
Central Register ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Observational Design

Background: Azithromycin (AZM) has been widely used in the management of Covid-19. However, the evidence on its actual effects remains disperse and difficult to apply in clinical settings. This systematic review and metanalysis summarizes the studies on the beneficial and adverse effect of AZM in patients with Covid-19. Methods: The PRISMA 2020 statement criteria were followed. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies comparing clinical outcomes of patients treated, and not treated, with AZM, indexed until the 5th of July 2021, were searched in PubMed, Embase, The Web of Science, Scopus, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and MedRXivs. We used Random-effects models to estimate pooled effect size from aggregate data. Results: The initial search produced 4950 results. Finally, 16 studies, five RCTs and 11 with an observational design, with a total of 22984 patients, were included. The metanalysis showed no difference in mortality for those treated, or not, with AZM, OR: 0.95 (0.79-1.13). There was also no significant difference for those treated, and not, with AZM in need for hospital admission or time to admission from ambulatory settings, clinical severity, need for intensive care, or adverse effects. Conclusions: These results presented in this review do not support the use of AZM in the management of Covid-19. They also show that any harm caused to the patient who received it is unlikely. Future research on treatment for patients with Covid-19 may need to focus on other drugs

scholarly journals An integrative systematic review of creative arts interventions for older informal caregivers of people with neurological conditions

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0243461
Author(s):  
J. Yoon Irons ◽  
Gulcan Garip ◽  
Ainslea J. Cross ◽  
David Sheffield ◽  
Jamie Bird
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Informal Caregivers ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Creative Arts ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Current Review ◽  
Neurological Conditions ◽  
Creative Interventions

Objective We aimed to assess and synthesise the current state of quantitative and qualitative research concerning creative arts interventions for older informal caregivers of people with neurological conditions. Methods A systematic search was employed to identify studies that examined creative arts interventions for older informal caregivers, which were synthesised in this integrative review. We searched the following databases: MEDLINE, PubMed, EBSCO, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. We also backwards searched references of all relevant studies and inspected trials registers. Results Of the 516 studies identified, 17 were included: one was quantitative, nine were qualitative and seven used mixed methods. All included quantitative studies were pilot or feasibility studies employing pre- and post-test design with small sample sizes. Studies varied in relation to the type of creative intervention and evaluation methods, which precluded meta-analysis. Large effect sizes were detected in wellbeing measures following singing and art interventions. The qualitative synthesis highlighted that interventions created space for caregivers to make sense of, accept and adapt to their identity as a caregiver. Personal developments, such as learning new skills, were viewed positively by caregivers as well as welcoming the opportunity to gain cognitive and behavioural skills, and having opportunities to unload emotions in a safe space were important to caregivers. Group creative interventions were particularly helpful in creating social connections with their care-recipients and other caregivers. Conclusions The current review revealed all creative interventions focused on caregivers of people living with dementia; subsequently, this identified gaps in the evidence of creative interventions for informal caregivers of other neurological conditions. There are encouraging preliminary data on music and art interventions, however, little data exists on other art forms, e.g., drama, dance. Creative interventions may appeal to many caregivers, offering a range of psycho-social benefits. The findings of the current review open the way for future research to develop appropriate and creative arts programmes and to test their efficacy with robust tools.

Patterns of Multisystem Service Use and School Dropout Among Seventh-, Eighth-, and Ninth-Grade Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 1041-1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio R. Garcia ◽  
Stephen Metraux ◽  
Chin-Chih Chen ◽  
Jung Min Park ◽  
Dennis P. Culhane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Service Use ◽  
Public Mental Health ◽  
School Dropout ◽  
Dropout Rates ◽  
Dropping Out ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Data Set ◽  
System Utilization ◽  
System Involvement ◽  
Out Of School

Youth who receive services from public mental health, child welfare and delinquency, and homeless systems are often exposed to a number of overlapping child, family, school, and community risk factors. Minimal research, however, has focused on the extent to which single- or multiple-system involvement influences school dropout. Relying on an integrated data set, the associations between single- and multiple-system utilization and risk for dropping out, or actually dropping out of school, among youth in Grades 7 through 9 were examined. Results showed dropout rates more than doubled among public youth system users compared with those in the overall sample. With a few exceptions, use of combinations of services systems translated into somewhat higher likelihoods of dropping out of school when compared with single-system use. Future research is warranted to identify the underlying processes by which single- and multiple-system involvement influences school dropout rates.

The safety of restrictive fluid therapy for major abdominal surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Li ◽  
Sheng-Wen Wu ◽  
Dong-Fang Ge ◽  
Zai-Rong Tang ◽  
Cong-Chao Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Abdominal Surgery ◽  
Fluid Therapy ◽  
Enhanced Recovery ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Kidney Injury ◽  
Major Abdominal Surgery ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Central Register ◽  
Clinical Trials Registry

Abstract Background: Restrictive fluid therapy is essential to enhanced recovery after surgery. A meta-analysis was conducted to explore the safety of restrictive fluid therapy for major abdominal surgery and compare it with liberal fluid therapy. Methodology : We searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and EMBASE in which restrictive and liberal fluid therapies were compared. Data on complications, anastomotic leaks, and wound infections were extracted. Results: Eleven RCTs comparing the two therapies were included. Compared with liberal fluid therapy, restrictive fluid therapy lowered the risk of complications and cardiopulmonary dysfunction and had similar rates of mortality, anastomotic leak, pneumonia and would infection. But increased kidney injury was also observed in restrictive fluid therapy. Conclusion: Restrictive fluid therapy is safe but may have potential dangers, so caution is warranted in its application.

scholarly journals Efficacy of pharmacological therapies in patients with IBS with diarrhoea or mixed stool pattern: systematic review and network meta-analysis

Gut ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J Black ◽  
Nicholas E Burr ◽  
Michael Camilleri ◽  
David L Earnest ◽  
Eamonn MM Quigley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Abdominal Pain ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Composite Endpoint ◽  
Response To Therapy ◽  
Stool Consistency ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Once Daily ◽  
Central Register ◽  
Randomised Controlled

ObjectiveOver half of patients with IBS have either diarrhoea (IBS-D) or a mixed stool pattern (IBS-M). The relative efficacy of licenced pharmacological therapies is unclear in the absence of head-to-head trials. We conducted a network meta-analysis to resolve this uncertainty.DesignWe searched MEDLINE, Embase, Embase Classic, the Cochrane central register of controlled trials, and Clinicaltrials.gov through January 2019 to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the efficacy of licenced pharmacological therapies (alosetron, eluxadoline, ramosetron and rifaximin) in adults with IBS-D or IBS-M. Trials included in the analysis reported a dichotomous assessment of overall response to therapy, and data were pooled using a random effects model. Efficacy and safety of all pharmacological therapies were reported as a pooled relative risk with 95% CIs to summarise the effect of each comparison tested. Treatments were ranked according to their p score.ResultsWe identified 18 eligible RCTs (seven alosetron, five ramosetron, two rifaximin and four eluxadoline), containing 9844 patients. All were superior to placebo for the treatment of IBS-D or IBS-M at 12 weeks, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-recommended endpoint for trials in IBS. Alosetron 1 mg twice daily was ranked first for efficacy, based on the FDA-recommended composite endpoint of improvement in both abdominal pain and stool consistency, effect on global symptoms of IBS and effect on stool consistency. Ramosetron 2.5µg once daily was ranked first for effect on abdominal pain. Total numbers of adverse events were significantly greater with alosetron 1 mg twice daily and ramosetron 2.5µg once daily, compared with placebo. Rifaximin 550 mg three times daily ranked first for safety. Constipation was significantly more common with all drugs, except rifaximin 550 mg three times daily.ConclusionIn a network meta-analysis of RCTs of pharmacological therapies for IBS-D and IBS-M, we found all drugs to be superior to placebo, but alosetron and ramosetron appeared to be the most effective.

scholarly journals Asthma in Competitive Cross-Country Skiers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 1963-1981
Author(s):  
Rikhard Mäki-Heikkilä ◽  
Jussi Karjalainen ◽  
Jari Parkkari ◽  
Maarit Valtonen ◽  
Lauri Lehtimäki
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
Asthma Medication ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Bronchial Biopsy ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Eosinophilic Asthma ◽  
Airway Infections ◽  
Cross Country

Abstract Introduction In cross-country skiing, the repetitive ventilation of large amounts of cold and dry air strains the airways. The aim of this systematic review was to establish an overview of the current literature on asthma in cross-country skiers, biathletes and ski-orienteers. Methods Six databases were searched on August 29, 2019. The search yielded 2161 articles. Thirty articles fulfilled the search criteria and were pooled together for a qualitative synthesis. Eight articles were included in the meta-analysis on the prevalence of asthma and the use of asthma medication. Results According to the meta-analysis, the prevalence of self-reported physician-diagnosed asthma in skiers was 21% (95% CI 14–28%). The onset age of asthma was higher in skiers than in non-skiers with asthma. The prevalence of asthma medication use was on average 23% (CI 95% 19–26%). Several studies reported that asthma was underdiagnosed in skiers, as previously healthy skiers without a prior asthma diagnosis or medication use were frequently found to fulfill diagnostic criteria for asthma according to lung function tests. Studies using bronchial biopsy demonstrated that eosinophilic asthma is not detected in skiers with asthma as often as it is in non-skiers with asthma and that there are signs of airway inflammation even in non-asthmatic skiers. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the accuracy and coverage of diagnosing asthma in skiers has improved over the recent decades. However, the optimal treatment and natural course of asthma in this population remain unclear. Future research should investigate how the intensity of training, airway infections and their treatment affect the development of asthma among skiers. PRD registration number CRD42017070940.

scholarly journals Should Finasteride Be Routinely Given Preoperatively for TURP?

ISRN Urology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. M. Aboumarzouk ◽  
M. Z. Aslam ◽  
A. Wedderburn ◽  
K. Turner ◽  
O. Hughes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Postoperative Bleeding ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Cochrane Central Register ◽  
Vascular Endothelial ◽  
Central Register ◽  
Language Restriction ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Endothelial Growth Factor

Objective. The aim of the review was to compare the use of finasteride to placebo in patients undergoing TURP procedures. Material & Methods. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (1966–November 2011), EMBASE (1980–November 2011), CINAHL, Clinicaltrials.gov, Google Scholar, reference lists of articles, and abstracts from conference proceedings without language restriction for studies comparing finasteride to placebo patients needing TURPs. Results. Four randomised controlled trials were included comparing finasteride to a placebo. A meta-analysis was not conducted due to the disparity present in the results between the studies. Three of the studies found that finasteride could reduce either intra- or postoperative bleeding after TURP. One study found finasteride to significantly lower the microvessel density (MVD) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). None of the studies reported any long-term complications related to either the medication or the procedure. Conclusion. finasteride reduces bleeding either during or after TURP.

Effectiveness of Tai Chi on Balance Improvement in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 787-797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Palermi ◽  
Anna M. Sacco ◽  
Immacolata Belviso ◽  
Nastasia Marino ◽  
Francesco Gambardella ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Tai Chi ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Patients With Diabetes ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Health Need

Balance impairments are a relevant problem in patients with diabetes, and interventions to manage this issue represent a public health need. This study reviewed the literature about the effectiveness of Tai Chi on balance improvement in patients with type 2 diabetes. Springerlink, MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were screened. Randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials assessing balance in patients with type 2 diabetes enrolled in a Tai Chi program were considered eligible. Four studies were included in qualitative synthesis and in quantitative analysis (three randomized controlled trials and one pretest–posttest quasi-experimental study). Evidence supporting Tai Chi to improve balance in patients with type 2 diabetes was found (effect size: 0.52; 95% confidence interval [0.20, 0.84]); however, the analysis relied on a small number of studies, which raises concerns about the risk of bias. In conclusion, the results support the benefits of Tai Chi intervention to improve balance in patients with type 2 diabetes.

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