scholarly journals The Quality of Systematic Review Articles in the International Journal of Medical Reviews (IJMR)

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-38
Author(s):  
Mohsen Saberi Isfeedvajani
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Review Articles

scholarly journals Palliative care services: Issues and public health challenges

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-15
Author(s):  
Riawati Jahja
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Review Articles ◽  
Palliative Care Services

Trials have demonstrated improvement in patients’ quality of life through palliative care services (PCS). However, many of these trials are limited by their research methodologies. PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were searched to conduct a systematic review of review articles related to PCS from January 2001 to December 2011. The paper examined evidence from studies on PCS that aimed to improve elderly patients’ end-of-life outcomes by i) systematically reviewing literature on models of palliative care (PC) delivery patients received; ii) exploring methodological issues surrounding recruitment of the patients, implementation of the studies and comparison of health care services; and iii) addressing the costs of care with/without a palliative program. Seventeen trials and three observational studies were selected from nine systematic review articles. Overall, early introduction of PC to patients following identification of their life-limiting conditions and needs re-quires an organized and coordinated care approach to ensure accessibility of these services. The ideal system that offers the potential of improving patients’ quality of life is one that is integrated, interdisciplinary and holistic. Dying is commonly institutionalized; however, providing outreach programs that allow patients to die at their place of wish, such as domiciliary care, offers the potential of addressing the issue of ever-increasing health-care expenditure for the aged. However, further investigation is needed to evaluate the cost effectiveness of these programs. Methodological problems and ethical issues surrounding the study of terminally-ill patients necessitate that researchers use a combination of observational studies and surveillance system over time. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/seajph.v2i2.15937 South East Asia J Public Health | Jul-Dec 2012 | Vol 2 Issue 2 | 5-15

scholarly journals Systematic review of content and quality of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis review articles

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 00156-2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn M. Milne ◽  
Chrystal Chan ◽  
Jolene H. Fisher ◽  
Kaīssa de Boer ◽  
Christopher J. Ryerson
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Review Articles ◽  
Peer Reviewers ◽  
New Evidence ◽  
Article Quality ◽  
Over Time

Narrative reviews are frequently accessed; however, the content and quality of review articles on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) have not been assessed.A systematic review assessed content and quality of narrative review articles that addressed the diagnosis or management of IPF and were published from 2001 to 2015. Article recommendations were assessed relative to contemporary IPF guidelines. Quality was assessed using the DISCERN instrument.Articles were predominantly written by physicians and published in respiratory journals. Conflicts of interest and sources of funding were reported in 52% and 24% of reviews, respectively. European authors were more likely to recommend bronchoscopy (adjusted p=0.02) and were more likely to recommend pirfenidone or nintedanib prior to publication of definitive clinical trials (adjusted p=0.04). A total of 39% of management-focused articles suggested therapies that were never recommended in guidelines. Predictors of higher article quality were citation of the contemporary IPF guideline (p=0.01) and more recent publication (p=0.001).Quality of reviews increased over time; however, review articles frequently made discordant recommendations compared to IPF guidelines. These findings indicate the need for authors, peer reviewers, editors and readers to critically appraise the content and quality of narrative reviews on IPF, and the need for frequent guideline updates to reflect new evidence.

Characteristics of the Frequency-Following Response to Speech in Neonates and Potential Applicability in Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 1618-1635
Author(s):  
Céline Richard ◽  
Mary Lauren Neel ◽  
Arnaud Jeanvoine ◽  
Sharon Mc Connell ◽  
Alison Gehred ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes ◽  
Frequency Following Response ◽  
Ovid Medline ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
Mesh Terms ◽  
Potential Applicability ◽  
Clinical Potential

Purpose We sought to critically analyze and evaluate published evidence regarding feasibility and clinical potential for predicting neurodevelopmental outcomes of the frequency-following responses (FFRs) to speech recordings in neonates (birth to 28 days). Method A systematic search of MeSH terms in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied HealthLiterature, Embase, Google Scholar, Ovid Medline (R) and E-Pub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations and Daily, Web of Science, SCOPUS, COCHRANE Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed. Manual review of all items identified in the search was performed by two independent reviewers. Articles were evaluated based on the level of methodological quality and evidence according to the RTI item bank. Results Seven articles met inclusion criteria. None of the included studies reported neurodevelopmental outcomes past 3 months of age. Quality of the evidence ranged from moderate to high. Protocol variations were frequent. Conclusions Based on this systematic review, the FFR to speech can capture both temporal and spectral acoustic features in neonates. It can accurately be recorded in a fast and easy manner at the infant's bedside. However, at this time, further studies are needed to identify and validate which FFR features could be incorporated as an addition to standard evaluation of infant sound processing evaluation in subcortico-cortical networks. This review identifies the need for further research focused on identifying specific features of the neonatal FFRs, those with predictive value for early childhood outcomes to help guide targeted early speech and hearing interventions.

Psychological and Cognitive Aspects of Borderline Intellectual Functioning

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastianina Contena ◽  
Stefano Taddei
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Intellectual Functioning ◽  
Clinical Impact ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Borderline Intellectual Functioning ◽  
General Quality ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Over Time

Abstract. Borderline Intellectual Functioning (BIF) refers to a global IQ ranging from 71 to 84, and it represents a condition of clinical attention for its association with other disorders and its influence on the outcomes of treatments and, in general, quality of life and adaptation. Furthermore, its definition has changed over time causing a relevant clinical impact. For this reason, a systematic review of the literature on this topic can promote an understanding of what has been studied, and can differentiate what is currently attributable to BIF from that which cannot be associated with this kind of intellectual functioning. Using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria, we have conducted a review of the literature about BIF. The results suggest that this condition is still associated with mental retardation, and only a few studies have focused specifically on this condition.

How Does Mindfulness Affect Cognition? A Reflection on Confounding Issues Surrounding Mindfulness-based Intervention Research Targeting Cognitive Outcomes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R Vago ◽  
Resh Gupta ◽  
Sara Lazar
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Existing Data

One potential pathway by which mindfulness-based meditation improves health outcomes is through changes in cognitive functioning. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) was conducted with a focus on assessing the state of the evidence for effects on cognitive processes and associated assays. Here, we comment on confounding issues surrounding the reporting of these and related findings, including 1) criteria that appropriately define an MBI; 2) limitations of assays used to measure cognition; and 3) methodological quality of MBI trials and reporting of findings. Because these issues contribute to potentially distorted interpretations of existing data, we offer constructive means for interpretation and recommendations for moving the field of mindfulness research forward regarding the effects on cognition.

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