scholarly journals Refill Adherence Measures and Its Association with Economic, Clinical, and Humanistic Outcomes Among Pediatric Patients: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 2133
Author(s):  
Brandon Chua ◽  
James Morgan ◽  
Kai Zhen Yap
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Electronic Monitoring ◽  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Humanistic Outcomes ◽  
Refill Adherence

Although refill adherence measures (RAMs) are widely reviewed on their use among adult patients, existing reviews on adherence among children have only focused on self-report measures and electronic monitoring. Hence, this systematic review aims to examine the use of RAMs and their association with economic, clinical, and humanistic outcomes (ECHO) among pediatric patients. A literature search was conducted in Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Studies published in English involving subjects aged ≤18 years were included if RAMs were analyzed with ECHO. Of the 35 included studies, the majority (n = 33) were conducted in high-income countries. Asthma was the most common condition (n = 9) studied. Overall, 60.6% of 33 clinical outcomes reported among 22 studies was positive (improved clinical outcomes with improved adherence), while 21.9% of 32 economic outcomes reported among 16 studies was positive (reduced healthcare utilization or cost outcomes with improved adherence). Only four studies evaluated the relationship of adherence with 11 humanistic outcomes, where the majority (72.7%) were considered unclear. RAMs are associated with ECHO and can be considered for use in the pediatric population. Future studies could explore the use of RAMs in low-income countries, and the association of RAMs with quality of life.

A commentary on “Economic impact of surgery on households and individuals in low income countries: A systematic review” (Int J Surg 2021; 90: 105956)

2021 ◽  
pp. 105991
Author(s):  
Michael Gregorio Ortega-Sierra ◽  
María del Carmen Castillo-Montalvo ◽  
Jesús Alberto Manotas-Berdugo ◽  
Jonhatan Guillermo Jiménez-Chimá ◽  
Maria Paz Bolaño-Romero
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Economic Impact ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Low Income Countries

scholarly journals 1707. Clinical Profile of Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type I Infection in Pediatric Population in a Referral Hospital in Colombia

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S836-S837
Author(s):  
Juliana Mejia- Mertel ◽  
Juan P Rojas -Hernandez
Keyword(s):  
Virus Type ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Vision Loss ◽  
Pediatric Population ◽  
Clinical Manifestations ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Nutritional Deficiencies ◽  
Type I ◽  
T Lymphotropic Virus

Abstract Background The Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), affects around ten to twenty million people worldwide, predominantly in intertropical regions (Africa, Japan, Melanesia, Australia, and South America Pacific Coast). The most common disorders associated are T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ALT) and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM). Studies have reported other clinical manifestations in HTLV-1, still studies are needed in pediatric population to improve diagnosis and treatment of infected patients. Methods Descriptive, retrospective cohort study, conducted in our referral pediatric hospital in Cali, Colombia. Included pediatric patients (1 to 18 years of age) diagnosed with HTLV-1 infection, between January 2017 to March 2020. Results Twelve patients were included, seven males and five females. Eleven patients were from and resided in the Colombian Pacific coast. Ten patients showed nutritional deficiencies. None showed clinical or laboratory signs of ALT, neither neurological symptoms or physical exam suggesting HAM. In terms of associated diseases and opportunistic infections, none had a positive HIV ELISA test, and stool tests were all negative for Strongiloydes. Four presented infective dermatitis, and two showed lesions suggesting scabies. Eight patients presented respiratory symptoms with chest CT scans showing signs of chronic inflammation, bronchiectasis, and subpleural bullae as the major findings. Additional tests were carried out in bronchoalveolar fluid, four had positive galactomannan test,suggesting pulmonary aspergillosis, two exhibited positive gene PCR testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Regarding inflammatory diseases, one patient presented with symptoms of Inflammatory Bowl Disease, with biopsy confirming Crohn’s disease. Another patient presente abrupt vision loss, diagnosed with Vogt Koyanagi Hadara Syndrome after ophthalmological evaluation. Summary features HTLV-1 patients Ground-glass opacity diffusely distributed in both lungs with multiple bronchiectasis involving predominantly lung bases. Cystic images diffusely distributed in both lungs, some subpleural and other centrilobular. Conclusion It is important to consider alternative manifestations of HTLV-1 infection in the pediatric population, including pulmonary disease, opportunistic co-infections, and inflammatory disorders. It is crucial to diagnose this disease in childhood to reach a better control of this neglected infection that affects predominantly vulnerable population in low-income countries. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Neurosurgical Care in Low-Income Countries

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 100068
Author(s):  
Hannah K. Weiss ◽  
Roxanna M. Garcia ◽  
Jesutofunmi A. Omiye ◽  
Dominique Vervoort ◽  
Robert Riestenberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Low Income Countries

scholarly journals Outcomes of HIV treatment from the private sector in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e031844
Author(s):  
Gitau Mburu ◽  
Ewemade Igbinedion ◽  
Sin How Lim ◽  
Aung Zayar Paing ◽  
Siyan Yi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Hiv Treatment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Secondary Outcomes

IntroductionPrivate sector provision of HIV treatment is increasing in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC). However, there is limited documentation of its outcomes. This protocol reports a proposed systematic review that will synthesise clinical outcomes of private sector HIV treatment in LMIC.Methods and analysisThis review will be conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses protocols. Primary outcomes will include: (1) proportion of eligible patients initiating antiretroviral therapy (ART); (2) proportion of those on ART with <1000 copies/mL; (3) rate of all-cause mortality among ART recipients. Secondary outcomes will include: (1) proportion receivingPneumocystis jirovecipneumonia prophylaxis; (2) proportion with >90% ART adherence (based on any measure reported); (3) proportion screened for non-communicable diseases (specifically cervical cancer, diabetes, hypertension and mental ill health); (iv) proportion screened for tuberculosis. A search of five electronic bibliographical databases (Embase, Medline, PsychINFO, Web of Science and CINAHL) and reference lists of included articles will be conducted to identify relevant articles reporting HIV clinical outcomes. Searches will be limited to LMIC. No age, publication date, study-design or language limits will be applied. Authors of relevant studies will be contacted for clarification. Two reviewers will independently screen citations and abstracts, identify full text articles for inclusion, extract data and appraise the quality and bias of included studies. Outcome data will be pooled to generate aggregative proportions of primary and secondary outcomes. Descriptive statistics and a narrative synthesis will be presented. Heterogeneity and sensitivity assessments will be conducted to aid interpretation of results.Ethics and disseminationThe results of this review will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed scientific manuscript and at international scientific conferences. Results will inform quality improvement strategies, replication of identified good practices, potential policy changes, and future research.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42016040053.

scholarly journals Challenges of Virtual Medical Sciences Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farhad Salari ◽  
Vida Sepahi
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Medical Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Virtual Education ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Study Selection ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Multiple Challenges ◽  
Sudden Transition

Context: Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been numerous higher education challenges. Medical universities have been urged to dispel students from educational and clinical settings and led them toward virtual education. This sudden transition has been accompanied by multiple challenges. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the challenges of virtual medical education in the COVID-19 pandemic. Study Selection: This systematic review was performed by reviewing the current literature on the research subject and the studies conducted in this regard during March 2019 to April 2021 by searching via five key search engines and databases, including Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, and ERIC. Results: In total, 23 studies were assessed, and different virtual education challenges in medical universities were classified into three categories of structural challenges, student-related challenges, and teacher-related challenges. In addition, strategies were proposed for overcoming the identified challenges. Conclusions: Since medical education was not properly pursued before the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessary infrastructures are lacking in this area, designing and implementing such programs could bring about fundamental challenges in several countries (especially developing and low-income countries), thereby decreasing their success rate. On the other hand, the coronavirus crisis could be an opportunity to identify the weaknesses, shortcomings, and infrastructural deficiencies in e-learning and address these issues effectively.

scholarly journals Efficacy of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation (HCT) in Sickle Cell Disease: Results of a Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis

Blood ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 134 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 2106-2106
Author(s):  
Madiha Iqbal ◽  
Tea Reljic ◽  
Ernesto Ayala ◽  
Hemant S. Murthy ◽  
Ambuj Kumar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sickle Cell Disease ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Sickle Cell ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Medical Literature ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Adult Patients ◽  
Cell Disease ◽  
Allogeneic Hct

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited hemoglobinopathy which affects over 300,000 children born each year worldwide. In spite of improvement in supportive care in recent years, there is still a lack of effective treatment options. SCD leads to debilitating and cyclic episodes of erythrocyte sickling with progressive organ injury, contributing to lifetime morbidity and shortened life expectancy. Allogeneic HCT (allo-HCT) is a potentially curative therapy for SCD because engraftment is associated with resolution of the clinical phenotype of the disease and abrogation of its complications. Medical literature on allo-HCT for SCD is largely limited to children. Recent studies have evaluated the efficacy of allo-HCT in the adult population. Here, we conduct a systematic review/meta-analysis to assess the totality of evidence pertaining to the efficacy (or lack thereof) of allo-HCT in children and adults. Materials and methods: We performed a comprehensive search of the medical literature using PubMed/Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane library on July 3rd, 2019. We extracted data on clinical outcomes related to benefits (overall [OS] and disease free/event free survival [EFS/DFS]) and harms (non-relapse mortality [NRM] and graft failure [GF]), independently by two authors. Our search strategy identified 1001 references but only 30 studies (n= 1995 patients) were included in this systematic review/meta-analysis. We also performed a sub analysis on clinical outcomes for studies that included only pediatric patients (defined as <18 years) and those in patients ≥18 years of age. Results: Median age for patients enrolled in all the studies was at 10 years. Recurrent veno-occlusive crises represented the most common indication for allo-HCT followed by acute chest syndrome and stroke; nevertheless, most patients had more than one indication. Matched related donors (MRD) were the most common donor source (93%). Bone marrow was the most common source of hematopoietic stem cells (77%). Majority of patients underwent conditioning with myeloablative regimens (77%). Pooled OS rates (n=29 studies, 1681 patients) after allogeneic HCT was 95% (95%CI=93-96%) with low heterogeneity (I2=6.4%) among included studies (Figure 1). Pooled EFS/DFS rates (n=29 studies, 1894 patients) post-allografting was 90% (95%CI=87-93%) with moderate heterogeneity (I2=54%). Pooled NRM rates from 30 studies (1995 patients) was 4% (95%CI=2-6%) with low heterogeneity (I2=29.4%). Pooled GF rates from 28 studies (1851 patients) was 4% (95%CI=2-6%) with moderate heterogeneity (I2=55%). A subset analysis specifically for pediatric patients (n= 11 studies, 1009 patients, median age at 9.7 years) showed a pooled OS rate of 96% (95%CI=94-97%) with low heterogeneity (I2=0%); and for adult patients (n=3 studies, 51 patients, median age at 33.4 years) the pooled OS was 94% (95%CI=80-100%) with moderate heterogeneity (I2=52%). Pooled EFS/DFS for pediatric patients (n= 11 studies, 1009 patients) was at 89 %( 95%CI=84-93%) with moderate heterogeneity (I2=55.1%); and for adult patients (n=2 studies, 30 patients) was at 95% (95%CI=83-100%) with high heterogeneity (I2=96.5%). Pooled NRM from 10 studies with pediatric patients (281 patients) was at 6 % (95%CI=3-10%) with low heterogeneity (I2=0%); and from 3 studies with adult patients (51 patients) was at 1% (95%CI=0-7%) with low heterogeneity (I2=15.1%). Pooled GF from 10 studies with pediatric patients (281 patients) was at 3 % (95%CI=1-7%) with moderate heterogeneity (I2=40%); and from 2 studies with adult patients (30 patients) was at 5% (95%CI=0-17%) with high heterogeneity (I2=95.4%). Conclusions: The results of our systematic review/meta-analysis show excellent OS, EFS/DFS in children and adults undergoing allo-HCT with pooled OS rates exceeding 90%. The main limitation to offering an allo-HCT in SCD remains the availability of a suitable donor as 85% of patients meeting criteria do not have a MRD. We anticipate that with emergence of haploidentical transplantation the number of allo-HCT will increase in the future. GF remains a significant concern in this population and future studies should focus on novel immune suppression strategies to help reduce GF. Disclosures Kharfan-Dabaja: Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy.

scholarly journals International barriers and facilitators for cervical cancer screening among young people: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abirami Kirubarajan ◽  
Shannon Leung ◽  
Xinglin Li ◽  
Matthew Yau ◽  
Mara Sobel
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Cervical Cancer ◽  
Cancer Screening ◽  
Young People ◽  
Cervical Cancer Screening ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Barriers And Facilitators ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Age Group

Background Though cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally, its incidence is nearly entirely preventable. Young people have been an international priority for screening. However, in both high-income and low-income countries, young people have not been screened appropriately according to country-specific guidelines and in many countries, screening rates for this age-group have even dropped. Objectives The aim of this systematic review was to systematically characterize the existing literature on barriers and facilitators for cervical cancer screening among young people globally. Search Strategy We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines of four databases: Medline-OVID, EMBASE, CINAHL, and ClinicalTrials.Gov. Selection Criteria We only examined original, peer-reviewed literature. Databases were examined from inception until the date of our literature searches (12/03/2020). Articles were excluded if they did not specifically discuss cervical cancer screening, were not specific to young people, or did not report outcomes or evaluation. Data Collection and Analysis All screening and extraction was completed in duplicate with two independent reviewers. Main Results Of the 2177 original database citations, we included 36 studies that met inclusion criteria. Our systematic review found that there are three large categories of barriers for young people: lack of knowledge/awareness, negative perceptions of the test, and practical barriers to testing. Facilitators included stronger relationships with healthcare providers, social norms, support from family, and self-efficacy. Conclusions Health systems worldwide should address the barriers and facilitators to increase cervical cancer screening rates in young people. Further research is required to understand this age group.

scholarly journals Clinical effectiveness of drugs in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Ariel Abeldano Zuniga ◽  
Silvia Coca ◽  
Giuliana Abeldano ◽  
Ruth Ana Maria Gonzalez Villoria
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Clinical Improvement ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Clinical Effectiveness ◽  
Hospitalized Patients ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis

Objective. The aim was to assess the clinical effectiveness of drugs used in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 infection. Method. We conducted a systematic review of randomized clinical trials assessing treatment with remdesivir, chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir, ritonavir, dexamethasone, and convalescent plasma, for hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The outcomes were mortality, clinical improvement, duration of ventilation, duration of oxygen support, duration of hospitalization), virological clearance, and severe adverse events. Results. A total of 48 studies were retrieved from the databases. Ten articles were finally included in the data extraction and qualitative synthesis of results. The meta-analysis suggests a benefit of dexamethasone versus standard care in the reduction of risk of mortality at day 28; and the clinical improvement at days 14 and 28 in patients treated with remdesivir. Conclusions. Dexamethasone would have a better result in hospitalized patients, especially in low-resources settings. Significance of results. The analysis of the main treatments proposed for hospitalized patients is of vital importance to reduce mortality in low-income countries; since the COVID-19 pandemic had an economic impact worldwide with the loss of jobs and economic decline in countries with scarce resources. Keywords: Drugs; Antivirals; Clinical improvement; Mortality; COVID-19; SARS-CoV2.

Comparing the Effects of Unsustainable Production and Consumption of Food on Health and Policy Across Developed and Less Developed Countries

2021 ◽  
pp. 1011-1035
Author(s):  
Josue Mbonigaba
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
High Income ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Less Developed Countries ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Production And Consumption

The unsustainable food consumption across high-income countries (HICs) and low-income countries (LICs) is expected to differ in nature and extent, although no formal evidence in this respect has been documented. Documenting this evidence is the aim of this chapter. Specifically, the chapter seeks to answer the following questions: 1) Do the contexts in less developed countries (LDCs) and developed countries (DCs) make the nature and extent of unsustainability in food consumption different? 2) Do the mechanisms of the linkage between unsustainability of food consumption and health outcomes independent of countries' contexts? 3) Are current policies against unsustainable food consumption equally effective in DCs and LDCs? These questions are answered by means of a systematic review of the literature for the period 2000-2017. The findings are that the nature and extent of unsustainability is quite different across contexts of LICs and HICs.

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