scholarly journals Impact of integrating pharmacists into primary care teams on health systems indicators: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (687) ◽  
pp. e665-e674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedict Hayhoe ◽  
Jose Acuyo Cespedes ◽  
Kimberley Foley ◽  
Azeem Majeed ◽  
Judith Ruzangi ◽  
...  

BackgroundEvidence suggests that pharmacists integrated into primary care can improve patient outcomes and satisfaction, but their impact on healthcare systems is unclear.AimTo identify the key impacts of pharmacists’ integration into primary care on health system indicators, such as healthcare utilisation and costs.Design and settingA systematic review of literature.MethodEmbase, MEDLINE, Scopus, the Health Management Information Consortium, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were examined, along with reference lists of relevant studies. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies published up until June 2018, which considered health system outcomes of the integration of pharmacists into primary care, were included. The Cochrane risk of bias quality assessment tool was used to assess risk of bias for RCTs; the National Institute of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute quality assessment tool was used for observational studies. Data were extracted from published reports and findings synthesised.ResultsSearches identified 3058 studies, of which 28 met the inclusion criteria. Most included studies were of fair quality. Pharmacists in primary care resulted in reduced use of GP appointments and reduced emergency department (ED) attendance, but increased overall primary care use. There was no impact on hospitalisations, but some evidence of savings in overall health system and medication costs.ConclusionIntegrating pharmacists into primary care may reduce GP workload and ED attendance. However, further higher quality studies are needed, including research to clarify the cost-effectiveness of the intervention and the long-term impact on health system outcomes.

Author(s):  
Marjan Drukker ◽  
Irene Weltens ◽  
Carmen F. M. van Hooijdonk ◽  
Emma Vandenberk ◽  
Maarten Bak

Background: Existing study quality and risk of bias lists for observational studies have important disadvantages. For this reason, a comprehensive widely applicable quality assessment tool for observational studies was developed.Methods: Criteria from three quality lists were merged into a new quality assessment tool: the observational study quality evaluation (OSQE). OSQE consists of a cohort, case–control, and cross-sectional version.Results: The OSQE cohort, the OSQE case–control, and the OSQE cross-sectional version include all items applicable to that type of study, for example, the representativeness of the study population, the validity of the independent and dependent variables, and the statistical methods used. Before scoring the OSQE, the rater is asked to define how to score items, in detail. A study can obtain a star for each item. Each item also has a veto cell. This cell can be checked when poor quality with respect to that specific item results in a low quality of the study despite stars on other items. Although stars add to a sum score, the comment field is the most important part of the OSQE.Conclusion: The OSQE presented in the current article provides a short, comprehensive, and widely applicable list to assess study quality and therewith risk of bias.


Author(s):  
Abdulmohsen Al Rabiah ◽  
Alamri Zahrah ◽  
Tuwaym Malath ◽  
Al Daghri Ebtihal ◽  
Al Suhaibani Daniyah ◽  
...  

Background: Controversy exists in the literature regarding the most optimal repair procedure for improving the adhesion between the repair resin and the existing resin composite materials. Hence the aim of the present study was to do a systematic review and to analyze the adhesion potential of resin-based composites to similar and dissimilar composites and aimed to determine the possible dominant factors affecting the bond strength results. Materials & Methods: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort design were searched through electronic databases including MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) until July 2020 that compared different methods of composite restoration repair and a minimum mean follow-up time of 1 year. There were no restrictions on a particular treatment indication or outcome measures. Two authors independently conducted screening, risk of bias assessment, and data extraction of eligible trials in duplicate. We applied the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool to consider the risk of bias. Results: We identified 10 articles; two of them were RCTs, and eight prospective cohort studies. There were 530 participants, with 990 teeth, dealing with resin-based composite (RBC) restorations. The intervention of defective restorations ranged from minimal intervention to total restoration replacement. The evaluation criteria were also varied with different evaluation protocols. The low number and heterogeneity of RCTs did not allow for meta-analyses. Conclusions: Although different repair protocols are mentioned in the literature according to the included studies, an appropriate and definitive conclusion can't be drawn. However, it seems repairs versus replacements should be considered as the first line of treatment when all factors lead to repair rather than replacement. Further randomized controlled trials with high methodological quality need to be conducted in order to establish evidence-based recommendations, particularly for RBC repair.


2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 261-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle R. Sochacki ◽  
Kevin G. Shea ◽  
Kunal Varshneya ◽  
Marc R. Safran ◽  
Geoffrey D. Abrams ◽  
...  

Background: The relationship between the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) and the distal femoral physis has been reported in multiple studies. Purpose: To determine the distance from the MPFL central origin on the distal femur to the medial distal femoral physis in skeletally immature participants. Study Design: Systematic review. Methods: A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Multiple databases were searched for studies investigating the anatomic origin of the MPFL on the distal femur and its relationship to the medial distal femoral physis in skeletally immature participants. Study methodological quality was analyzed with the Anatomical Quality Assessment tool, with studies categorized as low risk, high risk, or unclear risk of bias. Continuous variable data were reported as mean ± SD. Categorical variable data were reported as frequency with percentage. Results: Seven articles were analyzed (298 femurs, 53.7% male patients; mean age, 11.7 ± 3.4 years). There was low risk of bias based on the Anatomical Quality Assessment tool. The distance from the MPFL origin to the distal femoral physis ranged from 3.7 mm proximal to the physis to 10.0 mm distal to the physis in individual studies. Six of 7 studies reported that the MPFL origin on the distal femur lies distal to the medial distal femoral physis in the majority of specimens. The MPFL originated distal to the medial distal femoral physis in 92.8% of participants at a mean distance of 6.9 ± 2.4 mm. Conclusion: The medial patellofemoral ligament originates distal to the medial distal femoral physis in the majority of cases at a mean proximal-to-distal distance of 7 mm distal to the physis. However, this is variable in the literature owing to study design and patient age and sex.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicia Clara Jun Hui Tan ◽  
Prawira Oka ◽  
Hajira Dambha-Miller ◽  
Ngiap Chuan Tan

Abstract Background The successful management of hypertension requires sustained engagement in self-care behaviour such as adhering to medication regimens and diet. Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory suggests that self-efficacy is a major determinant of engagement in self-care behaviour. Self-efficacy refers to an individual’s belief in their capacity to execute behaviours necessary to produce specific performance attainments. This systematic review of observational studies aims to summarise and evaluate the quality of evidence available to support the association between self-efficacy and engagement in self-care behaviour in hypertension. Methods Searches were performed of the Pubmed, MEDLINE, CINAHL and OpenSIGLE databases from database inception to January 2020. Reference lists and individual journals were also hand searched. Observational studies in English quantifying self-efficacy and self-care behaviour in hypertensive adults were included. The quality of included articles was assessed with the National Institute of Health Quality Assessment Tool for observational studies. Results The literature search identified 102 studies, of which 22 met the inclusion criteria for full-text review. There were 21 studies which reported that higher self-efficacy was associated with engagement in self-care behaviours including medication adherence (n = 9), physical activity (n = 2) and dietary changes (n = 1). Of these, 12 studies were rated as ‘good’ on the quality assessment tool and 10 were ‘fair’. A common limitation in these studies was a lack of objectivity due to their reliance on self-reporting of engagement in self-care behaviour. Conclusion Our review suggests an association between self-efficacy and self-care. However, the evidence supporting this association is of low to medium quality and is limited by heterogeneity. Our findings suggest the need for further well-designed interventional studies to investigate this association.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morteza Ghojazadeh ◽  
Sakineh Hajebrahimi ◽  
Fatemeh Pournaghi-Azar ◽  
Mohammad Mohseni ◽  
Naser Derakhshani ◽  
...  

Background & Aims: Evaluating the effect of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) on breastfeeding success shows conflicting results. Regarding the importance of breastfeeding and uncertainties about its effect, this study intended to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials on the effect of KMC on success of breastfeeding. </P><P> Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis study, required data were collected by searching the following keywords: breastfeeding, Breast-Feeding, “skin-to-skin”, “Kangaroo Mother Care”, randomized clinical trial. The following databases were searched: Google Scholar, PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Two authors independently extracted the data. To estimate the Breast-Feeding outcome variables, CMA2 software was used. The risk of bias of studies was assessed with the criteria developed in the Cochrane Handbook. Results: Twenty articles were included. In the KMC and CNC groups, 1,432 and 1,410 neonates were examined. Breastfeeding success rate was higher in the KMC group within different time slots, however this difference was not statistically significant (RR=1.11(95CI, 0.93-1.34) and RR=1.13(95%CI, 0.92-1.34) based on the time slot and birth weight, respectively). The inter-groups differences in the mean scores of Infant Breast-Feeding Assessment Tool (IBFAT) were statistically significant (P<0.05). Breastfeeding was initiated very sooner in the KMC group, suggesting a statistically significant inter-groups difference -0.72(95%CI, from -0.92 to -0.53) (P<0.05). Majority of the studies had a high risk of bias. Conclusion: Findings indicated a superiority of KMC over CNC in terms of breastfeeding success. Assessment of the complications and costs of KMC implementation is recommended.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e042997
Author(s):  
Lili Chen ◽  
Xinhua Xu ◽  
Huizhen Cao ◽  
Hong Li

IntroductionAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease and is characterised by cognitive impairment. Non-pharmacological treatments such as diet therapy have been widely investigated in studies on AD. Given the synergistic effects of nutrients present in foods, considering overall dietary composition rather than focusing on a single nutrient may be more useful for evaluating the relationship between diet and AD cognition. The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of different dietary interventions (eg, ketogenic and Mediterranean diets) on cognitive function in patients with AD in a systematic review and pairwise and network meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials or clinical trials.Methods and analysisTwo reviewers will independently conduct searches of PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. Data will be extracted from selected studies and risk of bias will be assessed using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and evidence quality will be assessed according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. The primary outcome of interest is cognitive function in patients with AD; secondary outcomes include biochemical biomarkers of AD and oxidative stress and/or inflammatory biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid or plasma. For each outcome, random-effects pairwise and network meta-analyses will be carried out to determine the pooled relative effect of each intervention relative to every other intervention.Ethics and disseminationAs this study is based solely on published literature, no ethics approval is required. The research will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haonan Tian ◽  
Congman Xie ◽  
Min Lin ◽  
Hongmei Yang ◽  
Aishu Ren

Abstract Background Temporary anchorage devices have been used for decades in orthodontic practice for many applications. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effectiveness of orthodontic temporary anchorage devices in canine retraction during the two-step technique. Methods A search was systematically performed for articles published prior to June 30, 2019 in five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Scopus). The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and the risk of bias in nonrandomized studies of interventions (ROBINS-I) tool for controlled clinical trials (CCTs). The Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used for the quality assessment. Data concerning the mean difference in mesial molar movement and extent of canine retraction were extracted for statistical analysis. The mean differences and 95% confidence intervals were analyzed for continuous data. A meta-analysis with a random-effects model for comparable outcomes was carried out. Results Three RCTs and five CCTs were finally included. Meta-analysis showed a significant increase not only in anchorage preservation in the implant anchorage group in both the maxilla (1.56 mm, 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.98, P < 0.00001) and the mandible (1.62 mm, 95% CI: 1.24 to 2.01, P < 0.00001) but also in canine retraction in the implant anchorage group in both the maxilla (0.43 mm, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.69, P = 0.001) and the mandible (0.26 mm, 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.49, P = 0.03). Conclusions There is very low-quality evidence showing that implant anchorage is more efficient than conventional anchorage during canine retraction. Additional high-quality studies are needed.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabiu Ibrahim ◽  
Isa Usman Lawal ◽  
Conran Joseph

Abstract Background This study aimed to describe and present detailed protocol of a systematic review aimed at determining available research evidence regarding the intensity, and frequency of task-specific training ( TST ) that can best result in improved motor function and mobility outcomes in both upper and lower extremities in acute, sub-acute and chronic stroke survivors. Methods Literature search strategies were developed using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms and text key words related to stroke rehabilitation and the use of TST to search for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE (PubMed search engine), Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Google Scholar were searched for eligible articles published from inception to date. Two reviewers independently screened the titles, selected appropriate abstract/studies and extracted relevant data as yielded by the search based on the study inclusion criteria. Assessment of the study risk of bias and quality of included studies were appraised using the Cochrane’s tool for assessing risk of bias or other appropriate tools. Discussion This paper presented the description of the systematic review methods, and it is expected to guide researchers in conducting systematic review in similar fields of research. Sources of literature search terms and reviewers have been determined. Systematic review registration The study protocol has been registered with PROSPERO (130991)


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. e045819
Author(s):  
Jinhui Ma ◽  
Megan Cheng ◽  
Lehana Thabane ◽  
Caihong Ma ◽  
Ning Zhang ◽  
...  

IntroductionThe aetiology of sleep disruptions is unknown, but hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause have been shown to potentially affect how well a woman sleeps. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate whether hormonal contraceptives are associated with a decreased quality of sleep and increased sleep duration in women of reproductive age.MethodsThis review will analyse data from randomised controlled trials or non-randomised comparative studies investigating the association between hormonal contraceptives and sleep outcomes among women of reproductive age. Reviews addressing the same research question with similar eligibility criteria will be included. A literature search will be performed using the MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from inception to 7 March 2021. The Cochrane Collaboration’s Risk of Bias for Randomised Trials V.2.0 and The Risk of Bias for Non-randomised Studies of Interventions tool will be used to assess risk of bias for each outcome in eligible studies. Two reviewers will independently assess eligibility of studies and risk of bias and extract the data. All extracted data will be presented in tables and narrative form. For sleep measures investigated by two or more studies with low heterogeneity, we will conduct random-effects meta-analysis to estimate the magnitude of the overall effect of hormonal contraceptives. If studies included in this systematic review form a connected network, a network meta-analysis will be conducted to estimate the comparative effect of different contraceptives. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach will be used to summarise the quality of evidence. Our protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols 2015 guidelines.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval is not required as data were sourced from previously reported studies. The findings of this review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020199958.


BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. e034996
Author(s):  
Emma Ho ◽  
Manuela Ferreira ◽  
Lingxiao Chen ◽  
Milena Simic ◽  
Claire Ashton-James ◽  
...  

IntroductionPsychological factors such as fear avoidance beliefs, depression, anxiety, catastrophic thinking and familial and social stress, have been associated with high disability levels in people with chronic low back pain (LBP). Guidelines endorse the integration of psychological interventions in the management of chronic LBP. However, uncertainty surrounds the comparative effectiveness of different psychological approaches. Network meta-analysis (NMA) allows comparison and ranking of numerous competing interventions for a given outcome of interest. Therefore, we will perform a systematic review with a NMA to determine which type of psychological intervention is most effective for adults with chronic non-specific LBP.Methods and analysisWe will search electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, SCOPUS and CINAHL) from inception until 22 August 2019 for randomised controlled trials comparing psychological interventions to any comparison interventions in adults with chronic non-specific LBP. There will be no restriction on language. The primary outcomes will include physical function and pain intensity, and secondary outcomes will include health-related quality of life, fear avoidance, intervention compliance and safety. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials (RoB 2) tool and confidence in the evidence will be assessed using the Confidence in NMA (CINeMA) framework. We will conduct a random-effects NMA using a frequentist approach to estimate relative effects for all comparisons between treatments and rank treatments according to the mean rank and surface under the cumulative ranking curve values. All analyses will be performed in Stata.Ethics and disseminationNo ethical approval is required. The research will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019138074.


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