Clinical music study quality assessment scale (Musiquas) 1st edition

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 206
Author(s):  
Artur Jaschke ◽  
Laura HP Eggermont ◽  
Sylka Uhlig ◽  
Erik Scherder

Publications in scientific journals have extensively used assessment scales to address methodological quality.  So far there is no scale which assesses the quality of studies in the vast amount of music related sciences.The clinical music study quality assessment scale (Musiquas) addresses this issue providing a 10-point rating scale. Studies are assessed on four general categories: Selection, Control criteria, Exposure and Outcome.Musiquas is based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for assessing the quality of studies in meta-analyses and attuned by the authors to fit the demand of quality assessment in the wide array of clinical music studies.A three round Delphi procedure as well as open online commentaries contributed to the creation of the assessment scale presented here.Conclusively, this scale will contribute to higher quality methodologies in systematic reviews and meta analyses in music sciences and intervention research.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artur Jaschke ◽  
Laura H. P. Eggermont ◽  
Sylka Uhlig ◽  
Erik J. A. Scherder

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Tierney ◽  
Marie Haverfield ◽  
Shreyas Bharadwaj ◽  
Donna Zulman

Abstract Background Despite consensus about the need to assess study design quality in systematic reviews, there remains a need for practical tools that can be used for quality assessment across diverse study designs. Methods We developed the Study Quality Assessment of Design (SQUAD) tool by combining and streamlining the Cochrane tool for grading randomized controlled trials and the risk of bias criteria developed for Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) reviews. We validated the tool and refined it through a four-iteration pilot. We then used the tool to evaluate the quality of studies in a systematic review of the effects of interpersonal interventions on Quadruple Aim outcomes (i.e., population health, cost, patient and provider experience). Results During a pilot with 12 studies (8 randomized controlled trials and 4 observational studies), the ICC (1,1) improved from 0.41 to 0.89. In the systematic review of 77 studies (68 randomized control trials and 9 observational studies), the ICC (2,1) was 0.72. Conclusions SQUAD is a practical and reliable tool for assessing the quality of studies of various designs when synthesizing findings for systematic reviews. Standardized practices for quality assessment are critical to the reliability of systematic reviews. This pragmatic and standardized tool can facilitate efficient and high-quality assessments for a broad range of studies.


Author(s):  
Beatrice Heim ◽  
Florian Krismer ◽  
Klaus Seppi

AbstractDifferential diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes is considered one of the most challenging in neurology. Quantitative MR planimetric measurements were reported to discriminate between progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and non-PSP-parkinsonism. Several studies have used midbrain to pons ratio (M/P) and the Magnetic Resonance Parkinsonism Index (MRPI) in distinguishing PSP patients from those with Parkinson's disease. The current meta-analysis aimed to compare the performance of these measures in discriminating PSP from multiple system atrophy (MSA). A systematic MEDLINE review identified 59 out of 2984 studies allowing a calculation of sensitivity and specificity using the MRPI or M/P. Meta-analyses of results were carried out using random effects modelling. To assess study quality and risk of bias, the QUADAS-2 tool was used. Eight studies were suitable for analysis. The meta‐analysis showed a pooled sensitivity and specificity for the MRPI of PSP versus MSA of 79.2% (95% CI 72.7–84.4%) and 91.2% (95% CI 79.5–96.5%), and 84.1% (95% CI 77.2–89.2%) and 89.2% (95% CI 81.8–93.8%), respectively, for the M/P. The QUADAS-2 toolbox revealed a high risk of bias regarding the methodological quality of patient selection and index test, as all patients were seen in a specialized outpatient department without avoiding case control design and no predefined threshold was given regarding MRPI or M/P cut-offs. Planimetric brainstem measurements, in special the MRPI and M/P, yield high diagnostic accuracy for the discrimination of PSP from MSA. However, there is an urgent need for well-designed, prospective validation studies to ameliorate the concerns regarding the risk of bias.


2021 ◽  
Vol 80 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 607.2-608
Author(s):  
S. Giambalvo ◽  
C. Garaffoni ◽  
E. Silvagni ◽  
F. Furini ◽  
M. Govoni ◽  
...  

Background:Fertility is thought to be not reduced in women affected by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), however disease-related factors, psychosocial effects of chronic disease as well as medication exposure might impair gonadal function.Objectives:The aim of this systematic review was to explore clinical, hormonal, serological, instrumental and management factors associated with fertility outcomes in women of childbearing age with SLE.Methods:This systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for systematic reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. All articles available in English, published from 1972 to 15th August 2020 in Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus and Cochrane Library. Study selection and data collection were performed by two independent reviewers. All data were extracted using a standardized template. Risk of bias of the included studies was assessed by using the NIH risk-of-bias tool [1].Results:Of 788 abstracts, we included in the review 45 studies of which 1 systematic literature reviews, 16 cross-sectional studies, 15 cohort studies, 12 observational studies and 1 case-series study, with a total of 4656 patients. The mean age was 33.5 ± 5.4 years, while the mean disease duration was 97.4 ± 65.2 months. Figure 1 illustrates the quality of the included studies. Definitions of fertility/premature ovarian failure (POF) adopted in the studies varied in terms of the number of months of amenorrhea considered. Most studies did not use a hormonally based definition of fertility. Clinical factors associated with the development of POF were older age at the time initiation of therapy and older age at the onset of SLE disease. Cyclophosphamide exposure (CYC) and its cumulative dose influenced gonadal function in SLE women, leading to amenorrhoea and ovarian failure, as reported in 19 studies. Mycophenolate, azathioprine, calcineurin inhibitors and steroids seem to be associated with a lower risk of ovarian failure compared to CYC. 3 studies demonstrated that POF was more frequent in patients treated with CYC not receiving gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRH) in comparison to those co-treated with GnRH. 11 studies evaluated the impact of damage and disease activity on ovarian reserve in patients with SLE with conflicting evidence. Finally, 18 studies investigated exposure to hormonal and serological factors able to influence fertility outcomes; among others nor Anti-Müllerian Hormone, neither anti-corpus luteum antibodies were associated with POF.Conclusion:The role of disease activity on fertility in SLE patients is contradictory. Regarding management factors associated with fertility in SLE women of childbearing age, the strongest evidence is about the treatment with CYC and its cumulative dose. Hormonal and serological factors did not impact on fertility outcome but might be used as a surrogate of fertility, especially after treatment with disease-specific drugs.References:[1]Study Quality Assessment Tools NIH. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/study-quality-assessment-tools.[2]Andreoli L. et al. EULAR recommendations for women’s health and the management of family planning, assisted reproduction, pregnancy and menopause in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and/or antiphospholipid syndrome. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017; 76: 476–485.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 2063-2082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sisay Mulugeta Alemu ◽  
Yihun Mulugeta Alemu ◽  
Tesfa Dejenie Habtewold

AbstractObjectiveTo investigate whether maternal/caregiver’s age, infant age (0–6 months) and discarding colostrum affects timely initiation of breast-feeding (TIBF) and exclusive breast-feeding (EBF) in Ethiopia.DesignA systematic search of PubMed, SCOPUS, EMBASE, CINHAL, Web of Science and WHO Global Health Library electronic databases was done for all articles published in English from 2000 to January 2018. Two reviewers independently screened, extracted and graded the quality of studies using Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. A weighted inverse-variance random-effects model meta-analysis, cumulative meta-analysis and mixed-effects meta-regression analysis were done.SettingAll observational studies conducted in Ethiopia.ParticipantsMothers of children aged less than 2 years.ResultA total of forty articles (fourteen studies on TIBF and twenty-six on EBF) were included. TIBF was associated with colostrum discarding (OR=0·38; 95 % CI 0·21, 0·68) but not with maternal/caregiver’s age (OR=0·98; 95 % CI 0·83, 1·15). In addition, colostrum discarding (OR=0·53; 95 % CI 0·36, 0·78) and infant age (OR=1·77; 95 % CI 1·38, 2·27) were significantly associated with EBF but not maternal/caregiver’s age (OR=1·09; 95 % CI 0·84, 1·41).ConclusionsThere was no association between maternal/caregiver’s age and breast-feeding practice (EBF and TIBF). Colostrum discarding was associated with both EBF and TIBF. This evidence could be helpful to counsel all mothers of reproductive age and who discard colostrum.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Jinke Huang ◽  
Manli Wu ◽  
Simin Liang ◽  
Xiaohui Qin ◽  
Min Shen ◽  
...  

Objectives. Acupuncture has increasingly been used for insomnia relief after stroke. We aimed to evaluate the methodological quality and summarize the evidence regarding the effectiveness of acupuncture for poststroke insomnia (PSI) from systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SRs/MAs). Methods. Eight databases were searched from inception through August 23, 2020. SRs/MAs on acupuncture treatment for PSI were included. Methodological quality assessment was performed using Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), and evidence quality assessment was performed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Results. Six SRs/MAs on acupuncture treatment for PSI were included. The AMSTAR-2 showed that the methodological quality of all included SRs/MAs was rated as critically low. According to the evaluation results of GRADE, 38.9% (7/18) of outcomes were rated as very low-quality evidence, 22.2% (4/18) were low-quality evidence, and 8.9% (7/18) were moderate-quality evidence. Descriptive analysis results showed that acupuncture was an effective treatment modality for PSI. Conclusions. All included reviews indicated that acupuncture was more effective than the control group for the treatment of PSI, but the credibility of the results is limited owing to the generally low methodological and evidence quality of the included SRs/MAs. More high-quality evidence is needed to determine whether acupuncture is more effective than other treatments.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-318
Author(s):  
Rachael Vriezen ◽  
Jan M. Sargeant ◽  
Ellen Vriezen ◽  
Charlotte B. Winder ◽  
Annette M. O'Connor

AbstractTo implement effective stewardship in food animal production, it is essential that producers and veterinarians are aware of preventive interventions to reduce illness in livestock. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SR/MA) provide transparent, replicable, and quality-assessed overviews. At present, it is unknown how many SR/MA evaluate preventive antibiotic use or management practices aimed at reducing disease risk in animal agriculture. Further, the quality of existing reviews is unknown. Our aim was to identify reviews investigating these topics and to provide an assessment of their quality. Thirty-eight relevant reviews were identified. Quality assessment was based on the AMSTAR 2 framework for the critical appraisal of systematic reviews. The quality of most of the reviews captured was classified as critically low (84.2%, n = 32/38), and only a small percentage of the evaluated reviews did not contain critical weaknesses (7.9%, n = 3/38). Particularly, a small number of reviews reported the development of an a priori protocol (15.8%, n = 6/38), and few reviews stated that key review steps were conducted in duplicate (study selection/screening: 26.3%, n = 10/38; data extraction: 15.8%, n = 6/38). The development of high-quality reviews summarizing evidence on approaches to antibiotic reduction is essential, and thus greater adherence to quality conduct guidelines for synthesis research is crucial.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
MR Little ◽  
S Dupré ◽  
JCR Wormald ◽  
MD Gardiner ◽  
C Gale ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesThis systematic review aims to assess the quality of literature supporting surgical interventions for paediatric extravasation injury and to determine and summarize their outcomes.MethodsWe performed a systematic review by searching Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE as well as AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and clinicaltrials.gov from inception to February 2019. All studies other than case reports were eligible for inclusion if the population was younger than 18 years old, there was a surgical intervention aimed at treating extravasation injury and they reported on outcomes. Risk of bias was graded according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) study quality assessment tools.Results26 studies involving 728 children were included – one before-and-after study and 25 case series. Extravasation injuries were mainly confined to skin and subcutaneous tissues but severe complications were also encountered, including amputation (one toe and one below elbow). Of the surgical treatments described, the technique of multiple puncture wounds and instillation of saline and/or hyaluronidase was the most commonly used. However, there were no studies in which its effectiveness was tested against another treatment or a control and details of functional and aesthetic outcomes were generally lacking.ConclusionThere is a lack of high quality evidence to support treatment of extravasation injury in children. A definitive trial of extravasation injuries, or a centralized extravasation register using a universal grading scheme and core outcome set with adequate follow-up, are required to provide evidence to guide clinician decision-making.Strengths and LimitationsA systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines and registered on PROSPEROTwo authors used a bespoke inclusion/exclusion form to independently assess study eligibilityStudies were eligible for inclusion if the population was younger than 18 years old, if there was a surgical intervention aimed at treating extravasation injury in any setting and if they reported on short- or long-term outcomesTwo researchers also independently assessed the included studies’ risk of methodological bias using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) study quality assessment tools18 years old may represent a relatively arbitrary cut-off age to differentiate between ‘paediatric’ and ‘adult’ in terms of extravasation injury


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cleo Protogerou ◽  
Martin S Hagger

In this Opinion article, we argue that assessment of study quality is an important practice to promote greater precision, transparency, and evaluation of research in psychology. However, no quality appraisal tools have been developed by psychologists, for psychological research. Given the prominence of survey research in psychology, the development of appropriate means to assess the quality of survey research would yield considerable benefits to researchers conducting, and data analysts evaluating, survey research. To illustrate the longstanding problems resulting from the absence of a fit-for-purpose tool and the application of a variety of quality appraisal strategies, we provide examples from a brief summary of quality assessments from meta-analyses of psychological survey research. We conclude that a fit-for-purpose quality appraisal tool for survey studies in psychology is needed.


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