Economic effects of priority setting in healthcare: a scoping review of current evidence

Objectives
Study objective was to map the current literature on the economic effects of priority setting at the system level in healthcare.

Design
The study was conducted as a scoping review.

Data sources
Scopus electronic database was searched in June 2023.

Eligibility criteria
We included peer-reviewed articles published 1 January 2020–1 January 2023. All study designs that contained empirical evidence on the financial effects or opportunity costs of healthcare priority setting were included excluding disease, condition, treatment, or patient group-specific studies.

Data extraction and synthesis
Two independent researchers screened the articles, and two additional researchers reviewed the full texts and extracted data. We used Joanna Briggs Institute checklists to assess the quality of qualitative, quasi-experimental and economic evaluations and the mixed methods appraisal tool for the mixed method studies. Synthesis was done qualitatively and through descriptive statistics.

Results
8869 articles were screened and 15 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The most common study focus was health technology assessment (7/15). Other contexts were opportunity costs, effects of programme budgeting and marginal analysis, and disinvestment initiatives. Priority setting activities analysed in the studies did not achieve cost savings or cost containment (4/15) or have mixed findings at best (8/15). Only five studies found some indication of cost savings, cost containment or increased efficiency. Also, many of the studies consider costs only indirectly or qualitatively.

Conclusions
All in all, there is very little research addressing the pressing question of whether explicit priority setting and priority-setting methods can support cost containment on a health service system level (regional or national). There is limited evidence of the economic effects of priority setting.

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Novembre 2024

Non-surgical treatment for tandem spinal stenosis: a systematic review protocol

Background
Tandem Spinal Stenosis (TSS) is a disease characterised by the narrowing of the spinal canal in two or more non-adjacent areas of the spine, often affecting both the cervical and lumbar vertebrae. Doctors and patients increasingly favour non-surgical treatments that have the function of relieving symptoms and improving outcomes. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of non-surgical therapies for TSS and comprehensively summarise existing evidence.

Methods and analysis
We will conduct comprehensive searches, both manual and electronic, of literature published up to 30 September 2024; database searches will commence after the publication of this agreement, with an estimated commencement date of 1 December 2024, and the end date is 31 May 2025, without language restrictions. Key databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, WHO International Clinical Trial Registration Platform, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biomedical Literature Database, China Scientific Journal Database and Wan-Fang Database will be explored. In addition, we will include resources such as library journals and conference abstracts. Following the identification and screening of all randomised controlled trials focusing on non-surgical treatments for TSS, two investigators will perform a meta-analysis of the included studies. The findings will be summarised as the risk ratio for binary data and the standardised or weighted mean difference for continuous data.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval is not required, as the review does not involve individual patient data. The review’s findings will provide clinicians with evidence on using non-surgical treatments for TSS, disseminated through peer-reviewed publications or conferences.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42024496634.

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Novembre 2024

Exploring patient involvement in obstetrics and gynaecology education for medical students: a scoping review protocol

Introduction
It is important to incorporate the patient perspective into healthcare education, as we know that patients are experts in their own conditions. The expertise gained through lived experience serves to complement the theoretical knowledge that healthcare educators can provide. This scoping review aims to explore patient involvement in medical education within obstetrics and gynaecology, a specialty that can provide unique challenges and complexities to patient involvement due to its potentially highly sensitive and intimate nature. The goal of this study is to map the available literature on this topic which will allow for the identification of potential gaps in the provision of training for medical students in this field. The research also aims to highlight challenges that may be associated with patient involvement in this specialty in order to guide future initiatives.

Methods and analysis
The Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review framework and methodology will be used to guide and conduct this scoping review. A systematic search of electronic databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, ERIC, Google Scholar, Web of Science, African Journals Online, Cochrane Library and SciVerse will be carried out. Articles will be limited to the English language. No geographical limitations will be placed on the search. Literature from 1960 to 2023 will be considered for inclusion which corresponds with the first reports of patient educators used to assist with the demonstration of clinical skills in obstetrics and gynaecology. Relevant academic journals will be hand-searched for the previous 5 years. Identified studies will be screened by two independent reviewers and data extraction carried out by the primary researcher. Key findings will be presented in tables and summarised in narrative form. Findings from the review will be reported according to the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews reporting checklist.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval is not required for this study. The findings from the study will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals and at medical education conferences.

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Novembre 2024

Exploring influential components and indicators in hospital resilience assessment: a scoping review protocol

Introduction
Hospitals are vital infrastructures that provide health services during emergencies and disasters. However, in recent years, disasters have led to hospital losses and interruptions in medical services. Consequently, the concept of resilience has garnered significant attention. Despite extensive research, the lack of clarity in explaining hospital resilience poses challenges in effective assessment and identifying key priorities for enhancing disaster risk management. Recently, the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) introduced a conceptual framework for the conceptualisation of hospital resilience, defining it through six interconnected components and four resilience capacities. Identifying specific indicators and characteristics for hospital resilience components based on the EMRO framework. This protocol outlines the method for conducting a scoping review to identify such indicators and characteristics to develop a comprehensive hospital resilience assessment tool.

Methods and analysis
This scoping review will adhere to the six-step protocol proposed by Arksey and O’Malley. It aims to comprehensively understand current knowledge about resilient hospital characteristics and identify effective components and indicators for assessing hospital resilience. The review will encompass available articles indexed in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Additionally, searches will explore the grey literature on Google Scholar, the WHO’s website and regional offices. There will be no publication date restrictions applied to the search. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses will assess and categorise the study results. Our protocol was drafted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis Protocols extension for scoping reviews.

Ethics and dissemination
This protocol describes a scoping review within a doctoral thesis focused on health in emergencies and disasters, specifically hospital resilience. The study, associated with ethics code number (IR.USWR.REC.1402.120), aims to develop a comprehensive assessment tool for hospital resilience. Once peer-reviewed and published, the findings will inform experts, policymakers and relevant organisations in emergency and disaster management.

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Novembre 2024

Inappropriate antibiotic prescription for acute tonsillitis in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Introduction
Tonsillitis is a self-limiting inflammatory process of the tonsils. In high-income countries, guidelines have been developed to decide if a patient needs an antibiotic or not. These guidelines help to reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions and prevent the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), medical practitioners have the tendency to prescribe antibiotics in all cases of tonsillitis; there is an overprescription of antibiotics. These prescriptions are probably unjustified and seem to be responsible for the increased AMR seen in developing countries. The aim of this review will be to estimate the proportion of unjustified antibiotic prescriptions in LMICs.

Methods and analysis
We will conduct a systematic review of all observational studies on the diagnosis and treatment of tonsillitis in LMICs. The selected database will include PubMed, Web of Sciences Global Index Medicus and the Grey literature. The search will include studies published from January 2012 until December 2024. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, and bias will be assessed by a Risk of Bias Assessment Tool for observational studies by Hoy et al. A meta-analysis will be conducted for homogeneous studies, eventually using the random effect model. Subgroup analysis will include a period of study, study quality, countries and/or subregions of LMICs involved, study setting, age of participants, tools and definition used.

Ethics and dissemination
Formal ethical approval is not required, as primary data will not be collected. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presented at scientific conferences.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD 42022384957

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Novembre 2024

Extended-duration work shifts among care workers: a scoping review protocol

Introduction
The available literature reviews of shift work among care workers are almost exclusively focused on 8-hour shifts and 12-hour shifts or 24-hour on-call shifts for physicians. We do not yet know the scope of evidence regarding extended-duration work shifts (defined as on-duty shifts of 16 or more hours per shift) in diverse healthcare settings, such as the impact on care workers and recipients of care. In this proposed scoping review, we aim to provide an overview of the current research regarding extended-duration work shifts among care workers in various healthcare settings.

Methods and analysis
We will conduct this scoping review in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology. Comprehensive searches will be conducted in PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Web of Science and CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) databases and grey literature sources. We will include empirical studies that focus on extended-duration work shifts among care workers working in different healthcare settings, including home care, community, acute care settings, long-term care homes and assisted living facilities. We will not apply language restrictions. We will conduct searches in August 2024, followed by screening of records. We will exclude research on on-call work shifts and investigations that solely focus on interns. The included literature will be screened independently by pairs of reviewers at the title and abstract review phase, followed by a full-text review for relevant literature. Any disagreement will be resolved by consensus or discussion with a third reviewer. The results will be extracted and summarised in the final report in tabular form, when possible, along with narrative synthesis.

Ethics and dissemination
All data for this study will come from published literature, so an ethics review is not necessary. The findings will be disseminated through conference presentations and publication in peer-reviewed journals, with the expectation that they will guide future research and inform future management of work shifts in care workers.

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Novembre 2024

Surveillance of carbapenem resistance in Asian countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction
Carbapenems are used to treat multidrug-resistant organisms as last-resort antibiotics. Resistance to carbapenems is an emerging public health threat worldwide, with alarming reported rates in Asian countries. To minimise further spread of resistant strains and guide interventions, it is important to understand the prevalence rates and causative molecular determinants. Therefore, the systematic review and meta-analysis arising from this protocol will aim to comprehensively describe the available surveillance data on carbapenem resistance in Asian countries to provide an in-depth overview of the carbapenem resistance status in this region.

Methodology and analysis
A systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted via PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases. Additional articles and grey literature will be searched in Google Scholar, OpenGrey and Google Chrome by manually searching the reference lists of selected studies. The review question was designed according to components in the ECLIPSE (E-expectations, C-client, L-location, I-impact, P-profile and S-service) framework. Studies conducted with samples other than clinical samples will be excluded. Only original articles published in the English language will be included. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool will be used to assess the quality of the included studies. A random-effects meta-analysis will be performed if the data are sufficiently homogenous. Heterogeneity between studies will be assessed via the I² statistic. The subgroup analysis will be performed considering the type of sample, pathogen type, region/country where the studies were conducted and genetic determinants.

Ethics and dissemination
As this study is conducted on the basis of published data, ethical approval is exempt. The findings of this study will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal with the intention of providing summarised data on the globally emerging threat of carbapenem resistance and emphasising the need to introduce alternative, more effective treatment options.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42024515806.

Leggi
Novembre 2024

Association between life satisfaction and health behaviours among older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Introduction
Life satisfaction is a key indicator of successful ageing and reflects well-being. There is evidence of the association between life satisfaction and health behaviours among older adults. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis protocol seeks to determine the strength and direction of the association between life satisfaction and health behaviours among older adults.

Methods and analysis
This protocol followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols guidelines. We will search the electronic databases (MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, CINAHL and Global Health) from inception to date. Only observational studies that described the association between life satisfaction and health behaviours—smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, diet/nutrition and sleep—will be included. Two independent reviewers will conduct screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessment of the articles. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools for cohort and analytical cross-sectional studies. Studies will be included in the meta-analysis if they report zero-order associations between life satisfaction and health behaviours; otherwise, a narrative synthesis will be presented.

Ethics and dissemination
This study does not require ethics approval, as it involves analysing secondary data from published studies. The completed review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at conferences.

Trial registration number
PROSPERO (CRD42023441386).

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Novembre 2024

Uses of private health provider data for governance in low-income and middle-income countries: results from a scoping review

This work grew from an interest in understanding how private data are used for health system governance in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Objective
We conducted a scoping review to understand how the public sector collects routine data from the private health sector and uses it for governance purposes. The private health sector was defined to include both formal and informal, for-profit or non-profit, actors delivering healthcare services.

Findings
We identified 4014 individual English language studies published between 2010 and 2021. We reviewed titles and abstracts of all, with 50% reviewed by two authors to ensure a common application of inclusion criteria. 89 studies were selected for review in full; following this, 26 articles were included in the final selection as they directly report on the use of routine private sector data for governance in LMICs. Only English language studies were included, limiting the scope of possible conclusions.

Results
Data were most commonly collected by the Ministry of Health or a subministerial office, with extraction from District Health Information System 2 specifically cited for three studies. 16 studies collected data on infrastructure and distribution, 15 on service delivery, 12 on health financing, 7 on pharmaceuticals and other consumables, 4 on health workforce, 4 on quality of care and 4 on epidemic surveillance.

Conclusion
The studies identified provide examples of the public sector’s capacity to collect and use data routinely collected from the private sector to perform essential governance functions. The paucity of studies identified is an indication that more attention is needed to ensure that this key area of health system governance is undertaken and that lessons learnt are shared. This review provides insights to understanding private sector health data collection and use for governance in LMICs, and for guiding activities to assess and improve this according to country context and capacity.

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Novembre 2024

Variability of quality-of-life measurements and reporting in randomised controlled trials of pancreatic cancer: a systematic review

Objectives
This systematic review aims to evaluate the methodology used in pancreatic cancer (PC) randomised controlled trials (RCTs) measuring quality of life (QOL) and focuses on the type, frequency, survey compliance and duration of these assessments.

Design
Systematic review of PC RCTs measuring QOL.

Data sources
A search of PubMed.gov and ClinicalTrials.gov was conducted for PC RCTs measuring QOL from inception to 21 March 2023. Only phase III RCTs were included. Studies were excluded if QOL was not measured, the study was phase I/II, in the second-line setting or unavailable in English. Data were independently extracted by two reviewers in a standardised fashion.

Primary and secondary outcome measures
Primary outcomes included the type of QOL instrument used, the timing and frequency of assessments, methods of analysis and survey completion rates (SCRs) over time. Secondary outcomes included patient demographics, significant QOL improvements and the frequency of trials measuring QOL.

Results
Out of 269 studies screened, 54 RCTs were identified, and 24 measured QOL (involving 11 229 patients). Instruments used included the EORTC QLQ-C30 (n=15), FACT-HEP (n=3), Spitzer-QOL-Index (n=2), EQ-5D (n=2), LASA (n=1) and FACT-PA (n=1). Most trials assessed QOL until disease progression or death (10/24), with 4-week intervals being the most common (7/24). SCRs were reported in 15/24 trials, with disease stage influencing SCRs over time. In trials with metastatic, locally advanced/metastatic, and resectable disease, the median times to reach a 50% response rate—defined as the point where the number of surveys completed was half of the enrolled participants—were 12.41 weeks (n=2), 14.14 weeks (n=10), and 54.2 weeks (n=3), respectively.” Only 2/24 trials reported significant QOL improvements between treatment arms. Patient age was reported in all trials, while race/ethnicity was only reported in 4/24 trials.

Conclusions
Significant variability exists in the timing, methods and reporting of QOL assessments in PC trials. There is a need for further research to assess the implications of missing data and consider the temporality of QOL assessment in patients with advanced cancers and poor prognosis.

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Novembre 2024

AGA Clinical Practice Update on Nonampullary Duodenal Lesions: Expert Review

Nonampullary duodenal polyps are found in up to 5% of all upper endoscopies; the vast majority are identified incidentally in asymptomatic patients. Although most are benign, adenomas are estimated to account for 10%–20% of these lesions. Most international guidelines recommend that all duodenal adenomas should be considered for endoscopic resection; this may be associated with a near 15% adverse event rate (predominantly bleeding and perforation) in prospective studies, with substantial local recurrence on surveillance.

Leggi
Novembre 2024

Adherence to secondary antibiotic prophylaxis among patients with acute rheumatic fever and/or rheumatic heart disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives
Worldwide, a number of studies have been conducted to assess the prevalence of adherence to secondary antibiotic prophylaxis and to identify the associated factors (reasons) for poor adherence among patients with rheumatic heart disease or acute rheumatic fever (RHD/ARF). However, results were highly inconsistent with a prevalence ranging from 10% to 93%; and the reported reasons or associated factors have not been systematically reviewed. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of adherence to secondary antibiotic prophylaxis among patients with RHD/ARF; and to review the associated factors (reasons) for poor adherence.

Design
Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources
PubMed/Medline, Google Scholar, Cochrane Review and African Journals Online databases.

Eligibility criteria
Articles published in English from 1 January 2005 to 1 December 2022 and reported the prevalence of adherence using ≥80% cut-off points were included.

Data extraction and synthesis
Data were extracted using the Microsoft Excel and analysed by STATA V.11.0. A meta-analysis was conducted using the weighted inverse-variance random-effects model. Reasons for poor adherence were identified through thematic analysis.

Results
33 articles with a total sample size of 7158 patients were included. The pooled prevalence of adherence to secondary antibiotic prophylaxis among patients with RHD/ARF was found to be 58.5% (95% CI: 48.2% to 68.7%; I2=99.2%; p

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Novembre 2024

Factors associated with HPV vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in Africa: a systematic review protocol

Introduction
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection worldwide. HPV vaccination is an important tool to prevent and control HPV infection and its complications. Despite carrying the severe burden of disease, HPV vaccine coverage in Africa remains low. The aim of the current review is to evaluate the factors associated with HPV vaccination acceptance among adolescent men and women, young men and women, parents/caregivers, men who have sex with men, healthcare workers and programme managers in Africa.

Methods and analysis
We will include peer-reviewed quantitative studies. We will search PubMed, Scopus, PsycInfo, Web of Science and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, with no language restriction, to identify eligible studies. Two review authors will independently screen the titles and abstracts of the search output in Covidence to select potentially eligible studies. The same two reviewers will independently screen the full-text of all identified potentially eligible articles to identify studies meeting inclusion criteria. Two review authors will independently extract data from eligible studies using a predefined data extraction form. Two review authors will independently assess the risk of bias in each included study, using the Effective Public Health Practice Project ‘Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies’. We will assess the quality of evidence using the method for Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation.

Ethics and dissemination
Ethical approval is not required for this study because we will use already published data. The results of this review will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication and conference presentation.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42023475810.

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Novembre 2024

Biomedical research grant resubmission: rates and factors related to success – a scoping review

Objectives
Most first-time biomedical research grant applications are not funded. In the challenging research funding climate, resubmitting a grant application is a necessary task for scientists. Identifying which factors influence their decision to resubmit and the success of resubmissions will inform funders and applicants. However, data on resubmissions are fragmented and under-reported. In this scoping review, we aimed to summarise (1) the outcomes of resubmitting biomedical research grant applications and (2) the demographic characteristics of scientists who resubmitted grant applications.

Design
Scoping review with reporting informed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Data sources
MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Registrar of Controlled Trials CENTRAL, PsycINFO, Web of Science and grey literature sources were searched through November 2022.

Eligibility criteria
We included peer-reviewed and grey literature records from the biomedical sciences that reported outcomes of the resubmission process (eg, resubmission success rate, rate of resubmission) and information about the scientists who resubmit grant applications (eg, sex, race, career stage).

Data extraction and synthesis
Data were extracted independently by two reviewers. The data were cross-referenced and any conflicts were resolved via consensus. Data were summarised descriptively and presented in tables and figures.

Results
Resubmissions represented a substantial proportion of applications (lowest prevalence rate: 4%; highest prevalence rate: 56%) in a given funding cycle and were reliably more successful than first-time applications (lowest success rate: 16%; highest success rate: 82%)—a phenomenon associated with several sociodemographic, institutional and project-related factors. There was conflicting evidence about the relationship of sociodemographic-related, institution-related and project-related factors to resubmission likelihood and success.

Conclusion
The resubmission process is a time-consuming and often frustrating experience for researchers. Our review identified opportunities to streamline and improve the process to enhance the biomedical research landscape.

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Novembre 2024

Effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions targeting long-distance truck drivers: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of global evidence

Introduction
Globally, long-distance truck drivers’ (LDTDs) risk of exposure to HIV infections is higher compared with other populations in transit. Thus, several HIV prevention interventions have been implemented, though to a narrower extent compared with other most at-risk populations. Consequently, the effectiveness of such interventions is not well understood. Therefore, a review is warranted to inform policymakers on the most effective HIV prevention interventions targeted for LDTDs.

Methods and analysis
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols guidelines were followed. Original peer-reviewed interventional studies involving LDTDs of either gender aged above 18 years, and reporting findings on HIV prevention interventions from any part of the world will be included. Non-empirical research studies like systematic reviews, literature reviews and scoping reviews will be excluded. A comprehensive search will be done from PubMed, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and other five databases to identify eligible studies. The Rayyan online platform will be used for the screening of titles and abstracts. For the meta-analysis, a random-effects meta-analysis using the ‘metafor’ package in R software will be done. Where specific studies may not report adequate data for meta-analysis, their findings will be presented qualitatively. The Cochrane Collaboration tool and Joanna Brigs Checklist will be used to assess the quality and risk of bias in the included studies.

Ethics and dissemination
A formal ethical approval is not required for this systematic review and meta-analysis. The findings will be presented at scientific conferences and published in open-access peer-reviewed journals to reach policymakers, stakeholders and the scientific community.

PROSPERO registration number
CRD42024505542.

Leggi
Novembre 2024