A scoping review of scoping reviews: advancing the approach and enhancing the consistency

PubMed Central

Pham, Mai T; Rajić, Andrijana; Greig, Judy D; Sargeant, Jan M; Papadopoulos, Andrew; McEwen, Scott A

2014-01-01

Background The scoping review has become an increasingly popular approach for synthesizing research evidence. It is a relatively new approach for which a universal study definition or definitive procedure has not been established. The purpose of this scoping review was to provide an overview of scoping reviews in the literature. Methods A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework. A search was conducted in four bibliographic databases and the gray literature to identify scoping review studies. Review selection and characterization were performed by two independent reviewers using pretested forms. Results The search identified 344 scoping reviews published from 1999 to October 2012. The reviews varied in terms of purpose, methodology, and detail of reporting. Nearly three-quarter of reviews (74.1%) addressed a health topic. Study completion times varied from 2 weeks to 20 months, and 51% utilized a published methodological framework. Quality assessment of included studies was infrequently performed (22.38%). Conclusions Scoping reviews are a relatively new but increasingly common approach for mapping broad topics. Because of variability in their conduct, there is a need for their methodological standardization to ensure the utility and strength of evidence. © 2014 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:26052958

Systematic Review Protocol to Assess the Effectiveness of Usability Questionnaires in mHealth App Studies.

PubMed

Zhou, Leming; Bao, Jie; Parmanto, Bambang

2017-08-01

Usability questionnaires have a wide use in mobile health (mHealth) app usability studies. However, no systematic review has been conducted for assessing the effectiveness of these questionnaires. This paper describes a protocol for conducting a systematic review of published questionnaire-based mHealth app usability studies. In this systematic review, we will select recently published (2008-2017) articles from peer-reviewed journals and conferences that describe mHealth app usability studies and implement at least one usability questionnaire. The search strategy will include terms such as "mobile app" and "usability." Multiple databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and INSPEC will be searched. There will be 2 independent reviewers in charge of screening titles and abstracts as well as determining those articles that should be included for a full-text review. The third reviewer will act as a mediator between the other 2 reviewers. Moreover, a data extraction form will be created and used during the full article data analysis. Notably, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines will be followed in reporting this protocol. A preliminary search produced 1271 articles, 40 of which are duplicate records. The inclusion-exclusion criteria are being strictly followed in performing the ongoing study selection. Usability questionnaires are an important tool in mHealth app usability studies. This review will summarize the usability questionnaires used in published research articles while assessing the efficacy of these questionnaires in determining the usability of mHealth apps. ©Leming Zhou, Jie Bao, Bambang Parmanto. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 01.08.2017.

A review of data sharing statements in observational studies published in the BMJ: A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

McDonald, Laura; Schultze, Anna; Simpson, Alex; Graham, Sophie; Wasiak, Radek; Ramagopalan, Sreeram V.

2017-01-01

In order to understand the current state of data sharing in observational research studies, we reviewed data sharing statements of observational studies published in a general medical journal, the British Medical Journal. We found that the majority (63%) of observational studies published between 2015 and 2017 included a statement that implied that data used in the study could not be shared. If the findings of our exploratory study are confirmed, room for improvement in the sharing of real-world or observational research data exists. PMID:29167735

Alignment of systematic reviews published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Database of Abstracts and Reviews of Effectiveness with global burden-of-disease data: a bibliographic analysis.

PubMed

Yoong, Sze Lin; Hall, Alix; Williams, Christopher M; Skelton, Eliza; Oldmeadow, Christopher; Wiggers, John; Karimkhani, Chante; Boyers, Lindsay N; Dellavalle, Robert P; Hilton, John; Wolfenden, Luke

2015-07-01

Systematic reviews of high-quality evidence are used to inform policy and practice. To improve community health, the production of such reviews should align with burden of disease. This study aims to assess if the volume of research output from systematic reviews proportionally aligns with burden of disease assessed using percentages of mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). A cross-sectional audit of reviews published between January 2012 and August 2013 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE) was undertaken. Percentages of mortality and DALYs were obtained from the 2010 Global Burden of Disease study. Standardised residual differences (SRD) based on percentages of mortality and DALYs were calculated, where conditions with SRD of more than or less than three were considered overstudied or understudied, respectively. 1029 reviews from CDSR and 1928 reviews from DARE were examined. There was a significant correlation between percentage DALYs and systematic reviews published in CDSR and DARE databases (CDSR: r=0.68, p=0.001; DARE: r=0.60, p<0.001). There was no significant correlation between percentage mortality and number of systematic reviews published in either database (CDSR: r=0.34, p=0.14; DARE: r=0.22, p=0.34). Relative to percentage of mortality, mental and behavioural disorders, musculoskeletal conditions and other non-communicable diseases were overstudied. Maternal disorders were overstudied relative to percentages of mortality and DALYs in CDSR. The focus of systematic reviews is moderately correlated with DALYs. A number of conditions may be overstudied relative to percentage of mortality particularly in the context of health and medical reviews. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Reference management software for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: an exploration of usage and usability.

PubMed

Lorenzetti, Diane L; Ghali, William A

2013-11-15

Reference management software programs enable researchers to more easily organize and manage large volumes of references typically identified during the production of systematic reviews. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which authors are using reference management software to produce systematic reviews; identify which programs are used most frequently and rate their ease of use; and assess the degree to which software usage is documented in published studies. We reviewed the full text of systematic reviews published in core clinical journals indexed in ACP Journal Club from 2008 to November 2011 to determine the extent to which reference management software usage is reported in published reviews. We surveyed corresponding authors to verify and supplement information in published reports, and gather frequency and ease-of-use data on individual reference management programs. Of the 78 researchers who responded to our survey, 79.5% reported that they had used a reference management software package to prepare their review. Of these, 4.8% reported this usage in their published studies. EndNote, Reference Manager, and RefWorks were the programs of choice for more than 98% of authors who used this software. Comments with respect to ease-of-use issues focused on the integration of this software with other programs and computer interfaces, and the sharing of reference databases among researchers. Despite underreporting of use, reference management software is frequently adopted by authors of systematic reviews. The transparency, reproducibility and quality of systematic reviews may be enhanced through increased reporting of reference management software usage.

Quality of reviews on sugar-sweetened beverages and health outcomes: a systematic review123

PubMed Central

Weed, Douglas L; Mink, Pamela J

2011-01-01

Background: Medical and public health decisions are informed by reviews, which makes the quality of reviews an important scientific concern. Objective: We systematically assessed the quality of published reviews on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and health, which is a controversial topic that is important to public health. Design: We performed a search of PubMed and Cochrane databases and a hand search of reference lists. Studies that were selected were published reviews and meta-analyses (June 2001 to June 2011) of epidemiologic studies of the relation between SSBs and obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and coronary heart disease. A standardized data-abstraction form was used. Review quality was assessed by using the validated instrument AMSTAR (assessment of multiple systematic reviews), which is a one-page tool with 11 questions. Results: Seventeen reviews met our inclusion and exclusion criteria: obesity or weight (16 reviews), diabetes (3 reviews), metabolic syndrome (3 reviews), and coronary heart disease (2 reviews). Authors frequently used a strictly narrative review (7 of 17 reviews). Only 6 of 17 reviews reported quantitative data in a table format. Overall, reviews of SSBs and health outcomes received moderately low–quality scores by the AMSTAR [mean: 4.4 points; median: 4 points; range: 1–8.5 points (out of a possible score of 11 points)]. AMSTAR scores were not related to the conclusions of authors (8 reviews reported an association with a mean AMSTAR score of 4.1 points; 9 reviews with equivocal conclusions scored 4.7 points; P value = 0.84). Less than one-third of published reviews reported a comprehensive literature search, listed included and excluded studies, or used duplicate study selection and data abstraction. Conclusion: The comprehensive reporting of epidemiologic evidence and use of systematic methodologies to interpret evidence were underused in published reviews on SSBs and health. PMID:21918218

How do authors of systematic reviews deal with research malpractice and misconduct in original studies? A cross-sectional analysis of systematic reviews and survey of their authors.

PubMed

Elia, Nadia; von Elm, Erik; Chatagner, Alexandra; Pöpping, Daniel M; Tramèr, Martin R

2016-03-02

To study whether systematic reviewers apply procedures to counter-balance some common forms of research malpractice such as not publishing completed research, duplicate publications, or selective reporting of outcomes, and to see whether they identify and report misconduct. Cross-sectional analysis of systematic reviews and survey of their authors. 118 systematic reviews published in four journals (Ann Int Med, BMJ, JAMA, Lancet), and the Cochrane Library, in 2013. Number (%) of reviews that applied procedures to reduce the impact of: (1) publication bias (through searching of unpublished trials), (2) selective outcome reporting (by contacting the authors of the original studies), (3) duplicate publications, (4) sponsors' and (5) authors' conflicts of interest, on the conclusions of the review, and (6) looked for ethical approval of the studies. Number (%) of reviewers who suspected misconduct are reported. The procedures applied were compared across journals. 80 (68%) reviewers confirmed their data. 59 (50%) reviews applied three or more procedures; 11 (9%) applied none. Unpublished trials were searched in 79 (66%) reviews. Authors of original studies were contacted in 73 (62%). Duplicate publications were searched in 81 (69%). 27 reviews (23%) reported sponsors of the included studies; 6 (5%) analysed their impact on the conclusions of the review. Five reviews (4%) looked at conflicts of interest of study authors; none of them analysed their impact. Three reviews (2.5%) looked at ethical approval of the studies. Seven reviews (6%) suspected misconduct; only 2 (2%) reported it explicitly. Procedures applied differed across the journals. Only half of the systematic reviews applied three or more of the six procedures examined. Sponsors, conflicts of interest of authors and ethical approval remain overlooked. Research misconduct is sometimes identified, but rarely reported. Guidance on when, and how, to report suspected misconduct is needed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Real-Time Peer Review: An Innovative Feature to an Evidence-Based Practice Conference

PubMed Central

Eldredge, Jonathan D.; Phillips, Holly E.; Kroth, Philip J.

2013-01-01

Many health sciences librarians as well as other professionals attend conferences on a regular basis. This study sought to link an innovative peer review process of presented research papers to long-term conference outcomes in the peer-reviewed professional journal literature. An evidence-based conference included a proof-of-concept study to gauge the long-term outcomes from research papers presented during the program. Real-time peer review recommendations from the conference were linked to final versions of articles published in the peer-reviewed literature. The real-time peer review feedback served as the basis for further mentoring to guide prospective authors toward publishing their research results. These efforts resulted in the publication of two of the four research papers in the peer-viewed literature. A third presented paper appeared in a blog because the authors wanted to disseminate their findings more quickly than through the journal literature. The presenters of the fourth paper never published their study. Real-time peer review from this study can be adapted to other professional conferences that include presented research papers. PMID:24180649

The methodological quality of systematic reviews published in high-impact nursing journals: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Pölkki, Tarja; Kanste, Outi; Kääriäinen, Maria; Elo, Satu; Kyngäs, Helvi

2014-02-01

To analyse systematic review articles published in the top 10 nursing journals to determine the quality of the methods employed within them. Systematic review is defined as a scientific research method that synthesises high-quality scientific knowledge on a given topic. The number of such reviews in nursing science has increased dramatically during recent years, but their methodological quality has not previously been assessed. A review of the literature using a narrative approach. Ranked impact factor scores for nursing journals were obtained from the Journal Citation Report database of the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI Web of Knowledge). All issues from the years 2009 and 2010 of the top 10 ranked journals were included. CINAHL and MEDLINE databases were searched to locate studies using the search terms 'systematic review' and 'systematic literature review'. A total of 39 eligible studies were identified. Their methodological quality was evaluated through the specific criteria of quality assessment, description of synthesis and strengths and weaknesses reported in the included studies. Most of the eligible systematic reviews included several different designs or types of quantitative study. The majority included a quality assessment, and a total of 17 different criteria were identified. The method of synthesis was mentioned in about half of the reviews, the most common being narrative synthesis. The weaknesses of reviews were discussed, while strengths were rarely highlighted. The methodological quality of the systematic reviews examined varied considerably, although they were all published in nursing journals with a high-impact factor. Despite the fact that systematic reviews are considered the most robust source of research evidence, they vary in methodological quality. This point is important to consider in clinical practice when applying the results to patient care. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

An appraisal of published usability evaluations of electronic health records via systematic review.

PubMed

Ellsworth, Marc A; Dziadzko, Mikhail; O'Horo, John C; Farrell, Ann M; Zhang, Jiajie; Herasevich, Vitaly

2017-01-01

In this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate methodological and reporting trends present in the current literature by investigating published usability studies of electronic health records (EHRs). A literature search was conducted for articles published through January 2015 using MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science, supplemented by citation and reference list reviews. Studies were included if they tested the usability of hospital and clinic EHR systems in the inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, or operating room setting. A total of 4848 references were identified for title and abstract screening. Full text screening was performed for 197 articles, with 120 meeting the criteria for study inclusion. A review of the literature demonstrates a paucity of quality published studies describing scientifically valid and reproducible usability evaluations at various stages of EHR system development. A lack of formal and standardized reporting of EHR usability evaluation results is a major contributor to this knowledge gap, and efforts to improve this deficiency will be one step of moving the field of usability engineering forward. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Bias due to selective inclusion and reporting of outcomes and analyses in systematic reviews of randomised trials of healthcare interventions.

PubMed

Page, Matthew J; McKenzie, Joanne E; Kirkham, Jamie; Dwan, Kerry; Kramer, Sharon; Green, Sally; Forbes, Andrew

2014-10-01

Systematic reviews may be compromised by selective inclusion and reporting of outcomes and analyses. Selective inclusion occurs when there are multiple effect estimates in a trial report that could be included in a particular meta-analysis (e.g. from multiple measurement scales and time points) and the choice of effect estimate to include in the meta-analysis is based on the results (e.g. statistical significance, magnitude or direction of effect). Selective reporting occurs when the reporting of a subset of outcomes and analyses in the systematic review is based on the results (e.g. a protocol-defined outcome is omitted from the published systematic review). To summarise the characteristics and synthesise the results of empirical studies that have investigated the prevalence of selective inclusion or reporting in systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), investigated the factors (e.g. statistical significance or direction of effect) associated with the prevalence and quantified the bias. We searched the Cochrane Methodology Register (to July 2012), Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Ovid PsycINFO and ISI Web of Science (each up to May 2013), and the US Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Effective Healthcare Program's Scientific Resource Center (SRC) Methods Library (to June 2013). We also searched the abstract books of the 2011 and 2012 Cochrane Colloquia and the article alerts for methodological work in research synthesis published from 2009 to 2011 and compiled in Research Synthesis Methods. We included both published and unpublished empirical studies that investigated the prevalence and factors associated with selective inclusion or reporting, or both, in systematic reviews of RCTs of healthcare interventions. We included empirical studies assessing any type of selective inclusion or reporting, such as investigations of how frequently RCT outcome data is selectively included in systematic reviews based on the results, outcomes and analyses are discrepant between protocol and published review or non-significant outcomes are partially reported in the full text or summary within systematic reviews. Two review authors independently selected empirical studies for inclusion, extracted the data and performed a risk of bias assessment. A third review author resolved any disagreements about inclusion or exclusion of empirical studies, data extraction and risk of bias. We contacted authors of included studies for additional unpublished data. Primary outcomes included overall prevalence of selective inclusion or reporting, association between selective inclusion or reporting and the statistical significance of the effect estimate, and association between selective inclusion or reporting and the direction of the effect estimate. We combined prevalence estimates and risk ratios (RRs) using a random-effects meta-analysis model. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. No studies had investigated selective inclusion of results in systematic reviews, or discrepancies in outcomes and analyses between systematic review registry entries and published systematic reviews. Based on a meta-analysis of four studies (including 485 Cochrane Reviews), 38% (95% confidence interval (CI) 23% to 54%) of systematic reviews added, omitted, upgraded or downgraded at least one outcome between the protocol and published systematic review. The association between statistical significance and discrepant outcome reporting between protocol and published systematic review was uncertain. The meta-analytic estimate suggested an increased risk of adding or upgrading (i.e. changing a secondary outcome to primary) when the outcome was statistically significant, although the 95% CI included no association and a decreased risk as plausible estimates (RR 1.43, 95% CI 0.71 to 2.85; two studies, n = 552 meta-analyses). Also, the meta-analytic estimate suggested an increased risk of downgrading (i.e. changing a primary outcome to secondary) when the outcome was statistically significant, although the 95% CI included no association and a decreased risk as plausible estimates (RR 1.26, 95% CI 0.60 to 2.62; two studies, n = 484 meta-analyses). None of the included studies had investigated whether the association between statistical significance and adding, upgrading or downgrading of outcomes was modified by the type of comparison, direction of effect or type of outcome; or whether there is an association between direction of the effect estimate and discrepant outcome reporting.Several secondary outcomes were reported in the included studies. Two studies found that reasons for discrepant outcome reporting were infrequently reported in published systematic reviews (6% in one study and 22% in the other). One study (including 62 Cochrane Reviews) found that 32% (95% CI 21% to 45%) of systematic reviews did not report all primary outcomes in the abstract. Another study (including 64 Cochrane and 118 non-Cochrane reviews) found that statistically significant primary outcomes were more likely to be completely reported in the systematic review abstract than non-significant primary outcomes (RR 2.66, 95% CI 1.81 to 3.90). None of the studies included systematic reviews published after 2009 when reporting standards for systematic reviews (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, and Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews (MECIR)) were disseminated, so the results might not be generalisable to more recent systematic reviews. Discrepant outcome reporting between the protocol and published systematic review is fairly common, although the association between statistical significance and discrepant outcome reporting is uncertain. Complete reporting of outcomes in systematic review abstracts is associated with statistical significance of the results for those outcomes. Systematic review outcomes and analysis plans should be specified prior to seeing the results of included studies to minimise post-hoc decisions that may be based on the observed results. Modifications that occur once the review has commenced, along with their justification, should be clearly reported. Effect estimates and CIs should be reported for all systematic review outcomes regardless of the results. The lack of research on selective inclusion of results in systematic reviews needs to be addressed and studies that avoid the methodological weaknesses of existing research are also needed.

Analysis of the time and workers needed to conduct systematic reviews of medical interventions using data from the PROSPERO registry.

PubMed

Borah, Rohit; Brown, Andrew W; Capers, Patrice L; Kaiser, Kathryn A

2017-02-27

To summarise logistical aspects of recently completed systematic reviews that were registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registry to quantify the time and resources required to complete such projects. Meta-analysis. All of the 195 registered and completed reviews (status from the PROSPERO registry) with associated publications at the time of our search (1 July 2014). All authors extracted data using registry entries and publication information related to the data sources used, the number of initially retrieved citations, the final number of included studies, the time between registration date to publication date and number of authors involved for completion of each publication. Information related to funding and geographical location was also recorded when reported. The mean estimated time to complete the project and publish the review was 67.3 weeks (IQR=42). The number of studies found in the literature searches ranged from 27 to 92 020; the mean yield rate of included studies was 2.94% (IQR=2.5); and the mean number of authors per review was 5, SD=3. Funded reviews took significantly longer to complete and publish (mean=42 vs 26 weeks) and involved more authors and team members (mean=6.8 vs 4.8 people) than those that did not report funding (both p<0.001). Systematic reviews presently take much time and require large amounts of human resources. In the light of the ever-increasing volume of published studies, application of existing computing and informatics technology should be applied to decrease this time and resource burden. We discuss recently published guidelines that provide a framework to make finding and accessing relevant literature less burdensome. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Grey literature in meta-analyses of randomized trials of health care interventions.

PubMed

Hopewell, S; McDonald, S; Clarke, M; Egger, M

2007-04-18

The inclusion of grey literature (i.e. literature that has not been formally published) in systematic reviews may help to overcome some of the problems of publication bias, which can arise due to the selective availability of data. To review systematically research studies, which have investigated the impact of grey literature in meta-analyses of randomized trials of health care interventions. We searched the Cochrane Methodology Register (The Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2005), MEDLINE (1966 to 20 May 2005), the Science Citation Index (June 2005) and contacted researchers who may have carried out relevant studies. A study was considered eligible for this review if it compared the effect of the inclusion and exclusion of grey literature on the results of a cohort of meta-analyses of randomized trials. Data were extracted from each report independently by two reviewers. The main outcome measure was an estimate of the impact of trials from the grey literature on the pooled effect estimates of the meta-analyses. Information was also collected on the area of health care, the number of meta-analyses, the number of trials, the number of trial participants, the year of publication of the trials, the language and country of publication of the trials, the number and type of grey and published literature, and methodological quality. Five studies met the inclusion criteria. All five studies showed that published trials showed an overall greater treatment effect than grey trials. This difference was statistically significant in one of the five studies. Data could be combined for three of the five studies. This showed that, on average, published trials showed a 9% greater treatment effect than grey trials (ratio of odds ratios for grey versus published trials 1.09; 95% CI 1.03-1.16). Overall there were more published trials included in the meta-analyses than grey trials (median 224 (IQR 108-365) versus 45(IQR 40-102)). Published trials had more participants on average. The most common types of grey literature were abstracts (55%) and unpublished data (30%). There is limited evidence to show whether grey trials are of poorer methodological quality than published trials. This review shows that published trials tend to be larger and show an overall greater treatment effect than grey trials. This has important implications for reviewers who need to ensure they identify grey trials, in order to minimise the risk of introducing bias into their review.

Peer Review Quality and Transparency of the Peer-Review Process in Open Access and Subscription Journals.

PubMed

Wicherts, Jelte M

2016-01-01

Recent controversies highlighting substandard peer review in Open Access (OA) and traditional (subscription) journals have increased the need for authors, funders, publishers, and institutions to assure quality of peer-review in academic journals. I propose that transparency of the peer-review process may be seen as an indicator of the quality of peer-review, and develop and validate a tool enabling different stakeholders to assess transparency of the peer-review process. Based on editorial guidelines and best practices, I developed a 14-item tool to rate transparency of the peer-review process on the basis of journals' websites. In Study 1, a random sample of 231 authors of papers in 92 subscription journals in different fields rated transparency of the journals that published their work. Authors' ratings of the transparency were positively associated with quality of the peer-review process but unrelated to journal's impact factors. In Study 2, 20 experts on OA publishing assessed the transparency of established (non-OA) journals, OA journals categorized as being published by potential predatory publishers, and journals from the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Results show high reliability across items (α = .91) and sufficient reliability across raters. Ratings differentiated the three types of journals well. In Study 3, academic librarians rated a random sample of 140 DOAJ journals and another 54 journals that had received a hoax paper written by Bohannon to test peer-review quality. Journals with higher transparency ratings were less likely to accept the flawed paper and showed higher impact as measured by the h5 index from Google Scholar. The tool to assess transparency of the peer-review process at academic journals shows promising reliability and validity. The transparency of the peer-review process can be seen as an indicator of peer-review quality allowing the tool to be used to predict academic quality in new journals.

Peer Review Quality and Transparency of the Peer-Review Process in Open Access and Subscription Journals

PubMed Central

Wicherts, Jelte M.

2016-01-01

Background Recent controversies highlighting substandard peer review in Open Access (OA) and traditional (subscription) journals have increased the need for authors, funders, publishers, and institutions to assure quality of peer-review in academic journals. I propose that transparency of the peer-review process may be seen as an indicator of the quality of peer-review, and develop and validate a tool enabling different stakeholders to assess transparency of the peer-review process. Methods and Findings Based on editorial guidelines and best practices, I developed a 14-item tool to rate transparency of the peer-review process on the basis of journals’ websites. In Study 1, a random sample of 231 authors of papers in 92 subscription journals in different fields rated transparency of the journals that published their work. Authors’ ratings of the transparency were positively associated with quality of the peer-review process but unrelated to journal’s impact factors. In Study 2, 20 experts on OA publishing assessed the transparency of established (non-OA) journals, OA journals categorized as being published by potential predatory publishers, and journals from the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Results show high reliability across items (α = .91) and sufficient reliability across raters. Ratings differentiated the three types of journals well. In Study 3, academic librarians rated a random sample of 140 DOAJ journals and another 54 journals that had received a hoax paper written by Bohannon to test peer-review quality. Journals with higher transparency ratings were less likely to accept the flawed paper and showed higher impact as measured by the h5 index from Google Scholar. Conclusions The tool to assess transparency of the peer-review process at academic journals shows promising reliability and validity. The transparency of the peer-review process can be seen as an indicator of peer-review quality allowing the tool to be used to predict academic quality in new journals. PMID:26824759

Twenty Years of Social Studies Textbook Content Analysis: Still "Decidedly Disappointing"?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chu, Yiting

2017-01-01

In an article published in 1993, Rahima Wade reviewed the quality of social studies textbook content analyses published in three major social studies journals between 1982 and 1992. She concluded that the quality of this research was disappointing. Borrowing and refining Wade's methods, this article presents the findings of a review of all 29…

TOJDE: Electronic Publishing and a Review of Ten Years' Experience in Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozarslan, Yasin; Balaban-Sali, Jale; Demiray, Ugur

2012-01-01

This review examines "The Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education" (TOJDE) over a ten years period from 2000-2010. The study provides an opportunity to examine publishing activities such as number of published articles, authors, research topics and methods, and analyses of TOJDE's website such as time users stay on site and user…

The Quality of Systematic Reviews in Head and Neck Microsurgery: A Perspective from Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology.

PubMed

Sun, Beatrice J; Tijerina, Jonathan; Nazerali, Rahim S; Lee, Gordon K

2018-05-01

In recent years, there has been a push to publish higher level of evidence studies in medicine, particularly in plastic surgery. Well-conducted systematic reviews are considered the strongest level of evidence in medicine, recently becoming the key process indicators for quality delivery. A varying quality of systematic reviews, however, has led to concerns of their validity in clinical decision-making. We perform a quality analysis of systematic reviews published in head and neck microsurgery by the surgical specialties of plastic surgery and otolaryngology. An evaluation of systematic reviews published on microsurgery in 13 high-impact surgical journals was conducted by searching PubMed and Scopus. Two authors independently performed searches, screened for eligibility, and extracted data from included articles. Discrepancies were resolved by discussion and consensus. Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) criteria were used to assess methodological quality. The initial database search retrieved 166 articles. After removing duplicates, screening titles and abstracts, 26 articles remained for full text review. Seven did not focus on head and neck microsurgery and were further excluded, leaving 19 systematic reviews for final analysis. Of those, 10 systematic reviews were published by otolaryngology, and 9 were published by plastic surgery. Median AMSTAR score was 8 for otolaryngology, 7 for plastic surgery, and 8 overall, reflecting "fair to good" quality. The number of systematic reviews on head and neck microsurgery markedly increased over time. Of note, both the AMSTAR score and the number of systematic reviews published by plastic surgery have steadily increased from 2014 to 2016, whereas those published by otolaryngology have remained relatively stable since 2010. Our review shows a trend toward publishing more systematic reviews. The increasing quantity and quality of systematic reviews published by plastic surgeons indicates recognition in the need for higher levels of evidence in plastic surgery, as well as growing interest and advances in microsurgery. Given these trends, familiarity with quality assessment guidelines, such as AMSTAR, will remain important in providing a basis for building relevant value-based quality measures.

Methodological reviews of economic evaluations in health care: what do they target?

PubMed

Hutter, Maria-Florencia; Rodríguez-Ibeas, Roberto; Antonanzas, Fernando

2014-11-01

An increasing number of published studies of economic evaluations of health technologies have been reviewed and summarized with different purposes, among them to facilitate decision-making processes. These reviews have covered different aspects of economic evaluations, using a variety of methodological approaches. The aim of this study is to analyze the methodological characteristics of the reviews of economic evaluations in health care, published during the period 1990-2010, to identify their main features and the potential missing elements. This may help to develop a common procedure for elaborating these kinds of reviews. We performed systematic searches in electronic databases (Scopus, Medline and PubMed) of methodological reviews published in English, period 1990-2010. We selected the articles whose main purpose was to review and assess the methodology applied in the economic evaluation studies. We classified the data according to the study objectives, period of the review, number of reviewed studies, methodological and non-methodological items assessed, medical specialty, type of disease and technology, databases used for the review and their main conclusions. We performed a descriptive statistical analysis and checked how generalizability issues were considered in the reviews. We identified 76 methodological reviews, 42 published in the period 1990-2001 and 34 during 2002-2010. The items assessed most frequently (by 70% of the reviews) were perspective, type of economic study, uncertainty and discounting. The reviews also described the type of intervention and disease, funding sources, country in which the evaluation took place, type of journal and author's characteristics. Regarding the intertemporal comparison, higher frequencies were found in the second period for two key methodological items: the source of effectiveness data and the models used in the studies. However, the generalizability issues that apparently are creating a growing interest in the economic evaluation literature did not receive as much attention in the reviews of the second period. The remaining items showed similar frequencies in both periods. Increasingly more reviews of economic evaluation studies aim to analyze the application of methodological principles, and offer summaries of papers classified by either diseases or health technologies. These reviews are useful for finding literature trends, aims of studies and possible deficiencies in the implementation of methods of specific health interventions. As no significant methodological improvement was clearly detected in the two periods analyzed, it would be convenient to pay more attention to the methodological aspects of the reviews.

"Stealing and Being Stolen From": Perpetration of Property Offenses and Property Victimization Among Homeless Youth--A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heerde, Jessica A.; Hemphill, Sheryl A.

2016-01-01

Homelessness is purportedly a predictor of property offending and property victimization, yet published studies examining this occurrence are scarce. This systematic review collates, summarizes, and appraises published studies reporting the rates of perpetration of property offenses and property victimization, and associations between homelessness…

The search and selection for primary studies in systematic reviews published in dental journals indexed in MEDLINE was not fully reproducible.

PubMed

Faggion, Clovis Mariano; Huivin, Raquel; Aranda, Luisiana; Pandis, Nikolaos; Alarcon, Marco

2018-06-01

To evaluate whether the reporting of search strategies and the primary study selection process in dental systematic reviews is reproducible. A survey of systematic reviews published in MEDLINE-indexed dental journals from June 2015 to June 2016 was conducted. Study selection was performed independently by two authors, and the reproducibility of the selection process was assessed using a tool consisting of 12 criteria. Regression analyses were implemented to evaluate any associations between degrees of reporting (measured by the number of items positively answered) and journal impact factor (IF), presence of meta-analysis, and number of citations of the systematic review in Google Scholar. Five hundred and thirty systematic reviews were identified. Following our 12 criteria, none of the systematic reviews had complete reporting of the search strategies and selection process. Eight (1.5%) systematic reviews reported the list of excluded articles (with reasons for exclusion) after title and abstract assessment. Systematic reviews with more positive answers to the criteria were significantly associated with higher journal IF, number of citations, and inclusion of meta-analysis. Search strategies and primary study selection process in systematic reviews published in MEDLINE-indexed dental journals may not be fully reproducible. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Why are medical and health-related studies not being published? A systematic review of reasons given by investigators.

PubMed

Song, Fujian; Loke, Yoon; Hooper, Lee

2014-01-01

About half of medical and health-related studies are not published. We conducted a systematic review of reports on reasons given by investigators for not publishing their studies in peer-reviewed journals. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and SCOPUS (until 13/09/2013), and references of identified articles were searched to identify reports of surveys that provided data on reasons given by investigators for not publishing studies. The proportion of non-submission and reasons for non-publication was calculated using the number of unpublished studies as the denominator. Because of heterogeneity across studies, quantitative pooling was not conducted. Exploratory subgroup analyses were conducted. We included 54 survey reports. Data from 38 included reports were available to estimate proportions of at least one reason given for not publishing studies. The proportion of non-submission among unpublished studies ranged from 55% to 100%, with a median of 85%. The reasons given by investigators for not publishing their studies included: lack of time or low priority (median 33%), studies being incomplete (median 15%), study not for publication (median 14%), manuscript in preparation or under review (median 12%), unimportant or negative result (median 12%), poor study quality or design (median 11%), fear of rejection (median 12%), rejection by journals (median 6%), author or co-author problems (median 10%), and sponsor or funder problems (median 9%). In general, the frequency of reasons given for non-publication was not associated with the source of unpublished studies, study design, or time when a survey was conducted. Non-submission of studies for publication remains the main cause of non-publication of studies. Measures to reduce non-publication of studies and alternative models of research dissemination need to be developed to address the main reasons given by investigators for not publishing their studies, such as lack of time or low priority and fear of being rejected by journals.

Why Are Medical and Health-Related Studies Not Being Published? A Systematic Review of Reasons Given by Investigators

PubMed Central

Song, Fujian; Loke, Yoon; Hooper, Lee

2014-01-01

Objective About half of medical and health-related studies are not published. We conducted a systematic review of reports on reasons given by investigators for not publishing their studies in peer-reviewed journals. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and SCOPUS (until 13/09/2013), and references of identified articles were searched to identify reports of surveys that provided data on reasons given by investigators for not publishing studies. The proportion of non-submission and reasons for non-publication was calculated using the number of unpublished studies as the denominator. Because of heterogeneity across studies, quantitative pooling was not conducted. Exploratory subgroup analyses were conducted. Results We included 54 survey reports. Data from 38 included reports were available to estimate proportions of at least one reason given for not publishing studies. The proportion of non-submission among unpublished studies ranged from 55% to 100%, with a median of 85%. The reasons given by investigators for not publishing their studies included: lack of time or low priority (median 33%), studies being incomplete (median 15%), study not for publication (median 14%), manuscript in preparation or under review (median 12%), unimportant or negative result (median 12%), poor study quality or design (median 11%), fear of rejection (median 12%), rejection by journals (median 6%), author or co-author problems (median 10%), and sponsor or funder problems (median 9%). In general, the frequency of reasons given for non-publication was not associated with the source of unpublished studies, study design, or time when a survey was conducted. Conclusions Non-submission of studies for publication remains the main cause of non-publication of studies. Measures to reduce non-publication of studies and alternative models of research dissemination need to be developed to address the main reasons given by investigators for not publishing their studies, such as lack of time or low priority and fear of being rejected by journals. PMID:25335091

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Communication-Based Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brunner, Debra Lynn; Seung, HyeKyeung

2009-01-01

This literature review examines the present level of evidence in support of communication-based treatments for children with autism spectrum disorders. Reviews to date have reported on research published through 2002. The current article included 36 studies published between 2002 and 2007. Best available evidence is presented for seven treatment…

The portrayal of men and women in television advertisements: an updated review of 30 studies published since 2000.

PubMed

Furnham, Adrian; Paltzer, Stephanie

2010-06-01

In 1999, Furnham and Mak published a review of 14 content-analytic studies of sex roles stereotyping in television commercials. All these studies were based on the McArthur and Resko (1975) content categories. This paper updates that review considering 30 studies in over 20 countries published between 2000 and 2008. Studies were from Australasia, Austria, Bulgaria, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. They examined over 8,000 advertisements. National and cultural differences in gender stereotypes are also considered in the light of this data. The popularity of, and the problems associated with, the research paradigm are considered.

Reporting guidelines for survey research: an analysis of published guidance and reporting practices.

PubMed

Bennett, Carol; Khangura, Sara; Brehaut, Jamie C; Graham, Ian D; Moher, David; Potter, Beth K; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2010-08-01

Research needs to be reported transparently so readers can critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of the design, conduct, and analysis of studies. Reporting guidelines have been developed to inform reporting for a variety of study designs. The objective of this study was to identify whether there is a need to develop a reporting guideline for survey research. We conducted a three-part project: (1) a systematic review of the literature (including "Instructions to Authors" from the top five journals of 33 medical specialties and top 15 general and internal medicine journals) to identify guidance for reporting survey research; (2) a systematic review of evidence on the quality of reporting of surveys; and (3) a review of reporting of key quality criteria for survey research in 117 recently published reports of self-administered surveys. Fewer than 7% of medical journals (n = 165) provided guidance to authors on survey research despite a majority having published survey-based studies in recent years. We identified four published checklists for conducting or reporting survey research, none of which were validated. We identified eight previous reviews of survey reporting quality, which focused on issues of non-response and accessibility of questionnaires. Our own review of 117 published survey studies revealed that many items were poorly reported: few studies provided the survey or core questions (35%), reported the validity or reliability of the instrument (19%), defined the response rate (25%), discussed the representativeness of the sample (11%), or identified how missing data were handled (11%). There is limited guidance and no consensus regarding the optimal reporting of survey research. The majority of key reporting criteria are poorly reported in peer-reviewed survey research articles. Our findings highlight the need for clear and consistent reporting guidelines specific to survey research.

Evaluation of drug reviews.

PubMed

Hendrickson, N M; Amerson, A B

1986-10-01

Drug reviews appearing in Clinical Pharmacy, Drug Intelligence and Clinical Pharmacy (DICP), Drugs, and Pharmacotherapy from January 1982 through December 1984 were evaluated for number, duplication among journals, timeliness, scope, and format. The design of this study was primarily quantitative rather than qualitative. Pharmacotherapy published the most reviews (49), followed by Drugs (43), Clinical Pharmacy (37), and DICP (29). Drugs and Pharmacotherapy published the largest number of unique reviews (agents not reviewed by the other journals during the study period), while Pharmacotherapy and Clinical Pharmacy published the most reviews on newly marketed drugs. Reviews of four drugs (acyclovir, moxalactam, ranitidine, and trazodone) were compared in terms of major sections, terminology and format, bibliography, use of tables and figures, scope of evaluative comments, and review process. Reviews in Drugs consistently contained the most references and tables and provided the most detail. Information was most accessible in Drugs, followed by Pharmacotherapy. Drugs used the largest panel of reviewers. All of the journals provided evaluative comments, although the scope varied. Continuing-education credit is available for review articles in Clinical Pharmacy and DICP. In selecting one or more of these journals, individuals or institutions should compare their needs with regard to the timeliness, scope, and format of the review articles in each journal.

Addressing the unit of analysis in medical care studies: a systematic review.

PubMed

Calhoun, Aaron W; Guyatt, Gordon H; Cabana, Michael D; Lu, Downing; Turner, David A; Valentine, Stacey; Randolph, Adrienne G

2008-06-01

We assessed the frequency that patients are incorrectly used as the unit of analysis among studies of physicians' patient care behavior in articles published in high impact journals. We surveyed 30 high-impact journals across 6 medical fields for articles susceptible to unit of analysis errors published from 1994 to 2005. Three reviewers independently abstracted articles using previously published criteria to determine the presence of analytic errors. One hundred fourteen susceptible articles were found published in 15 journals, 4 journals published the majority (71 of 114 or 62.3%) of studies, 40 were intervention studies, and 74 were noninterventional studies. The unit of analysis error was present in 19 (48%) of the intervention studies and 31 (42%) of the noninterventional studies (overall error rate 44%). The frequency of the error decreased between 1994-1999 (N = 38; 65% error) and 2000-2005 (N = 76; 33% error) (P = 0.001). Although the frequency of the error in published studies is decreasing, further improvement remains desirable.

Asthma and lung cancer, after accounting for co-occurring respiratory diseases and allergic conditions: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Denholm, Rachel; Crellin, Elizabeth; Arvind, Ashwini; Quint, Jennifer

2017-01-16

Asthma is one of the most frequently diagnosed respiratory diseases in the UK, and commonly co-occurs with other respiratory and allergic diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and atopic dermatitis. Previous studies have shown an increased risk of lung cancer related to asthma, but the evidence is mixed when accounting for co-occurring respiratory diseases and allergic conditions. A systematic review of published data that investigate the relationship between asthma and lung cancer, accounting for co-occurring respiratory and allergic diseases, will be conducted to investigate the independent association of asthma with lung cancer. A systematic review will be conducted, and include original reports of cohort, cross-sectional and case-control studies of the association of asthma with lung cancer after accounting for co-occurring respiratory diseases. Articles published up to June 2016 will be included, and their selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A standardised data extraction form will be developed and pretested, and descriptive analyses will be used to summarise the available literature. If appropriate, pooled effect estimates of the association between asthma and lung cancer, given adjustment for a specific co-occurring condition will be estimated using random effects models. Potential sources of heterogeneity and between study heterogeneity will also be investigated. The study will be a review of published data and does not require ethical approval. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication. International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) number CRD42016043341. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Quality of reporting in oncology studies: A systematic analysis of literature reviews and prospects.

PubMed

Rivoirard, Romain; Bourmaud, Aurélie; Oriol, Mathieu; Tinquaut, Fabien; Méry, Benoîte; Langrand-Escure, Julien; Vallard, Alexis; Fournel, Pierre; Magné, Nicolas; Chauvin, Franck

2017-04-01

The present review gives an overview of systematic reviews published in peer reviewed Journals analysing quality of reporting in oncology studies. PUBMED and Cochrane library were searched to identify systematic reviews assessing quality of reporting for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies (OBS). Recommendations and primary endpoints used to assess the quality of reporting were described. Intrinsic quality of reporting was analyzed using an Overall Quality Score for literature Reviews (OQSR). Main evaluation themes were overall quality of reporting (20/58) and reporting of Health-Related Quality Of Life (HRQOL) in RCTs (7/58). Reporting recommendations used were not detailed in 56.9% of reviews. Insufficient reporting for the methodological description (randomization, blinding details, and allocation concealment) and the rationale for using specific measure of HRQOL were highlighted. OQSR was significantly higher for reviews published between 2010 and 2014 (after the PRISMA Publication), as compared to those published between 1996-2009 (median OQSR 10 (10-11) versus median OQSR 9 (6-10) respectively, p=0.0053). Intrinsic quality of reporting is satisfactory and has been improved in the last years. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reporting of various methodological and statistical parameters in negative studies published in prominent Indian Medical Journals: a systematic review.

PubMed

Charan, J; Saxena, D

2014-01-01

Biased negative studies not only reflect poor research effort but also have an impact on 'patient care' as they prevent further research with similar objectives, leading to potential research areas remaining unexplored. Hence, published 'negative studies' should be methodologically strong. All parameters that may help a reader to judge validity of results and conclusions should be reported in published negative studies. There is a paucity of data on reporting of statistical and methodological parameters in negative studies published in Indian Medical Journals. The present systematic review was designed with an aim to critically evaluate negative studies published in prominent Indian Medical Journals for reporting of statistical and methodological parameters. Systematic review. All negative studies published in 15 Science Citation Indexed (SCI) medical journals published from India were included in present study. Investigators involved in the study evaluated all negative studies for the reporting of various parameters. Primary endpoints were reporting of "power" and "confidence interval." Power was reported in 11.8% studies. Confidence interval was reported in 15.7% studies. Majority of parameters like sample size calculation (13.2%), type of sampling method (50.8%), name of statistical tests (49.1%), adjustment of multiple endpoints (1%), post hoc power calculation (2.1%) were reported poorly. Frequency of reporting was more in clinical trials as compared to other study designs and in journals having impact factor more than 1 as compared to journals having impact factor less than 1. Negative studies published in prominent Indian medical journals do not report statistical and methodological parameters adequately and this may create problems in the critical appraisal of findings reported in these journals by its readers.

Review of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in South Africa.

PubMed

Munasur-Naidoo, A P; Truter, I

2017-08-01

Recently, there has been a greater focus on adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) given that the symptoms persist in two-thirds of patients into adulthood. Areas covered: A systematic review of articles reporting on adult ADHD in SA was undertaken. From the database search, 1209 articles were identified, with 29 articles included in this analysis. Expert commentary: Fourteen of the 29 studies reviewed were exploratory, 10 were reviews/commentaries, four were developmental studies and one was a phenomenological study. More than half (58.62%) of the articles were published in local South African journals, 13.79% were published in African journals (excluding South Africa), and 27.59% of the articles were published in international journals. The impact factor for nine of the journals were not stated and the remaining 11 have impact factors ranging from 0.207 to 6.78. In 2004, only one article on adult ADHD was published in SA and by 2015, the number of publications increased to six. Adult ADHD is gaining interest in South Africa, however, there have been a limited number of studies conducted thus far. It is recommended that further studies are conducted in this new and developing field.

The Application of Augmented Reality in Online Education: A Review of Studies Published in Selected Journals from 2003 to 2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Chia-Wen; Shen, Pei-Di; Fan, Ya-Ting

2014-01-01

In this paper, the authors reviewed the empirical augmented reality (AR) and online education studies, and those focused on designing or development of AR to help students learn, published in SSCI, SCI-EXPANDED, and A&HCI journals from 2003 to 2012. The authors in this study found that the number of AR and online education studies has…

Current rates of publication for podium and poster presentations at the american society for surgery of the hand annual meetings.

PubMed

Abzug, Joshua M; Osterman, Meredith; Rivlin, Michael; Paryavi, Ebrahim; Osterman, A Lee

2014-09-01

Research projects are presented at the Annual Meetings of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH). It is unknown how many achieve publication in peer-reviewed journals. We sought to determine current rates of publication of podium and poster presentations. All ASSH podium and poster presentations from 2000 to 2005 were reviewed, and an Internet-based search using PubMed and Google was conducted to determine whether the presented studies had been published. Times to publication and journal names were recorded. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Fisher's exact test was conducted to compare current trends with previous trends. Of 1127 podium and poster presentations reviewed, 46% were published in peer-reviewed journals. Forty-seven percent of published presentations (242 presentations) were in Journal of Hand Surgery, and 11% (59 presentations) were in Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Forty-five percent of presentations were published within 2 years and 66% within 3 years. The publication rate for podium presentations was significantly higher than that previously reported for Journal of Hand Surgery, at 54% compared with 44% (P=0.004). Currently, fewer than half of the studies presented at Annual Meetings of the ASSH achieve publication in peer-reviewed journals. Presentations are most likely to be published within 3 years, and almost half are published in Journal of Hand Surgery.

Social determinants and maternal exposure to intimate partner violence of obstetric patients with severe maternal morbidity in the intensive care unit: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Ayala Quintanilla, Beatriz Paulina; Taft, Angela; McDonald, Susan; Pollock, Wendy; Roque Henriquez, Joel Christian

2016-11-28

Maternal mortality is a potentially preventable public health issue. Maternal morbidity is increasingly of interest to aid the reduction of maternal mortality. Obstetric patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) are an important part of the global burden of maternal morbidity. Social determinants influence health outcomes of pregnant women. Additionally, intimate partner violence has a great negative impact on women's health and pregnancy outcome. However, little is known about the contextual and social aspects of obstetric patients treated in the ICU. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the social determinants and exposure to intimate partner violence of obstetric patients admitted to an ICU. A systematic search will be conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest, LILACS and SciELO from 2000 to 2016. Studies published in English and Spanish will be identified in relation to data reporting on social determinants of health and/or exposure to intimate partner violence of obstetric women, treated in the ICU during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy. Two reviewers will independently screen for study eligibility and data extraction. Risk of bias and assessment of the quality of the included studies will be performed by using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Data will be analysed and summarised using a narrative description of the available evidence across studies. This systematic review protocol will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Since this systematic review will be based on published studies, ethical approval is not required. Findings will be presented at La Trobe University, in Conferences and Congresses, and published in a peer-reviewed journal. CRD42016037492. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Work-related psychosocial factors and onset of metabolic syndrome among workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

PubMed Central

Sakuraya, Asuka; Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Kawakami, Norito; Imamura, Kotaro; Ando, Emiko; Asai, Yumi; Eguchi, Hisashi; Kobayashi, Yuka; Nishida, Norimitsu; Arima, Hideaki; Shimazu, Akihito; Tsutsumi, Akizumi

2017-01-01

Introduction Metabolic syndrome is an important public health target because of its high prevalence worldwide. Work-related psychosocial factors have been identified as determinants of metabolic syndrome components. However, there have been no systematic reviews or meta-analyses conducted to evaluate the relationship between work-related psychosocial factors and metabolic syndrome as an aggregated cluster. The aim of this study is to examine this association from published prospective studies. Methods and analysis The systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted using published studies that will be identified from electronic databases (ie, PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES and Japan Medical Abstracts Society). Studies that (1) examined the association between work-related psychosocial factors and the onset of metabolic syndrome, (2) had a longitudinal or prospective cohort design, (3) were conducted among workers, (4) provided sufficient data for calculating ORs or relative risk with a 95% CI, (5) were published as original articles written in English or Japanese, and (6) having been published until the end of 2016 will be included. Study selection, data collection, quality assessment and statistical syntheses will be conducted based on discussions among investigators. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was not required for this study because it was based on published studies. The results and findings of this study will be submitted and published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal. The findings from this study could be useful for assessing metabolic syndrome risk factors in the workplace, and determining approaches for prevention of metabolic syndrome in the future. Trial registration number PROSPERO CRD42016039096 (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO_REBRANDING/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42016039096) PMID:28645981

Work-related psychosocial factors and onset of metabolic syndrome among workers: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

PubMed

Sakuraya, Asuka; Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Kawakami, Norito; Imamura, Kotaro; Ando, Emiko; Asai, Yumi; Eguchi, Hisashi; Kobayashi, Yuka; Nishida, Norimitsu; Arima, Hideaki; Shimazu, Akihito; Tsutsumi, Akizumi

2017-06-22

Metabolic syndrome is an important public health target because of its high prevalence worldwide. Work-related psychosocial factors have been identified as determinants of metabolic syndrome components. However, there have been no systematic reviews or meta-analyses conducted to evaluate the relationship between work-related psychosocial factors and metabolic syndrome as an aggregated cluster. The aim of this study is to examine this association from published prospective studies. The systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted using published studies that will be identified from electronic databases (ie, PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES and Japan Medical Abstracts Society). Studies that (1) examined the association between work-related psychosocial factors and the onset of metabolic syndrome, (2) had a longitudinal or prospective cohort design, (3) were conducted among workers, (4) provided sufficient data for calculating ORs or relative risk with a 95% CI, (5) were published as original articles written in English or Japanese, and (6) having been published until the end of 2016 will be included. Study selection, data collection, quality assessment and statistical syntheses will be conducted based on discussions among investigators. Ethics approval was not required for this study because it was based on published studies. The results and findings of this study will be submitted and published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal. The findings from this study could be useful for assessing metabolic syndrome risk factors in the workplace, and determining approaches for prevention of metabolic syndrome in the future. PROSPERO CRD42016039096 (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO_REBRANDING/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42016039096). © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

[Are mental disorders increasing? Update of a systematic review on repeated cross-sectional studies].

PubMed

Richter, Dirk; Berger, Klaus

2013-05-01

Throughout the western world, an increasing demand for psychiatric services is reported. However, a systematic review published in 2008 came to the conclusion that there is no sufficient evidence for increasing mental disorders in the recent decades. A systematic review on studies with repeating cross-sectional surveys in the general population, published since 2008, was conducted. 33 study results were included into the review. The majority of publications did not report increasing mental health problems in the general population. The increasing demand for psychiatric services is not associated with increasing mental disorders in the general population. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Effective components of exercise and physical activity-related behaviour-change interventions for chronic non-communicable diseases in Africa: protocol for a systematic mixed studies review with meta-analysis.

PubMed

Igwesi-Chidobe, Chinonso N; Godfrey, Emma L; Kengne, Andre P

2015-08-12

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for a high burden of mortality and morbidity in Africa. Evidence-based clinical guidelines recommend exercise training and promotion of physical activity behaviour changes to control NCDs. Developing such interventions in Africa requires an understanding of the essential components that make them effective in this context. This is a protocol for a systematic mixed studies review that aims to determine the effective components of exercise and physical activity-related behaviour-change interventions for chronic diseases in Africa, by combining quantitative and qualitative research evidence from studies published until July 2015. We will conduct a detailed search to identify all published and unpublished studies that assessed the effects of exercise and physical activity-related interventions or the experiences/perspectives of patients to these interventions for NCDs from bibliographic databases and the grey literature. Bibliographic databases include MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), PsycINFO, CINAHL and Web of Science. We will include the following African regional databases: African Index Medicus (AIM) and AFROLIB, which is the WHO's regional office database for Africa. The databases will be searched from inception until 18 July 2015. Appraisal of study quality will be performed after results synthesis. Data synthesis will be performed independently for quantitative and qualitative data using a mixed methods sequential explanatory synthesis for systematic mixed studies reviews. Meta-analysis will be conducted for the quantitative studies, and thematic synthesis for qualitative studies and qualitative results from the non-controlled observational studies. The primary outcome will include exercise adherence and physical activity behaviour changes. This review protocol is reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 guidelines. There is no ethical requirement for this study, as it utilises published data. This review is expected to inform the development of exercise and physical activity-related behaviour-change interventions in Africa, and will be presented at conferences, and published in peer reviewed journals and a PhD thesis at King's College London. This study was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on 22 January 2015 (registration number: PROSPERO 2015: CRD42015016084). Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Analysis of the time and workers needed to conduct systematic reviews of medical interventions using data from the PROSPERO registry

PubMed Central

Borah, Rohit; Brown, Andrew W; Capers, Patrice L; Kaiser, Kathryn A

2017-01-01

Objectives To summarise logistical aspects of recently completed systematic reviews that were registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) registry to quantify the time and resources required to complete such projects. Design Meta-analysis. Data sources and study selection All of the 195 registered and completed reviews (status from the PROSPERO registry) with associated publications at the time of our search (1 July 2014). Data extraction All authors extracted data using registry entries and publication information related to the data sources used, the number of initially retrieved citations, the final number of included studies, the time between registration date to publication date and number of authors involved for completion of each publication. Information related to funding and geographical location was also recorded when reported. Results The mean estimated time to complete the project and publish the review was 67.3 weeks (IQR=42). The number of studies found in the literature searches ranged from 27 to 92 020; the mean yield rate of included studies was 2.94% (IQR=2.5); and the mean number of authors per review was 5, SD=3. Funded reviews took significantly longer to complete and publish (mean=42 vs 26 weeks) and involved more authors and team members (mean=6.8 vs 4.8 people) than those that did not report funding (both p<0.001). Conclusions Systematic reviews presently take much time and require large amounts of human resources. In the light of the ever-increasing volume of published studies, application of existing computing and informatics technology should be applied to decrease this time and resource burden. We discuss recently published guidelines that provide a framework to make finding and accessing relevant literature less burdensome. PMID:28242767

Systematic Review Protocol to Assess the Effectiveness of Usability Questionnaires in mHealth App Studies

PubMed Central

Bao, Jie; Parmanto, Bambang

2017-01-01

Background Usability questionnaires have a wide use in mobile health (mHealth) app usability studies. However, no systematic review has been conducted for assessing the effectiveness of these questionnaires. Objective This paper describes a protocol for conducting a systematic review of published questionnaire-based mHealth app usability studies. Methods In this systematic review, we will select recently published (2008-2017) articles from peer-reviewed journals and conferences that describe mHealth app usability studies and implement at least one usability questionnaire. The search strategy will include terms such as “mobile app” and “usability.” Multiple databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, IEEE Xplore, ACM Digital Library, and INSPEC will be searched. There will be 2 independent reviewers in charge of screening titles and abstracts as well as determining those articles that should be included for a full-text review. The third reviewer will act as a mediator between the other 2 reviewers. Moreover, a data extraction form will be created and used during the full article data analysis. Notably, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines will be followed in reporting this protocol. Results A preliminary search produced 1271 articles, 40 of which are duplicate records. The inclusion-exclusion criteria are being strictly followed in performing the ongoing study selection. Conclusions Usability questionnaires are an important tool in mHealth app usability studies. This review will summarize the usability questionnaires used in published research articles while assessing the efficacy of these questionnaires in determining the usability of mHealth apps. PMID:28765101

Grey literature in meta-analyses.

PubMed

Conn, Vicki S; Valentine, Jeffrey C; Cooper, Harris M; Rantz, Marilyn J

2003-01-01

In meta-analysis, researchers combine the results of individual studies to arrive at cumulative conclusions. Meta-analysts sometimes include "grey literature" in their evidential base, which includes unpublished studies and studies published outside widely available journals. Because grey literature is a source of data that might not employ peer review, critics have questioned the validity of its data and the results of meta-analyses that include it. To examine evidence regarding whether grey literature should be included in meta-analyses and strategies to manage grey literature in quantitative synthesis. This article reviews evidence on whether the results of studies published in peer-reviewed journals are representative of results from broader samplings of research on a topic as a rationale for inclusion of grey literature. Strategies to enhance access to grey literature are addressed. The most consistent and robust difference between published and grey literature is that published research is more likely to contain results that are statistically significant. Effect size estimates of published research are about one-third larger than those of unpublished studies. Unfunded and small sample studies are less likely to be published. Yet, importantly, methodological rigor does not differ between published and grey literature. Meta-analyses that exclude grey literature likely (a) over-represent studies with statistically significant findings, (b) inflate effect size estimates, and (c) provide less precise effect size estimates than meta-analyses including grey literature. Meta-analyses should include grey literature to fully reflect the existing evidential base and should assess the impact of methodological variations through moderator analysis.

High-Volume Hydraulic Fracturing and Human Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review.

PubMed

Wright, Rosemary; Muma, Richard D

2018-05-01

Examine extent of peer-reviewed literature exploring human health effects of hydraulic fracturing (HVHF). A scoping review methodology was used to examine peer-reviewed studies published from 2000 through 2017 that empirically examine direct health impacts of hydraulic fracturing. Through September 2017, only 18 studies were found published in peer-reviewed journals that met our requirements for inclusion in the review. Most of these studies resulted in positive or mixed findings of health outcomes. The paucity of studies reflects the difficulty in drawing direct connections between HVHF and human health outcomes. Many health outcomes may take years to emerge, exposure often occurs in lightly populated rural areas with older, poorer, and sicker residents, and diagnosis is difficult without physician knowledge of prior exposure. Primary care providers should record thorough histories to help guide future treatment.

The quality of control groups in nonrandomized studies published in the Journal of Hand Surgery.

PubMed

Johnson, Shepard P; Malay, Sunitha; Chung, Kevin C

2015-01-01

To evaluate control group selection in nonrandomized studies published in the Journal of Hand Surgery American (JHS). We reviewed all papers published in JHS in 2013 to identify studies that used nonrandomized control groups. Data collected included type of study design and control group characteristics. We then appraised studies to determine whether authors discussed confounding and selection bias and how they controlled for confounding. Thirty-seven nonrandomized studies were published in JHS in 2013. The source of control was either the same institution as the study group, a different institution, a database, or not provided in the manuscript. Twenty-nine (78%) studies statistically compared key characteristics between control and study group. Confounding was controlled with matching, exclusion criteria, or regression analysis. Twenty-two (59%) papers explicitly discussed the threat of confounding and 18 (49%) identified sources of selection bias. In our review of nonrandomized studies published in JHS, papers had well-defined controls that were similar to the study group, allowing for reasonable comparisons. However, we identified substantial confounding and bias that were not addressed as explicit limitations, which might lead the reader to overestimate the scientific validity of the data. Incorporating a brief discussion of control group selection in scientific manuscripts should help readers interpret the study more appropriately. Authors, reviewers, and editors should strive to address this component of clinical importance. Copyright © 2015 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Past Research in Instructional Technology: Results of a Content Analysis of Empirical Studies Published in Three Prominent Instructional Technology Journals from the Year 2000 through 2004

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hew, Khe Foon; Kale, Ugur; Kim, Nari

2007-01-01

This article reviews and categorizes empirical studies related to instructional technology that were published in three prominent journals: "Educational Technology Research and Development, Instructional Science," and the "Journal of Educational Computing Research" from the year 2000 through 2004. Four questions guided this review: 1) What…

Reduction of Family Violence in Aboriginal Communities: A Systematic Review of Interventions and Approaches1

PubMed Central

Shea, Beverley; Nahwegahbow, Amy; Andersson, Neil

2010-01-01

Many efforts to reduce family violence are documented in the published literature. We conducted a systematic review of interventions intended to prevent family violence in Aboriginal communities. We retrieved studies published up to October 2009; 506 papers included one systematic review, two randomized controlled trials, and fourteen nonrandomized studies or reviews. Two reviews discussed interventions relevant to primary prevention (reducing the risk factors for family violence), including parenting, role modelling, and active participation. More studies addressed secondary prevention (where risk factors exist, reducing outbreaks of violence) such as restriction on the trading hours for take away alcohol and home visiting programs for high risk families. Examples of tertiary prevention (preventing recurrence) include traditional healing circles and group counselling. Most studies contributed a low level of evidence. PMID:21052554

Review of Research-Based Interventions for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Content Area Instruction: Implications and Considerations for Classroom Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, Vicky G.; Evmenova, Anya S.; Boon, Richard T.; Hayes-Harris, Laura

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the published research-based strategies used in content area instruction for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Twenty-eight (N = 28) studies published from 2000-2012 that met the criteria for inclusion were located, reviewed, and synthesized. Findings revealed the…

Genetic Factors in Tendon Injury: A Systematic Review of the Literature

PubMed Central

Vaughn, Natalie H.; Stepanyan, Hayk; Gallo, Robert A.; Dhawan, Aman

2017-01-01

Background: Tendon injury such as tendinopathy or rupture is common and has multiple etiologies, including both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The genetic influence on susceptibility to tendon injury is not well understood. Purpose: To analyze the published literature regarding genetic factors associated with tendon injury. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A systematic review of published literature was performed in concordance with the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines to identify current evidence for genetic predisposition to tendon injury. PubMed, Ovid, and ScienceDirect databases were searched. Studies were included for review if they specifically addressed genetic factors and tendon injuries in humans. Reviews, animal studies, or studies evaluating the influence of posttranscription factors and modifications (eg, proteins) were excluded. Results: Overall, 460 studies were available for initial review. After application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 11 articles were ultimately included for qualitative synthesis. Upon screening of references of these 11 articles, an additional 15 studies were included in the final review, for a total of 26 studies. The genetic factors with the strongest evidence of association with tendon injury were those involving type V collagen A1, tenascin-C, matrix metalloproteinase–3, and estrogen-related receptor beta. Conclusion: The published literature is limited to relatively homogenous populations, with only level 3 and level 4 data. Additional research is needed to make further conclusions about the genetic factors involved in tendon injury. PMID:28856171

[Diversity and frequency of scientific research design and statistical methods in the "Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia": a systematic review of the "Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia"--1993-2002].

PubMed

Crosta, Fernando; Nishiwaki-Dantas, Maria Cristina; Silvino, Wilmar; Dantas, Paulo Elias Correa

2005-01-01

To verify the frequency of study design, applied statistical analysis and approval by institutional review offices (Ethics Committee) of articles published in the "Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia" during a 10-year interval, with later comparative and critical analysis by some of the main international journals in the field of Ophthalmology. Systematic review without metanalysis was performed. Scientific papers published in the "Arquivos Brasileiros de Oftalmologia" between January 1993 and December 2002 were reviewed by two independent reviewers and classified according to the applied study design, statistical analysis and approval by the institutional review offices. To categorize those variables, a descriptive statistical analysis was used. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 584 articles for evaluation of statistical analysis and, 725 articles for evaluation of study design were reviewed. Contingency table (23.10%) was the most frequently applied statistical method, followed by non-parametric tests (18.19%), Student's t test (12.65%), central tendency measures (10.60%) and analysis of variance (9.81%). Of 584 reviewed articles, 291 (49.82%) presented no statistical analysis. Observational case series (26.48%) was the most frequently used type of study design, followed by interventional case series (18.48%), observational case description (13.37%), non-random clinical study (8.96%) and experimental study (8.55%). We found a higher frequency of observational clinical studies, lack of statistical analysis in almost half of the published papers. Increase in studies with approval by institutional review Ethics Committee was noted since it became mandatory in 1996.

Deformation Driven Alloying and Transformation

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-03

OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. University of Wisconsin - Madison RESERACH & SPONSORED PROGRAMS 21 N. PARK...STREET SUITE 6401 MADISON, WI 53715 -1218 4-Dec-2014 ABSTRACT Number of Papers published in peer-reviewed journals: Number of Papers published in non peer...diffusion. Further study of the underlying mechanisms is warranted. (a) Papers published in peer-reviewed journals (N/A for none) Enter List of papers

Overview of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Glasser, Allison M; Collins, Lauren; Pearson, Jennifer L; Abudayyeh, Haneen; Niaura, Raymond S; Abrams, David B; Villanti, Andrea C

2017-02-01

Rapid developments in e-cigarettes, or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and the evolution of the overall tobacco product marketplace warrant frequent evaluation of the published literature. The purpose of this article is to report updated findings from a comprehensive review of the published scientific literature on ENDS. The authors conducted a systematic review of published empirical research literature on ENDS through May 31, 2016, using a detailed search strategy in the PubMed electronic database, expert review, and additional targeted searches. Included studies presented empirical findings and were coded to at least one of nine topics: (1) Product Features; (2) Health Effects; (3) Consumer Perceptions; (4) Patterns of Use; (5) Potential to Induce Dependence; (6) Smoking Cessation; (7) Marketing and Communication; (8) Sales; and (9) Policies; reviews and commentaries were excluded. Data from included studies were extracted by multiple coders (October 2015 to August 2016) into a standardized form and synthesized qualitatively by topic. There were 687 articles included in this systematic review. The majority of studies assessed patterns of ENDS use and consumer perceptions of ENDS, followed by studies examining health effects of vaping and product features. Studies indicate that ENDS are increasing in use, particularly among current smokers, pose substantially less harm to smokers than cigarettes, are being used to reduce/quit smoking, and are widely available. More longitudinal studies and controlled trials are needed to evaluate the impact of ENDS on population-level tobacco use and determine the health effects of longer-term vaping. Copyright © 2016 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality of search strategies reported in systematic reviews published in stereotactic radiosurgery.

PubMed

Faggion, Clovis M; Wu, Yun-Chun; Tu, Yu-Kang; Wasiak, Jason

2016-06-01

Systematic reviews require comprehensive literature search strategies to avoid publication bias. This study aimed to assess and evaluate the reporting quality of search strategies within systematic reviews published in the field of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). Three electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE(®), Ovid EMBASE(®) and the Cochrane Library) were searched to identify systematic reviews addressing SRS interventions, with the last search performed in October 2014. Manual searches of the reference lists of included systematic reviews were conducted. The search strategies of the included systematic reviews were assessed using a standardized nine-question form based on the Cochrane Collaboration guidelines and Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews checklist. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to identify the important predictors of search quality. A total of 85 systematic reviews were included. The median quality score of search strategies was 2 (interquartile range = 2). Whilst 89% of systematic reviews reported the use of search terms, only 14% of systematic reviews reported searching the grey literature. Multiple linear regression analyses identified publication year (continuous variable), meta-analysis performance and journal impact factor (continuous variable) as predictors of higher mean quality scores. This study identified the urgent need to improve the quality of search strategies within systematic reviews published in the field of SRS. This study is the first to address how authors performed searches to select clinical studies for inclusion in their systematic reviews. Comprehensive and well-implemented search strategies are pivotal to reduce the chance of publication bias and consequently generate more reliable systematic review findings.

The safety of serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) in pregnancy and breastfeeding: a comprehensive review.

PubMed

Bellantuono, Cesario; Vargas, Marianna; Mandarelli, Gabriele; Nardi, Bernardo; Martini, Maria Giulia

2015-05-01

The present study provides a comprehensive review of the existing literature on the safety of serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) in pregnancy and lactation. Studies published in English, reporting the use of SNRIs in pregnant and/or breastfeeding women, were identified by searching MEDLINE/Pubmed, PsycINFO, and EMBASE. Twenty-nine studies were included in the review. Altogether, the initial evidence coming from the reviewed studies suggests a lack of association between SNRIs and an increased risk of major congenital malformations. Conversely, exposure to SNRIs seems to be significantly associated with an increased risk of some perinatal complications. No neonatal adverse events emerged, so far, in the few studies concerning the safety of SNRIs during breastfeeding. Available data suggest that venlafaxine is relatively safe during pregnancy, in particular as far as major malformations are concerned, whereas considering the small number of studies published, no definitive conclusions can be drawn on its safety during breastfeeding. Because of the few studies so far published, the safety of duloxetine during pregnancy and breastfeeding remains to be well established. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Randomized trials published in Chinese or Western journals: comparative empirical analysis.

PubMed

Purgato, Marianna; Cipriani, Andrea; Barbui, Corrado

2012-06-01

A major concern to the inclusion in systematic reviews of studies originating in China and published in Chinese journals refers to the quality of study reporting. In this systematic survey of randomized trials, we compared the characteristics of studies published in Chinese journals with those of studies published in Western journals. We included 69 studies comparing citalopram with other antidepressant drugs in the treatment of major depression. Of these, 37 (54%) were published in Chinese journals. The standard of reporting was generally poor in both Western and Chinese studies. In some Chinese studies, the generation of the randomization sequence raised concern about their experimental nature, and in almost all included studies, the concealment of allocation was not properly described. Blinding was seldom adopted in Chinese studies, and the risk of sponsorship bias was uncertain because Chinese studies did not report any financial support. In most Western studies, outcome data were selectively and incompletely reported. Pooling together all trials revealed that citalopram was similarly effective in comparison with all other antidepressant drugs both in Western studies (standardized mean difference, -0.04; 95% confidence interval, -0.15 to 0.06) and in Chinese studies (standardized mean difference, -0.08, 95% confidence interval, -0.18 to 0.02). Randomized controlled trials published in Chinese journals represent most of the studies included in this review. This suggests that omitting to search biomedical databases originating from China would systematically exclude a relevant proportion of randomized trials published in Chinese journals, with a risk of random error or bias. The increasing inclusion of Chinese studies in systematic reviews reinforces the need to check the quality of randomized trials that are meta-analyzed.

The use of feasibility studies for stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials: protocol for a review of impact and scope

PubMed Central

Kristunas, Caroline A; Hemming, Karla; Eborall, Helen C; Gray, Laura J

2017-01-01

Introduction The stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial (SW-CRT) is a complex design, for which many decisions about key design parameters must be made during the planning. These include the number of steps and the duration of time needed to embed the intervention. Feasibility studies are likely to be useful for informing these decisions and increasing the likelihood of the main trial's success. However, the number of feasibility studies being conducted for SW-CRTs is currently unknown. This review aims to establish the number of feasibility studies being conducted for SW-CRTs and determine which feasibility issues are commonly investigated. Methods and analysis Fully published feasibility studies for SW-CRTs will be identified, according to predefined inclusion criteria, from searches conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase and PsycINFO. To also identify and gain information on unpublished feasibility studies the following will be contacted: authors of published SW-CRTs (identified from the most recent systematic reviews); contacts for registered SW-CRTs (identified from clinical trials registries); lead statisticians of UK registered clinical trials units and researchers known to work in the area of SW-CRTs. Data extraction will be conducted independently by two reviewers. For the fully published feasibility studies, data will be extracted on the study characteristics, the rationale for the study, the process for determining progression to a main trial, how the study informed the main trial and whether the main trial went ahead. The researchers involved in the unpublished feasibility studies will be contacted to elicit the same information. A narrative synthesis will be conducted and provided alongside a descriptive analysis of the study characteristics. Ethics and dissemination This review does not require ethical approval, as no individual patient data will be used. The results of this review will be published in an open-access peer-reviewed journal. PMID:28765139

The use of feasibility studies for stepped-wedge cluster randomised trials: protocol for a review of impact and scope.

PubMed

Kristunas, Caroline A; Hemming, Karla; Eborall, Helen C; Gray, Laura J

2017-08-01

The stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial (SW-CRT) is a complex design, for which many decisions about key design parameters must be made during the planning. These include the number of steps and the duration of time needed to embed the intervention. Feasibility studies are likely to be useful for informing these decisions and increasing the likelihood of the main trial's success. However, the number of feasibility studies being conducted for SW-CRTs is currently unknown. This review aims to establish the number of feasibility studies being conducted for SW-CRTs and determine which feasibility issues are commonly investigated. Fully published feasibility studies for SW-CRTs will be identified, according to predefined inclusion criteria, from searches conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase and PsycINFO. To also identify and gain information on unpublished feasibility studies the following will be contacted: authors of published SW-CRTs (identified from the most recent systematic reviews); contacts for registered SW-CRTs (identified from clinical trials registries); lead statisticians of UK registered clinical trials units and researchers known to work in the area of SW-CRTs.Data extraction will be conducted independently by two reviewers. For the fully published feasibility studies, data will be extracted on the study characteristics, the rationale for the study, the process for determining progression to a main trial, how the study informed the main trial and whether the main trial went ahead. The researchers involved in the unpublished feasibility studies will be contacted to elicit the same information.A narrative synthesis will be conducted and provided alongside a descriptive analysis of the study characteristics. This review does not require ethical approval, as no individual patient data will be used. The results of this review will be published in an open-access peer-reviewed journal. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Electronic nicotine delivery devices, and their impact on health and patterns of tobacco use: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Glasser, Allison M; Cobb, Caroline O; Teplitskaya, Lyubov; Ganz, Ollie; Katz, Lauren; Rose, Shyanika W; Feirman, Shari; Villanti, Andrea C

2015-04-29

E-cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have recently attracted considerable attention. Among some individuals there is strong debate and a polarisation of views about the public health benefits versus harms of ENDS. With little regulation, the ENDS market is evolving, and new products are introduced and marketed constantly. Rapid developments in manufacturing, marketing and consumer domains related to ENDS will warrant frequent re-evaluation, based on the state of the evolving science. The purpose of this article is to describe a protocol for an ongoing comprehensive review of the published scientific literature on ENDS. We will undertake a systematic review of published empirical research literature on ENDS using the National Library of Medicine's PubMed electronic database to search for relevant articles. Data from included studies will be extracted into a standardised form, tables with study details and key outcomes for each article will be created, and studies will be synthesised qualitatively. This review synthesises published literature and presents no primary data. Therefore, no ethical approval is required for this study. Subsequent papers will provide greater detail on results, within select categories, that represent gaps in the literature base. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Does research participation make a difference in residency training?

PubMed

Macknin, Jonathan B; Brown, Amy; Marcus, Randall E

2014-01-01

The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery requirements state that an orthopaedic residency must offer at least 5 years of clinical education and some exposure to research. To expose residents to basic research, some programs, including ours, have a research track that allows for 1 year of basic science research. The degree to which research productivity during residency-which may be something that can perhaps be influenced by interventions like research tracks during residency-affects residency graduates' future research contributions is unknown. Our research goals were to determine whether (1) residents who published in a peer-reviewed journal during residency were more likely to publish in their careers after graduation; (2) residents who participated in an elective research year were more likely to publish at least one paper in a peer-reviewed journal during residency; and (3) residents who participated in the research year were more likely to choose academic careers. Using questionnaires, online PubMed searches, and office contact, the career paths (academic versus private practice) and publications in peer-reviewed journals of all 122 Case Western Reserve University orthopaedics residents who completed training from 1987 to 2006 were analyzed. Seventy-five percent of residents who published peer-reviewed research during residency continued with peer-reviewed publications in their careers versus 55% of residents who did not publish during residency (p = 0.02). No difference in career paths was observed between the Case Western Reserve University research and traditional track-trained surgeons. During residency, however, research track-trained surgeons were more likely to publish in peer-reviewed journals (71% versus 41% of traditional track-trained surgeons, p < 0.01). Residents who publish in a peer-reviewed journal during residency are more likely to continue publishing in their future careers as orthopaedic surgeons. Future studies are needed to elucidate the causative factors in the association between publishing in a peer-reviewed journal during training and further contributions later in an orthopaedic surgeon's career.

Spin in RCTs of anxiety medication with a positive primary outcome: a comparison of concerns expressed by the US FDA and in the published literature.

PubMed

Beijers, Lian; Jeronimus, Bertus F; Turner, Erick H; de Jonge, Peter; Roest, Annelieke M

2017-03-29

This study aimed to determine the presence of spin in papers on positive randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of antidepressant medication for anxiety disorders by comparing concerns expressed in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews with those expressed in the published paper. For every positive anxiety medication trial with a matching publication (n=41), two independent reviewers identified the concerns raised in the US FDA reviews and those in the published literature. Spin was identified when concerns or limitations were expressed by the FDA (about the efficacy of the study drug) but not in the corresponding published paper. Concerns mentioned in the papers but not by the FDA were scored as 'non-FDA' concerns. Only six out of 35 (17%) of the FDA concerns pertaining to drug efficacy were reported in the papers. Two papers mentioned a concern that fit the FDA categories, but was not mentioned in the corresponding FDA review. Eighty-seven non-FDA concerns were counted, which often reflected general concerns or concerns related to the study design. Results indicate the presence of substantial spin in the clinical trial literature on drugs for anxiety disorders. In papers describing RCTs on anxiety medication, the concerns raised by the authors differed from those raised by the FDA. Published papers mentioned a large number of generic concerns about RCTs, such as a lack of long-term research and limited generalisability, while they mentioned few concerns about drug efficacy. These results warrant the promotion of independent statistical review, reporting of patient-level data, more study of spin, and an increased expectation that authors report FDA concerns. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Prevalence and patterns of congenital heart diseases in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

PubMed

Tankeu, Aurel T; Bigna, Jean Joel R; Nansseu, Jobert Richie N; Aminde, Leopold Ndemnge; Danwang, Celestin; Temgoua, Mazou N; Noubiap, Jean Jacques N

2017-02-14

Congenital heart diseases (CHD) are common causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among young children and adolescents living in Africa. Accurate epidemiological data are needed in order to evaluate and improve preventive strategies. This review aims to determine the prevalence of CHD and their main patterns in Africa. This systematic review and meta-analysis will include cross-sectional, case-control and cohort studies of populations residing inside African countries, which have reported the prevalence of CHD, confirmed by an echocardiographic examination and/or describing different patterns of these abnormalities in Africa. Relevant abstracts published without language restriction from 1 January 1986 to 31 December 2016 will be searched in PubMed, Exerpta Medica Database and online African journals as well as references of included articles and relevant reviews. Two review authors will independently screen, select studies, extract data and assess the risk of bias in each study. The study-specific estimates will be pooled through a random-effects meta-analysis model to obtain an overall summary estimate of the prevalence of CHD across studies. Clinical and statistical heterogeneity will be assessed, and we will pool studies judged to be clinically homogeneous. On the other hand, statistical heterogeneity will be evaluated by the χ2 test on Cochrane's Q statistic. Funnel-plots analysis and Egger's test will be used to detect publication bias. Results will be presented by geographic region (central, eastern, northern, southern and western Africa). The current study will be based on published data, and thus ethical approval is not required. This systematic review and meta-analysis is expected to serve as a base which could help in estimating and evaluating the burden of these abnormalities on the African continent. The final report of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO CRD42016052880. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

A quantitative analysis of qualitative studies in clinical journals for the 2000 publishing year

PubMed Central

McKibbon, Kathleen Ann; Gadd, Cynthia S

2004-01-01

Background Quantitative studies are becoming more recognized as important to understanding health care with all of its richness and complexities. The purpose of this descriptive survey was to provide a quantitative evaluation of the qualitative studies published in 170 core clinical journals for 2000. Methods All identified studies that used qualitative methods were reviewed to ascertain which clinical journals publish qualitative studies and to extract research methods, content (persons and health care issues studied), and whether mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative methods) were used. Results 60 330 articles were reviewed. 355 reports of original qualitative studies and 12 systematic review articles were identified in 48 journals. Most of the journals were in the discipline of nursing. Only 4 of the most highly cited health care journals, based on ISI Science Citation Index (SCI) Impact Factors, published qualitative studies. 37 of the 355 original reports used both qualitative and quantitative (mixed) methods. Patients and non-health care settings were the most common groups of people studied. Diseases and conditions were cancer, mental health, pregnancy and childbirth, and cerebrovascular disease with many other diseases and conditions represented. Phenomenology and grounded theory were commonly used; substantial ethnography was also present. No substantial differences were noted for content or methods when articles published in all disciplines were compared with articles published in nursing titles or when studies with mixed methods were compared with studies that included only qualitative methods. Conclusions The clinical literature includes many qualitative studies although they are often published in nursing journals or journals with low SCI Impact Factor journals. Many qualitative studies incorporate both qualitative and quantitative methods. PMID:15271221

[Report quality evaluation of systematic review or Meta-analysis published in China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica].

PubMed

Zhang, Yan; Yu, Dan-Dan; Cui, De-Hua; Liao, Xing; Guo, Hua

2018-03-01

To evaluate the report quality of intervention-related systematic reviews or Meta-analysis published in China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica, we searched CNKI and China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica webpages to collect intervention-related systematic reviews or Meta-analysis since the first issue of the magazine. A total of 40 systematic reviews or Meta-analysis reports were included, including one network Meta-analysis. According to the PRISMA statement published in 2009, the report quality of the systematic reviews or Meta-analysis was evaluated. According to the results, 3 had the low quality, 30 had the medium quality, and 7 had the high quality. The average score for all of items was 30 points (21-30.5 points for the medium quality). The 17 high-quality (31-40 points) report items were title, rationale, objectives, information sources, study selection, data collection process, data items, risk of bias in individual studies, summary measures, risk of bias across studies, study selection, study characteristics, risk of bias within studies, results of individual studies, synthesis of results, risk of bias across studies and funding; the 4 medium-quality (21-30.5 points) reporting items were eligibility criteria, search, limitations and conclusions; and the 6 low-quality (<=20.5 points) reporting items were structured summary, protocol and registration, synthesis of results, additional analysis (No.16), additional analysis (No.23) and summary of evidence. Through the analysis, it is found that the report quality of intervention-related systematic reviews or Meta-analysis published in China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica is medium, and it is necessary to improve the quality standard of the report. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

BOOK PUBLISHING IN COMMUNIST CHINA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LIU, ALAN P.

A GENERAL STUDY WAS MADE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE BOOK PUBLISHING INDUSTRY IN COMMUNIST CHINA. FIRST THE PAPER REVIEWS BRIEFLY THE PRIVATE INDUSTRY OF PUBLISHING IN PRE-COMMUNIST CHINA. NEXT THE COMMUNIST NATIONALIZATION OF THE PUBLISHING ENTERPRISE IS DESCRIBED. THEN THE AUTHOR DISCUSSES THE PUBLISHING OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF…

Self-management programmes for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a call for a reconceptualisation.

PubMed

Jonsdottir, Helga

2013-03-01

To synthesise findings from previously published studies on the effectiveness of self-management programmes for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Self-management is a widely valued concept to address contemporary issues of chronic health problems. Yet, findings of self-management programmes for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are indecisive. Literature review of (1) previously published systematic reviews and (2) an integrative literature review. Synthesis of findings from previously published systematic reviews (n = 4) of the effectiveness of self-management programmes for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and an integrated review that was performed on papers published between January 2007-June 2012 (n = 9). Findings demonstrate that there are few studies on the effectiveness of self-management programmes on people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease despite more than a decade of research activities. Outcomes of the studies reveal some increase in health-related quality of life and reduction in use of healthcare resources. The methodological approaches vary, and the sample size is primarily small. Families are not acknowledged. Features of patient-centredness exist in self-management programmes, particularly in the more recent articles. The effectiveness of self-management programmes for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remains indecisive. A reconceptualisation of self-management programmes is called for with attention to a family-centred, holistic and relational care focusing on living with and minimising the handicapping consequences of the health problems in their entirety. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Reporting Guidelines for Survey Research: An Analysis of Published Guidance and Reporting Practices

PubMed Central

Bennett, Carol; Khangura, Sara; Brehaut, Jamie C.; Graham, Ian D.; Moher, David; Potter, Beth K.; M. Grimshaw, Jeremy

2011-01-01

Background Research needs to be reported transparently so readers can critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of the design, conduct, and analysis of studies. Reporting guidelines have been developed to inform reporting for a variety of study designs. The objective of this study was to identify whether there is a need to develop a reporting guideline for survey research. Methods and Findings We conducted a three-part project: (1) a systematic review of the literature (including “Instructions to Authors” from the top five journals of 33 medical specialties and top 15 general and internal medicine journals) to identify guidance for reporting survey research; (2) a systematic review of evidence on the quality of reporting of surveys; and (3) a review of reporting of key quality criteria for survey research in 117 recently published reports of self-administered surveys. Fewer than 7% of medical journals (n = 165) provided guidance to authors on survey research despite a majority having published survey-based studies in recent years. We identified four published checklists for conducting or reporting survey research, none of which were validated. We identified eight previous reviews of survey reporting quality, which focused on issues of non-response and accessibility of questionnaires. Our own review of 117 published survey studies revealed that many items were poorly reported: few studies provided the survey or core questions (35%), reported the validity or reliability of the instrument (19%), defined the response rate (25%), discussed the representativeness of the sample (11%), or identified how missing data were handled (11%). Conclusions There is limited guidance and no consensus regarding the optimal reporting of survey research. The majority of key reporting criteria are poorly reported in peer-reviewed survey research articles. Our findings highlight the need for clear and consistent reporting guidelines specific to survey research. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary PMID:21829330

Writing and Publishing Qualitative Studies in Early Childhood Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saracho, Olivia N.

2017-01-01

When a study is published in a respected professional journal, it not only verifies that the research has been completed but also that it has been subjected to anonymous peer review. Published results from studies in early childhood education contribute to the field's knowledge and provide direction to guide future early childhood education…

The health economics of ankle and foot sprains and fractures: A systematic review of English-language published papers. Part 1: Overview and critical appraisal.

PubMed

Bielska, Iwona A; Wang, Xiang; Lee, Raymond; Johnson, Ana P

2017-07-01

Ankle and foot sprains and fractures are common injuries affecting many individuals, often requiring considerable and costly medical interventions. The objectives of this systematic review are to collect, assess, and critically appraise the published literature on the health economics of ankle and foot injury (sprain and fracture) treatment. A systematic literature review of Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane DSR, ACP Journal Club, AMED, Ovid Healthstar, and CINAHL was conducted for English-language studies on the costs of treating ankle and foot sprains and fractures published from January 1980 to December 2014. Two reviewers assessed the articles for study quality and abstracted data. The literature search identified 2047 studies of which 32 were analyzed. A majority of the studies were published in the last decade. A number of the studies did not report full economic information, including the sources of the direct and indirect costs, as suggested in the guidelines. The perspective used in the analysis was missing in numerous studies, as was the follow-up time period of participants. Only five of the studies undertook a sensitivity analysis which is required whenever there are uncertainties regarding cost data. This systematic review found that publications do not consistently report on the components of health economics methodology, which in turn limits the quality of information. Future studies undertaking economic evaluations should ensure that their methods are transparent and understandable so as to yield accurate interpretation for assistance in forthcoming economic evaluations and policy decision-making. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology, quality, and reporting characteristics of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of nursing interventions published in Chinese journals.

PubMed

Zhang, Juxia; Wang, Jiancheng; Han, Lin; Zhang, Fengwa; Cao, Jianxun; Ma, Yuxia

2015-01-01

Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) of nursing interventions have become increasingly popular in China. This review provides the first examination of epidemiological characteristics of these SRs as well as compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses and Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews guidelines. The purpose of this study was to examine epidemiologic and reporting characteristics as well as the methodologic quality of SRs and MAs of nursing interventions published in Chinese journals. Four Chinese databases were searched (the Chinese Biomedicine Literature Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Full-text Database, Chinese Journal Full-text Database, and Wanfang Database) for SRs and MAs of nursing intervention from inception through June 2013. Data were extracted into Excel (Microsoft, Redmond, WA). The Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses checklists were used to assess methodologic quality and reporting characteristics, respectively. A total of 144 SRs were identified, most (97.2%) of which used "systematic review" or "meta-analyses" in the titles. None of the reviews had been updated. Nearly half (41%) were written by nurses, and more than half (61%) were reported in specialist journals. The most common conditions studied were endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, and neoplasms. Most (70.8%) reported information about quality assessment, whereas less than half (25%) reported assessing for publication bias. None of the reviews reported a conflict of interest. Although many SRs of nursing interventions have been published in Chinese journals, the quality of these reviews is of concern. As a potential key source of information for nurses and nursing administrators, not only were many of these reviews incomplete in the information they provided, but also some results were misleading. Improving the quality of SRs of nursing interventions conducted and published by nurses in China is urgently needed in order to increase the value of these studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ethical publishing in intensive care medicine: A narrative review

PubMed Central

Wiedermann, Christian J

2016-01-01

Ethical standards in the context of scientific publications are increasingly gaining attention. A narrative review of the literature concerning publication ethics was conducted as found in PubMed, Google Scholar, relevant news articles, position papers, websites and other sources. The Committee on Publication Ethics has produced guidelines and schedules for the handling of problem situations that have been adopted by professional journals and publishers worldwide as guidelines to authors. The defined requirements go beyond the disclosure of conflicts of interest or the prior registration of clinical trials. Recommendations to authors, editors and publishers of journals and research institutions were formulated with regard to issues of authorship, double publications, plagiarism, and conflicts of interest, with special attention being paid to unethical research behavior and data falsification. This narrative review focusses on ethical publishing in intensive care medicine. As scientific misconduct with data falsification damage patients and society, especially if fraudulent studies are considered important or favor certain therapies and downplay their side effects, it is important to ensure that only studies are published that have been carried out with highest integrity according to predefined criteria. For that also the peer review process has to be conducted in accordance with the highest possible scientific standards and making use of available modern information technology. The review provides the current state of recommendations that are considered to be most relevant particularly in the field of intensive care medicine. PMID:27652208

Longitudinal analysis of reporting and quality of systematic reviews in high-impact surgical journals.

PubMed

Chapman, S J; Drake, T M; Bolton, W S; Barnard, J; Bhangu, A

2017-02-01

The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) Statement aims to optimize the reporting of systematic reviews. The performance of the PRISMA Statement in improving the reporting and quality of surgical systematic reviews remains unclear. Systematic reviews published in five high-impact surgical journals between 2007 and 2015 were identified from online archives. Manuscripts blinded to journal, publication year and authorship were assessed according to 27 reporting criteria described by the PRISMA Statement and scored using a validated quality appraisal tool (AMSTAR, Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews). Comparisons were made between studies published before (2007-2009) and after (2011-2015) its introduction. The relationship between reporting and study quality was measured using Spearman's rank test. Of 281 eligible manuscripts, 80 were published before the PRISMA Statement and 201 afterwards. Most manuscripts (208) included a meta-analysis, with the remainder comprising a systematic review only. There was no meaningful change in median compliance with the PRISMA Statement (19 (i.q.r. 16-21) of 27 items before versus 19 (17-22) of 27 after introduction of PRISMA) despite achieving statistical significance (P = 0·042). Better reporting compliance was associated with higher methodological quality (r s  = 0·70, P < 0·001). The PRISMA Statement has had minimal impact on the reporting of surgical systematic reviews. Better compliance was associated with higher-quality methodology. © 2016 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Review of Meta-Analyses in Education: Methodological Strengths and Weaknesses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahn, Soyeon; Ames, Allison J.; Myers, Nicholas D.

2012-01-01

The current review addresses the validity of published meta-analyses in education that determines the credibility and generalizability of study findings using a total of 56 meta-analyses published in education in the 2000s. Our objectives were to evaluate the current meta-analytic practices in education, identify methodological strengths and…

Measuring Person-Centered Care: A Critical Comparative Review of Published Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edvardsson, David; Innes, Anthea

2010-01-01

Purpose of the study: To present a critical comparative review of published tools measuring the person-centeredness of care for older people and people with dementia. Design and Methods: Included tools were identified by searches of PubMed, Cinahl, the Bradford Dementia Group database, and authors' files. The terms "Person-centered,"…

Instructor's Corner: Tips for Publishing and Reviewing Qualitative Studies in Applied Disciplines

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storberg-Walker, Julia

2012-01-01

This "Instructor's Corner" describes a step forward on the journey to write, review, and publish high-quality qualitative research manuscripts. This article examines two existing perspectives on generating high-quality qualitative manuscripts and then compares and contrasts the different elements of each. First, an overview of Rocco's (2010) eight…

Transparency of outcome reporting and trial registration of randomized controlled trials in top psychosomatic and behavioral health journals: A systematic review.

PubMed

Milette, Katherine; Roseman, Michelle; Thombs, Brett D

2011-03-01

The most reliable evidence for evaluating healthcare interventions comes from well-designed and conducted randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The extent to which published RCTs reflect the efficacy of interventions, however, depends on the completeness and accuracy of published results. The Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement, initially developed in 1996, provides guidelines intended to improve the transparency of published RCT reports. A policy of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, initiated in 2005, requires clinical trials published in member journals to be registered in publicly accessible registries prior to patient enrollment. The objective of this study was to assess the clarity of outcome reporting, proportion of registered trials, and adequacy of outcome registration in RCTs published in top behavioral health journals. Eligible studies were primary or secondary reports of RCTs published in Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Health Psychology, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, and Psychosomatic Medicine from January 2008 to September 2009. Data were extracted for each study on adequacy of outcome reporting and registration. Of 63 articles reviewed, only 25 (39.7%) had adequately declared primary or secondary outcomes, whereas 38 (60.3%) had multiple primary outcomes or did not define outcomes. Only 13 studies (20.6%) were registered. Only 1 study registered sufficiently precise outcome information to compare with published outcomes, and registered and published outcomes were discrepant in that study. Greater attention to outcome reporting and trial registration by researchers, peer reviewers, and journal editors will increase the likelihood that effective behavioral health interventions are readily identified and made available to patients. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Compliance of systematic reviews articles in brain arteriovenous malformation with PRISMA statement guidelines: Review of literature.

PubMed

Akhigbe, T; Zolnourian, A; Bulters, D

2017-05-01

The knowledge of reporting compliance of systematic reviews with PRISMA guidelines may assist in improving the quality of secondary research in brain AVM management and subsequently application to patient population and clinical practice. This may allow researchers and clinicians to be equipped to appraise existing literatures based on known deficit to look for or expect. The objective of this study was to assess the compliance of systematic reviews and meta-analysis in the management of brain AVM. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses articles published in medical journals between 1st of May 2011 and 30th April 2016 (five-year period) were examined. Exclusion criteria were articles that were not systematic reviews and not meta-analyses, narrative literature reviews, historical literature reviews, animal studies, unpublished articles, commentaries and letter to the editor. Electronic database search performed through Medline PubMed on 20th September 2016. This systematic review examined seven systematic review articles on intracranial arteriovenous malformation compliance with PRISMA statement guidelines. The mean percentage of applicable PRISMA items across all studies was 74% (range 67-93%). Protocol registration and declaration, risk of bias and funding sources were the most poorly reported of the PRISMA items (14% each). A significant variance in the total percentages was evident between studies (67-93%). Systematic review reporting in medical literature is excessively variable and overall poor. As these papers are being published with increasing frequency, need to fully adhere to PRISMA statement guide for systematic review to ensure high-quality publications. Complete reporting of PRISMA items within systematic reviews in cerebral arteriovenous malformation enhance quality assessment, robust critical appraisal, better judgement and ultimately sound application to practice thereby improving research standards and patients care. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publication rates of the abstracts presented at the annual meeting of International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery.

PubMed

Ekşi, Murat Şakir; Özcan-Ekşi, Emel Ece

2018-01-19

Publication of a study is the end point of the process to contribute to the literature and confirm the scientific value of the study. Publication rates of the abstracts presented at the annual meetings of neurosurgery have been studied, previously. However, publication rates of the abstracts presented at the annual meetings of pediatric neurosurgery have not been reported, yet. We evaluated abstracts presented at the 38th annual meeting of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ISPN) held in South Korea, 2010. We conducted this cross-sectional study by reviewing the abstracts presented at the annual meeting of the ISPN, 2010. Titles and authors of the abstracts were surveyed using Google Scholar and PubMed/MEDLINE. Time to publication, origin of the study, journal name in which the study has been accepted and published, and type of study has been analyzed for each abstract. The abstract booklet included 235 abstracts, consisted of 128 oral presentations (54%) and 107 electronic posters (46%). Fifty-nine (46%) of the oral presentations were published in a peer-reviewed journal. Laboratory studies were more likely to be published when compared to the clinical studies (72 vs. 39%). Thirty-two (30%) of the electronic posters were published in peer-reviewed journals. Most of the published abstracts were from Asia and Europe. Most of the abstracts were published in Child's Nervous System and Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics. Publication rates of the abstracts presented at annual meeting of the ISPN were comparable to the other similar congresses. Oral presentations were more likely to be published. High publication rates of the abstracts presented at the annual meeting of the ISPN suggested that the meeting had a high scientific value.

Post-marketing surveillance in the published medical and grey literature for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty catheters: a systematic review.

PubMed

Polisena, Julie; Forster, Alan J; Cimon, Karen; Rabb, Danielle

2013-10-10

Post-marketing surveillance (PMS) may identify rare serious incidents or adverse events due to the long-term use of a medical device, which was not captured in the pre-market process. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is a non-surgical procedure that uses a balloon-tipped catheter to enlarge a narrowed artery. In 2011, 1,942 adverse event reports related to the use of PTCA catheters were submitted to the FDA by the manufacturers, an increase from the 883 reported in 2008. The primary research objective is to conduct a systematic review of the published and grey literature published between 2007 and 2012 for the frequency of incidents, adverse events and malfunctions associated with the use of PTCA catheters in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Grey literature has not been commercially published. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and PubMed for medical literature on PMS for PTCA catheters in patients with CAD published between January 2007 and July 2012. We also searched the grey literature. This review included 11 studies. The in-hospital adverse events reported were individual cases of myocardial infarction and hematoma. In studies of patients with coronary perforation, more patients with balloon angioplasty were identified compared with patients who required stenting. Our systematic review illustrates that the volume and quality of PMS studies associated with the use of PTCA catheters in patients with CAD are low in the published and grey literature, and may not be useful sources of information for decisions on safety. In most studies, the objectives were not to monitor the long-term safety of the use of PTCA catheters in clinical practice. Future studies can explore the strengths and limitations of PMS databases administered by regulatory authorities.

Does Peer Review of Radiation Plans Affect Clinical Care? A Systematic Review of the Literature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brunskill, Kelsey; Nguyen, Timothy K.; Boldt, R. Gabriel

Purpose: Peer review is a recommended component of quality assurance in radiation oncology; however, it is resource-intensive and its effect on patient care is not well understood. We conducted a systematic review of the published data to assess the reported clinical impact of peer review on radiation treatment plans. Methods and Materials: A systematic review of published English studies was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines using the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and abstracts published from major radiation oncology scientific meeting proceedings. For inclusion, the studies were required to report the effect of peer review on ≥1 element ofmore » treatment planning (eg, target volume or organ-at-risk delineation, dose prescription or dosimetry). Results: The initial search strategy identified 882 potentially eligible studies, with 11 meeting the inclusion criteria for full-text review and final analysis. Across a total of 11,491 patient cases, peer review programs led to modifications in a weighted mean of 10.8% of radiation treatment plans. Five studies differentiated between major and minor changes and reported weighted mean rates of change of 1.8% and 7.3%, respectively. The most common changes were related to target volume delineation (45.2% of changed plans), dose prescription or written directives (24.4%), and non-target volume delineation or normal tissue sparing (7.5%). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that peer review leads to changes in clinical care in approximately 1 of every 9 cases overall. This is similar to the reported rates of change in peer review studies from other oncology-related specialties, such as radiology and pathology.« less

Does Peer Review of Radiation Plans Affect Clinical Care? A Systematic Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Brunskill, Kelsey; Nguyen, Timothy K; Boldt, R Gabriel; Louie, Alexander V; Warner, Andrew; Marks, Lawrence B; Palma, David A

2017-01-01

Peer review is a recommended component of quality assurance in radiation oncology; however, it is resource-intensive and its effect on patient care is not well understood. We conducted a systematic review of the published data to assess the reported clinical impact of peer review on radiation treatment plans. A systematic review of published English studies was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines using the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases and abstracts published from major radiation oncology scientific meeting proceedings. For inclusion, the studies were required to report the effect of peer review on ≥1 element of treatment planning (eg, target volume or organ-at-risk delineation, dose prescription or dosimetry). The initial search strategy identified 882 potentially eligible studies, with 11 meeting the inclusion criteria for full-text review and final analysis. Across a total of 11,491 patient cases, peer review programs led to modifications in a weighted mean of 10.8% of radiation treatment plans. Five studies differentiated between major and minor changes and reported weighted mean rates of change of 1.8% and 7.3%, respectively. The most common changes were related to target volume delineation (45.2% of changed plans), dose prescription or written directives (24.4%), and non-target volume delineation or normal tissue sparing (7.5%). Our findings suggest that peer review leads to changes in clinical care in approximately 1 of every 9 cases overall. This is similar to the reported rates of change in peer review studies from other oncology-related specialties, such as radiology and pathology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effectiveness of brief interventions in primary health care settings to decrease alcohol consumption by adult non-dependent drinkers: a systematic review of systematic reviews.

PubMed

Álvarez-Bueno, Celia; Rodríguez-Martín, Beatriz; García-Ortiz, Luis; Gómez-Marcos, Manuel Ángel; Martínez-Vizcaíno, Vicente

2015-07-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of brief interventions in the primary health care setting to decrease alcohol consumption in non-alcoholic adult drinkers. Systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials published in English and Spanish and indexed in EMBASE, MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, Scopus, and The Cochrane Library, from their inception to January 2014. The quality of the studies was evaluated with the AMSTAR instrument. Seven studies, published from 1999 to 2011, were included in the review (six meta-analyses, one systematic review). These studies were heterogeneous in terms of design, type and length of interventions analyzed, participants, responsible professionals, and results. Five studies reported a moderate decrease in alcohol consumption and four showed a decrease in the number of participants who consumed alcohol above the established risk level. Brief interventions have a moderate effect on reducing alcohol consumption among excessive drinkers or people who consume excessive amounts of alcohol and as a consequence these interventions increased the number of people drinking alcohol below established limits of risk. Brief interventions with multiple contacts or follow-up sessions are the most effective. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

15 CFR 10.10 - Review of published standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Review of published standards. 10.10... DEVELOPMENT OF VOLUNTARY PRODUCT STANDARDS § 10.10 Review of published standards. (a) Each standard published... considered until a replacement standard is published. (b) Each standard published under these or previous...

[Quality appraisal of systematic reviews or meta-analysis on traditional Chinese medicine published in Chinese journals].

PubMed

Liu, Jian-ping; Xia, Yun

2007-04-01

To critically assess the quality of literature about systematic review or meta-analysis on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) published in Chinese journals. Electronic searches in CNKI, VIP and Wanfang data-base were conducted to retrieve the systematic reviews or meta-analysis reports on TCM, including herbal medicine, needling, acupuncture and moxibustion, as well as integrative medicine, they were identified and extracted according to the 18 items of QUOROM (quality of reporting of meta-analyses) Statement and relative information. The appraisal was made taking the indexes mainly including objectives, source of data, methods of data extraction, quality assessment of the included studies, measurement data synthesis, etc. Eighty-two systematic reviews were identified, except 6 reviews were excluded for repeatedly published or didn't comply with the enrolled criterion, 76 reviews concerning 51 kinds of diseases were enrolled for appraisal. Among them, 70 reviews evaluated the efficacy of TCM, mainly on Chinese herbs and 9 on acupuncture and moxibustion. In majority of the reviews, randomised controlled trials were included and the data resources were described, but in 26 reviews only the Chinese databases were searched and the description about data extraction and analysis method were too simple; and 70% of reviews assessed the quality of the included studies; none used flow chart to express the process of selection, inclusion and exclusion of studies. Few reviews or Meta-analysis reports reached the international standard and there is insufficient description of methodology for conducting systematic reviews, so it is hardly to be repeated. The authors suggested that advanced methodological training is necessary for reviewers.

The Application of Social Networking Sites (SNSs) in e-Learning and Online Education Environments: A Review of Publications in SSCI-Indexed Journals from 2004 to 2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Chia-Wen; Shen, Pei-Di; Chiang, Yi-Chun

2013-01-01

In this paper, the authors reviewed the empirical studies on social networking sites (SNSs), especially those focused on adopting SNSs for students' learning, published in SSCI journals from 2004 to 2013. It was found that the number of articles has significantly increased, particularly after 2009. Among the 76 published papers, most studies were…

Prevalence and incidence of dyslipidaemia among adults in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

PubMed

Noubiap, Jean Jacques N; Nansseu, Jobert Richie N; Bigna, Jean Joel R; Jingi, Ahmadou M; Kengne, André Pascal

2015-03-17

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally and disproportionately affects low-income and middle-income countries. Dyslipidaemia is an important modifiable risk factor for CVD. There are important knowledge gaps regarding the population levels of lipid variables and frequency of non-optimal levels in populations within Africa. We propose to conduct a systematic review to determine the prevalence and occurrence of dyslipidaemia in adult populations within countries in Africa. We will perform a comprehensive search to identify all possible published and unpublished studies on the prevalence or incidence of dyslipidaemia in Africa reported from 1 January 1980, without language restriction. The scientific databases PubMed MEDLINE, EMBASE and ISI Web of Science will be searched, as well as Grey literature. Following study selection, full-text papers acquisition, and data extraction and synthesis, we will appraise the quality of studies and risk of bias, and assess heterogeneity. Prevalence/incidence data will be summarised by country and geographic regions and a meta-analysis will be conducted for variables defined identically across studies. Variance stabilising transformations will be applied as appropriate to the row data before meta-analysis. This systematic review will be reported according to the MOOSE Guidelines for Meta-Analyses and Systematic Reviews of Observational Studies. The current study is based on published data and as such ethics consideration is not a requirement. This review is expected to provide relevant data to help in quantifying the magnitude of dyslipidaemia in African populations, to emphasise the need for appropriate prevention and control strategies, and to identify research gaps and remaining challenges. The final report of the systematic review in the form of a scientific paper will be published in peer-reviewed journals. Findings will further be presented at conferences and submitted to relevant health authorities. PROSPERO CRD42014015376. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Does varenicline worsen psychiatric symptoms in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder? A review of published studies.

PubMed

Cerimele, Joseph M; Durango, Alejandra

2012-08-01

To review published cases and prospective studies describing the use of varenicline in patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. PubMed, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Database were searched in July 2011 using the key words schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, psychosis, positive symptoms, negative symptoms, aggression, hostility, suicidal ideation AND varenicline to identify reports published between January 2006 and July 2011 in English. Five case reports, 1 case series, 1 retrospective study, 10 prospective studies (17 publications), and 1 meeting abstract describing the use of varenicline in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were identified. Review articles and articles describing findings other than the use of varenicline in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were excluded. Thirteen reports were included in the final analysis. Information on each study's patient population, age, diagnosis, medication treatment, tobacco use history, adverse effects, and outcome was collected from the published reports. Of the 260 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who received varenicline in these published reports, 13 patients (5%) experienced the onset or worsening of any psychiatric symptom, although 3 of the 13 patients experienced a very brief negative effect after 1 dose. No patients experienced suicidal ideation or suicidal behaviors. Published reports suggest that, in most stable, closely monitored patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, varenicline treatment is not associated with worsening of psychiatric symptoms. Current, prospective studies are assessing effectiveness and further assessing safety in this population. © Copyright 2012 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

The gender gap in peer-reviewed publications by physical therapy faculty members: a productivity puzzle.

PubMed

Kaufman, Regina R; Chevan, Julia

2011-01-01

Studies of peer-reviewed article publication by faculty in higher education show men publish more than women. Part of the difference in publishing appears to be attributable directly to gender. Gender differences in publishing productivity have not been explored in physical therapy. The purpose of this study was to explore effects of gender on peer-reviewed publication productivity in physical therapy. This was a cross-sectional study using survey methods. A survey was administered to a random sample of 881 physical therapy faculty members; 459 responses were used for analysis. Men were more likely than women to be married, have children, hold a PhD degree, be tenured or on a tenure track, and hold the position of department chair. There was a significant difference in peer-reviewed publication rates between male and female respondents. Negative binomial regression models revealed that female gender was a negative predictor of peer-reviewed publication, accounting for between 0.51 and 0.58 fewer articles per year for women than for men over the course of a career. Reasons for the gender differences are not clear. Factors such as grant funding, laboratory resources, nature of collaborative relationships, values for different elements of the teaching/research/service triad, and ability to negotiate the academic culture were not captured by our model. The gender gap in peer-reviewed publishing productivity may have implications for individuals and the profession of physical therapy and should be subject to further exploration.

Nature and reporting characteristics of UK health technology assessment systematic reviews.

PubMed

Carroll, Christopher; Kaltenthaler, Eva

2018-05-08

A recent study by Page et al. (PLoS Med. 2016;13(5):e1002028) claimed that increasing numbers of reviews are being published and many are poorly-conducted and reported. The aim of the present study was to assess how well reporting standards of systematic reviews produced in a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) context compare with reporting in Cochrane and other 'non-Cochrane' systematic reviews from the same years (2004 and 2014), as reported by Page et al. (PLoS Med. 2016;13(5):e1002028). All relevant UK HTA programme systematic reviews published in 2004 and 2014 were identified. After piloting of the form, two reviewers each extracted relevant data on conduct and reporting from these reviews. These data were compared with data for Cochrane and "non-Cochrane" systematic reviews, as published by Page et al. (PLoS Med. 2016;13(5):e1002028). All data were tabulated and summarized. There were 30 UK HTA programme systematic reviews and 300 other systematic reviews, including Cochrane reviews (n = 45). The percentage of HTA reviews with required elements of conduct and reporting was frequently very similar to Cochrane and much higher than all other systematic reviews, e.g. availability of protocols (90, 98 and 16% respectively); the specification of study design criteria (100, 100, 79%); the reporting of outcomes (100, 100, 78%), quality assessment (100, 100, 70%); the searching of trial registries for unpublished data (70, 62, 19%); reporting of reasons for excluding studies (91, 91 and 70%) and reporting of authors' conflicts of interests (100, 100, 87%). HTA reviews only compared less favourably with Cochrane and other reviews in assessments of publication bias. UK HTA systematic reviews are often produced within a specific policy-making context. This context has implications for timelines, tools and resources. However, UK HTA systematic reviews still tend to present standards of conduct and reporting equivalent to "gold standard" Cochrane reviews and superior to systematic reviews more generally.

East Asian International Students and Psychological Well-Being: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jiaqi; Wang, Yanlin; Xiao, Feiya

2014-01-01

The present article reports a systematic review of the studies related to psychological well-being among East Asian international students. A total of 18 quantitative studies published in peer-reviewed journals from 2000 to 2011 were reviewed. Our review revealed three major results: (1) a majority of researchers (n = 13, 72.2%) tend to choose…

Bibliometric study of articles on skeletal Class II malocclusions published in four high impact factor journals.

PubMed

Ousehal, Lahcen; El Aouame, Amal; Fatene, Nassiba; Lazrak, Laila; Traiba, Loubna; N'Gom, Papa Ibrahima

2018-04-11

Perform a bibliometric analysis of the orthodontic literature on skeletal Class II malocclusions during the first decade of the 21st century. A retrospective, observational, and comprehensive study ranging from January the first 2001 to December 31 2010, based on the articles published in four high impact factor orthodontic journals: Angle Orthod, OCR, EJO, and AJODO (Quotation Report Newspaper of the Scientific Information Institute). In the 4565 reviewed articles, only 338 were published on Class II malocclusions. Brazil, the United States, Turkey, and Germany are the nationalities, which have published the most. The cross-sectional descriptive studies represent 33%, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) 10.5%, meta-analyses 0.3%. Kanavakis et al. (2006) reported 72.34% of original articles, 2.83% of synthetic reviews, 8.89% of case reports, and 15.75% of unclassifiable articles. In conclusion, searchers in Orthodontics are invited to publish more clinical trials on skeletal Class II malocclusions. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Organisation and function of the primary motor cortex in chronic pain: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Chang, Wei-Ju; O'Connell, Neil E; Burns, Emma; Chipchase, Lucy S; Liston, Matthew B; Schabrun, Siobhan M

2015-11-30

Primary motor cortical (M1) adaptation in the form of altered organisation and function is hypothesised to underpin motor dysfunction observed in chronic pain. The aim of this review is to assess the evidence for altered M1 organisation and function in chronic pain. Systematic review and meta-analysis. We will search electronic databases with predetermined search terms to identify relevant studies and evaluate the studies for inclusion and risks of bias. Two independent reviewers will extract data. Any disagreement will be resolved through a third reviewer. Cross-sectional or prospective studies published in English before May 2015 that investigate M1 organisation and function in chronic pain will be included if they meet the eligibility criteria. Primary outcomes will include M1 cortical excitability, spatial cortical representation, the function of inhibitory and facilitatory intracortical networks, cortical reactivity and cortical glucose metabolism. Clinical measures such as pain and disability will be included where the correlation with the primary outcomes of M1 organisation and function were investigated in the included studies. This systematic review does not require ethical approval. The results of this review will be submitted for peer-reviewed publication regardless of outcome and will be presented at relevant conferences. Our systematic review protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; registration number CRD42015014823). Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Advancing knowledge in work-related rehabilitation - review of research published in the journal of WORK.

PubMed

Prodinger, Birgit; Magalhães, Lilian

2010-01-01

Many studies published in the journal WORK in the recent decades have discussed work and employment trends. However, the dimensions of these contributions over time have not been reviewed. The main objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge development in regard to work-related rehabilitation in WORK over the last two decades. A scoping review was conducted using the following five stages: (i) identifying research question, (ii) identifying relevant studies, (iii) study selection, (iv) charting, summarizing, and collating the data, and (v) reporting the results. Studies were selected from the WORK ARTicle Database. Seventy-five relevant studies were identified. The findings reflect that WORK has published papers from across the world, with most of the studies from the United States, Sweden, Canada, and Hong Kong. The complexity and multi-factorial nature of work-related rehabilitation was reflected in the application of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method research approaches, as well as case studies. Study participants were characterized by work, and non-work related injuries, systematic diseases/chronic illness, fulfilled certain socio-demographic characteristic, and represented various stakeholders. Fewer studies drew on secondary resources. In the findings one re-occurring theme has been noted: 'maintaining/obtaining/returning to secure and stable employment/work'. Four key-reflections evolved from this scoping review that provide potential avenues for future research. These key-reflections include (i) the national, transnational and international dimension of the reviewed studies, (ii) the various societal levels informing work-related rehabilitation practices, (iii) the diversity of methodologies applied in current research, and (iv) the variability of terminology used within the reviewed studies. The journal WORK has published a variety of research over the last two decades and contributed significantly to our current understanding of work-related rehabilitation. However, further research in these reflective areas would expand the current knowledge base.

Peer-Reviewed Publication of Clinical Trials Completed for Pediatric Exclusivity

PubMed Central

Benjamin, Daniel Kelly; Smith, Philip Brian; Murphy, M. Dianne; Roberts, Rosemary; Mathis, Lisa; Avant, Debbie; Califf, Robert M; Li, Jennifer S.

2009-01-01

Context Much of pediatric drug use is “off-label” because appropriate pediatric studies have not been conducted and the drugs have not been labeled by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in children. In 1997, Congress authorized FDA to grant extensions of marketing rights known as “pediatric exclusivity” if FDA-requested pediatric trials were conducted. As a result, there have been over 100 product labeling changes. The publication status of studies completed for pediatric exclusivity has not been evaluated. Objective To quantify the dissemination of results of studies conducted for pediatric exclusivity into the peer-review literature. Design Cohort study of all trials conducted for Pediatric Exclusivity, the subsequent labeling changes, and the publication of those studies in peer-reviewed journals. We categorized each study in the exclusivity application as ”successful” or “unsuccessful” based on FDA approval of the indication sought by the sponsor. We categorized any labeling changes resulting from the studies as ”positive” or “negative” for the drug under study. We then evaluated aspects of the studies and product label changes that were associated with subsequent publication in peer-reviewed medical journals. Main Outcome Measures Publication of the trial data in peer-reviewed journals. Results Between 1998 and 2004, 253 studies were submitted to FDA for pediatric exclusivity: 50% evaluated efficacy, 20% were multi-dose pharmacokinetic, 13% were single-dose pharmacokinetic, and 17% were safety studies. Labeling changes were positive for 127/253 (50%) of studies; only 112/253 (44%) were published. Efficacy studies and those with a favorable labeling change were more likely to be published. Of 100 studies resulting in important labeling changes, only 33 were published. Conclusions The pediatric exclusivity program has been successful in encouraging drug studies in children. However, the dissemination of these results in the peer-reviewed literature is limited. The results of these trials and future studies conducted for pediatric exclusivity should be published in peer-reviewed journals. Mechanisms to more widely disperse this information warrant further evaluation. PMID:16968851

Macronutrients and the FTO gene expression in hypothalamus; a systematic review of experimental studies.

PubMed

Doaei, Saeid; Kalantari, Naser; Mohammadi, Nastaran Keshavarz; Tabesh, Ghasem Azizi; Gholamalizadeh, Maryam

The various studies have examined the relationship between FTO gene expression and macronutrients levels. In order to obtain better viewpoint from this interactions, all of existing studies were reviewed systematically. All published papers have been obtained and reviewed using standard and sensitive keywords from databases such as CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, PsycInfo, and the Cochrane, from 1990 to 2016. The results indicated that all of 6 studies that met the inclusion criteria (from a total of 428 published article) found FTO gene expression changes at short-term follow-ups. Four of six studies found an increased FTO gene expression after calorie restriction, while two of them indicated decreased FTO gene expression. The effect of protein, carbohydrate and fat were separately assessed and suggested by all of six studies. In Conclusion, The level of FTO gene expression in hypothalamus is related to macronutrients levels. Future research should evaluate the long-term impact of dietary interventions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Prevalence of obesity and overweight in African learners: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Adom, Theodosia; Puoane, Thandi; De Villiers, Anniza; Kengne, André Pascal

2017-01-13

Obesity and overweight are an emerging problem in Africa. Obese children are at increased risk of developing hypertension, high cholesterol, orthopaedic problems and type 2 diabetes as well as increased risk of adult obesity. Prevention of childhood overweight and obesity therefore needs high priority. The review approach is particularly useful in establishing whether research findings are consistent and can be generalised across populations and settings. This systematic review aims to assess the magnitude and distribution of overweight and obesity among primary school learners within populations in Africa. A comprehensive search of key bibliographic databases including MEDLINE (PubMed), MEDLINE (EbscoHost), CINAHL (EbscoHost), Academic Search Complete (EbscoHost) and ISI Web of Science (Science Citation Index) will be conducted for published literature. Grey literature will be also be obtained. Full-text articles of eligible studies will be obtained and screened following predefined inclusion criteria. The quality of reporting as well as risk of bias of included studies will be assessed, data extracted and synthesised. The results will be summarised and presented by country and major regional groupings. Meta-analysis will be conducted for identical variables across studies. This review will be reported following the MOOSE Guidelines for Meta-Analysis and Systematic Reviews of Observational Studies. Ethics is not a requirement since no primary data will be collected. All data that will be presented in this review are based on published articles. The findings of this systematic review will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals and disseminated in national and international conferences and also in policy documents to appropriate bodies for decision-making, where needed. It is expected that the findings will identify some research gaps for further studies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Etiological agents causing leptospirosis in Sri Lanka: A review.

PubMed

Naotunna, Chamidri; Agampodi, Suneth Buddhika; Agampodi, Thilini Chanchala

2016-04-01

To systematically review the etiological agent causing human leptospirosis in Sri Lanka. Published articles on leptospirosis and Leptospira in Sri Lanka were all reviewed to determine serovar, strain and species level identification of Leptospira. After screening process, 74 full text articles/reports were reviewed and among of them, 12 published papers describing isolation of Leptospira from Sri Lankan patients/animals, 5 molecular epidemiology papers on newer typing methods citing Sri Lanka isolates, with a descriptions of the isolates and 6 published papers reporting PCR based species level identification were identified. Published literature showed that more than 40 strains classified under at least 20 serovars and 10 serogroups have been isolated from Sri Lanka. These isolates belong to four species, namely, Leptospira interrogans, Leptospira kirschneri, Leptospira borgpetersenii, and Leptospira santarosai. In addition, recent studies on direct patient samples without culture and isolation showed Leptospira from Leptospira weilli is also circulating in Sri Lanka. Multi locus sequence typing showed 13 genotypes of Leptospira from Sri Lankan isolates. This review shows the diversity of Leptospira in Sri Lanka, but culture isolation data has not been published in Sri Lanka during last 30 years. Copyright © 2016 Hainan Medical College. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Critical review and appraisal of published clinical literature: useful skill in biotechnology product development.

PubMed

Foote, Maryann

2008-01-01

Critical review of published literature may be necessary during several stages of biotechnology product development. The reviewer should develop a standardized method for reviewing and comparing published papers on a given topic and should be aware of common errors found in published papers.

A systematic review of filler agents for aesthetic treatment of HIV facial lipoatrophy (FLA).

PubMed

Jagdeo, Jared; Ho, Derek; Lo, Alex; Carruthers, Alastair

2015-12-01

HIV facial lipoatrophy (FLA) is characterized by facial volume loss. HIV FLA affects the facial contours of the cheeks, temples, and orbits, and is associated with social stigma. Although new highly active antiretroviral therapy medications are associated with less severe FLA, the prevalence of HIV FLA among treated individuals exceeds 50%. The goal of our systematic review is to examine published clinical studies involving the use of filler agents for aesthetic treatment of HIV FLA and to provide evidence-based recommendations based on published efficacy and safety data. A systematic review of the published literature was performed on July 1, 2015, on filler agents for aesthetic treatment of HIV FLA. Based on published studies, poly-L-lactic acid is the only filler agent with grade of recommendation: B. Other reviewed filler agents received grade of recommendation: C or D. Poly-L-lactic acid may be best for treatment over temples and cheeks, whereas calcium hydroxylapatite, with a Food and Drug Administration indication of subdermal implantation, may be best used deeply over bone for focal enhancement. Additional long-term randomized controlled trials are necessary to elucidate the advantages and disadvantages of fillers that have different biophysical properties, in conjunction with cost-effectiveness analysis, for treatment of HIV FLA. Published by Elsevier Inc.

One Size Fits All? Slow Cortical Potentials Neurofeedback: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Kerstin; Wyckoff, Sarah N.; Strehl, Ute

2013-01-01

Objective: The intent of this manuscript was to review all published studies on slow cortical potentials (SCP) neurofeedback for the treatment of ADHD, with emphasis on neurophysiological rationale, study design, protocol, outcomes, and limitations. Method: For review, PubMed, MEDLINE, ERIC, and Google Scholar searches identified six studies and…

Kawasaki disease and immunisation: A systematic review.

PubMed

Phuong, Linny Kimly; Bonetto, Caterina; Buttery, Jim; Pernus, Yolanda Brauchli; Chandler, Rebecca; Felicetti, Patrizia; Goldenthal, Karen L; Kucuku, Merita; Monaco, Giuseppe; Pahud, Barbara; Shulman, Stanford T; Top, Karina A; Trotta, Francesco; Ulloa-Gutierrez, Rolando; Varricchio, Frederick; de Ferranti, Sarah; Newburger, Jane W; Dahdah, Nagib; Singh, Surjit; Bonhoeffer, Jan; Burgner, David

2017-03-27

Kawasaki disease is a complex and potentially serious condition. It has been observed in temporal relation to immunisation. We conducted a systematic literature review using various reference sources to review the available evidence published in the literature. We identified twenty seven publications reporting a temporal association between immunisation and Kawasaki disease. We present a systematic review of data drawn from randomised controlled trials, observational studies, case series and reports, and reviews. Overall there was a lack of standardised case definitions, making data interpretation and comparability challenging. Although a temporal relationship between immunisation and Kawasaki disease is suggested, evidence for an increased risk or a causal association is lacking. Implementation of a standardised Kawasaki disease case definition would increase confidence in the findings and add value to future studies of pre- or post-licensure vaccine safety studies. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Systematic reviews of therapeutic interventions frequently consider patient-important outcomes.

PubMed

Ameur, Hayet; Ravaud, Philippe; Fayard, Florence; Riveros, Carolina; Dechartres, Agnes

2017-04-01

To determine whether recently published and ongoing systematic reviews of therapeutic interventions assess patient-important outcomes. For this methodological review, we searched MEDLINE via PubMed for recently published systematic reviews and online registry of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) for ongoing systematic reviews. We selected systematic reviews with meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. We extracted all outcomes defined in the methods section and categorized them. Mortality, other clinical events, pain, quality of life, function, and therapeutic decisions were considered patient-important outcomes. We included 420 systematic reviews: 90 Cochrane reviews, 200 other published reviews, and 130 registered ongoing reviews. Primary outcomes were defined in 85 Cochrane reviews (95%), 98 (49%) other published reviews and all ongoing reviews. At least one patient-important outcome was defined as a primary outcome in 81/85 Cochrane reviews (95%), 78/98 other published reviews (80%), and 117/130 ongoing reviews (90%). Considering all outcomes assessed, at least one patient-important outcome was evaluated in 90/90 Cochrane reviews (100%), 189/200 other published reviews (95%), and 121/130 ongoing reviews (93%). Most recent systematic reviews aim to assess patient-important outcomes, which contrasts with RCTs. These results suggest some important gaps between primary and secondary research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Does information from ClinicalTrials.gov increase transparency and reduce bias? Results from a five-report case series.

PubMed

Adam, Gaelen P; Springs, Stacey; Trikalinos, Thomas; Williams, John W; Eaton, Jennifer L; Von Isenburg, Megan; Gierisch, Jennifer M; Wilson, Lisa M; Robinson, Karen A; Viswanathan, Meera; Middleton, Jennifer Cook; Forman-Hoffman, Valerie L; Berliner, Elise; Kaplan, Robert M

2018-04-16

We investigated whether information in ClinicalTrials.gov would impact the conclusions of five ongoing systematic reviews. We considered five reviews that included 495 studies total. Each review team conducted a search of ClinicalTrials.gov up to the date of the review's last literature search, screened the records using the review's eligibility criteria, extracted information, and assessed risk of bias and applicability. Each team then evaluated the impact of the evidence found in ClinicalTrials.gov on the conclusions in the review. Across the five reviews, the number of studies that had both a registry record and a publication varied widely, from none in one review to 43% of all studies identified in another. Among the studies with both a record and publication, there was also wide variability in the match between published outcomes and those listed in ClinicalTrials.gov. Of the 173 total ClinicalTrials.gov records identified across the five projects, between 11 and 43% did not have an associated publication. In the 14% of records that contained results, the new data provided in the ClinicalTrials.gov records did not change the results or conclusions of the reviews. Finally, a large number of published studies were not registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, but many of these were published before ClinicalTrials.gov's inception date of 2000. Improved prospective registration of trials and consistent reporting of results in ClinicalTrials.gov would help make ClinicalTrials.gov records more useful in finding unpublished information and identifying potential biases. In addition, consistent indexing in databases, such as MEDLINE, would allow for better matching of records and publications, leading to increased utility of these searches for systematic review projects.

Neurological complications of sickle cell disease in Africa: protocol for a systematic review.

PubMed

Mengnjo, Michel K; Kamtchum-Tatuene, Joseph; Nicastro, Nicolas; Noubiap, Jean Jacques N

2016-10-19

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is highly prevalent in Africa. Considered as a public health problem, it is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Neurological complications of SCD can cause significant disability with important socioeconomic and psychological impact on the patients and their families, and can even lead to death if not properly managed. There are important knowledge gaps regarding the burden of neurological complications of SCD in African populations. We propose to conduct the first systematic review to summarise the epidemiological data available on neurological complications of SCD in Africa. We will search PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and the African Index Medicus from 1 January 1950 to 31 May 2016 for studies of neurological complications of SCD in Africa. After study selection, full-text paper acquisition, data extraction and synthesis, we will assess all studies for quality, risk of bias and heterogeneity. Appropriate methods of meta-analysis will be used to pool prevalence estimates from studies with similar features, globally and in major subgroups. This protocol complies with the 2015 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. The proposed study will use published data. Therefore, there is no requirement for ethical approval. This review is expected to provide relevant data to help quantify the burden of neurological complications of SCD in African populations, inform policymakers and identify further research topics. The final report of the systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at conferences. CRD42016039574. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

[The impact of the annual scientific meetings of the Israel Society of Rheumatology as measured by publication rates of the abstracts in peer-reviewed journals].

PubMed

Perez, Shira; Hashkes, Philip J; Uziel, Yosef

2004-04-01

We aimed to examine the impact and quality of the research presented in the Israel Society of Rheumatology (ISR) annual scientific meetings by measuring publication rates of the abstracts in peer-reviewed journals and investigating the factors that influenced publication. We examined the outcome of all 79 abstracts submitted to the ISR for the 1998-2000 annual meetings. A MEDLINE search of all abstracts, by authors, topics and keywords was performed. Senior authors of abstracts not found to be published in this search were interviewed regarding publication and factors influencing submission. We described the effect of variable factors on the rate of publication. As of September 2002, 63 (80%) abstracts were published in peer-reviewed journals or are currently in-press. Most abstracts were published in prominent journals (with a high impact factor). The majority of the abstracts (61%) were published in rheumatologic journals, 65% of the studies originated from tertiary centers and 19% of the studies were multicenter. The most common diseases studied were antiphospholipid syndrome (20%), systemic lupus erythematosus (19%) and inflammatory arthritis (18%). Most of the studies were of disease pathogenesis (35%) and clinical manifestations (33%). The most common study designs were basic science (34%). An overall 57% of the studies reported "positive" results and 9% reported "negative" results. None of the factors studied were associated with publication or non-publication. The main cause cited by authors for not publishing their abstract was lack of time to prepare a full paper or a desire to further expand the study. Within this group of 16 authors of abstracts, 11 authors still plan to submit a paper. The ISR annual meetings have an important clinical scientific impact as measured by the high rate of abstracts published as full length articles in leading peer-reviewed journals.

The Market for Optical Disk Products: A Review of Published Forecasts, 1980-1990.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saffady, William

1991-01-01

Examines the expectations and reality of optical disk market forecasts published between 1980 and 1990. A historical survey and review of these studies is presented, with general forecasts of all optical disk types included. It is concluded that unrealistic predictions may have contributed to a sluggish market for optical disks. (70 notes)…

Digitization of Full-Text Documents Before Publishing on the Internet: A Case Study Reviewing the Latest Optical Character Recognition Technologies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClean, Clare M.

1998-01-01

Reviews strengths and weaknesses of five optical character recognition (OCR) software packages used to digitize paper documents before publishing on the Internet. Outlines options available and stages of the conversion process. Describes the learning experience of Eurotext, a United Kingdom-based electronic libraries project (eLib). (PEN)

Endorsement of PRISMA statement and quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in nursing journals: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Tam, Wilson W S; Lo, Kenneth K H; Khalechelvam, Parames

2017-02-07

Systematic reviews (SRs) often poorly report key information, thereby diminishing their usefulness. Previous studies evaluated published SRs and determined that they failed to meet explicit criteria or characteristics. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was recommended as a reporting guideline for SR and meta-analysis (MA), but previous studies showed that adherence to the statement was not high for SRs published in different medical fields. Thus, the aims of this study are twofold: (1) to investigate the number of nursing journals that have required or recommended the use of the PRISMA statement for reporting SR, and (2) to examine the adherence of SRs and/or meta-analyses to the PRISMA statement published in nursing journals. A cross-sectional study. Nursing journals listed in the ISI journal citation report were divided into 2 groups based on the recommendation of PRISMA statement in their 'Instruction for Authors'. SRs and meta-analyses published in 2014 were searched in 3 databases. 37 SRs and meta-analyses were randomly selected in each group. The adherence of each item to the PRISMA was examined and summarised using descriptive statistics. The quality of the SRs was assessed by Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews. The differences between the 2 groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Out of 107 nursing journals, 30 (28.0%) recommended or required authors to follow the PRISMA statement when they submit SRs or meta-analyses. The median rates of adherence to the PRISMA statement for reviews published in journals with and without PRISMA endorsement were 64.9% (IQR: 17.6-92.3%) and 73.0% (IQR: 59.5-94.6%), respectively. No significant difference was observed in any of the items between the 2 groups. The median adherence of SRs and meta-analyses in nursing journals to PRISMA is low at 64.9% and 73.0%, respectively. Nonetheless, the adherence level of nursing journals to the PRISMA statement does not significantly vary whether they endorse or recommend such a guideline. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Strategies for addressing barriers to publishing pediatric quality improvement research.

PubMed

Van Cleave, Jeanne; Dougherty, Denise; Perrin, James M

2011-09-01

Advancing the science of quality improvement (QI) requires dissemination of the results of QI. However, the results of few QI interventions reach publication. To identify barriers to publishing results of pediatric QI research and provide practical strategies that QI researchers can use to enhance publishability of their work. We reviewed and summarized a workshop conducted at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2007 meeting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on conducting and publishing QI research. We also interviewed 7 experts (QI researchers, administrators, journal editors, and health services researchers who have reviewed QI manuscripts) about common reasons that QI research fails to reach publication. We also reviewed recently published pediatric QI articles to find specific examples of tactics to enhance publishability, as identified in interviews and the workshop. We found barriers at all stages of the QI process, from identifying an appropriate quality issue to address to drafting the manuscript. Strategies for overcoming these barriers included collaborating with research methodologists, creating incentives to publish, choosing a study design to include a control group, increasing sample size through research networks, and choosing appropriate process and clinical quality measures. Several well-conducted, successfully published QI studies in pediatrics offer guidance to other researchers in implementing these strategies in their own work. Specific, feasible approaches can be used to improve opportunities for publication in pediatric, QI, and general medical journals.

Health-related quality of life assessment among patients with inflammatory bowel diseases after surgery – review

PubMed Central

Formanowicz, Dorota; Gmerek, Łukasz; Krokowicz, Piotr

2016-01-01

Aim of the work was to review systematically the published literature addressing whether quality of life (QoL) and health-related QoL (HRQoL) are influenced by surgery among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Electronic databases and published articles were searched to identify relevant studies published in the years 1990–2015. Then, a multistep selection was undertaken to identify articles that met specific selection criteria, such us specific key-words (IBD, HRQoL, ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn’s disease (CD), and surgery), and the population was assessed (studies concerning patients < 18 years old were excluded). The review included 27 studies that were evaluated in the context of the influence of surgery on QoL and HRQoL. Concluding, with the increase in the incidence of IBD, monitoring of QoL is an important indicator of the health effects at each stage of the surgical treatment. PMID:28337230

Publish or Practice? An Examination of Librarians' Contributions to Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finlay, S. Craig; Ni, Chaoqun; Tsou, Andrew; Sugimoto, Cassidy R.

2013-01-01

This article examines authorship of LIS literature in the context of practitioner and non-practitioner production of published research. For this study, 4,827 peer-reviewed articles from twenty LIS journals published between 1956 and 2011 were examined to determine the percentage of articles written by practitioners. The study identified a…

Quality of gastroenterology research published in Saudi Arabian scientific journals.

PubMed

Almaghrabi, Majed M; Alamoudi, Abdullah S; Radi, Suhaib A; Merdad, Anas A; Makhdoum, Ahmad M; Batwa, Faisal A

2015-01-01

Evidence-based medicine has established itself in the field of gastroenterology. In this study we aim to assess the types of study designs of gastroenterology-related articles published in Saudi scientific journals. An online review using PubMed was carried out to review gastroenterology-related articles published in six Saudi medical journals in the time interval from 2003 to 2012. To classify the level of evidence in these articles we employed the Oxford's levels of evidence. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the levels of evidence between published articles. A total of 721 gastroenterology-related articles were reviewed, of which 591 articles met our inclusion criteria; 80.7% were level IV. The three most common types of studies we encountered were cross-sectional (33.9%), case reports (27.9%), and case series (18.8%). Forty-three percent of the published research was in the field of hepatobiliary and spleen. The total number of articles increased from 260 articles in the 1 st 5-year period (2003-2007) to 330 in the 2 nd period (2008-2012). However, no statistically significant difference in the level of evidence was noted. In Annals of Saudi Medicine Journal, articles with level II increased from 0 to 10% with a P value 0.02. In our review of gastroenterology-related published articles in Saudi scientific journals, we observed an increase in the quantity of articles with the quality and level of evidence remaining unchanged. Further research is recommended to explore different reasons affecting the volume and quality of gastroenterology-related research in Saudi scientific journals.

Open treatment of unilateral mandibular condyle fractures in adults: a systematic review.

PubMed

Rozeboom, A; Dubois, L; Bos, R; Spijker, R; de Lange, J

2017-10-01

Since the introduction of rigid internal fixation devices, more and more surgeons favour an open approach to treating condylar fractures of the mandible in adult patients. Different indications for open treatment have been published. Open treatment is associated with surgical complications because of the technique employed. The aim of this systematic review was to provide an overview of the studies published exclusively on open treatment, and to summarize the existing open treatment modalities and their clinical outcomes. A total of seventy studies were selected for detailed analysis. Most studies reported good results with regard to the outcome measures of open treatment. Surgical complications including hematoma, wound infection, weakness of the facial nerve, sialocele, salivary fistula, sensory disturbance of the great auricular nerve, unsatisfactory scarring, and fixation failure were reported in the studies. This review suggests that because of the high level of methodological variance in the relevant studies published to date, among other factors, there are currently no evidence-based conclusions or guidelines that can be formulated with regard to the most appropriate open treatment. Establishment of such standards could potentially improve treatment outcomes. Copyright © 2017 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Characteristics of systematic reviews about the impact of pharmacists].

PubMed

Tanguay, C; Guérin, A; Bussières, J-F

2014-11-01

The pharmacists' role is varied and numerous articles evaluate the outcomes of pharmaceutical interventions. The main objectives of this study were to establish the characteristics of systematic reviews about pharmacists' interventions that were published in the last five years. A literature search was performed on Pubmed for French and English articles published between 01-01-2008 and 31-05-2013. Systematic reviews that presented the role, the interventions and the impact of pharmacists were selected by two research assistants. A total of 46 systematic reviews was identified, amongst which one third (n=15/46, 33 %) were meta-analyses. A quarter of systematic reviews did not evaluate the quality of included articles (n=13/46, 28 %). Twelve themes were identified. A median [min-max] of 16 [2-298] articles was included per systematic review. The most frequent pharmaceutical activities were patient counseling (n=41 systematic reviews), patient chart review (n=29), pharmacotherapy evaluation (n=27) and recommendations (n=26). The least frequent activities were teaching others than patients (n=12) and medical rounds participation (n=7). Many elements can influence the completion of pharmacy practice research projects; however, there exists no link between the presence of systematic reviews and the importance of pharmacists in a given healthcare program. This study presents the characteristics of 46 systematic reviews about pharmacists interventions published since 2008. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of qualitative studies in influential journals of general medicine: a critical review.

PubMed

Yamazaki, Hiroshi; Slingsby, Brian Taylor; Takahashi, Miyako; Hayashi, Yoko; Sugimori, Hiroki; Nakayama, Takeo

2009-12-01

Although qualitative studies have increased since the 1990s, some reports note that relatively few influential journals published them up until 2000. This study critically reviewed the characteristics of qualitative studies published in top tier medical journals since 2000. We assessed full texts of qualitative studies published between 2000 and 2004 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, BMJ, JAMA, Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine. We found 80 qualitative studies, of which 73 (91%) were published in BMJ. Only 10 studies (13%) combined qualitative and quantitative methods. Sixty-two studies (78%) used only one method of data collection. Interviews dominated the choice of data collection. The median sample size was 36 (range: 9-383). Thirty-three studies (41%) did not specify the type of analysis used but rather described the analytic process in detail. The rest indicated the mode of data analysis, in which the most prevalent methods were the constant comparative method (23%) and the grounded theory approach (22%). Qualitative data analysis software was used by 33 studies (41%). Among influential journals of general medicine, only BMJ consistently published an average of 15 qualitative study reports between 2000 and 2004. These findings lend insight into what qualities and characteristics make a qualitative study worthy of consideration to be published in an influential journal, primarily BMJ.

Reporting of Adverse Events in Published and Unpublished Studies of Health Care Interventions: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Golder, Su; Wright, Kath

2016-01-01

Background We performed a systematic review to assess whether we can quantify the underreporting of adverse events (AEs) in the published medical literature documenting the results of clinical trials as compared with other nonpublished sources, and whether we can measure the impact this underreporting has on systematic reviews of adverse events. Methods and Findings Studies were identified from 15 databases (including MEDLINE and Embase) and by handsearching, reference checking, internet searches, and contacting experts. The last database searches were conducted in July 2016. There were 28 methodological evaluations that met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 9 studies compared the proportion of trials reporting adverse events by publication status. The median percentage of published documents with adverse events information was 46% compared to 95% in the corresponding unpublished documents. There was a similar pattern with unmatched studies, for which 43% of published studies contained adverse events information compared to 83% of unpublished studies. A total of 11 studies compared the numbers of adverse events in matched published and unpublished documents. The percentage of adverse events that would have been missed had each analysis relied only on the published versions varied between 43% and 100%, with a median of 64%. Within these 11 studies, 24 comparisons of named adverse events such as death, suicide, or respiratory adverse events were undertaken. In 18 of the 24 comparisons, the number of named adverse events was higher in unpublished than published documents. Additionally, 2 other studies demonstrated that there are substantially more types of adverse events reported in matched unpublished than published documents. There were 20 meta-analyses that reported the odds ratios (ORs) and/or risk ratios (RRs) for adverse events with and without unpublished data. Inclusion of unpublished data increased the precision of the pooled estimates (narrower 95% confidence intervals) in 15 of the 20 pooled analyses, but did not markedly change the direction or statistical significance of the risk in most cases. The main limitations of this review are that the included case examples represent only a small number amongst thousands of meta-analyses of harms and that the included studies may suffer from publication bias, whereby substantial differences between published and unpublished data are more likely to be published. Conclusions There is strong evidence that much of the information on adverse events remains unpublished and that the number and range of adverse events is higher in unpublished than in published versions of the same study. The inclusion of unpublished data can also reduce the imprecision of pooled effect estimates during meta-analysis of adverse events. PMID:27649528

Conflicts of interest and spin in reviews of psychological therapies: a systematic review.

PubMed

Lieb, Klaus; von der Osten-Sacken, Jan; Stoffers-Winterling, Jutta; Reiss, Neele; Barth, Jürgen

2016-04-26

To explore conflicts of interest (COI) and their reporting in systematic reviews of psychological therapies, and to evaluate spin in the conclusions of the reviews. MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases were searched for systematic reviews published between 2010 and 2013 that assessed effects of psychological therapies for anxiety, depressive or personality disorders, and included at least one randomised controlled trial. Required COI disclosure by journal, disclosed COI by review authors, and the inclusion of own primary studies by review authors were extracted. Researcher allegiance, that is, that researchers concluded favourably about the interventions they have studied, as well as spin, that is, differences between results and conclusions of the reviews, were rated by 2 independent raters. 936 references were retrieved, 95 reviews fulfilled eligibility criteria. 59 compared psychological therapies with other forms of psychological therapies, and 36 psychological therapies with pharmacological interventions. Financial, non-financial, and personal COI were disclosed in 22, 4 and 1 review, respectively. 2 of 86 own primary studies of review authors included in 34 reviews were disclosed by review authors. In 15 of the reviews, authors showed an allegiance effect to the evaluated psychological therapy that was never disclosed. Spin in review conclusions was found in 27 of 95 reviews. Reviews with a conclusion in favour of psychological therapies (vs pharmacological interventions) were at high risk for a spin in conclusions (OR=8.31 (1.41 to 49.05)). Spin was related in trend to the inclusion of own primary studies in the systematic review (OR=2.08 (CI 0.83 to 5.18) p=0.11) and researcher allegiance (OR=2.63 (0.84 to 8.16) p=0.16). Non-financial COI, especially the inclusion of own primary studies into reviews and researcher allegiance, are frequently seen in systematic reviews of psychological therapies and need more transparency and better management. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Publication Bias in Kienbock's Disease: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Squitieri, Lee; Petruska, Elizabeth; Chung, Kevin C

2015-01-01

Purpose Kienbock's disease is considered a “rare disease” and currently affects less than 200,000 people in the U.S. Given the inherent challenges associated with researching rare diseases, the intense effort in hand surgery to treat this uncommon disorder may be susceptible to publication bias in which positive outcomes are preferentially published. The specific aim of this project is to conduct a systematic review of the literature with the hypothesis that publication bias is present for the treatment of Kienbock's disease. Methods We conducted a systematic review of all available abstracts associated with published manuscripts (English and non-English) and abstracts accepted to the 1992-2004 American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) annual meetings. Data collection included various study characteristics, direction of outcome (positive, neutral/negative), complication rates, mean follow-up time, time to publication, and length of patient enrollment. Results Our study included 175 (124 English, 51 non-English) published Kienbock's manuscripts and 14 Kienbock's abstracts from the 1992-2004 annual ASSH meetings. Abstracts from published manuscripts were associated with a 53% positive outcome rate, which is lower than the 74% positive outcome rate found among other surgical disorders. Over the past 40 years, studies have become more positive (36% to 68%, p = 0.007) and are more likely to incorporate statistical analysis testing (0% to 55%, p <0.001). Of the 14 abstracts accepted to ASSH, 11 (79%) were published in peer-reviewed journals. Ten of the 14 accepted abstracts (71%) were considered positive, and there was no significant difference in publication rate between studies with positive (n = 10) and non-positive (n = 4) outcomes (p = 1.000). Conclusions The acceptance rate for negative outcomes studies regarding Kienbock's disease is higher than for other surgical disorders. This may indicate a relative decrease in positive outcome bias among published Kienbock's studies compared to other surgical disorders. However, the increasing positive outcome rate for published Kienbock's studies over time may suggest a trend of increasing publication bias among journals toward Kienbock's studies. PMID:20193856

Methological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on acupuncture for stroke: A review of review.

PubMed

Chen, Xin-Lin; Mo, Chuan-Wei; Lu, Li-Ya; Gao, Ri-Yang; Xu, Qian; Wu, Min-Feng; Zhou, Qian-Yi; Hu, Yue; Zhou, Xuan; Li, Xian-Tao

2017-11-01

To assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses regarding acupuncture intervention for stroke and the primary studies within them. Two researchers searched PubMed, Cumulative index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, ISI Web of Knowledge, Cochrane, Allied and Complementary Medicine, Ovid Medline, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang and Traditional Chinese Medical Database to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses about acupuncture for stroke published from the inception to December 2016. Review characteristics and the criteria for assessing the primary studies within reviews were extracted. The methodological quality of the reviews was assessed using adapted Oxman and Guyatt Scale. The methodological quality of primary studies was also assessed. Thirty-two eligible reviews were identified, 15 in English and 17 in Chinese. The English reviews were scored higher than the Chinese reviews (P=0.025), especially in criteria for avoiding bias and the scope of search. All reviews used the quality criteria to evaluate the methodological quality of primary studies, but some criteria were not comprehensive. The primary studies, in particular the Chinese reviews, had problems with randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, dropouts and withdrawals, intent-to-treat analysis and adverse events. Important methodological flaws were found in Chinese systematic reviews and primary studies. It was necessary to improve the methodological quality and reporting quality of both the systematic reviews published in China and primary studies on acupuncture for stroke.

Prevalence of Recommendations Made Within Dental Research Articles Using Uncontrolled Intervention or Observational Study Designs.

PubMed

Wilson, M K; Chestnutt, I G

2016-03-01

Evidence to inform clinical practice is reliant on research carried out using appropriate study design. The objectives of this work were to (i) identify the prevalence of articles reporting on human studies using uncontrolled intervention or observational research designs published in peer-reviewed dental journals and (ii) determine the nature of recommendations made by these articles. Six peer-reviewed dental journals were selected. Issues published in January to June 2013 were examined and the types of articles published categorized. Following pre-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria, human studies classified as using uncontrolled intervention or observational research designs were subject to detailed review by two independent investigators, to examine if they presented clinical, policy or research recommendations and if these recommendations were supported by the data presented. 52.9% (n = 156) of studies published during the time period met the inclusion criteria. Studies with uncontrolled intervention or observational research designs comprised a larger proportion of the primary research studies published in the journals with lower impact factors (73.3%; n = 107) compared to the high impact journals (38.9%; n = 49). Analysis showed that 60.9% (n = 95) of the included studies made recommendations for clinical practice/dental policy. In 28.2% (n = 44) of studies, the clinical/policy recommendations made were judged to not be fully supported by the data presented. Many studies published in the current dental literature, which are not considered to produce strong evidence, make recommendations for clinical practice or policy. There were some cases when the recommendations were not fully supported by the data presented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evidence-based Peer Review for Radiation Therapy - Updated Review of the Literature with a Focus on Tumour Subsite and Treatment Modality.

PubMed

Huo, M; Gorayski, P; Poulsen, M; Thompson, K; Pinkham, M B

2017-10-01

Technological advances in radiation therapy permit steep dose gradients from the target to spare normal tissue, but increase the risk of geographic miss. Suboptimal target delineation adversely affects clinical outcomes. Prospective peer review is a method for quality assurance of oncologists' radiotherapy plans. Published surveys suggest it is widely implemented. However, it may not be feasible to review every case before commencement of radiation therapy in all departments. The rate of plan changes following peer review of cases without a specific subsite or modality is typically around 10%. Stereotactic body radiation therapy, head and neck, gynaecological, gastrointestinal, haematological and lung cases are associated with higher rates of change of around 25%. These cases could thus be prioritised for peer review. Other factors may limit peer review efficacy including organisational culture, time constraints and the physical environment in which sessions are held. Recommendations for peer review endorsed by the American Society for Radiation Oncology were made available in 2013, but a number of relevant studies have been published since. Here we review and update the literature, and provide an updated suggestion for the implementation of peer review to serve as an adjunct to published guidelines. This may help practitioners evaluate their current processes and maximise the utility and effectiveness of peer review sessions. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Search wide, dig deep: literature searching for qualitative research. An analysis of the publication formats and information sources used for four systematic reviews in public health.

PubMed

Stansfield, Claire; Brunton, Ginny; Rees, Rebecca

2014-06-01

When literature searching for systematic reviews, it is good practice to search widely across different information sources. Little is known about the contributions of different publication formats (e.g. journal article and book chapter) and sources, especially for studies of people's views. Studies from four reviews spanning three public health areas (active transport, motherhood and obesity) were analysed in terms of publication formats and the information sources they were identified from. They comprised of 229 studies exploring people's perceptions, beliefs and experiences ('views studies') and were largely qualitative. Although most (61%) research studies were published within journals, nearly a third (29%) were published as research reports and 5% were published in books. The remainder consisted of theses, conference papers and raw datasets. Two-thirds of studies (66%) were located in a total of 19 bibliographic databases, and 15 databases provided studies that were not identified elsewhere. PubMed was a good source for all reviews. Supplementary information sources were important for identifying studies in all publication formats. Undertaking sensitive searches across a range of information sources is essential for locating views studies in all publication formats. We discuss some benefits and challenges of utilising different information sources. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Interventions for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases: a protocol for a systematic review of economic evaluations in low-income and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Aminde, Leopold Ndemnge; Veerman, Lennert

2016-12-21

Low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) are experiencing a growing disease burden due to cardiovascular and other chronic non-communicable diseases. Interventions for the control of these diseases are paramount; however, these countries are faced with competing health and financial needs. There is an urgent need for quality evidence on cost-effective strategies to address these chronic diseases. We aim to synthesise the current literature on economic evaluations of interventions for primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention in LMICs. A systematic review of studies (published and unpublished) in LMICs up to 30 October 2016 will be conducted. The following databases will be searched: PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Web of Science, EconLit, NHS Economic Evaluations Database (NHS EED). Data sources specific to African literature, such as the WHO AFROLIB, Africa Index Medicus and African Journals online (AJOL) as well as grey literature, will also be searched. 2 reviewers shall independently screen potential articles for inclusion and disagreements shall be resolved by consensus. Quality appraisal of studies shall be done using Drummond's checklist for economic evaluation of studies. A descriptive synthesis of the evidence obtained is planned. The primary outcomes will be costs per life years gained or unit of clinical outcome, cost per quality-adjusted life years or disability-adjusted life years. This systematic review protocol has been prepared according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses for Protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Ethics approval is not required considering that this is a protocol for a systematic review of published studies. Results from this review will be disseminated via conference presentations and peer-reviewed journal publications. CRD42016043510. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Quality of natural product clinical trials: a comparison of those published in alternative medicine versus conventional medicine journals.

PubMed

Cochrane, Zara Risoldi; Gregory, Philip; Wilson, Amy

2011-06-01

To compare the quality of natural product clinical trials published in alternative medicine journals versus those published in conventional medicine journals. Systematic search and review of the literature. Randomized controlled trials of natural products were included if they were published in English between 2003 and 2008. Articles were categorized by their journal of publication (alternative medicine versus conventional medicine). Two independent reviewers evaluated study quality using guidelines from the Cochrane Collaboration. The results with respect to the primary outcome (positive or negative) were also assessed. Thirty articles were evaluated, 15 published in alternative medicine journals and 15 in conventional medicine journals. Of articles published in alternative medicine journals, 33.33% (n = 5) were considered low quality, and none were considered high quality. Of articles published in conventional medicine journals, 26.67% (n = 4) were considered low quality and 6.67% (n = 1) were considered high quality. Two thirds of all trials reviewed were of unclear quality, due to inadequate reporting of information relating to the study's methodology. Similar proportions of positive and negative primary outcomes were found in alternative and conventional medicine journals, and low-quality articles were not more likely to report a positive primary outcome (Fisher's exact test, two-tailed p = .287). The quality of natural product randomized controlled trials was similar among alternative and conventional medicine journals. Efforts should be made to improve the reporting of natural product clinical trials for accurate determinations of study quality to be possible.

A Systematic Summary of Systematic Reviews on the Topic of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament

PubMed Central

Anderson, Michael J.; Browning, William M.; Urband, Christopher E.; Kluczynski, Melissa A.; Bisson, Leslie J.

2016-01-01

Background: There has been a substantial increase in the amount of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Purpose: To quantify the number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published on the ACL in the past decade and to provide an overall summary of this literature. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic review of all ACL-related systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between January 2004 and September 2014 was performed using PubMed, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Database. Narrative reviews and non-English articles were excluded. Results: A total of 1031 articles were found, of which 240 met the inclusion criteria. Included articles were summarized and divided into 17 topics: anatomy, epidemiology, prevention, associated injuries, diagnosis, operative versus nonoperative management, graft choice, surgical technique, fixation methods, computer-assisted surgery, platelet-rich plasma, rehabilitation, return to play, outcomes assessment, arthritis, complications, and miscellaneous. Conclusion: A summary of systematic reviews on the ACL can supply the surgeon with a single source for the most up-to-date synthesis of the literature. PMID:27047983

Listening Comprehension Strategies: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berne, Jane E.

2004-01-01

Numerous studies related to listening comprehension strategies have been published in the past two decades. The present study seeks to build upon two previous reviews of listening comprehension strategies research. Of particular interest in this review are studies dealing with the types of cues used by listeners, the sequence of listening,…

Pre-Hospital Emergency in Iran: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Ghardashi, Fatemeh; Izadi, Ahmad Reza; Ravangard, Ramin; Mirhashemi, Sedigheh; Hosseini, Seyed Mojtaba

2016-05-01

Pre-hospital care plays a vital role in saving trauma patients. This study aims to review studies conducted on the pre-hospital emergency status in Iran. Data were sourced from Iranian electronic databases, including SID, IranMedex, IranDoc, Magiran, and non-Iranian electronic databases, such as Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Google Scholar. In addition, available data and statistics for the country were used. All Persian-language articles published in Iranian scientific journals and related English-language articles published in Iranian and non-Iranian journals indexed on valid sites for September 2005 - 2014 were systematically reviewed. To review the selected articles, a data extraction form developed by the researchers as per the study's objective was adopted. The articles were examined under two categories: structure and function of pre-hospital emergency. A total of 19 articles were selected, including six descriptive studies (42%), four descriptive-analytical studies (21%), five review articles (16%), two qualitative studies (10.5%), and two interventional (experimental) studies (10.5%). In addition, of these, 14 articles (73.5%) had been published in the English language. The focus of these selected articles were experts (31.5%), bases of emergency medical services (26%), injured (16%), data reviews (16%), and employees (10.5%). A majority of the studies (68%) investigated pre-hospital emergency functions and 32% reviewed the pre-hospital emergency structure. The number of studies conducted on pre-hospital emergency services in Iran is limited. To promote public health, consideration of prevention areas, processes to provide pre-hospital emergency services, policymaking, foresight, systemic view, comprehensive research programs and roadmaps, and assessments of research needs in pre-hospital emergency seem necessary.

Using quality assessment tools to critically appraise ageing research: a guide for clinicians.

PubMed

Harrison, Jennifer Kirsty; Reid, James; Quinn, Terry J; Shenkin, Susan Deborah

2017-05-01

Evidence based medicine tells us that we should not accept published research at face value. Even research from established teams published in the highest impact journals can have methodological flaws, biases and limited generalisability. The critical appraisal of research studies can seem daunting, but tools are available to make the process easier for the non-specialist. Understanding the language and process of quality assessment is essential when considering or conducting research, and is also valuable for all clinicians who use published research to inform their clinical practice.We present a review written specifically for the practising geriatrician. This considers how quality is defined in relation to the methodological conduct and reporting of research. Having established why quality assessment is important, we present and critique tools which are available to standardise quality assessment. We consider five study designs: RCTs, non-randomised studies, observational studies, systematic reviews and diagnostic test accuracy studies. Quality assessment for each of these study designs is illustrated with an example of published cognitive research. The practical applications of the tools are highlighted, with guidance on their strengths and limitations. We signpost educational resources and offer specific advice for use of these tools.We hope that all geriatricians become comfortable with critical appraisal of published research and that use of the tools described in this review - along with awareness of their strengths and limitations - become a part of teaching, journal clubs and practice. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.

In Search of Signature Pedagogy for PDS Teacher Education: A Review of Articles Published in "School-University Partnerships"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yendol-Hoppey, Diane; Franco, Yvonne

2014-01-01

''In Search of Signature Pedagogy for PDS Teacher Education'' is a review of articles published in "School-University Partnerships" which emerged in response to Shulman's critique that we do not possess powerful, consistent models of practice that we can define and have deeply studied. To these ends, we searched for Signature Pedagogy…

Reflective Practice in Healthcare Education: An Umbrella Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fragkos, Konstantinos C.

2016-01-01

Reflection in healthcare education is an emerging topic with many recently published studies and reviews. This current systematic review of reviews (umbrella review) of this field explores the following aspects: which definitions and models are currently in use; how reflection impacts design, evaluation, and assessment; and what future challenges…

Barriers to primary care clinician adherence to clinical guidelines for the management of low back pain: protocol of a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.

PubMed

Slade, Susan C; Kent, Peter; Bucknall, Tracey; Molloy, Elizabeth; Patel, Shilpa; Buchbinder, Rachelle

2015-04-21

Low back pain is the highest ranked condition contributing to years lived with disability, and is a significant economic and societal burden. Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines are designed to improve quality of care and reduce practice variation by providing graded recommendations based on the best available evidence. Studies of low back pain guideline implementation have shown no or modest effects at changing clinical practice. To identify enablers and barriers to adherence to clinical practice guidelines for the management of low back pain. A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies that will be conducted and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement guidelines. Eight databases will be searched using a priori inclusion/exclusion criteria. Two independent reviewers will conduct a structured review and meta-synthesis, and a third reviewer will arbitrate where there is disagreement. This protocol has been registered on PROSPERO 2014. Ethical approval is not required. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The review will also be disseminated electronically, in print and at conferences. Updates of the review will be conducted to inform and guide healthcare translation into practice. PROSPERO 2014:CRD42014012961. Available from http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42014012961. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Do guidelines offer implementation advice to target users? A systematic review of guideline applicability.

PubMed

Gagliardi, Anna R; Brouwers, Melissa C

2015-02-18

Providers and patients are most likely to use and benefit from guidelines accompanied by implementation support. Guidelines published in 2007 and earlier assessed with the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation (AGREE) instrument scored poorly for applicability, which reflects the inclusion of implementation instructions or tools. The purpose of this study was to examine the applicability of guidelines published in 2008 or later and identify factors associated with applicability. Systematic review of studies that used AGREE to assess guidelines published in 2008 or later. MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched from 2008 to July 2014, and the reference lists of eligible items. Two individuals independently screened results for English language studies that reviewed guidelines using AGREE and reported all domain scores, and extracted data. Descriptive statistics were calculated across all domains. Multilevel regression analysis with a mixed effects model identified factors associated with applicability. Of 245 search results, 53 were retrieved as potentially relevant and 20 studies were eligible for review. The mean and median domain scores for applicability across 137 guidelines published in 2008 or later were 43.6% and 42.0% (IQR 21.8-63.0%), respectively. Applicability scored lower than all other domains, and did not markedly improve compared with guidelines published in 2007 or earlier. Country (UK) and type of developer (disease-specific foundation, non-profit healthcare system) appeared to be associated with applicability when assessed with AGREE II (not original AGREE). Despite increasing recognition of the need for implementation tools, guidelines continue to lack such resources. To improve healthcare delivery and associated outcomes, further research is needed to establish the type of implementation tools needed and desired by healthcare providers and consumers, and methods for developing high-quality tools. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Study of Predatory Open Access Nursing Journals.

PubMed

Oermann, Marilyn H; Conklin, Jamie L; Nicoll, Leslie H; Chinn, Peggy L; Ashton, Kathleen S; Edie, Alison H; Amarasekara, Sathya; Budinger, Susan C

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study was to identify predatory journals in nursing, describe their characteristics and editorial standards, and document experiences of authors, peer reviewers, and editors affiliated with these journals. Using two sources that list predatory journals, the research team created a list of nursing journals. In Phase One, the team collected data on characteristics of predatory nursing journals such as types of articles published, article processing charge, and peer review process. In Phase Two, the team surveyed a sample of authors, reviewers, and editors to learn more about their experiences with their affiliated journals. Data from the review of predatory nursing journals were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Written comments were summarized and categorized. There were 140 predatory nursing journals from 75 publishers. Most journals were new, having been inaugurated in the past 1 to 2 years. One important finding was that many journals only published one or two volumes and then either ceased publishing or published fewer issues and articles after the first volume. Journal content varied widely, and some journals published content from dentistry and medicine, as well as nursing. Qualitative findings from the surveys confirmed previously published anecdotal evidence, including authors selecting journals based on spam emails and inability to halt publication of a manuscript, despite authors' requests to do so. Predatory journals exist in nursing and bring with them many of the "red flags" that have been noted in the literature, including lack of transparency about editorial processes and misleading information promoted on websites. The number of journals is high enough to warrant concern in the discipline about erosion of our scholarly literature. Nurses rely on the published literature to provide evidence for high-quality, safe care that promotes optimal patient outcomes. Research published in journals that do not adhere to the highest standards of publishing excellence have the potential to compromise nursing scholarship and is an area of concern. © 2016 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Systematic review finds that study data not published in full text articles have unclear impact on meta-analyses results in medical research.

PubMed

Schmucker, Christine M; Blümle, Anette; Schell, Lisa K; Schwarzer, Guido; Oeller, Patrick; Cabrera, Laura; von Elm, Erik; Briel, Matthias; Meerpohl, Joerg J

2017-01-01

A meta-analysis as part of a systematic review aims to provide a thorough, comprehensive and unbiased statistical summary of data from the literature. However, relevant study results could be missing from a meta-analysis because of selective publication and inadequate dissemination. If missing outcome data differ systematically from published ones, a meta-analysis will be biased with an inaccurate assessment of the intervention effect. As part of the EU-funded OPEN project (www.open-project.eu) we conducted a systematic review that assessed whether the inclusion of data that were not published at all and/or published only in the grey literature influences pooled effect estimates in meta-analyses and leads to different interpretation. Systematic review of published literature (methodological research projects). Four bibliographic databases were searched up to February 2016 without restriction of publication year or language. Methodological research projects were considered eligible for inclusion if they reviewed a cohort of meta-analyses which (i) compared pooled effect estimates of meta-analyses of health care interventions according to publication status of data or (ii) examined whether the inclusion of unpublished or grey literature data impacts the result of a meta-analysis. Seven methodological research projects including 187 meta-analyses comparing pooled treatment effect estimates according to different publication status were identified. Two research projects showed that published data showed larger pooled treatment effects in favour of the intervention than unpublished or grey literature data (Ratio of ORs 1.15, 95% CI 1.04-1.28 and 1.34, 95% CI 1.09-1.66). In the remaining research projects pooled effect estimates and/or overall findings were not significantly changed by the inclusion of unpublished and/or grey literature data. The precision of the pooled estimate was increased with narrower 95% confidence interval. Although we may anticipate that systematic reviews and meta-analyses not including unpublished or grey literature study results are likely to overestimate the treatment effects, current empirical research shows that this is only the case in a minority of reviews. Therefore, currently, a meta-analyst should particularly consider time, effort and costs when adding such data to their analysis. Future research is needed to identify which reviews may benefit most from including unpublished or grey data.

Systematic review finds that study data not published in full text articles have unclear impact on meta-analyses results in medical research

PubMed Central

Blümle, Anette; Schell, Lisa K.; Schwarzer, Guido; Oeller, Patrick; Cabrera, Laura; von Elm, Erik; Briel, Matthias; Meerpohl, Joerg J.

2017-01-01

Background A meta-analysis as part of a systematic review aims to provide a thorough, comprehensive and unbiased statistical summary of data from the literature. However, relevant study results could be missing from a meta-analysis because of selective publication and inadequate dissemination. If missing outcome data differ systematically from published ones, a meta-analysis will be biased with an inaccurate assessment of the intervention effect. As part of the EU-funded OPEN project (www.open-project.eu) we conducted a systematic review that assessed whether the inclusion of data that were not published at all and/or published only in the grey literature influences pooled effect estimates in meta-analyses and leads to different interpretation. Methods and findings Systematic review of published literature (methodological research projects). Four bibliographic databases were searched up to February 2016 without restriction of publication year or language. Methodological research projects were considered eligible for inclusion if they reviewed a cohort of meta-analyses which (i) compared pooled effect estimates of meta-analyses of health care interventions according to publication status of data or (ii) examined whether the inclusion of unpublished or grey literature data impacts the result of a meta-analysis. Seven methodological research projects including 187 meta-analyses comparing pooled treatment effect estimates according to different publication status were identified. Two research projects showed that published data showed larger pooled treatment effects in favour of the intervention than unpublished or grey literature data (Ratio of ORs 1.15, 95% CI 1.04–1.28 and 1.34, 95% CI 1.09–1.66). In the remaining research projects pooled effect estimates and/or overall findings were not significantly changed by the inclusion of unpublished and/or grey literature data. The precision of the pooled estimate was increased with narrower 95% confidence interval. Conclusions Although we may anticipate that systematic reviews and meta-analyses not including unpublished or grey literature study results are likely to overestimate the treatment effects, current empirical research shows that this is only the case in a minority of reviews. Therefore, currently, a meta-analyst should particularly consider time, effort and costs when adding such data to their analysis. Future research is needed to identify which reviews may benefit most from including unpublished or grey data. PMID:28441452

Measures of Retail Food Store Environments and Sales: Review and Implications for Healthy Eating Initiatives.

PubMed

Glanz, Karen; Johnson, Lauren; Yaroch, Amy L; Phillips, Matthew; Ayala, Guadalupe X; Davis, Erica L

2016-04-01

This review describes available measures of retail food store environments, including data collection methods, characteristics of measures, the dimensions most commonly captured across methods, and their strengths and limitations. Articles were included if they were published between 1990 and 2015 in an English-language peer-reviewed journal and presented original research findings on the development and/or use of a measure or method to assess retail food store environments. Four sources were used, including literature databases, backward searching of identified articles, published reviews, and measurement registries. From 3,013 citations identified, 125 observational studies and 5 studies that used sales records were reviewed in-depth. Most studies were cross-sectional and based in the US. The most common tools used were the US Department of Agriculture's Thrifty Food Plan and the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Stores. The most common attribute captured was availability of healthful options, followed by price. Measurement quality indicators were minimal and focused mainly on assessments of reliability. Two widely used tools to measure retail food store environments are available and can be refined and adapted. Standardization of measurement across studies and reports of measurement quality (eg, reliability, validity) may better inform practice and policy changes. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: AUA Guideline Amendment 2015.

PubMed

Lowrance, William T; Roth, Bruce J; Kirkby, Erin; Murad, Mohammad Hassan; Cookson, Michael S

2016-05-01

The purpose of this amendment is to incorporate relevant newly-published literature to better provide a rational basis for the management of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer. The original systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature yielded 303 studies published from 1996 through 2013. This review informed the majority of the guideline statements. Clinical Principles and Expert Opinions were used for guideline statements lacking sufficient evidence. In April 2014, the CRPC guideline underwent amendment based on an additional literature search, which retrieved additional studies published between February 2013 and February 2014. Thirty-seven studies from this search provided data relevant to the specific treatment modalities for CRPC. In March 2015, the CRPC guideline underwent a second amendment, which incorporated 10 additional studies into the evidence base published through February 2015. Guideline statements based on six index patients developed to represent the most common scenarios encountered in clinical practice were amended appropriately. The additional literature provided the basis for an update of current supporting text as well as the incorporation of new guideline statements for multiple index patients. Given the rapidly evolving nature of this field, this guideline should be used in conjunction with recent systematic literature reviews and an understanding of the individual patient's treatment goals. Patients' preferences and personal goals should be considered when choosing management strategies. This guideline will be continually updated as new literature emerges in the field. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Patient rights in Iran: a review article.

PubMed

Joolaee, Soodabeh; Hajibabaee, Fatemeh

2012-01-01

A significant development for conducting research on patient rights has been made in Iran over the past decade. This study is conducted in order to review and analyze the previous studies that have been made, so far, concerning patient rights in Iran. This is a comprehensive review study conducted by searching the Iranian databases, Scientific Information Database, Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology, Iran Medex and Google using the Persian equivalent of keywords for 'awareness', 'attitude', and 'patient rights'. For pertinent Iranian papers published in English, scientific databases PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched using the keyword 'patient rights' and 'Iran'. A total of 41 Persian and five English articles were found for these keywords, only 26 of which fulfilled the objective of our study. The increasing number of papers published indicates that from 1999 onwards, this subject has begun to draw the attention of Iranian researchers in a progressive fashion and Iranian papers in English have also been compiled and published in international sources.

T4 Syndrome: A Scoping Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Karas, Steve; Pannone, Albert

2017-02-01

The purpose of this scoping review was to identify any available evidence regarding T4 syndrome. Databases were searched from inception through October 2015 and included PubMed, CINAHL, PEDro, Google Scholar, Osteomed-DR; Index to Chiropractic Literature, PROSPERO, and Chiroaccess. All studies with information about T4 syndrome that were published in a peer-reviewed journal or textbook were included. The information was organized in the format of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Studies were ranked using Sackett's levels of evidence. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria. Studied areas included theoretical pathophysiology and symptom etiology, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and outcomes of T4 syndrome. The methodological quality of included studies was low. T4 syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion that appears to be rare. It has been treated conservatively in the literature using mobilization and exercise. There is no high-quality evidence published about T4 syndrome, and we caution clinicians when considering it as a primary means to determine patient care. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years.

PubMed

Dos Santos, Rafael G; Osório, Flávia L; Crippa, José Alexandre S; Riba, Jordi; Zuardi, Antônio W; Hallak, Jaime E C

2016-06-01

To date, pharmacological treatments for mood and anxiety disorders and for drug dependence show limited efficacy, leaving a large number of patients suffering severe and persistent symptoms. Preliminary studies in animals and humans suggest that ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) may have antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive properties. Thus, we conducted a systematic review of clinical trials published from 1990 until 2015, assessing these therapeutic properties. Electronic searches were performed using the PubMed, LILACS, and SciELO databases. Only clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals were included. Of these, 151 studies were identified, of which six met the established criteria. Reviewed studies suggest beneficial effects for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety and depression associated with life-threatening diseases, and tobacco and alcohol dependence. All drugs were well tolerated. In conclusion, ayahuasca, psilocybin and LSD may be useful pharmacological tools for the treatment of drug dependence, and anxiety and mood disorders, especially in treatment-resistant patients. These drugs may also be useful pharmacological tools to understand psychiatric disorders and to develop new therapeutic agents. However, all studies reviewed had small sample sizes, and half of them were open-label, proof-of-concept studies. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies with more patients are needed to replicate these preliminary findings.

Treatment effects for dysphagia in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review.

PubMed

van Hooren, M R A; Baijens, L W J; Voskuilen, S; Oosterloo, M; Kremer, B

2014-08-01

Dysphagia remains a common problem in Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous systematic reviews on therapy effects for oropharyngeal dysphagia in PD have shown a lack of evidence. In the past 5 years several placebo or sham-controlled trials with varying results have been published. The aim of this systematic literature review is to summarize and qualitatively analyze the published studies on this matter. Studies published up to December 2013 were found via a systematic comprehensive electronic database search using PubMed, Embase, and The Cochrane Library. Two reviewers independently assessed the studies using strict inclusion criteria. Twelve studies were included and qualitatively analyzed using critical appraisal items. The review includes rehabilitative (exercises, electrical stimulation, bolus modification etc.) and pharmacologic treatment. Some well-designed controlled trials were included. However, none of the included studies fulfilled all criteria for external and internal validity. A meta-analysis was not carried out as most of the studies were not of sufficient quality to warrant doing so. Expiratory Muscle Strength Training (EMST) and Video-Assisted Swallowing Therapy (VAST) may be effective dysphagia treatments solely or in addition to dopaminergic therapy for PD. However, these preliminary results warrant further investigation concerning their clinical applicability, and further research should be based on randomized sham-controlled trials to determine the effectiveness and long-term effects of different therapies for dysphagia in PD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years

PubMed Central

dos Santos, Rafael G.; Osório, Flávia L.; Crippa, José Alexandre S.; Riba, Jordi; Zuardi, Antônio W.; Hallak, Jaime E. C.

2016-01-01

To date, pharmacological treatments for mood and anxiety disorders and for drug dependence show limited efficacy, leaving a large number of patients suffering severe and persistent symptoms. Preliminary studies in animals and humans suggest that ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) may have antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive properties. Thus, we conducted a systematic review of clinical trials published from 1990 until 2015, assessing these therapeutic properties. Electronic searches were performed using the PubMed, LILACS, and SciELO databases. Only clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals were included. Of these, 151 studies were identified, of which six met the established criteria. Reviewed studies suggest beneficial effects for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety and depression associated with life-threatening diseases, and tobacco and alcohol dependence. All drugs were well tolerated. In conclusion, ayahuasca, psilocybin and LSD may be useful pharmacological tools for the treatment of drug dependence, and anxiety and mood disorders, especially in treatment-resistant patients. These drugs may also be useful pharmacological tools to understand psychiatric disorders and to develop new therapeutic agents. However, all studies reviewed had small sample sizes, and half of them were open-label, proof-of-concept studies. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies with more patients are needed to replicate these preliminary findings. PMID:27354908

Peer-review: An IOP Publishing Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Timothy

2015-03-01

Online publishing is challenging, and potentially changing, the role of publishers in both managing the peer-review process and disseminating the work that they publish in meeting contrasting needs from diverse groups of research communities. Recognizing the value of peer-review as a fundamental service to authors and the research community, the underlying principles of managing the process for journals published by IOP Publishing remain unchanged and yet the potential and demand for alternative models exists. This talk will discuss the traditional approach to peer-review placed in the context of this changing demand.

Systematic reviews addressing microsurgical head and neck reconstruction.

PubMed

Momeni, Arash; Jacobson, Joshua Y; Lee, Gordon K

2015-01-01

Systematic reviews frequently form the basis for clinical decision making and guideline development. Yet, the quality of systematic reviews has been variable, thus raising concerns about the validity of their conclusions. In the current study, a quality analysis of systematic reviews was performed, addressing microsurgical head and neck reconstruction. A PubMed search was performed to identify all systematic reviews published up to and including December 2012 in 12 surgical journals. Two authors independently reviewed the literature and extracted data from the included reviews. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Quality assessment was performed using AMSTAR. The initial search retrieved 1020 articles. After screening titles and abstracts, 987 articles were excluded. Full-text review of the remaining 33 articles resulted in further exclusion of 18 articles, leaving 15 systematic reviews for final analysis. A marked increase in the number of published systematic reviews over time was noted (P = 0.07). The median AMSTAR score was 5, thus reflecting a "fair" quality. No evidence for improvement in methodological quality over time was noted. The trend to publish more systematic reviews in microsurgical head and neck reconstruction is encouraging. However, efforts are indicated to improve the methodological quality of systematic reviews. Familiarity with criteria of methodological quality is critical to ensure future improvements in the quality of systematic reviews conducted in microsurgery.

The internet as psychological laboratory.

PubMed

Skitka, Linda J; Sargis, Edward G

2006-01-01

This chapter reviews studies published in American Psychological Association (APA) journals from 2003-2004 and additional studies (received in response to listserv requests) that used the Internet to collect data (N=121 total studies). Specific examples of three kinds of Web-based research are reviewed: (a) translational (established methods and research questions are adapted to the Web), (b) phenomenological (behavior on the Web is the focus of study), and (c) novel (methodologically innovations unique to Web-based research). Among other findings, our review indicated that 21% of APA journals published at least one article that reported on Web-based research, most Web-based psychological research uses experimental methods, a surprising number use college student samples, and deception in Web-based research is not uncommon. Strengths and weaknesses of Web-based psychological research in general, and our sample of studies in particular, are reviewed with special attention to possible concerns about sampling and the use of deception.

Increasing prevalence of diabetes in Bangladesh: a scoping review.

PubMed

Biswas, T; Islam, A; Rawal, L B; Islam, S M S

2016-09-01

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing rapidly in Bangladesh. However, studies documenting the increasing trend of diabetes prevalence are scarce. The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review of published literature to ascertain the changing patterns of diabetes prevalence in Bangladesh. We conducted a scoping review based on York scoping reviews framework and performed a comprehensive search of published literature through Medline, BanglaJOL, and Google Scholar published between 1994 and 2013. We summarised and calculated the time trends and pooled prevalence for type 2 diabetes among adults (≥18 years) in both urban and rural areas in Bangladesh. Of 152 studies identified, we included 22 studies for the scoping review which met the inclusion criteria. Overall, 11 studies (50%) were conducted in rural areas, eight in urban (36%) and three (14%) in semi-urban, semi-rural and tribal areas. The overall prevalence of type 2 diabetes ranged between 4.5% and 35.0%. The final estimate of diabetes prevalence obtained after pooling of data from individual studies among 51,252 participants was 7.4% (95% CI 7.2-7.7%). The prevalence of diabetes was higher in males compared to females in urban areas and vice-versa in rural areas. Analyses of exponential trend revealed an increasing trend of diabetes prevalence among urban and rural population at a rate of 0.05% (R = 0.18) and 0.06% (R = 0.35) per year, respectively. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes showed an increasing trend in both urban and rural population in Bangladesh. Our findings suggest the need for an all-out effort by the government and stakeholders to implement preventive strategies for diabetes in Bangladesh. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Osteoarthritis year in review 2016: imaging.

PubMed

Boesen, M; Ellegaard, K; Henriksen, M; Gudbergsen, H; Hansen, P; Bliddal, H; Bartels, E M; Riis, R G

2017-02-01

The current narrative review covers original research related to imaging in osteoarthritis (OA) in humans published in English between April 1st 2015 and March 31st 2016, in peer reviewed journals available in Medline via PubMed (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/). Relevant studies in humans, subjectively decided by the authors, contributing significantly to the OA imaging field, were selected from an extensive Medline search using the terms "Osteoarthritis" in combination with "MRI", "Imaging", "Radiography", "X-rays", "Ultrasound", "Computed tomography", "Nuclear medicine", "PET-CT", "PET-MRI", "Scintigraphy", "SPECT". Publications were sorted according to relevance for the OA imaging research community with an emphasis on high impact special interest journals using the software for systematic reviews www.covidence.org. An overview of newly published studies compared to studies reported previous years is presented, followed by a review of selected imaging studies of primarily knee, hip and hand OA focussing on (1) results for detection of OA and OA-related pathology (2) studies dealing with treatments and (3) studies focussing on prognosis of disease progression or joint replacement. A record high number of 1420 articles were published, among others, of new technologies and tools for improved morphological and pathophysiological understanding of OA-related changes in joints. Also, imaging data were presented of monitoring treatment effect and prognosis of OA progression, primarily using established radiographic, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound (US) methods. Imaging continues to play an important role in OA research, where several exciting new technologies and computer aided analysis methods are emerging to complement the conventional imaging approaches. Copyright © 2016 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Community-based interventions to prevent fatal overdose from illegal drugs: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Okolie, Chukwudi; Evans, Bridie Angela; John, Ann; Moore, Chris; Russell, Daphne; Snooks, Helen

2015-11-03

Drug overdose is the most frequent cause of death among people who misuse illegal drugs. People who inject these drugs are 14-17 times more likely to die than their non-drug using peers. Various strategies to reduce drug-related deaths have failed to meet target reductions. Research into community-based interventions for preventing drug overdose deaths is promising. This review seeks to identify published studies describing community-based interventions and to evaluate their effectiveness at reducing drug overdose deaths. We will systematically search key electronic databases using a search strategy which groups terms into four facets: (1) Overdose event, (2) Drug classification, (3) Intervention and (4) Setting. Searches will be limited where possible to international literature published in English between 1998 and 2014. Data will be extracted by two independent reviewers using a predefined table adapted from the Cochrane Collaboration handbook. The quality of included studies will be evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias. We will conduct a meta-analysis for variables which can be compared across studies, using statistical methods to control for heterogeneity where appropriate. Where clinical or statistical heterogeneity prevents a valid numerical synthesis, we will employ a narrative synthesis to describe community-based interventions, their delivery and use and how effectively they prevent fatal overdoses. We will publish findings from this systematic review in a peer-reviewed scientific journal and present results at national and international conferences. It will be disseminated electronically and in print. PROSPERO CRD42015017833. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Methodology used in comparative studies assessing programmes of transition from paediatrics to adult care programmes: a systematic review.

PubMed

Le Roux, E; Mellerio, H; Guilmin-Crépon, S; Gottot, S; Jacquin, P; Boulkedid, R; Alberti, C

2017-01-27

To explore the methodologies employed in studies assessing transition of care interventions, with the aim of defining goals for the improvement of future studies. Systematic review of comparative studies assessing transition to adult care interventions for young people with chronic conditions. MEDLINE, EMBASE, ClinicalTrial.gov. 2 reviewers screened comparative studies with experimental and quasi-experimental designs, published or registered before July 2015. Eligible studies evaluate transition interventions at least in part after transfer to adult care of young people with chronic conditions with at least one outcome assessed quantitatively. 39 studies were reviewed, 26/39 (67%) published their final results and 13/39 (33%) were in progress. In 9 studies (9/39, 23%) comparisons were made between preintervention and postintervention in a single group. Randomised control groups were used in 9/39 (23%) studies. 2 (2/39, 5%) reported blinding strategies. Use of validated questionnaires was reported in 28% (11/39) of studies. In terms of reporting in published studies 15/26 (58%) did not report age at transfer, and 6/26 (23%) did not report the time of collection of each outcome. Few evaluative studies exist and their level of methodological quality is variable. The complexity of interventions, multiplicity of outcomes, difficulty of blinding and the small groups of patients have consequences on concluding on the effectiveness of interventions. The evaluation of the transition interventions requires an appropriate and common methodology which will provide access to a better level of evidence. We identified areas for improvement in terms of randomisation, recruitment and external validity, blinding, measurement validity, standardised assessment and reporting. Improvements will increase our capacity to determine effective interventions for transition care. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The Validity of Peer Review in a General Medicine Journal

PubMed Central

Jackson, Jeffrey L.; Srinivasan, Malathi; Rea, Joanna; Fletcher, Kathlyn E.; Kravitz, Richard L.

2011-01-01

All the opinions in this article are those of the authors and should not be construed to reflect, in any way, those of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Background Our study purpose was to assess the predictive validity of reviewer quality ratings and editorial decisions in a general medicine journal. Methods Submissions to the Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM) between July 2004 and June 2005 were included. We abstracted JGIM peer review quality ratings, verified the publication status of all articles and calculated an impact factor for published articles (Rw) by dividing the 3-year citation rate by the average for this group of papers; an Rw>1 indicates a greater than average impact. Results Of 507 submissions, 128 (25%) were published in JGIM, 331 rejected (128 with review) and 48 were either not resubmitted after revision was requested or were withdrawn by the author. Of 331 rejections, 243 were published elsewhere. Articles published in JGIM had a higher citation rate than those published elsewhere (Rw: 1.6 vs. 1.1, p = 0.002). Reviewer quality ratings of article quality had good internal consistency and reviewer recommendations markedly influenced publication decisions. There was no quality rating cutpoint that accurately distinguished high from low impact articles. There was a stepwise increase in Rw for articles rejected without review, rejected after review or accepted by JGIM (Rw 0.60 vs. 0.87 vs. 1.56, p<0.0005). However, there was low agreement between reviewers for quality ratings and publication recommendations. The editorial publication decision accurately discriminated high and low impact articles in 68% of submissions. We found evidence of better accuracy with a greater number of reviewers. Conclusions The peer review process largely succeeds in selecting high impact articles and dispatching lower impact ones, but the process is far from perfect. While the inter-rater reliability between individual reviewers is low, the accuracy of sorting is improved with a greater number of reviewers. PMID:21799867

Nutrition Education for School-Aged Children: A Review of Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lytle, Leslie A.

This review of research on nutrition education for school-aged children includes 17 articles published since 1980 and not included in two previous reviews (13 school-based and 4 outside of school). School-based studies included families and home environments, program institutionalization, using computer systems, knowledge-based studies, and…

Review of Assessment Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jinrui; De Luca, Rosemary

2014-01-01

This article reviews 37 empirical studies, selected from 363 articles and 20 journals, on assessment feedback published between 2000 and 2011. The reviewed articles, many of which came out of studies in the UK and Australia, reflect the most current issues and developments in the area of assessing disciplinary writing. The article aims to outline…

Determinants of seat belt use behaviour: a protocol for a systematic review

PubMed Central

Ghaffari, Mohtasham; Armoon, Bahram; Rakhshanderou, Sakineh; Mehrabi, Yadollah; Soori, Hamid; Simsekoghlu, Ozelem; Harooni, Javad

2018-01-01

Introduction The use of seat belts could prevent severe collision damage to people in vehicle accidents and keep passengers safe from sustaining serious injuries; for instance, it could prevent passengers from being thrown out of a vehicle after the collision. The current systematic review will identify and analyse the determinants of seat belt use behaviour. Methods and analysis We will include qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies reporting the acquired data from passengers aged more than 12 years and drivers, from both commercial and personal vehicles. Online databases including MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and PsycINFO will be investigated in the current study. Published and available articles will be evaluated according to their titles and abstracts. Published papers conforming to the inclusion criteria will be organised for a complete review. Next, the full text of the remaining articles will be studied independently for eligibility by two authors. The quality of the selected studies will be assessed with appropriate tools. Based on the information obtained from the data extraction, the type of determinants of seat belt use will be classified. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval is not required, because this is a protocol for a systematic review and no primary data will be collected. The authors will ensure to maintain the rights of the used and included articles in the present systematic review. The findings of this review will be published in a relevant peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO registration number CRD42017067511. PMID:29724739

Subject descriptions, control groups, and research designs in published studies of language-impaired children.

PubMed

Schmitt, J F; Meline, T J

1990-12-01

We reviewed the 1983-1988 issues of six journals that frequently publish papers including specifically language-impaired (LI) subjects. A total of 92 research reports provided data for our review. The research reports included experimental studies, ex post facto studies, and intervention studies. These studies represent a broad spectrum of the theoretical and empirical foundations of knowledge regarding LI children. The analysis of the published research centered on subject descriptions and the use of control groups. A descriptive analysis of the data showed few consistent trends among the studies with respect to subject selection, subject description, and the number and types of control groups. We discuss the importance of more complete subject descriptions in studies of LI children as well as the importance of the choice of matching criteria for control groups in between-subjects designs.

Guest authorship and ghostwriting in publications related to rofecoxib: a case study of industry documents from rofecoxib litigation.

PubMed

Ross, Joseph S; Hill, Kevin P; Egilman, David S; Krumholz, Harlan M

2008-04-16

Authorship in biomedical publication provides recognition and establishes accountability and responsibility. Recent litigation related to rofecoxib provided a unique opportunity to examine guest authorship and ghostwriting, practices that have been suspected in biomedical publication but for which there is little documentation. To characterize different types and the extent of guest authorship and ghostwriting in 1 case study. Court documents originally obtained during litigation related to rofecoxib against Merck & Co Inc. Documents were created predominantly between 1996 and 2004. In addition, publicly available articles related to rofecoxib identified via MEDLINE. All documents were reviewed by one author, with selected review by coauthors, using an iterative process of review, discussion, and rereview of documents to identify information related to guest authorship or ghostwriting. Approximately 250 documents were relevant to our review. For the publication of clinical trials, documents were found describing Merck employees working either independently or in collaboration with medical publishing companies to prepare manuscripts and subsequently recruiting external, academically affiliated investigators to be authors. Recruited authors were frequently placed in the first and second positions of the authorship list. For the publication of scientific review papers, documents were found describing Merck marketing employees developing plans for manuscripts, contracting with medical publishing companies to ghostwrite manuscripts, and recruiting external, academically affiliated investigators to be authors. Recruited authors were commonly the sole author on the manuscript and offered honoraria for their participation. Among 96 relevant published articles, we found that 92% (22 of 24) of clinical trial articles published a disclosure of Merck's financial support, but only 50% (36 of 72) of review articles published either a disclosure of Merck sponsorship or a disclosure of whether the author had received any financial compensation from the company. This case-study review of industry documents demonstrates that clinical trial manuscripts related to rofecoxib were authored by sponsor employees but often attributed first authorship to academically affiliated investigators who did not always disclose industry financial support. Review manuscripts were often prepared by unacknowledged authors and subsequently attributed authorship to academically affiliated investigators who often did not disclose industry financial support.

The effects of prenatal cannabis exposure on fetal development and pregnancy outcomes: a protocol.

PubMed

Gunn, Jayleen K L; Rosales, Cecilia B; Center, Katherine E; Nuñez, Annabelle V; Gibson, Steven J; Ehiri, John E

2015-03-13

The effects of exposure to marijuana in utero on fetal development are not clear. Given that the recent legislation on cannabis in the US is likely to result in increased use, there is a need to assess the effects of prenatal cannabis exposure on fetal development and pregnancy outcomes. The objective of this review is to assess the effects of prenatal exposure to cannabis on pregnancy outcomes (including maternal and child outcomes). Major databases will be searched from inception to the latest issue, with the aim of identifying studies that reported the effects of prenatal exposure to cannabis on fetal development and pregnancy outcomes. Two investigators will independently review all titles and abstracts to identify potential articles. Discrepancies will be resolved by repeated review, discussion and consensus. Study quality assessment will be undertaken, using standard protocols. To qualify for inclusion, studies must report at least one maternal or neonatal outcome post partum. Cross-sectional, case-control, cohort and randomised controlled trials published in English will be included. In order to rule out the effects of other drugs that may affect fetal development and pregnancy outcomes, studies will only be included if they report outcomes of prenatal exposure to cannabis while excluding other illicit substances. Data from eligible studies will be extracted, and data analysis will include a systematic review and critical appraisal of evidence, and meta-analysis if data permit. Meta-analysis will be conducted if three or more studies report comparable statistics on the same outcome. The review which will result from this protocol has not already been conducted. Preparation of the review will follow the procedures stated in this protocol, and will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Ethical approval of data will not be required since the review will use data that are already available in the public domain through published articles and other reports. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Varicella zoster virus-associated morbidity and mortality in Africa: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Hussey, Hannah S; Abdullahi, Leila H; Collins, Jamie E; Muloiwa, Rudzani; Hussey, Gregory D; Kagina, Benjamin M

2016-04-20

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes varicella (chicken pox) and herpes zoster (shingles). Worldwide, these diseases are associated with significant morbidity. Most of the epidemiological data on VZV come from high income countries. There are few data on VZV in Africa, where tropical climates and high HIV/AIDS prevalence rates are expected to impact the epidemiology of VZV. Safe and effective vaccinations for both varicella and herpes zoster exist, but are not routinely used in Africa. There are very few data available on VZV disease burden in Africa to guide the introduction of these vaccines on the continent. Our aim is to conduct a systematic review of the VZV-associated morbidity and mortality in Africa, which will provide critical information that could be used to develop vaccination policies against these diseases in Africa. Electronic databases will be searched and all studies published after 1974 that meet predefined criteria will be assessed. The primary outcomes for the study are VZV incidence/prevalence, hospitalisation rates and total death rates. The secondary outcome for this study is the proportion of VZV hospitalisations and/or deaths associated with HIV/AIDS. Two reviewers will screen the titles and abstracts, and then independently review the full texts, to determine if studies are eligible for inclusion. A risk of bias and quality assessment tool will be used to score all included studies. Following standardised data extraction, a trend analysis using R-programming software will be conducted to investigate the trend of VZV. Depending on the characteristics of included studies, subgroup analyses will be performed. This review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. As this is a protocol for a systematic review, which will use already published data, no ethics approval is required. Findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals. CRD42015026144. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Costs, effects and implementation of routine data emergency admission risk prediction models in primary care for patients with, or at risk of, chronic conditions: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Kingston, Mark Rhys; Evans, Bridie Angela; Nelson, Kayleigh; Hutchings, Hayley; Russell, Ian; Snooks, Helen

2016-03-01

Emergency admission risk prediction models are increasingly used to identify patients, typically with one or more chronic conditions, for proactive management in primary care to avoid admissions, save costs and improve patient experience. To identify and review the published evidence on the costs, effects and implementation of emergency admission risk prediction models in primary care for patients with, or at risk of, chronic conditions. We shall search for studies of healthcare interventions using routine data-generated emergency admission risk models. We shall report: the effects on emergency admissions and health costs; clinician and patient views; and implementation findings. We shall search ASSIA, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, HMIC, ISI Web of Science, MEDLINE and Scopus from 2005, review references in and citations of included articles, search key journals and contact experts. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment will be performed by two independent reviewers. No ethical permissions are required for this study using published data. Findings will be disseminated widely, including publication in a peer-reviewed journal and through conferences in primary and emergency care and chronic conditions. We judge our results will help a wide audience including primary care practitioners and commissioners, and policymakers. CRD42015016874; Pre-results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Effective components of exercise and physical activity-related behaviour-change interventions for chronic non-communicable diseases in Africa: protocol for a systematic mixed studies review with meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Igwesi-Chidobe, Chinonso N; Godfrey, Emma L; Kengne, Andre P

2015-01-01

Introduction Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for a high burden of mortality and morbidity in Africa. Evidence-based clinical guidelines recommend exercise training and promotion of physical activity behaviour changes to control NCDs. Developing such interventions in Africa requires an understanding of the essential components that make them effective in this context. This is a protocol for a systematic mixed studies review that aims to determine the effective components of exercise and physical activity-related behaviour-change interventions for chronic diseases in Africa, by combining quantitative and qualitative research evidence from studies published until July 2015. Methods and analysis We will conduct a detailed search to identify all published and unpublished studies that assessed the effects of exercise and physical activity-related interventions or the experiences/perspectives of patients to these interventions for NCDs from bibliographic databases and the grey literature. Bibliographic databases include MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), PsycINFO, CINAHL and Web of Science. We will include the following African regional databases: African Index Medicus (AIM) and AFROLIB, which is the WHO's regional office database for Africa. The databases will be searched from inception until 18 July 2015. Appraisal of study quality will be performed after results synthesis. Data synthesis will be performed independently for quantitative and qualitative data using a mixed methods sequential explanatory synthesis for systematic mixed studies reviews. Meta-analysis will be conducted for the quantitative studies, and thematic synthesis for qualitative studies and qualitative results from the non-controlled observational studies. The primary outcome will include exercise adherence and physical activity behaviour changes. This review protocol is reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 guidelines. Ethics and dissemination There is no ethical requirement for this study, as it utilises published data. This review is expected to inform the development of exercise and physical activity-related behaviour-change interventions in Africa, and will be presented at conferences, and published in peer reviewed journals and a PhD thesis at King's College London. Protocol registration number This study was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) on 22 January 2015 (registration number: PROSPERO 2015: CRD42015016084). PMID:26270945

Intervention quality is not routinely assessed in Cochrane systematic reviews of radiation therapy interventions.

PubMed

Abdul Rahim, Mohamad R; James, Melissa L; Hickey, Brigid E

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to maximise the benefits from clinical trials involving technological interventions such as radiation therapy. High compliance to the quality assurance protocols is crucial. We assessed whether the quality of radiation therapy intervention was evaluated in Cochrane systematic reviews. We searched 416 published Cochrane systematic reviews and identified 67 Cochrane systematic reviews that investigated radiation therapy or radiotherapy as an intervention. For each systematic review, either quality assurance or quality control for the intervention was identified by a description of such processes in the published systematic reviews. Of the 67 Cochrane systematic reviews studied, only two mentioned quality assurance or quality control. Our findings revealed that 65 of 67 (97%) Cochrane systematic reviews of radiation therapy interventions failed to consider the quality of the intervention. We suggest that advice about the evaluation of intervention quality be added to author support materials. © 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

Carotid intima-media thickness in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil): a narrative review.

PubMed

Santos, Eduardo Henrique Sena; Santos Neto, Pedro José Dos; Santos, Itamar de Souza

2018-01-01

Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), as measured by ultrasound, has been used in large studies as a non-invasive marker for subclinical atherosclerosis. The Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil) is a cohort of 15,105 civil servants in six Brazilian cities that included CIMT evaluation in its baseline assessment. The aim of the present narrative review was to provide an overview of ELSA-Brasil CIMT articles published up to July 31, 2017. Narrative review of ELSA-Brasil CIMT studies using baseline assessment data. We searched PubMed for the terms "ELSA-Brasil" and "intima-media". This search yielded 21 published articles using CIMT data from the ELSA-Brasil baseline assessment, which were included in this review. We also present information about intima-media thickness assessment from ongoing onsite reevaluations of the study participants. Most published studies focused on the association with traditional and novel cardiovascular risk factors. Studies also presented information about the ELSA-Brasil CIMT protocol at baseline and CIMT value distribution in this large sample. Analyses on the ELSA-Brasil data led to important insights on CIMT interpretation and physiology. Besides the highlighted contributions which have already been made in this field, new data gathered during the ongoing third onsite assessment will enable investigation of substantially new research questions.

Endorsement of PRISMA statement and quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in nursing journals: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Tam, Wilson W S; Lo, Kenneth K H; Khalechelvam, Parames

2017-01-01

Objective Systematic reviews (SRs) often poorly report key information, thereby diminishing their usefulness. Previous studies evaluated published SRs and determined that they failed to meet explicit criteria or characteristics. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was recommended as a reporting guideline for SR and meta-analysis (MA), but previous studies showed that adherence to the statement was not high for SRs published in different medical fields. Thus, the aims of this study are twofold: (1) to investigate the number of nursing journals that have required or recommended the use of the PRISMA statement for reporting SR, and (2) to examine the adherence of SRs and/or meta-analyses to the PRISMA statement published in nursing journals. Design A cross-sectional study. Methods Nursing journals listed in the ISI journal citation report were divided into 2 groups based on the recommendation of PRISMA statement in their ‘Instruction for Authors’. SRs and meta-analyses published in 2014 were searched in 3 databases. 37 SRs and meta-analyses were randomly selected in each group. The adherence of each item to the PRISMA was examined and summarised using descriptive statistics. The quality of the SRs was assessed by Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews. The differences between the 2 groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results Out of 107 nursing journals, 30 (28.0%) recommended or required authors to follow the PRISMA statement when they submit SRs or meta-analyses. The median rates of adherence to the PRISMA statement for reviews published in journals with and without PRISMA endorsement were 64.9% (IQR: 17.6–92.3%) and 73.0% (IQR: 59.5–94.6%), respectively. No significant difference was observed in any of the items between the 2 groups. Conclusions The median adherence of SRs and meta-analyses in nursing journals to PRISMA is low at 64.9% and 73.0%, respectively. Nonetheless, the adherence level of nursing journals to the PRISMA statement does not significantly vary whether they endorse or recommend such a guideline. PMID:28174224

Epidemiology of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction: A systematic literature review of clinical presentation, disease prevalence and risk factors.

PubMed

Ireland, J L; McGowan, C M

2018-05-01

Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is caused by an age-related degenerative disease of dopaminergic neurones. Despite its importance in equine practice, available information regarding its epidemiology is limited. This systematic review aimed to assess published literature to evaluate available evidence regarding the clinical presentation, prevalence and risk factors for PPID in horses and ponies. Electronic database searches were undertaken using a range of terms, and English language publications published prior to August 2016 were included. Both authors independently reviewed screened papers for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed the quality of reporting using predefined criteria. Data were extracted using modified critically appraised topic data collection forms. Meta-analysis was not undertaken due to marked between-study variations. Following removal of duplicate records, of 358 published papers yielded by the search, 97 abstracts were screened for eligibility and 29 publications meeting inclusion criteria were included in the review. Most studies reviewed were case series or cross-sectional studies, with considerable variation in study populations and PPID case definition. Hypertrichosis and/or other hair coat abnormalities, laminitis and epaxial muscle wastage or muscle atrophy are the most frequently reported clinical signs, with prevalence of these signs increasing with increasing horse age. The most robust prevalence estimates for PPID were 21.2% in horses and ponies aged ≥15 years and 2.9% amongst the general equine population. Findings regarding breed and sex predispositions were equivocal and only increasing age has been identified as a significant risk factor for PPID. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Methodological and Reporting Quality of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses in Endodontics.

PubMed

Nagendrababu, Venkateshbabu; Pulikkotil, Shaju Jacob; Sultan, Omer Sheriff; Jayaraman, Jayakumar; Peters, Ove A

2018-06-01

The aim of this systematic review (SR) was to evaluate the quality of SRs and meta-analyses (MAs) in endodontics. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify relevant articles in the electronic databases from January 2000 to June 2017. Two reviewers independently assessed the articles for eligibility and data extraction. SRs and MAs on interventional studies with a minimum of 2 therapeutic strategies in endodontics were included in this SR. Methodologic and reporting quality were assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), respectively. The interobserver reliability was calculated using the Cohen kappa statistic. Statistical analysis with the level of significance at P < .05 was performed using Kruskal-Wallis tests and simple linear regression analysis. A total of 30 articles were selected for the current SR. Using AMSTAR, the item related to the scientific quality of studies used in conclusion was adhered by less than 40% of studies. Using PRISMA, 3 items were reported by less than 40% of studies, which were on objectives, protocol registration, and funding. No association was evident comparing the number of authors and country with quality. Statistical significance was observed when quality was compared among journals, with studies published as Cochrane reviews superior to those published in other journals. AMSTAR and PRISMA scores were significantly related. SRs in endodontics showed variability in both methodologic and reporting quality. Copyright © 2018 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Appraisal of systematic reviews on the management of peri-implant diseases with two methodological tools.

PubMed

Faggion, Clovis Mariano; Monje, Alberto; Wasiak, Jason

2018-06-01

This study aimed to evaluate and compare the performance of two methodological instruments to appraise systematic reviews and to identify potential disagreements of systematic review authors regarding risk of bias (RoB) evaluation of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included in systematic reviews on peri-implant diseases. We searched Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed Central, and Google Scholar for systematic reviews on peri-implant diseases published before July 11, 2017. Two authors independently evaluated the RoB and methodological quality of the systematic reviews by applying the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews (ROBIS) tool and Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) checklist, respectively. We assessed the RoB scores of the same RCTs published in different systematic reviews. Of the 32 systematic reviews identified, 23 reviews addressed the clinical topic of peri-implantitis. A high RoB was detected for most systematic reviews (n=25) using ROBIS, whilst five systematic reviews displayed low methodological quality by AMSTAR. Almost 30% of the RoB comparisons (for the same RCTs) had different RoB ratings across systematic reviews. The ROBIS tool appears to provide more conservative results than AMSTAR checklist. Considerable disagreement was found among systematic review authors rating the same RCT included in different systematic reviews. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dissemination Bias in Systematic Reviews of Animal Research: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Mueller, Katharina F.; Briel, Matthias; Strech, Daniel; Meerpohl, Joerg J.; Lang, Britta; Motschall, Edith; Gloy, Viktoria; Lamontagne, Francois; Bassler, Dirk

2014-01-01

Background Systematic reviews of preclinical studies, in vivo animal experiments in particular, can influence clinical research and thus even clinical care. Dissemination bias, selective dissemination of positive or significant results, is one of the major threats to validity in systematic reviews also in the realm of animal studies. We conducted a systematic review to determine the number of published systematic reviews of animal studies until present, to investigate their methodological features especially with respect to assessment of dissemination bias, and to investigate the citation of preclinical systematic reviews on clinical research. Methods Eligible studies for this systematic review constitute systematic reviews that summarize in vivo animal experiments whose results could be interpreted as applicable to clinical care. We systematically searched Ovid Medline, Embase, ToxNet, and ScienceDirect from 1st January 2009 to 9th January 2013 for eligible systematic reviews without language restrictions. Furthermore we included articles from two previous systematic reviews by Peters et al. and Korevaar et al. Results The literature search and screening process resulted in 512 included full text articles. We found an increasing number of published preclinical systematic reviews over time. The methodological quality of preclinical systematic reviews was low. The majority of preclinical systematic reviews did not assess methodological quality of the included studies (71%), nor did they assess heterogeneity (81%) or dissemination bias (87%). Statistics quantifying the importance of clinical research citing systematic reviews of animal studies showed that clinical studies referred to the preclinical research mainly to justify their study or a future study (76%). Discussion Preclinical systematic reviews may have an influence on clinical research but their methodological quality frequently remains low. Therefore, systematic reviews of animal research should be critically appraised before translating them to a clinical context. PMID:25541734

Quality of systematic reviews in pediatric oncology--a systematic review.

PubMed

Lundh, Andreas; Knijnenburg, Sebastiaan L; Jørgensen, Anders W; van Dalen, Elvira C; Kremer, Leontien C M

2009-12-01

To ensure evidence-based decision making in pediatric oncology systematic reviews are necessary. The objective of our study was to evaluate the methodological quality of all currently existing systematic reviews in pediatric oncology. We identified eligible systematic reviews through a systematic search of the literature. Data on clinical and methodological characteristics of the included systematic reviews were extracted. The methodological quality of the included systematic reviews was assessed using the overview quality assessment questionnaire, a validated 10-item quality assessment tool. We compared the methodological quality of systematic reviews published in regular journals with that of Cochrane systematic reviews. We included 117 systematic reviews, 99 systematic reviews published in regular journals and 18 Cochrane systematic reviews. The average methodological quality of systematic reviews was low for all ten items, but the quality of Cochrane systematic reviews was significantly higher than systematic reviews published in regular journals. On a 1-7 scale, the median overall quality score for all systematic reviews was 2 (range 1-7), with a score of 1 (range 1-7) for systematic reviews in regular journals compared to 6 (range 3-7) in Cochrane systematic reviews (p<0.001). Most systematic reviews in the field of pediatric oncology seem to have serious methodological flaws leading to a high risk of bias. While Cochrane systematic reviews were of higher methodological quality than systematic reviews in regular journals, some of them also had methodological problems. Therefore, the methodology of each individual systematic review should be scrutinized before accepting its results.

Quality of Gastroenterology Research Published in Saudi Arabian Scientific Journals

PubMed Central

Almaghrabi, Majed M.; Alamoudi, Abdullah S.; Radi, Suhaib A.; Merdad, Anas A.; Makhdoum, Ahmad M.; Batwa, Faisal A.

2015-01-01

Background/Aims: Evidence-based medicine has established itself in the field of gastroenterology. In this study we aim to assess the types of study designs of gastroenterology-related articles published in Saudi scientific journals. Patients and Methods: An online review using PubMed was carried out to review gastroenterology-related articles published in six Saudi medical journals in the time interval from 2003 to 2012. To classify the level of evidence in these articles we employed the Oxford's levels of evidence. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the levels of evidence between published articles. Results: A total of 721 gastroenterology-related articles were reviewed, of which 591 articles met our inclusion criteria; 80.7% were level IV. The three most common types of studies we encountered were cross-sectional (33.9%), case reports (27.9%), and case series (18.8%). Forty-three percent of the published research was in the field of hepatobiliary and spleen. The total number of articles increased from 260 articles in the 1st 5-year period (2003–2007) to 330 in the 2nd period (2008–2012). However, no statistically significant difference in the level of evidence was noted. In Annals of Saudi Medicine Journal, articles with level II increased from 0 to 10% with a P value 0.02. Conclusion: In our review of gastroenterology-related published articles in Saudi scientific journals, we observed an increase in the quantity of articles with the quality and level of evidence remaining unchanged. Further research is recommended to explore different reasons affecting the volume and quality of gastroenterology-related research in Saudi scientific journals. PMID:25843195

Review of research on the health of caregiving grandparents.

PubMed

Grinstead, Linda Nicholson; Leder, Sharon; Jensen, Susan; Bond, Linda

2003-11-01

To provide a critical review of research literature on the health of grandparents raising grandchildren, and identify directions for future research. Approaches used to access the research studies for this review included a comprehensive search using relevant electronic databases and a thorough examination of the references in each published study. All studies but one were published after 1990. Samples consisted primarily of African-American and Caucasian grandmothers in the United States of America. Earlier studies tended to describe health and other related concepts while more recent studies began to examine relationships between concepts. Most of the studies had a cross-sectional design and only one evaluated interventions. Inconsistencies in the results of these studies were prevalent. Evaluation studies, longitudinal designs, and more varied study samples including cross-cultural comparisons are needed to advance knowledge about grandparent caregivers' health.

A study of innovative features in scholarly open access journals.

PubMed

Björk, Bo-Christer

2011-12-16

The emergence of the Internet has triggered tremendous changes in the publication of scientific peer-reviewed journals. Today, journals are usually available in parallel electronic versions, but the way the peer-review process works, the look of articles and journals, and the rigid and slow publication schedules have remained largely unchanged, at least for the vast majority of subscription-based journals. Those publishing firms and scholarly publishers who have chosen the more radical option of open access (OA), in which the content of journals is freely accessible to anybody with Internet connectivity, have had a much bigger degree of freedom to experiment with innovations. The objective was to study how open access journals have experimented with innovations concerning ways of organizing the peer review, the format of journals and articles, new interactive and media formats, and novel publishing revenue models. The features of 24 open access journals were studied. The journals were chosen in a nonrandom manner from the approximately 7000 existing OA journals based on available information about interesting journals and include both representative cases and highly innovative outlier cases. Most early OA journals in the 1990s were founded by individual scholars and used a business model based on voluntary work close in spirit to open-source development of software. In the next wave, many long-established journals, in particular society journals and journals from regions such as Latin America, made their articles OA when they started publishing parallel electronic versions. From about 2002 on, newly founded professional OA publishing firms using article-processing charges to fund their operations have emerged. Over the years, there have been several experiments with new forms of peer review, media enhancements, and the inclusion of structured data sets with articles. In recent years, the growth of OA publishing has also been facilitated by the availability of open-source software for journal publishing. The case studies illustrate how a new technology and a business model enabled by new technology can be harnessed to find new innovative ways for the organization and content of scholarly publishing. Several recent launches of OA journals by major subscription publishers demonstrate that OA is rapidly gaining acceptance as a sustainable alternative to subscription-based scholarly publishing.

A Study of Innovative Features in Scholarly Open Access Journals

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The emergence of the Internet has triggered tremendous changes in the publication of scientific peer-reviewed journals. Today, journals are usually available in parallel electronic versions, but the way the peer-review process works, the look of articles and journals, and the rigid and slow publication schedules have remained largely unchanged, at least for the vast majority of subscription-based journals. Those publishing firms and scholarly publishers who have chosen the more radical option of open access (OA), in which the content of journals is freely accessible to anybody with Internet connectivity, have had a much bigger degree of freedom to experiment with innovations. Objective The objective was to study how open access journals have experimented with innovations concerning ways of organizing the peer review, the format of journals and articles, new interactive and media formats, and novel publishing revenue models. Methods The features of 24 open access journals were studied. The journals were chosen in a nonrandom manner from the approximately 7000 existing OA journals based on available information about interesting journals and include both representative cases and highly innovative outlier cases. Results Most early OA journals in the 1990s were founded by individual scholars and used a business model based on voluntary work close in spirit to open-source development of software. In the next wave, many long-established journals, in particular society journals and journals from regions such as Latin America, made their articles OA when they started publishing parallel electronic versions. From about 2002 on, newly founded professional OA publishing firms using article-processing charges to fund their operations have emerged. Over the years, there have been several experiments with new forms of peer review, media enhancements, and the inclusion of structured data sets with articles. In recent years, the growth of OA publishing has also been facilitated by the availability of open-source software for journal publishing. Conclusions The case studies illustrate how a new technology and a business model enabled by new technology can be harnessed to find new innovative ways for the organization and content of scholarly publishing. Several recent launches of OA journals by major subscription publishers demonstrate that OA is rapidly gaining acceptance as a sustainable alternative to subscription-based scholarly publishing. PMID:22173122

Influence of Gender on the Supervisory Relationship: A Review of the Empirical Research from 1996 to 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hindes, Yvonne L.; Andrews, Jac J. W.

2011-01-01

Twelve empirical studies published since 1996 regarding the effects of gender on the supervisory relationship are reviewed. Each study was reviewed and critiqued in relation to its methodology, research design, critical findings, and limitations. The results of these studies indicate that (a) gender influences the openness and affiliation one…

Research on Teaching Practicum--A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawson, Tony; Çakmak, Melek; Gündüz, Müge; Busher, Hugh

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study is to conduct a systematic review research which focuses on research studies into the school practicum. In order to identify the main issues and also to provide a contemporary picture of practicum, 114 studies published on the topic are reviewed and analysed in terms of: (i) aims, (ii) main participants, (iii)…

Reviewing and Critiquing Computer Learning and Usage among Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Young Sek

2008-01-01

By searching the keywords of "older adult" and "computer" in ERIC, Academic Search Premier, and PsycINFO, this study reviewed 70 studies published after 1990 that address older adults' computer learning and usage. This study revealed 5 prominent themes among reviewed literature: (a) motivations and barriers of older adults' usage of computers, (b)…

Animal-Assisted Therapies for Youth with or at Risk for Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoagwood, Kimberly Eaton; Acri, Mary; Morrissey, Meghan; Peth-Pierce, Robin

2017-01-01

To systematically review experimental evidence regarding animal-assisted therapies (AAT) for children or adolescents with or at risk for mental health conditions, we reviewed all experimental AAT studies published between 2000-2015, and compared studies by animal type, intervention, and outcomes. Studies were included if used therapeutically for…

Maximizing the Impact of Systematic Reviews in Health Care Decision Making: A Systematic Scoping Review of Knowledge-Translation Resources

PubMed Central

Chambers, Duncan; Wilson, Paul M; Thompson, Carl A; Hanbury, Andria; Farley, Katherine; Light, Kate

2011-01-01

Context: Barriers to the use of systematic reviews by policymakers may be overcome by resources that adapt and present the findings in formats more directly tailored to their needs. We performed a systematic scoping review to identify such knowledge-translation resources and evaluations of them. Methods: Resources were eligible for inclusion in this study if they were based exclusively or primarily on systematic reviews and were aimed at health care policymakers at the national or local level. Resources were identified by screening the websites of health technology assessment agencies and systematic review producers, supplemented by an email survey. Electronic databases and proceedings of the Cochrane Colloquium and HTA International were searched as well for published and unpublished evaluations of knowledge-translation resources. Resources were classified as summaries, overviews, or policy briefs using a previously published classification. Findings: Twenty knowledge-translation resources were identified, of which eleven were classified as summaries, six as overviews, and three as policy briefs. Resources added value to systematic reviews by, for example, evaluating their methodological quality or assessing the reliability of their conclusions or their generalizability to particular settings. The literature search found four published evaluation studies of knowledge-translation resources, and the screening of abstracts and contact with authors found three more unpublished studies. The majority of studies reported on the perceived usefulness of the service, although there were some examples of review-based resources being used to assist actual decision making. Conclusions: Systematic review producers provide a variety of resources to help policymakers, of which focused summaries are the most common. More evaluations of these resources are required to ensure users’ needs are being met, to demonstrate their impact, and to justify their funding. PMID:21418315

Participant comprehension of research for which they volunteer: a systematic review.

PubMed

Montalvo, Wanda; Larson, Elaine

2014-11-01

Evidence indicates that research participants often do not fully understand the studies for which they have volunteered. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between the process of obtaining informed consent for research and participant comprehension and satisfaction with the research. Systematic review of published research on informed consent and participant comprehension of research for which they volunteer using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Statement as a guide. PubMed, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trails, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were used to search the literature for studies meeting the following inclusion criteria: (a) published between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2013, (b) interventional or descriptive quantitative design, (c) published in a peer-reviewed journal, (d) written in English, and (e) assessed participant comprehension or satisfaction with the research process. Studies were assessed for quality using seven indicators: sampling method, use of controls or comparison groups, response rate, description of intervention, description of outcome, statistical method, and health literacy assessment. Of 176 studies identified, 27 met inclusion criteria: 13 (48%) were randomized interventional designs and 14 (52%) were descriptive. Three categories of studies included projects assessing (a) enhanced consent process or form, (b) multimedia methods, and (c) education to improve participant understanding. Most (78%) used investigator-developed tools to assess participant comprehension, did not assess participant health literacy (74%), or did not assess the readability level of the consent form (89%). Researchers found participants lacked basic understanding of research elements: randomization, placebo, risks, and therapeutic misconception. Findings indicate (a) inconsistent assessment of participant reading or health literacy level, (b) measurement variation associated with use of nonstandardized tools, and (c) continued therapeutic misconception and lack of understanding among research participants of randomization, placebo, benefit, and risk. While the Agency for Healthcare and Quality and National Quality Forum have published informed consent and authorization toolkits, previously published validated tools are underutilized. Informed consent requires the assessment of health literacy, reading level, and comprehension of research participants using validated assessment tools and methods. © 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Depression research methodologies in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: a review and critique.

PubMed

Tennen, H; Hall, J A; Affleck, G

1995-05-01

Personality and social psychological studies of depression and depressive phenomena have become more methodologically sophisticated in recent years. In response to earlier problems in this literature, investigators have formulated sound suggestions for research designs. Studies of depression published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP) between 1988 and 1993 were reviewed to evaluate how well these recommendations have been followed. Forty-one articles were examined for adherence to 3 suggestions appearing consistently in the literature: (a) multiple assessment periods, (b) multiple assessment methods, and (c) appropriate comparison groups. The studies published in JPSP have not adhered well to these standards. The authors recommend resetting minimum methodological criteria for studies of depression published in the premier journal in personality and social psychology.

Cyberbullying among Youth: A Comprehensive Review of Current International Research and Its Implications and Application to Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cassidy, Wanda; Faucher, Chantal; Jackson, Margaret

2013-01-01

Cyberbullying research is rapidly expanding with many studies being published from around the world in the past five or six years. In this article we review the current international literature published in English, with particular attention to the following themes: The relationship of cyberbullying to the more traditional face-to-face bullying,…

A Decade of Research on Evaluation: A Systematic Review of Research on Evaluation Published between 2005 and 2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coryn, Chris L. S.; Wilson, Lyssa N.; Westine, Carl D.; Hobson, Kristin A.; Ozeki, Satoshi; Fiekowsky, Erica L.; Greenman, Gregory D., II; Schröter, Daniela C.

2017-01-01

Although investigations into evaluation theories, methods, and practices have been occurring since the late 1970s, research on evaluation (RoE) has seemingly increased in the past decade. In this review, 257 studies published in 14 evaluation-focused journals over a 10-year period (between 2005 and 2014) were identified as RoE and then classified…

Assessments of the quality of randomized controlled trials published in International Journal of Urology from 1994 to 2011.

PubMed

Cho, Hee Ju; Chung, Jae Hoon; Jo, Jung Ki; Kang, Dong Hyuk; Cho, Jeong Man; Yoo, Tag Keun; Lee, Seung Wook

2013-12-01

Randomized controlled trials are one of the most reliable resources for assessing the effectiveness and safety of medical treatments. Low quality randomized controlled trials carry a large bias that can ultimately impair the reliability of their conclusions. The present study aimed to evaluate the quality of randomized controlled trials published in International Journal of Urology by using multiple quality assessment tools. Randomized controlled trials articles published in International Journal of Urology were found using the PubMed MEDLINE database, and qualitative analysis was carried out with three distinct assessment tools: the Jadad scale, the van Tulder scale and the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool. The quality of randomized controlled trials was analyzed by publication year, type of subjects, intervention, presence of funding and whether an institutional review board reviewed the study. A total of 68 randomized controlled trial articles were published among a total of 1399 original articles in International Journal of Urology. Among these randomized controlled trials, 10 (2.70%) were from 1994 to 1999, 23 (4.10%) were from 2000 to 2005 and 35 (4.00%) were from 2006 to 2011 (P = 0.494). On the assessment with the Jadad and van Tulder scale, the numbers and percentage of high quality randomized controlled trials increased over time. The studies that had institutional review board reviews, funding resources or that were carried out in multiple institutions had an increased percentage of high quality articles. The numbers and percentage of high-quality randomized controlled trials published in International Journal of Urology have increased over time. Furthermore, randomized controlled trials with funding resources, institutional review board reviews or carried out in multiple institutions have been found to be of higher quality compared with others not presenting these features. © 2013 The Japanese Urological Association.

Carbohydrate intake, obesity, metabolic syndrome and cancer risk? A two-part systematic review and meta-analysis protocol to estimate attributability

PubMed Central

Sartorius, B; Sartorius, K; Aldous, C; Madiba, T E; Stefan, C; Noakes, T

2016-01-01

Introduction Linkages between carbohydrates, obesity and cancer continue to demonstrate conflicting results. Evidence suggests inconclusive direct linkages between carbohydrates and specific cancers. Conversely, obesity has been strongly linked to a wide range of cancers. The purpose of the study is to explore linkages between carbohydrate intake and cancer types using a two-step approach. First the study will evaluate the linkages between carbohydrate intake and obesity, potentially stratified by metabolic syndrome status. Second, the estimated attributable fraction of obesity ascribed to carbohydrate intake will be multiplied against obesity attributable fractions for cancer types to give estimated overall attributable fraction for carbohydrate versus cancer type. Methods and analysis We will perform a comprehensive search to identify all possible published and unpublished studies that have assessed risk factors for obesity including dietary carbohydrate intake. Scientific databases, namely PubMed MEDLINE, EMBASE, EBSCOhost and ISI Web of Science will be searched. Following study selection, paper/data acquisition, and data extraction and synthesis, we will appraise the quality of studies and risk of bias, as well as assess heterogeneity. Meta-weighted attributable fractions of obesity due to carbohydrate intake will be estimated after adjusting for other potential confounding factors (eg, physical inactivity, other dietary intake). Furthermore, previously published systematic reviews assessing the cancer-specific risk associated with obesity will also be drawn. These estimates will be linked with the attributability of carbohydrate intake in part 1 to estimate the cancer-specific burden that can be attributed to dietary carbohydrates. This systematic review protocol has been developed according to the ‘Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015’. Ethics and dissemination The current study will be based on published literature and data, and, as such, ethics approval is not required. The final results of this two part systematic review (plus multiplicative calculations) will be published in a relevant international peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number PROSPERO CRD42015023257. PMID:26729382

The Book Review Genre: A Structural Move Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salmani Nodoushan, Mohammad Ali; Montazeran, Hamed

2012-01-01

The current study aimed at showing whether native, ESL and EFL book review authors differed in terms of types of rhetorical moves the employ in the reviews they write. 60 book reviews (N = 60) from applied linguistics journals were randomly selected from a pool of 87 book reviews published in "Asian EFL Journal," "ESP,"…

A Comparative Analysis of Juvenile Book Review Media.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witucke, A. Virginia

This study of book reviews takes an objective look at the major sources that review children's books. Periodicals examined are Booklist, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Horn Book, New York Times Book Review, and School Library Journal. Presented in a series of eight tables, the report examines reviews of 30 titles published between…

Do air cleaners make a difference in treating allergic disease in homes?

PubMed

Reisman, R E

2001-12-01

The purpose of this review is to objectively critique available data regarding the clinical benefits of room air cleaners and to provide physicians and patients with a reasonable recommendation of their utility in treatment of inhalant allergic disease. Data were obtained from published studies and reviews. The specific reviewed studies met the following criteria: 1) selection of patients with clinical allergic disease confirmed by detection of allergen-specific immunoglobulin E; 2) use of an effective air filter; 3) clinical and laboratory evaluation of results; and 4) measurement of the results of air filtration on environmental allergen or airborne particulate levels. The studies were conducted in a double-blind manner. Conclusions of two previous reviews are also incorporated in this paper. The results of the published studies and summary reviews show minimal, if any, effectiveness of room air cleaners in treatment of allergic respiratory disease. Room air cleaners should not be recommended for people with inhalant allergic disease.

Association between study design and citation counts of articles published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics and Angle Orthodontist.

PubMed

Allareddy, Veerasathpurush; Lee, Min Kyeong; Shah, Andrea; Elangovan, Satheesh; Lin, Chin-Yu

2012-01-01

The scientific community views meta-analyses and systematic reviews, in addition to well-designed randomized controlled clinical trials, as the highest echelon in the continuum of hierarchy of evidence. The objective of this study was to examine the association between different study designs and citation counts of articles published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics and Angle Orthodontist. All articles, excluding editorial comments, letters to the editor, commentaries, and special articles, that were published in the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics and Angle Orthodontist during the years 2004 and 2005 were examined in this study. The number of times an article was cited in the first 24 months after its publication was computed. The PubMed database was used to index the study design of the articles. The association between study design and citation counts was examined using the Kruskal-Wallis test. A multivariable negative binomial regression model was used to examine the association between citation count and study design along with several other confounding variables. A total of 624 articles were selected for analysis. Of these, there were 25 meta-analyses or review articles, 42 randomized clinical trials, 59 clinical trials, 48 animal studies, 64 case reports, and 386 quasiexperimental/miscellaneous study designs. The mean ± SD citation count was 1.04 ± 1.46. Nearly half of the articles (n = 311) were not cited even once during the observation period. Case reports were cited less frequently than meta-analyses or reviews (incident risk ratio, 0.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.19 to 0.72; P = .003), even after adjusting for other independent variables. Among various study designs, meta-analyses and review articles are more likely to be cited in the first 24 months after publication. This study demonstrates the importance of publishing more meta-analyses and review articles for quicker dissemination of research findings.

Visual Scanning Training For Older Drivers: A Literature Review

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-04-01

This literature review focuses on older drivers' visual scanning ability and on evaluations of training in visual scanning skills for older adults, updating a previous review of studies published from 1997 to 2008 describing age-related functional ch...

Fried food and prostate cancer risk: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Lippi, Giuseppe; Mattiuzzi, Camilla

2015-01-01

We performed systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies that investigated the potential association between fried food consumption and prostate cancer risk. Four case-control studies were finally selected for this systematic literature review, totaling 2579 cancer patients and 2277 matched controls. In two of these studies, the larger intake of fried food was associated with a 1.3- to 2.3-fold increased risk of prostate cancer, no significant association was found in another, whereas an inverse relationship was observed in the remaining. The meta-analysis of published data showed that larger intake of fried food was associated with a 35% (95% CI 17-57%) increased risk of prostate cancer. The results of this systematic literature review support the notion that larger intake of fried foods may have a role in increasing the risk of prostate cancer.

45 CFR 74.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed... Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an...

45 CFR 2543.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed... Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an...

45 CFR 2543.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed... Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an...

45 CFR 2543.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed... Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an...

45 CFR 74.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed... Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an...

45 CFR 74.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed... Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an...

45 CFR 74.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed... Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an...

45 CFR 74.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed... Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an...

45 CFR 2543.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed... Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an...

45 CFR 2543.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed... Information Act (FOIA) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an...

Forces Shaping the Electronic Publishing Industry of the 1990s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, Donald T.; And Others

1992-01-01

Reviews the conventional publishing industry, and discusses a study of the electronic publishing industry and its products and processes. Discusses seven major forces affecting it--technology, economics, demographics, social trends, government policies, applications growth, and industry trends--and outlines principles to follow for success in…

Systematic review of health and behavioural outcomes of smoking cessation interventions in prisons.

PubMed

de Andrade, Dominique; Kinner, Stuart A

2016-09-01

We conducted a systematic review to examine the impact of smoking cessation interventions, including smoking bans, on prisoners and prison staff. We systematically searched health and criminal justice databases for relevant studies. Search strings were used to combine terms related to smoking cessation interventions with terms related to incarceration. We used forward and backward snowballing to capture additional studies. Studies were included if: they were published between 1 January 1994 and 23 May 2016; the population was incarcerated adults and/or prison staff; they had a quantitative component; they were published in English; and they reported outcomes of a smoking cessation programme/ban with regard to reported change in smoking behaviour and/or behavioural outcomes. Studies were reviewed for methodological rigour using the Effective Public Health Practice Project's Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Data were independently reviewed for methodological quality by 1 author and a research assistant. Cessation programmes, including free nicotine replacement therapy and/or behavioural counselling can significantly increase the likelihood of quitting in prison and increase abstinence postrelease. Indoor bans have little impact on prisoner smoking behaviour. Prisoners who experience a complete smoking ban typically resume smoking shortly after release from prison. Bans may result in adverse behavioural outcomes, but these are generally minimal and short-lived. While there is limited evidence to inform tobacco control policies in custodial settings, outcomes of this review suggest that cessation programmes/bans can be an effective mechanism to interrupt prisoner smoking behaviour when properly enforced. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Systematic reviews addressing identified health policy priorities in Eastern Mediterranean countries: a situational analysis.

PubMed

El-Jardali, Fadi; Akl, Elie A; Karroum, Lama Bou; Kdouh, Ola; Akik, Chaza; Fadlallah, Racha; Hammoud, Rawan

2014-08-20

Systematic reviews can offer policymakers and stakeholders concise, transparent, and relevant evidence pertaining to pressing policy priorities to help inform the decision-making process. The production and the use of systematic reviews are specifically limited in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The extent to which published systematic reviews address policy priorities in the region is still unknown. This situational analysis exercise aims at assessing the extent to which published systematic reviews address policy priorities identified by policymakers and stakeholders in Eastern Mediterranean region countries. It also provides an overview about the state of systematic review production in the region and identifies knowledge gaps. We conducted a systematic search of the Health System Evidence database to identify published systematic reviews on policy-relevant priorities pertaining to the following themes: human resources for health, health financing, the role of the non-state sector, and access to medicine. Priorities were identified from two priority-setting exercises conducted in the region. We described the distribution of these systematic reviews across themes, sub-themes, authors' affiliations, and countries where included primary studies were conducted. Out of the 1,045 systematic reviews identified in Health System Evidence on selected themes, a total of 200 systematic reviews (19.1%) addressed the priorities from the Eastern Mediterranean region. The theme with the largest number of systematic reviews included was human resources for health (115) followed by health financing (33), access to medicine (27), and role of the non-state sector (25). Authors based in the region produced only three systematic reviews addressing regional priorities (1.5%). Furthermore, no systematic review focused on the Eastern Mediterranean region. Primary studies from the region had limited contribution to systematic reviews; 17 systematic reviews (8.5%) included primary studies conducted in the region. There are still gaps in the production of systematic reviews addressing policymakers' and stakeholders' priorities in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Efforts should be directed towards better aligning systematic review production with policy needs and priorities. Study findings can inform the agendas of researchers, research institutions, and international funding agencies of priority areas where systematic reviews are required.

Systematic reviews addressing identified health policy priorities in Eastern Mediterranean countries: a situational analysis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Systematic reviews can offer policymakers and stakeholders concise, transparent, and relevant evidence pertaining to pressing policy priorities to help inform the decision-making process. The production and the use of systematic reviews are specifically limited in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The extent to which published systematic reviews address policy priorities in the region is still unknown. This situational analysis exercise aims at assessing the extent to which published systematic reviews address policy priorities identified by policymakers and stakeholders in Eastern Mediterranean region countries. It also provides an overview about the state of systematic review production in the region and identifies knowledge gaps. Methods We conducted a systematic search of the Health System Evidence database to identify published systematic reviews on policy-relevant priorities pertaining to the following themes: human resources for health, health financing, the role of the non-state sector, and access to medicine. Priorities were identified from two priority-setting exercises conducted in the region. We described the distribution of these systematic reviews across themes, sub-themes, authors’ affiliations, and countries where included primary studies were conducted. Results Out of the 1,045 systematic reviews identified in Health System Evidence on selected themes, a total of 200 systematic reviews (19.1%) addressed the priorities from the Eastern Mediterranean region. The theme with the largest number of systematic reviews included was human resources for health (115) followed by health financing (33), access to medicine (27), and role of the non-state sector (25). Authors based in the region produced only three systematic reviews addressing regional priorities (1.5%). Furthermore, no systematic review focused on the Eastern Mediterranean region. Primary studies from the region had limited contribution to systematic reviews; 17 systematic reviews (8.5%) included primary studies conducted in the region. Conclusions There are still gaps in the production of systematic reviews addressing policymakers’ and stakeholders’ priorities in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Efforts should be directed towards better aligning systematic review production with policy needs and priorities. Study findings can inform the agendas of researchers, research institutions, and international funding agencies of priority areas where systematic reviews are required. PMID:25139256

Epidemiological research on the incidence and prevalence of arterial hypertension in the Portuguese population: a scoping review.

PubMed

Sousa Uva, Mafalda; Victorino, Paulo; Roquette, Rita; Machado, Ausenda; Matias Dias, Carlos

2014-01-01

The Portuguese population is reported to have among the highest levels of mean blood pressure. The aim of the present study is to conduct a structured literature review describing the scope (quantity, focus and nature) of published epidemiological research on the prevalence and incidence of hypertension in the Portuguese population. The scoping review was conducted during June 2013, using two information sources, B-on and PubMed, to search for published studies on the prevalence and incidence of hypertension with data collected between 2005-2013 and 1995-2013, respectively. We identified 527 publications: 14 on the prevalence and two on the incidence of hypertension. The results show more studies on populations in the North region of Portugal; an apparent lack of published studies specifically targeting the Alentejo and Algarve populations; long delays between data collection and publication of results (up to nine years); considerable variability in measurement methods; and infrequent data stratification by gender and age. Differences in blood pressure measurement methods, not specified in most studies, the infrequency of stratification of results by gender and age, and the geographic asymmetry in coverage of the Portuguese population, hinder monitoring of the incidence and prevalence of hypertension in Portugal. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Methodology - NCS Dietary Assessment Literature Review

Cancer.gov

This review examines studies conducted mainly in industrialized, developed countries and published in English between 1982 and December 2003 for pregnant or lactating women, infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

15 CFR 10.10 - Review of published standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Review of published standards. 10.10 Section 10.10 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary of Commerce PROCEDURES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF VOLUNTARY PRODUCT STANDARDS § 10.10 Review of published standards. (a) Each standard published...

15 CFR 10.10 - Review of published standards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Review of published standards. 10.10 Section 10.10 Commerce and Foreign Trade Office of the Secretary of Commerce PROCEDURES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF VOLUNTARY PRODUCT STANDARDS § 10.10 Review of published standards. (a) Each standard published...

An audit of best evidence topic reviews in the International Journal of Surgery.

PubMed

Mabvuure, Nigel Tapiwa; Klimach, Stefan; Eisner, Mark; Rodrigues, Jeremy Neil

2015-05-01

IJS launched best evidence topic reviews (BETs) in 2011, when the guidelines for conducting and reporting these reviews were published in the journal. (1) Audit the adherence of all published BETs in IJS to these guidelines. (2) Assess the reach and impact of BETs published in IJS. BETs published between 2011 and February 2014 were identified from http://www.journal-surgery.net/. Standards audited included: completeness of description of study attrition, and independent verification of searches. Other extracted data included: relevant subspecialty, duration between searches and publication, and between acceptance and publication. Each BET's number of citations (http://scholar.google.co.uk/), number of tweets (http://www.altmetric.com/) and number of Researchgate views (https://www.researchgate.net/) were recorded. Thirty-four BETs were identified: the majority, 19 (56%), relating to upper gastrointestinal surgery and none to cardiothoracic, orthopaedic or paediatric surgery. Twenty-nine BETs (82%) fully described study attrition. Twenty-one (62%) had independently verified search results. The mean times from literature searching to publication and acceptance to publication were 38.5 weeks and 13 days respectively. There were a mean 40 (range 0-89) Researchgate views/article, mean 2 (range 0-7) citations/article and mean 0.36 (range 0-2) tweets/article. Adherence to BET guidelines has been variable. Authors are encouraged to adhere to journal guidelines and reviewers and editors to enforce them. BETs have received similar citation levels to other IJS articles. Means of increasing the visibility of published BETs such as social media sharing, conference presentation and deposition of abstracts in public repositories should be explored. More work is required to encourage more submissions from other surgical subspecialties other than gastrointestinal specialties. Copyright © 2015 IJS Publishing Group Limited. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The economics of dentistry: a neglected concern.

PubMed

Shariati, Batoul; MacEntee, Michael I; Yazdizadeh, Maryam

2013-10-01

Demand for economic evaluations in health care is growing with expectations that they will help to develop regional and national policies on health and social programmes. We present here the scope, quality and content of systematic reviews and meta-analyses relating to the economics of dentistry published over the last 15 years. To review the quality and outcome of systematic reviews and meta-analyses relating to the economics of dental treatments, preventions and services. A systematic search was conducted in 14 electronic databases for systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between January 1997 and July 2011 on the economics of oral disorders and oral health care. Review papers were extracted by two independent investigators to identify the characteristics, results and quality of the reviews and to highlight gaps in knowledge about the economics of dentistry. From 3150 unique references, we found 73 systematic reviews or meta-analyses of dental economics as primary or secondary outcomes. The focus of 12 of them was on the cost or cost-effectiveness of dental prevention, 54 on treatment, five on prevention and treatment and two on delivery of dental services. However, only 12 of the systematic reviews drew conclusions from economic data, and four of them constructed an economic model from synthesized data. Overall, the quality was good in the 12 systematic reviews but poor in the original studies. There is very little helpful data published on the economics of dentistry. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Does the Level of Evidence of Paper Presentations at the Arthroscopy Association of North America Annual Meetings From 2006-2010 Correlate With the 5-Year Publication Rate or the Impact Factor of the Publishing Journal?

PubMed

Kay, Jeffrey; Memon, Muzammil; de Sa, Darren; Duong, Andrew; Simunovic, Nicole; Ayeni, Olufemi R

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of paper (podium) presentations at the 2006-2010 Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) annual scientific meetings that were ultimately published in a peer-reviewed journal. Furthermore, we aimed to evaluate whether the level of evidence correlated with the publication rate of these presentations or the impact factor (IF) of the publishing journal. Paper presentations from the 2006-2010 AANA annual meetings were included for evaluation. Clinical studies were graded for quality using the level of evidence by 2 independent reviewers. A comprehensive strategy was used to search the databases PubMed, Medline, and Embase for publications in scientific journals that corresponded to the presentations and were published within 5 years of the presentation date. Three hundred twenty-eight presentations were evaluated. Overall, 179 peer-reviewed publications corresponding to particular meeting presentations were identified, for a 5-year publication rate of 55%. There was no correlation between the publication rate and the level of evidence (P = .836), the type of study (P = .628), or the joint of focus (P = .07) of the presentations. The mean IF of journals that published Level I studies (4.8 [standard error, 2.3]) was significantly higher than the mean IF of journals that published Level II, III, or IV studies (2.58 [standard error, 0.10]) (P = .017). Between 2006 and 2010, presentations of the highest level of evidence at AANA meetings were subsequently published at a similar rate to presentations of lower levels of evidence, albeit in journals with higher IFs. This study is an important initial evaluation of the ultimate clinical impact of AANA meeting presentations. The study type, joint of focus, and level of evidence of the presentations all had no correlation with the rate at which these presentations were ultimately published. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alcohol marketing and youth alcohol consumption: a systematic review of longitudinal studies published since 2008.

PubMed

Jernigan, David; Noel, Jonathan; Landon, Jane; Thornton, Nicole; Lobstein, Tim

2017-01-01

Youth alcohol consumption is a major global public health concern. Previous reviews have concluded that exposure to alcohol marketing was associated with earlier drinking initiation and higher alcohol consumption among youth. This review examined longitudinal studies published since those earlier reviews. Peer-reviewed papers were identified in medical, scientific and social science databases, supplemented by examination of reference lists. Non-peer-reviewed papers were included if they were published by organizations deemed to be authoritative, were fully referenced and contained primary data not available elsewhere. Papers were restricted to those that included measures of marketing exposure and alcohol consumption for at least 500 underage people. Multiple authors reviewed studies for inclusion and assessed their quality using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's Quality Assessment Tool for Observation Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Twelve studies (ranging in duration from 9 months to 8 years), following nine unique cohorts not reported on previously involving 35 219 participants from Europe, Asia and North America, met inclusion criteria. All 12 found evidence of a positive association between level of marketing exposure and level of youth alcohol consumption. Some found significant associations between youth exposure to alcohol marketing and initiation of alcohol use (odds ratios ranging from 1.00 to 1.69), and there were clear associations between exposure and subsequent binge or hazardous drinking (odds ratios ranging from 1.38 to 2.15). Mediators included marketing receptivity, brand recognition and alcohol expectancies. Levels of marketing exposure among younger adolescents were similar to those found among older adolescents and young adults. Young people who have greater exposure to alcohol marketing appear to be more likely subsequently to initiate alcohol use and engage in binge and hazardous drinking. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

International Conference in Computational Cell Biology: From the Past to the Future

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-12

24061 -0001 ABSTRACT Number of Papers published in peer -reviewed journals: Number of Papers published in non peer -reviewed journals: Final Report...present their latest research and discussed challenges in computational cell biology research and education. (a) Papers published in peer -reviewed...List the papers, including journal references, in the following categories: (b) Papers published in non- peer -reviewed journals (N/A for none) (c

Can research that is not intended or unlikely to be published be considered ethical?

PubMed

Barton, Christopher; Tam, Chun Wah Michael; Abbott, Penelope; Hall, Sally; Liaw, Siaw-Teng

2017-06-01

For research to be ethically acceptable, the potential benefits must justify any risks involved for participants. Dissemination of research findings through publication is one way of creating benefit, but not all researchers intend to publish their research. Other factors, such as lack of size or representativeness, generalisability or innovativeness, or negative findings mean the research is unlikely to be published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. This paper discusses ethical considerations in research where peer-reviewed publication is not intended or unlikely. Proposing research that is not intended or unlikely to be published in a peer-reviewed journal does not preclude it from being considered ethical. Additional benefits of such projects may include professional development of investigators, pilot data collection leading to more definitive studies, or developing collaborations with research users that increase relevance and improve utility of findings.

A Systematic Review on Mobile Learning in Higher Education: The African Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaliisa, Rogers; Picard, Michelle

2017-01-01

The spread and popularity of mobile devices has led to their increased application in higher education. While studies have reviewed mobile learning initiatives in different contexts, none has explored this subject in Africa. This systematic review collates and compares studies published between 2010 and 2016 on mobile learning in higher education…

The Impact of Creative Learning Environments on Learners: A Systematic Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jindal-Snape, Divya; Davies, Dan; Collier, Chris; Howe, Alan; Digby, Rebecca; Hay, Penny

2013-01-01

This article is based on a systematic review of educational research, policy and professional literature relating to creative environments for learning in schools. Despite the search yielding 210 documents, comparatively few empirical studies were published between 2005 and 2011 that addressed the review objectives. Only 18 studies included in the…

Interventions for Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Evaluation of Research Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schertz, Hannah H.; Reichow, Brian; Tan, Paulo; Vaiouli, Potheini; Yildirim, Emine

2012-01-01

Recently emerging intervention studies for toddlers with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) were reviewed through a systematic assessment of intervention outcomes, research rigor, and intervention features. The review includes published peer-reviewed experimental studies of toddlers with high risk for or diagnosis of ASD in which the majority of…

Overview of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Glasser, Allison M.; Katz, Lauren; Pearson, Jennifer L.; Abudayyeh, Haneen; Niaura, Raymond S.; Abrams, David B.; Villanti, Andrea C.

2016-01-01

Context Rapid developments in e-cigarettes, or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and the evolution of the overall tobacco product marketplace warrant frequent evaluation of the published literature. The purpose of this article is to report updated findings from a comprehensive review of the published scientific literature on ENDS. Evidence acquisition The authors conducted a systematic review of published empirical research literature on ENDS through May 31, 2016, using a detailed search strategy in the PubMed electronic database, expert review, and additional targeted searches. Included studies presented empirical findings and were coded to at least one of nine topics: (1) Product Features; (2) Health Effects; (3) Consumer Perceptions; (4) Patterns of Use; (5) Potential to Induce Dependence; (6) Smoking Cessation; (7) Marketing and Communication; (8) Sales; and (9) Policies; reviews and commentaries were excluded. Data from included studies were extracted by multiple coders (October 2015 to August 2016) into a standardized form and synthesized qualitatively by topic. Evidence synthesis There were 686 articles included in this systematic review. The majority of studies assessed patterns of ENDS use and consumer perceptions of ENDS, followed by studies examining health effects of vaping and product features. Conclusions Studies indicate that ENDS are increasing in use, particularly among current smokers, pose substantially less harm to smokers than cigarettes, are being used to reduce/quit smoking, and are widely available. More longitudinal studies and controlled trials are needed to evaluate the impact of ENDS on population-level tobacco use and determine the health effects of longer-term vaping. PMID:27914771

Prevalence of Pseudobulbar Affect following Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Gillespie, David C; Cadden, Amy P; Lees, Rosalind; West, Robert M; Broomfield, Niall M

2016-03-01

Several studies have reported that emotional lability is a common consequence of stroke. However, there is uncertainty about the "true" prevalence of the condition because, across these studies, patients have been recruited at different stages of recovery, from different settings, and using different diagnostic methods. There have been no systematic reviews of the published evidence to ascertain how the prevalence of poststroke pseudobulbar affect (PBA) might vary according to these factors. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the published literature were undertaken. A total of 15 studies (n = 3391 participants) met inclusion criteria for the review. Meta-analysis estimated that the prevalence of PBA was 17% (95% confidence interval 12%-24%) acutely (<1 month post stroke), 20% (14%-29%) post acutely (1-6 months post stroke), and 12% (8%-17%) in the medium to longer term (>6 months post stroke). The evidence from the published literature, although limited, is that crying is a more common PBA presentation following stroke than laughter. PBA is a common condition that affects approximately 1 in 5 stroke survivors at the acute and postacute phases, and 1 in 8 survivors beyond 6 months post stroke. These prevalence data are very important for clinicians and the commissioners of services. Copyright © 2016 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of speech errors in Putonghua speakers with cleft palate: a critical review of methodology issues.

PubMed

Jiang, Chenghui; Whitehill, Tara L

2014-04-01

Speech errors associated with cleft palate are well established for English and several other Indo-European languages. Few articles describing the speech of Putonghua (standard Mandarin Chinese) speakers with cleft palate have been published in English language journals. Although methodological guidelines have been published for the perceptual speech evaluation of individuals with cleft palate, there has been no critical review of methodological issues in studies of Putonghua speakers with cleft palate. A literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies published over the past 30 years in Chinese language journals. Only studies incorporating perceptual analysis of speech were included. Thirty-seven articles which met inclusion criteria were analyzed and coded on a number of methodological variables. Reliability was established by having all variables recoded for all studies. This critical review identified many methodological issues. These design flaws make it difficult to draw reliable conclusions about characteristic speech errors in this group of speakers. Specific recommendations are made to improve the reliability and validity of future studies, as well to facilitate cross-center comparisons.

Air pollution interventions and their impact on public health.

PubMed

Henschel, Susann; Atkinson, Richard; Zeka, Ariana; Le Tertre, Alain; Analitis, Antonis; Katsouyanni, Klea; Chanel, Olivier; Pascal, Mathilde; Forsberg, Bertil; Medina, Sylvia; Goodman, Patrick G

2012-10-01

Numerous epidemiological studies have found a link between air pollution and health. We are reviewing a collection of published intervention studies with particular focus on studies assessing both improvements in air quality and associated health effects. Interventions, defined as events aimed at reducing air pollution or where reductions occurred as a side effect, e.g. strikes, German reunification, from the 1960s onwards were considered for inclusion. This review is not a complete record of all existing air pollution interventions. In total, 28 studies published in English were selected based on a systematic search of internet databases. Overall air pollution interventions have succeeded at improving air quality. Consistently published evidence suggests that most of these interventions have been associated with health benefits, mainly by the way of reduced cardiovascular and/or respiratory mortality and/or morbidity. The decrease in mortality from the majority of the reviewed interventions has been estimated to exceed the expected predicted figures based on the estimates from time-series studies. There is consistent evidence that decreased air pollution levels following an intervention resulted in health benefits for the assessed population.

Risk factors associated with high prevalence rates of hepatitis C infection in Egypt.

PubMed

Reker, Celeste; Islam, K M

2014-08-01

Egypt has the highest reported prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) globally. Until now, no systematic review has been conducted to understand risk factors associated with these high prevalence rates of HCV. This study attempted to identify the various HCV risk factors in Egypt responsible for the high incidence and prevalence rates. Using systematic literature review methods, we searched databases for eligible manuscripts, selecting cohort and case-control studies published in English. Peer-reviewed papers published between 2008 and February 2013 were included. A total of 11 articles met the study selection criteria. The most examined risk factors found during our review analysis were surgery, transfusion, and age (64-82% of total articles; n = 11). Multiple risk factors held significant association with HCV infection in the included research. Based on this review, the main HCV risk factor categories are unsafe medical practices and familial risk factors. Improving medical safety and encouraging familial education on HCV may help reduce the incidence of the disease. Most risk factors for HCV transmission in Egypt are healthcare-associated. Primary prevention of HCV infection remains important to reduce HCV transmission. Further research should also focus on risk factor dynamics of HCV in Egypt to reduce transmission and HCV disease burden. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Complications of wrist arthroscopy.

PubMed

Ahsan, Zahab S; Yao, Jeffrey

2012-06-01

The purpose of this systematic review was to address the incidence of complications associated with wrist arthroscopy. Given the paucity of information published on this topic, an all-inclusive review of published wrist arthroscopy complications was sought. Two independent reviewers performed a literature search using PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCO, and Academic Megasearch using the terms "wrist arthroscopy complications," "complications of wrist arthroscopy," "wrist arthroscopy injury," and "wrist arthroscopy." Inclusion criteria were (1) Levels I to V evidence, (2) "complication" defined as an adverse outcome directly related to the operative procedure, and (3) explicit description of operative complications in the study. Eleven multiple-patient studies addressing complications of wrist arthroscopy from 1994 to 2010 were identified, with 42 complications reported from 895 wrist arthroscopy procedures, a 4.7% complication rate. Four case reports were also found, identifying injury to the dorsal sensory branch of the ulnar nerve, injury to the posterior interosseous nerve, and extensor tendon sheath fistula formation. This systematic review suggests that the previously documented rate of wrist arthroscopy complications may be underestimating the true incidence. The report of various complications provides insight to surgeons for improving future surgical techniques. Level IV, systematic review of Levels I-V studies. Copyright © 2012 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

O'Connor et al. systematic review regarding animal feeding operations and public health: critical flaws may compromise conclusions.

PubMed

Nachman, Keeve E; Lam, Juleen; Schinasi, Leah H; Smith, Tara C; Feingold, Beth J; Casey, Joan A

2017-08-31

In this comment, we summarize several scientific concerns with the recently published systematic review from O'Connor and colleagues that examined the relationship between proximity to animal-feeding operations and health of individuals in nearby communities. The authors utilized a bias tool not designed for environmental health research, erroneously excluded important studies, and incorrectly interpreted others. As a result, the conclusions drawn in the review misrepresent the evidence from the published literature, limiting its value to policymakers, researchers, and the public.

24 CFR 84.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed...) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an award that were used...

24 CFR 84.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed...) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an award that were used...

24 CFR 84.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed...) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an award that were used...

24 CFR 84.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed...) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an award that were used...

24 CFR 84.36 - Intangible property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...” material excludes physical objects (e.g., laboratory samples). Research data also do not include: (A) Trade... study. (ii) Published is defined as either when: (A) Research findings are published in a peer-reviewed...) request for research data relating to published research findings produced under an award that were used...

Message Framing in Vaccine Communication: A Systematic Review of Published Literature.

PubMed

Penţa, Marcela A; Băban, Adriana

2018-03-01

Suboptimal vaccination rates are a significant problem in many countries today, in spite of improved access to vaccine services. As a result, there has been a recent expansion of research on how best to communicate about vaccines. The purpose of the present article is to provide an updated review of published, peer-reviewed empirical studies that examined the effectiveness of gain versus loss framing (i.e., goal framing) in the context of vaccine communication. To locate studies, we examined the reference list from the previous meta-analytic review (O'Keefe & Nan, 2012), and we conducted systematic searches across multiple databases. We included 34 studies in the qualitative synthesis. The relative effectiveness of goal-framed vaccine messages was often shown to depend on characteristics of the message recipient, perceived risk, or situational factors, yet most effects were inconsistent across studies, or simply limited by an insufficient number of studies. Methodological characteristics and variations are noted and discussed. The review points to several directions concerning moderators and mediators of framing effects where additional rigorous studies would be needed.

Twenty years of meta-analyses in orthopaedic surgery: has quality kept up with quantity?

PubMed

Dijkman, Bernadette G; Abouali, Jihad A K; Kooistra, Bauke W; Conter, Henry J; Poolman, Rudolf W; Kulkarni, Abhaya V; Tornetta, Paul; Bhandari, Mohit

2010-01-01

As the number of studies in the literature is increasing, orthopaedic surgeons highly depend on meta-analyses as their primary source of scientific evidence. The objectives of this review were to assess the scientific quality and number of published meta-analyses on orthopaedics-related topics over time. We conducted, in duplicate and independently, a systematic review of published meta-analyses in orthopaedics in the years 2005 and 2008 and compared them with a previous systematic review of meta-analyses from 1969 to 1999. A search of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) was performed to identify meta-analyses published in 2005 and 2008. We searched bibliographies and contacted content experts to identify additional relevant studies. Two investigators independently assessed the quality of the studies, using the Oxman and Guyatt index, and abstracted relevant data. We included forty-five and forty-four meta-analyses from 2005 and 2008, respectively. While the number of meta-analyses increased fivefold from 1999 to 2008, the mean quality score did not change significantly over time (p = 0.067). In the later years, a significantly lower proportion of meta-analyses had methodological flaws (56% in 2005 and 68% in 2008) compared with meta-analyses published prior to 2000 (88%) (p = 0.006). In 2005 and 2008, respectively, 18% and 30% of the meta-analyses had major to extensive flaws in their methodology. Studies from 2008 with positive conclusions used and described appropriate criteria for the validity assessment less often than did those with negative results. The use of random-effects and fixed-effects models as pooling methods became more popular toward 2008. Although the methodological quality of orthopaedic meta-analyses has increased in the past twenty years, a substantial proportion continues to show major to extensive flaws. As the number of published meta-analyses is increasing, a routine checklist for scientific quality should be used in the peer-review process to ensure methodological standards for publication.

Parents' experiences and views of caring for a child with a tracheostomy: a literature review.

PubMed

Flynn, A P; Carter, B; Bray, L; Donne, A J

2013-10-01

To review the published/reported experiences and views of parents' whose child has had a tracheostomy. To date, no review has focused specifically on parents' experiences and views of having a child with a tracheostomy. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Embase were systematically searched from 1990 to 2012 and a review of reference lists was conducted. The review draws on articles where parents' views of caring for their child's tracheostomy were either the sole focus of the research or where parental views of caring for their child's tracheostomy have been sought as a subsidiary aim. Studies relating to the aims of the review were examined using quality appraisal tools and in line with criteria for inclusion of studies. Studies were excluded if findings were about adults, studies that only focused on children's or sibling's views were not based on empirical work (e.g. literature reviews or expert commentary) or were not published in the English language. Findings were summarised under thematic headings. The systematic database search identified 442 citations of which 10 were eligible for inclusion in the review. Of those 10 studies six were quantitative and four qualitative. Only one paper published qualitative data specifically on parents' experiences about their tracheotomised child. The three main themes identified were parents' experiences of caregiving, their social experiences and experiences of service delivery of having a child with a tracheostomy. Although parents encountered emotional and social challenges, some positive responses to these challenges were reported. This review identifies a lack of qualitative research on parents' views of having a child with a tracheostomy. Issues surrounding parental management of tracheostomy require further investigation. This review has identified the need to elicit parents' longitudinal experiences of having a child with a tracheostomy. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel citation-based search method for scientific literature: application to meta-analyses.

PubMed

Janssens, A Cecile J W; Gwinn, M

2015-10-13

Finding eligible studies for meta-analysis and systematic reviews relies on keyword-based searching as the gold standard, despite its inefficiency. Searching based on direct citations is not sufficiently comprehensive. We propose a novel strategy that ranks articles on their degree of co-citation with one or more "known" articles before reviewing their eligibility. In two independent studies, we aimed to reproduce the results of literature searches for sets of published meta-analyses (n = 10 and n = 42). For each meta-analysis, we extracted co-citations for the randomly selected 'known' articles from the Web of Science database, counted their frequencies and screened all articles with a score above a selection threshold. In the second study, we extended the method by retrieving direct citations for all selected articles. In the first study, we retrieved 82% of the studies included in the meta-analyses while screening only 11% as many articles as were screened for the original publications. Articles that we missed were published in non-English languages, published before 1975, published very recently, or available only as conference abstracts. In the second study, we retrieved 79% of included studies while screening half the original number of articles. Citation searching appears to be an efficient and reasonably accurate method for finding articles similar to one or more articles of interest for meta-analysis and reviews.

Vegetarian diets in the Adventist Health Study 2: a review of initial published findings1234

PubMed Central

Orlich, Michael J; Fraser, Gary E

2014-01-01

The Adventist Health Study 2 is a large cohort that is well suited to the study of the relation of vegetarian dietary patterns to health and disease risk. Here we review initial published findings with regard to vegetarian diets and several health outcomes. Vegetarian dietary patterns were associated with lower body mass index, lower prevalence and incidence of diabetes mellitus, lower prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its component factors, lower prevalence of hypertension, lower all-cause mortality, and in some instances, lower risk of cancer. Findings with regard to factors related to vegetarian diets and bone health are also reviewed. These initial results show important links between vegetarian dietary patterns and improved health. PMID:24898223

The rites of writing papers: steps to successful publishing for psychiatrists.

PubMed

Brakoulias, Vlasios; Macfarlane, Matthew D; Looi, Jeffrey C

2015-02-01

To encourage psychiatrists to publish high-quality articles in peer-reviewed journals by demystifying the publishing process. This paper will describe the publishing process and outline key factors that ensure that publishing is an achievable goal for psychiatrists. The publishing process can be long and often this is related to delays associated with obtaining reviewers and their comments. Negative reviewer comments often relate to grammatical and typographical errors, an insufficient literature review, failure to adequately discuss limitations and conclusions that are not adequately supported by the results. Authors who systematically respond to their paper's reviewer comments are usually successful in having their papers accepted. Success in publishing is usually determined by a topic that appeals to the readership of a journal, a credible methodology and a paper that is well-written. Publishing is achievable for all psychiatrists providing they can write a paper that delivers a clear and concise message, are willing to address reviewer comments and that their paper is tailored to the readership of the journal. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.

Fructosamine measurement for diabetes mellitus diagnosis and monitoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

PubMed

Nansseu, Jobert Richie N; Fokom-Domgue, Joël; Noubiap, Jean Jacques N; Balti, Eric V; Sobngwi, Eugène; Kengne, André Pascal

2015-05-15

Fructosamine is a marker of glucose control reflecting the average glycaemic level over the preceding 2-3 weeks. Fructosamine has not gained as much popularity as glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) for diabetes mellitus (DM) control monitoring, and the related underlying reasons remain unclear. We aim to search for and summarise available evidence on the accuracy of fructosamine measurements to diagnose and monitor DM. This systematic review will include randomised control trials, controlled before-and-after studies, time series designs, cohort studies, case-control studies and cross-sectional surveys reporting the diagnosis and/or monitoring of DM (type 1 DM, type 2 DM and gestational DM) with fructosamine compared with other measures of glycaemia (fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance test, random glucose, HbA1c), without any language restriction. We will perform electronic searches in PubMed, Scopus and other databases, supplemented with manual searches. Articles published from 1 January 1980 to 30 June 2015 will be eligible for inclusion in this review. Two authors will independently screen, select studies, extract data and assess the risk of bias with discrepancies resolved by consensus. We will assess clinical heterogeneity by examining the types of interventions and outcomes in each study, and pool studies judged to be clinically homogeneous. We will also assess statistical heterogeneity using the χ(2) test of homogeneity and quantify it using the I(2) statistic. Absolute accuracy measures (sensitivity, specificity) will be pooled in a bivariate random-effects model, allowing for intersetting variability. Negative and positive predictive values will be computed for fructosamine, compared with another measure of glycaemia from the pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity, using Bayes' theorem. This systematic review will use data from published studies and does not require ethics approval. Findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at scientific conferences. PROSPERO (ID=CRD42015015930). Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

A Systematic Review of Research on Teaching English Language Skills for Saudi EFL Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alsowat, Hamad H.

2017-01-01

This systematic review study sought to examine the teaching of English language skills in Saudi Arabia by systematically analyzing the previous studies on language skills which were published within the past ten years and identify the research areas to be bridged in the future. The study employed the systematic review approach. The search strategy…

Review of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the diabetic patient.

PubMed

Punjabi, Paawan; Hira, Angela; Prasad, Shanti; Wang, Xiangbing; Chokhavatia, Sita

2015-09-01

This article reviews the known pathophysiological mechanisms of comorbid gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the diabetic patient, discusses therapeutic options in care, and provides an approach to its evaluation and management. We searched for review articles published in the past 10 years through a PubMed search using the filters diabetes mellitus, GERD, pathophysiology, and management. The search only yielded a handful of articles, so we independently included relevant studies from these review articles along with related citations as suggested by PubMed. We found diabetic patients are more prone to developing GERD and may present with atypical manifestations. A number of mechanisms have been proposed to elucidate the connection between these two diseases. Studies involving treatment options for comorbid disease suggest conflicting drug-drug interactions. Currently, there are no published guidelines specifically for the evaluation and management of GERD in the diabetic patient. Although there are several proposed mechanisms for the higher prevalence of GERD in the diabetic patient, this complex interrelationship requires further research. Understanding the pathophysiology will help direct diagnostic evaluation. In our review, we propose a management algorithm for GERD in the diabetic patient. © 2015 Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Epidemiology characteristics, reporting characteristics, and methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on traditional Chinese medicine nursing interventions published in Chinese journals.

PubMed

Yang, Min; Jiang, Li; Wang, Aihong; Xu, Guihua

2017-02-01

To evaluate the epidemiological characteristics, reporting characteristics, and methodological quality of systematic reviews in the traditional Chinese medicine nursing field published in Chinese journals. The number of systematic reviews in the traditional Chinese medicine nursing field has increased, but their epidemiology, quality, and reporting characteristics have not been assessed completely. We generated an overview of reviews using a narrative approach. Four Chinese databases were searched for systematic reviews from inception to December 2015. The Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses and the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews checklists were adopted to evaluate reporting and methodological quality, respectively. A total of 73 eligible systematic reviews, published from 2005 to 2015, were included. The deficiencies in reporting characteristics mainly lay in the lack of structured abstract or protocol, incomplete reporting of search strategies, study selection, and risk of bias. The deficiencies in methodological quality were reflected in the lack of a priori design and conflict of interest, incomplete literature searches, and assessment of publication bias. The quality of the evaluated reviews was unsatisfactory; attention should be paid to the improvement of reporting and methodological quality in the conduct of systematic reviews. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Applications of the Schur Basis to Quantum Algorithms

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-10

superpolynomial speedups based on quantum circuits. (a) Papers published in peer -reviewed journals (N/A for none) 1. D.A.Bacon, I.L. Chuang, A.W...reporting period. List the papers, including journal references, in the following categories: (b) Papers published in non- peer -reviewed journals or in...MIT, Department of EECS, 2008 7.00Number of Papers published in peer -reviewed journals: Number of Papers published in non peer -reviewed journals: (c

A review study on the effect of Iranian herbal medicines against in vitro replication of herpes simplex virus

PubMed Central

Moradi, Mohammad-Taghi; Rafieian-Kopaei, Mahmoud; Karimi, Ali

2016-01-01

Objective: There are a number of published data indicating in vitro anti-HSV activity of some of Iranian herbal extracts with no systematic review to discuss these results. Therefore, this article was aimed to review and discuss the methods carried out and the phytochemistry and bioactivity of the extracts used and also conclusions provided in these publications. Materials and Methods: Published articles both in English (from Medline, Science Direct, EMBASE, Scopus, Pro Quest, Google scholar, Cochrane Library) and in Persian (from SID, Iran Medex and Magiran) databases, from 1966 to October 2014 were incorporated in this review. The in vitro studies that lacked CC50, IC50, were excluded. Results: Only 42 published reports were found to examine Iranian herbs against HSV replication in vitro. Seventeen out of 42 studies in which 23 kinds of medicinal plants were subjected to crude extraction were included. The review of data showed that some of the herbal extracts including Hyssopus officinalis methanolic extract, Melissa officinalis aqueous extract, Quercus persica L. hydroalcoholic extract and Securigeras ecuridaca methanolic extract with selective index (SI) of 234, 877, >778 and 250, respectively were highly effective against HSV in vitro. Conclusion: More comprehensive studies using more advanced methods are needed to be done to achieve promising anti-HSV agents from the bioactive compounds isolated from these herbs. PMID:27761420

Determinants of seat belt use behaviour: a protocol for a systematic review.

PubMed

Ghaffari, Mohtasham; Armoon, Bahram; Rakhshanderou, Sakineh; Mehrabi, Yadollah; Soori, Hamid; Simsekoghlu, Ozelem; Harooni, Javad

2018-05-03

The use of seat belts could prevent severe collision damage to people in vehicle accidents and keep passengers safe from sustaining serious injuries; for instance, it could prevent passengers from being thrown out of a vehicle after the collision. The current systematic review will identify and analyse the determinants of seat belt use behaviour. We will include qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies reporting the acquired data from passengers aged more than 12 years and drivers, from both commercial and personal vehicles. Online databases including MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and PsycINFO will be investigated in the current study. Published and available articles will be evaluated according to their titles and abstracts. Published papers conforming to the inclusion criteria will be organised for a complete review. Next, the full text of the remaining articles will be studied independently for eligibility by two authors. The quality of the selected studies will be assessed with appropriate tools. Based on the information obtained from the data extraction, the type of determinants of seat belt use will be classified. Ethics approval is not required, because this is a protocol for a systematic review and no primary data will be collected. The authors will ensure to maintain the rights of the used and included articles in the present systematic review. The findings of this review will be published in a relevant peer-reviewed journal. CRD42017067511. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice 2017 Year in Review.

PubMed

Schatz, Michael; Sicherer, Scott H; Zeiger, Robert S

An impressive number of clinically impactful studies and reviews were published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice in 2017. As a service to our readers, the editors provide this Year in Review article to highlight and contextualize the advances published over the past year. We include information from articles on asthma, allergic rhinitis, rhinosinusitis, immunotherapy, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, food allergy, anaphylaxis, drug hypersensitivity, urticarial/angioedema, eosinophilic disorders, and immunodeficiency. Within each topic, epidemiologic findings are presented, relevant aspects of prevention are described, and diagnostic and therapeutic advances are enumerated. Treatments discussed include behavioral therapy, allergen avoidance therapy, positive and negative effects of pharmacologic therapy, and various forms of immunologic and desensitization management. We hope this review will help readers consolidate and use this extensive and practical knowledge for the benefit of patients. Copyright © 2018 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Methionine production--a critical review.

PubMed

Willke, Thomas

2014-12-01

This paper presents an updated critical review about several attempts to contribute methionine (Met) to the world market with an emphasis on fermentation processes, especially from natural biological sources. Analytical methods for the determination of methionine are reviewed as well as applications in feed, food, pharmacy, and medicine. Fermentation studies published within the last five decades are elucidated critically, mainly with respect to the sulfur balance, substrate yield, and the analytical validity. From all the published fermentation data, it can be concluded that up to now no more than 5 g/L methionine are achievable without using genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The highest L-methionine concentration from natural sources reached so far amounts to 35 g/L and is published as a patent using a GMO of Escherichia coli. The review closes with a comprehensive overview of the role and activities of global methionine manufacturers. Some current market data is also presented.

Music therapy in pediatric oncology: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Hilliard, Russell E

2006-01-01

The review of literature provides an overview of both qualitative and quantitative research studies in the area of pediatric oncology music therapy. A total of 12 studies were reviewed. Eight used qualitative and four used quantitative research methods. All articles were published in peer-reviewed journals. This review summarizes the use of music therapy in treating the physical, emotional , social, and developmental needs of children undergoing curative and palliative treatment for cancer.

Intradiscal electrothermal therapy used to manage chronic discogenic low back pain: new directions and interventions.

PubMed

Wetzel, F Todd; McNally, Thomas A; Phillips, Frank M

2002-11-15

Retrospective literature review. To review the data on the clinical efficacy of intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty found at this writing in the peer-reviewed literature to date, to discuss the methodologic strengths and flaws of the studies, to discuss the pitfalls of clinical study designs, to emphasize the need for prospective randomized studies and for increased basic science investigation. Studies published or presented at peer-reviewed societies concerning the clinical efficacy of intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty are reviewed, including background studies on deafferentation and application of thermal energy to alter biomechanical and structural properties. A proposal for future investigations is presented. Background data from intracapsular annuloplasty highlighting the safety and efficacy of intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty are presented. Current studies on this procedure, including those in the National Registry are reviewed. All the studies share a common study design: prospective cohort with historical or noninterventional groups used as controls. The patients reviewed are similar. All have nonradicular low back pain of at least 3 months duration, failed conservative care, normal neurologic examination, and MRI showing only nondegenerative disc disease and positive concordant discography. All the patients underwent intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty lesion at one or two levels according to standard protocols. Follow-up evaluation was performed at various intervals up to 2 years. All the studies used data from a visual analog scale, with most using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) as outcome instruments. The reported follow-up periods for the studies ranged from 6 months to 2 years. Three published studies, one with a 6-month follow-up period and two with a 1-year follow-up period, were published in the peer-reviewed literature. Two recent reports presented to the North American Spine Society were reviewed: a study of patients on a manufacturer-sponsored registry with a 1-year follow-up period and a multicenter prospective cohort study of 75 patients in an intent-to-treat group, with a 1-year follow-up period. Using the 7-point criteria of Deyo et al, all the studies suggested a positive effect of treatment, with a decrease in visual analog scale ratings and improvement in SF-36 scales, particularly those for physical function and bodily pain. The studies published so far suggest that the pain resulting from lumbar disc disease may be diminished by intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty. All these studies project a positive therapeutic effect. However, all the studies suffer from the same methodologic flaws. A prospective cohort design or a nonrandomized prospective design is used with a biased control. The scientific validity of various study designs is discussed, and a randomized prospective study is recommended. Additionally, more investigation into the basic science of the action of intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty is required.

Trends in Educational Research: A Content Analysis of the Studies Published in "International Journal of Instruction"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egmir, Eray; Erdem, Cahit; Koçyigit, Mehmet

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to analyse the studies published in "International Journal of Instruction" ["IJI"] in the last ten years. This study is a qualitative, descriptive literature review study. The data was collected through document analysis, coded using constant comparison and analysed using content analysis. Frequencies…

Do published studies of educational outreach provide documentation of potentially important characteristics?

PubMed

Van Hoof, Thomas J; Miller, Nicole E; Meehan, Thomas P

2013-01-01

Educational outreach is a common intervention used to translate research findings into practice; however, the intervention has a mixed effect on changing clinician behavior and improving patient outcomes. Based on a published set of characteristics aimed at standardizing the approach to educational outreach, the authors undertook a careful review of the literature to determine the consistency and completeness of documentation. Using a 25-item abstraction tool, the authors reviewed 68 published studies of a recent Cochrane meta-analysis to determine the extent to which educational outreach studies provide recommended documentation of important characteristics. The results indicate that studies are generally inconsistent (documentation range of 0% to 100% across characteristics) and incomplete (documentation average of 43.1% across studies) in their descriptions. Documentation shortcomings of educational outreach studies make understanding the intervention and interpreting its findings particularly challenging. The authors recommend the creation of a guideline to help improve documentation of educational outreach efforts.

[Endonasal skull base endoscopy].

PubMed

Simal-Julián, Juan Antonio; Miranda-Lloret, Pablo; Pancucci, Giovanni; Evangelista-Zamora, Rocío; Pérez-Borredá, Pedro; Sanromán-Álvarez, Pablo; Perez-de-Sanromán, Laila; Botella-Asunción, Carlos

2013-01-01

The endoscopic endonasal techniques used in skull base surgery have evolved greatly in recent years. Our study objective was to perform a qualitative systematic review of the likewise systematic reviews in published English language literature, to examine the evidence and conclusions reached in these studies comparing transcranial and endoscopic approaches in skull base surgery. We searched the references on the MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases selecting the systematic reviews, meta-analyses and evidence based medicine reviews on skull based pathologies published from January 2000 until January 2013. We focused on endoscopic impact and on microsurgical and endoscopic technique comparisons. Full endoscopic endonasal approaches achieved gross total removal rates of craniopharyngiomas and chordomas higher than those for transcranial approaches. In anterior skull base meningiomas, complete resections were more frequently achieved after transcranial approaches, with a trend in favour of endoscopy with respect to visual prognosis. Endoscopic endonasal approaches minimised the postoperative complications after the treatment of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks, encephaloceles, meningoceles, craniopharyngiomas and chordomas, with the exception of postoperative CSF leaks. Randomized multicenter studies are necessary to resolve the controversy over endoscopic and microsurgical approaches in skull base surgery. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Neurocirugía. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

A Twenty-Five-Year Review of Knowledge Gap Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaziano, Cecilie

Evidence from 34 studies published since a 1983 review of 58 earlier studies underscores knowledge inequalities as an enduring phenomenon and emphasizes that interest in the knowledge gap phenomenon is accelerating. All 10 studies which varied "media publicity" supported the hypothesis. Eleven of 12 studies which varied some aspect of…

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-02-01

All papers published in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-04-01

All papers published in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-05-01

All papers published in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-03-01

All papers published in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Factors affecting recruitment into depression trials: Systematic review, meta-synthesis and conceptual framework.

PubMed

Hughes-Morley, Adwoa; Young, Bridget; Waheed, Waquas; Small, Nicola; Bower, Peter

2015-02-01

Depression is common and clinical trials are crucial for evaluating treatments. Difficulties in recruiting participants into depression trials are well-documented, yet no study has examined the factors affecting recruitment. This review aims to identify the factors affecting recruitment into depression trials and to develop a conceptual framework through systematic assessment of published qualitative research. Systematic review and meta-synthesis of published qualitative studies. Meta-synthesis involves a synthesis of themes across a number of qualitative studies to produce findings that are "greater than the sum of the parts". ASSIA, CINAHL, Embase, Medline and PsychInfo were searched up to April 2013. Reference lists of included studies, key publications and relevant reviews were also searched. Quality appraisal adopted the "prompts for appraising qualitative research". 7977 citations were identified, and 15 studies were included. Findings indicate that the decision to enter a depression trial is made by patients and gatekeepers based on the patient׳s health state at the time of being approached to participate; on their attitude towards the research and trial interventions; and on the extent to which patients become engaged with the trial. Our conceptual framework highlights that the decision to participate by both the patient and the gatekeeper involves a judgement between risk and reward. Only English language publications were included in this review. Findings from this review have implications for the design of interventions to improve recruitment into depression trials. Such interventions may aim to diminish the perceived risks and increase the perceived rewards of participation. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association between HTR2C gene variants and suicidal behaviour: a protocol for the systematic review and meta-analysis of genetic studies.

PubMed

Thelma Beatriz, González-Castro; Isela, Juárez-Rojop; Alma, Genis; María Lilia, López-Narváez; Carlos Alfonso, Tovilla-Zárate

2014-09-04

Suicide is an important public health problem and one of the most common causes of death throughout the world. Suicidal behaviour is complex, and its causes are multifactorial. Case-control studies have reported an association between an alteration of the serotonin system and suicidal behaviour. Recently, it has been suggested that the 5-HTRC2 serotonin receptor gene is involved in the pathogenesis of suicidal behaviour. To evaluate the role of the 5-HTR2C gene in suicidal behaviour, we will perform a systematic review and a meta-analysis of worldwide reports that have investigated the association between the serotonin system and suicidal behaviour. This analysis will be reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. Studies deemed fit for inclusion in the systematic review will be scored for methodological quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Assessment Scale (NOS). The inclusion criteria will be to present independent data, to be case-control studies and to be published in journal peer reviews. To generate more accurate analyses, we will grade the reports using the GRADES scale procedures. This study will describe the association between the HTR2C gene and suicidal behaviour. The results will be reported in a peer-reviewed publication and in scientific presentations in Mexico and throughout the world. PROSPERO CRD42014009213. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Diclofenac Potassium in Acute Postoperative Pain and Dysmenorrhoea: Results from Comprehensive Clinical Trial Reports

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

We compared the efficacy of diclofenac potassium in unpublished clinical study reports (CSRs) and published reports to examine publication bias, industry bias, and comprehensiveness. Novartis provided CSRs of randomised double-blind trials of diclofenac potassium involving postoperative patients following third molar extraction (3 trials, n=519), gynaecological surgery (3 trials, n=679), and dysmenorrhoea (2 trials, n=711) conducted in 1988–1990. Searches identified published reports of 6 trials. Information from 599/1909 patients was not published; trials with 846/1909 patients were published in a defunct journal. Greater methodological information in CSRs contributed to lesser risk of bias than published trials. Numbers needed to treat (NNT) from CSRs for all six postoperative trials for at least 50% of maximum pain relief over 6 h were 2.2 (95% confidence interval, 1.9–2.6) and 2.1 (1.8–2.4) for 50 and 100 mg diclofenac potassium, respectively. A Cochrane review of published trial data reported NNTs of 2.1 and 1.9, and one comprehensive analysis reported NNTs of 2.2 and 2.1, respectively. All analyses had similar results for patients remedicating within 8 h. No data from dysmenorrhoea CSRs appeared in a Cochrane review. CSRs provide useful information and increase confidence. Stable efficacy estimates with standard study designs reduce the need for updating reviews. PMID:29623148

[Epidemiology of urolithiasis in Spain: Review of published demographic data in the period 1977-2016.

PubMed

Sánchez-Martín, Francisco María; Angerri, Oriol; Emiliani, Esteban; Moncada, Enver; Carpio, José; Millán, Félix; Villavicencio, Humberto

2017-03-01

Epidemiological data on urolithiasis in Spain have appeared in publications especially local and regional level, with few referrals to Spanish national territory. The aim of this paper is to review and systematize the epidemiological data published on urolithiasis in Spain. We reviewed publications in national and international scientific journals, meetings and conferences, and research reports (1977-2016). PubMed search (indexed papers) and manual bibliography search (not indexed works) were performed. Bibliometric data evaluated: Year of publication, geographic area, number of cases, sample type, study design and publishing format. Demographic systematization of data: age, age and frequency distribution by gender, family history, social stratum, profession, place of residence, ethnics, seasonality and dietary habits. Publications revised: 79 corresponding to 56 main authors. Selected publications with original data: 42 (2 composed by Part I and II, and 2 composed by paper and thesis), corresponding to 35 authors. Bibliometric and demographic data of all publications are displayed in tables, sorted by variables. The comprehensive review of studies on epidemiology in Spain constitutes a solid basis for future research about epidemiology of urolithiasis.

Effects of life review on mental health and well-being among cancer patients: A systematic review.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoling; Xiao, Huimin; Chen, Ying

2017-09-01

Cancer patients often experience psychological distress. Life review has increasingly been used to enhance their mental health and well-being. However, no systematic review has synthesized the evidence, and its effects remain unclear. To examine and synthesize the best available evidence on the effects of life review on mental health and well-being among cancer patients. Systematic review of randomized controlled trials and clinical controlled trials. Twelve electronic databases were searched for published studies reported in English or Chinese, from inception to September 2016. Other supplementary sources, such as related websites, professional books, reference lists, and author contacts were also used for published or unpublished studies. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify eligible randomized controlled trials or clinical controlled trials about the effects of life review on cancer patients. Study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction were independently performed by two reviewers. The results were synthesized without meta-analysis in this review. Fifteen studies (899 participants) were identified; of that total, nine studies were rated as strong in quality, while six studies were of moderate quality. In addition to structured life review interviews, other elements such as memory prompts and a legacy product were integrated into life review programs. A majority of studies indicated that life review programs benefited cancer patients by reducing depression and anxiety, as well as improving their sense of hope, self-esteem and quality of life. Life review can improve mental health and well-being among cancer patients. This suggests that life review can be integrated into typical cancer treatment to enhance patients' mental health and well-being. More research with rigorous design is necessary to further explore the effects of life review. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A scoping review of rapid review methods.

PubMed

Tricco, Andrea C; Antony, Jesmin; Zarin, Wasifa; Strifler, Lisa; Ghassemi, Marco; Ivory, John; Perrier, Laure; Hutton, Brian; Moher, David; Straus, Sharon E

2015-09-16

Rapid reviews are a form of knowledge synthesis in which components of the systematic review process are simplified or omitted to produce information in a timely manner. Although numerous centers are conducting rapid reviews internationally, few studies have examined the methodological characteristics of rapid reviews. We aimed to examine articles, books, and reports that evaluated, compared, used or described rapid reviews or methods through a scoping review. MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, internet websites of rapid review producers, and reference lists were searched to identify articles for inclusion. Two reviewers independently screened literature search results and abstracted data from included studies. Descriptive analysis was conducted. We included 100 articles plus one companion report that were published between 1997 and 2013. The studies were categorized as 84 application papers, seven development papers, six impact papers, and four comparison papers (one was included in two categories). The rapid reviews were conducted between 1 and 12 months, predominantly in Europe (58 %) and North America (20 %). The included studies failed to report 6 % to 73 % of the specific systematic review steps examined. Fifty unique rapid review methods were identified; 16 methods occurred more than once. Streamlined methods that were used in the 82 rapid reviews included limiting the literature search to published literature (24 %) or one database (2 %), limiting inclusion criteria by date (68 %) or language (49 %), having one person screen and another verify or screen excluded studies (6 %), having one person abstract data and another verify (23 %), not conducting risk of bias/quality appraisal (7 %) or having only one reviewer conduct the quality appraisal (7 %), and presenting results as a narrative summary (78 %). Four case studies were identified that compared the results of rapid reviews to systematic reviews. Three studies found that the conclusions between rapid reviews and systematic reviews were congruent. Numerous rapid review approaches were identified and few were used consistently in the literature. Poor quality of reporting was observed. A prospective study comparing the results from rapid reviews to those obtained through systematic reviews is warranted.

Prevention of Internet addiction: A systematic review.

PubMed

Vondráčková, Petra; Gabrhelík, Roman

2016-12-01

Background and aims Out of a large number of studies on Internet addiction, only a few have been published on the prevention of Internet addiction. The aim of this study is provide a systematic review of scientific articles regarding the prevention of Internet addiction and to identify the relevant topics published in this area of interest. Methods The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were adopted. The EBSCO, ProQuest Central, and PubMed databases were searched for texts published in English and Spanish between January 1995 and April 2016. A total of 179 original texts were obtained. After de-duplication and topic-relevance review, 108 texts were systematically classified and subjected to descriptive analysis and subsequent content analysis. Results The results of the content analysis yielded the following thematic areas: (a) target groups, (b) the improvement of specific skills, (c) program characteristics, and (d) environmental interventions. Discussion and conclusion Literature on the prevention of Internet addiction is scarce. There is an urgent need to introduce and implement new interventions for different at-risk populations, conduct well-designed research, and publish data on the effectiveness of these interventions. Developing prevention interventions should primarily target children and adolescents at risk of Internet addiction but also parents, teachers, peers, and others who are part of the formative environment of children and adolescents at risk of Internet addiction. Newly designed interventions focused on Internet addiction should be rigorously evaluated and the results published.

Prevention of Internet addiction: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Vondráčková, Petra; Gabrhelík, Roman

2016-01-01

Background and aims Out of a large number of studies on Internet addiction, only a few have been published on the prevention of Internet addiction. The aim of this study is provide a systematic review of scientific articles regarding the prevention of Internet addiction and to identify the relevant topics published in this area of interest. Methods The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were adopted. The EBSCO, ProQuest Central, and PubMed databases were searched for texts published in English and Spanish between January 1995 and April 2016. A total of 179 original texts were obtained. After de-duplication and topic-relevance review, 108 texts were systematically classified and subjected to descriptive analysis and subsequent content analysis. Results The results of the content analysis yielded the following thematic areas: (a) target groups, (b) the improvement of specific skills, (c) program characteristics, and (d) environmental interventions. Discussion and conclusion Literature on the prevention of Internet addiction is scarce. There is an urgent need to introduce and implement new interventions for different at-risk populations, conduct well-designed research, and publish data on the effectiveness of these interventions. Developing prevention interventions should primarily target children and adolescents at risk of Internet addiction but also parents, teachers, peers, and others who are part of the formative environment of children and adolescents at risk of Internet addiction. Newly designed interventions focused on Internet addiction should be rigorously evaluated and the results published. PMID:27998173

A review on use of botulinum toxin for intractable lacrimal drainage disorders.

PubMed

Singh, Swati; Ali, Mohammad Javed; Paulsen, Friedrich

2017-08-01

To review the published literature on botulinum toxin (BTX) for epiphora secondary to refractory lacrimal drainage disorders. The authors performed a Pub Med search of all articles published in English on BTX injection into lacrimal gland for epiphora secondary to lacrimal drainage disorders. Relevant cross-references were obtained from the resultant studies. Data reviewed included demographics, indications, dose of BTX, number of injections, transconjunctival or transcutaneous route, outcomes and complications. Animal experiments of BTX into lacrimal gland were included and analyzed separately. Botulinum toxin injection into lacrimal gland, in animal studies, has shown to reduce the tear volume significantly lasting for approximately a month without any histological changes. The major indications have been refractory canalicular obstructions and functional epiphora. The commonly used dose was 2.5 U. Outcomes in the few studies published are encouraging with transient ptosis being the most common complication. Botulinum toxin into the lacrimal gland is a minimally invasive alternative in cases of refractory epiphora secondary to lacrimal drainage disorders. In these subsets of patients, the reported concentrations, dosage and outcome measures are variable and need larger studies for standardization.

Systematic review of chronic pain in persons with Marfan syndrome.

PubMed

Velvin, G; Bathen, T; Rand-Hendriksen, S; Geirdal, A Ø

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the literature on chronic pain in adults with Marfan syndrome (MFS), critically appraising and synthesizing relevant literature. A systematic review was conducted by searching the published literature databases using available medical, physical, psychological, social databases and other sources. All studies that addressed pain in MFS, published in peer-reviewed journals were assessed. Of 351 search results, 18 articles satisfied the eligibility criteria. All studies were cross-sectional and quantitative; no randomized controlled trials or intervention studies were found. Most studies had small sample sizes, low response rates and mainly dealt with other aspects of the diagnosis than pain. Only one article dealt mainly with pain. The research on chronic pain in MFS is limited in size and quality. Despite these limitations, studies describe that the prevalence of pain in patients with MFS is high, varying from 47 to 92% and affecting several anatomic sites. In addition, chronic pain limits daily function and few studies describe treatment options for pain in patients with MFS. Research is needed to obtain more evidence-based knowledge for developing more appropriate rehabilitation programs for people with MFS. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Forty years of quality-of-life research in congenital heart disease: Temporal trends in conceptual and methodological rigor.

PubMed

Bratt, Ewa-Lena; Moons, Philip

2015-09-15

The first study on quality of life (QoL) in patients with congenital heart disease was published 40 years ago. Since then, the number of QoL articles on these patients has grown exponentially. We conducted a systematic literature review of all empirical studies on QoL in patients with congenital heart disease published since 1974, with the aim of determining the range of conceptual and methodological rigor of studies and identifying temporal trends in these parameters. PubMed, Embase, and Cinahl were searched for empirical studies addressing QoL in children, adolescents, or adults with congenital heart disease, published between January 1, 1974, and December 31, 2014. We applied 10 review criteria that were previously developed by Gill and Feinstein in 1994 and further refined by Moons et al. in 2004. Overall, 234 articles were reviewed. We found slight but non-significant temporal improvements in conceptual and methodological rigor and in use of assessment methods. This indicates a trend toward a more professional and exacting approach in QoL assessments. However, the majority of articles still had substantial conceptual and methodological deficits. Furthermore, we observed that citation of the publications of Gill and Feinstein and Moons et al. in published QoL research is associated with higher quality scores, suggesting that these articles have a positive impact on conceptual and methodological caliber. Despite 40 years of QoL research in this field, this review shows that major weaknesses in methodological rigor remain highly prevalent, which may make QoL studies inconclusive. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retail food environments research in Canada: A scoping review.

PubMed

Minaker, Leia M; Shuh, Alanna; Olstad, Dana L; Engler-Stringer, Rachel; Black, Jennifer L; Mah, Catherine L

2016-06-09

The field of retail food environments research is relatively new in Canada. The objective of this scoping review is to provide an overview of retail food environments research conducted before July 2015 in Canada. Specifically, this review describes research foci and key findings, identifies knowledge gaps and suggests future directions for research. A search of published literature concerning Canadian investigations of retail food environment settings (food stores, restaurants) was conducted in July 2015 using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, PsychInfo and ERIC. Studies published in English that reported qualitative or quantitative data on any aspect of the retail food environment were included, as were conceptual papers and commentaries. Eighty-eight studies were included in this review and suggest that the field of retail food environments research is rapidly expanding in Canada. While only 1 paper was published before 2005, 66 papers were published between 2010 and 2015. Canadian food environments research typically assessed either the socio-economic patterning of food environments (n = 28) or associations between retail food environments and diet, anthropometric or health outcomes (n = 33). Other papers profiled methodological research, qualitative studies, intervention research and critical commentaries (n = 27). Key gaps in the current literature include measurement inconsistency among studies and a lack of longitudinal and intervention studies. Retail food environments are a growing topic of research, policy and program development in Canada. Consistent methods (where appropriate), longitudinal and intervention research, and close partnerships between researchers and key stakeholders would greatly advance the field of retail food environments research in Canada.

Community-deliverable exercise and anxiety in adults with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

PubMed

Kelley, George A; Kelley, Kristi S; Callahan, Leigh F

2017-03-06

While anxiety is a major public health problem in adults with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases (AORD), the effects of exercise on anxiety in adults are not well established despite numerous studies on this topic. The purpose of this study is to conduct a systematic review with an aggregate data meta-analysis to determine the effects of community-deliverable exercise interventions (aerobic, strength training or both) on anxiety in adults with AORD. Randomised controlled exercise intervention trials ≥4 weeks and published in any language up to 31 December 2016 will be included. Studies will be retrieved by searching 8 electronic databases, cross-referencing and expert review. Dual selection and abstraction of data will occur. The primary outcome will be changes in anxiety. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment instrument while confidence in the cumulative evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) instrument. Standardised effect sizes for anxiety will be calculated from each study and then pooled using the inverse variance heterogeneity (IVhet) model. Meta-regression based on the IVhet model will be used to examine the relationship between changes in anxiety and selected covariates. The results of this study will be presented at a professional conference and published in a peer-reviewed journal. CRD42016048728. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Research Supporting Middle Grades Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hough, David L., Ed.

2010-01-01

Exemplary Middle Grades Research: Evidence-Based Studies Linking Theory to Practice features research published throughout 2009 in MGRJ that has been identified by the Information Age Publishing's review board as the most useful in terms of assisting educators with making practical applications from evidence-based studies to classroom and school…

Critical appraisal of emergency medicine education research: the best publications of 2012.

PubMed

Lin, Michelle; Fisher, Jonathan; Coates, Wendy C; Farrell, Susan E; Shayne, Philip; Maggio, Lauren; Kuhn, Gloria

2014-03-01

The objective was to critically appraise and highlight medical education research published in 2012 that was methodologically superior and whose outcomes were pertinent to teaching and education in emergency medicine (EM). A search of the English language literature in 2012 querying Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), PsychInfo, PubMed, and Scopus identified EM studies using hypothesis-testing or observational investigations of educational interventions. Two reviewers independently screened all of the publications and removed articles using established exclusion criteria. This year, publications limited to a single-site survey design that measured satisfaction or self-assessment on unvalidated instruments were not formally reviewed. Six reviewers then independently ranked all remaining publications using one of two scoring systems depending on whether the study methodology was primarily qualitative or quantitative. Each scoring system had nine criteria, including four related to methodology, that were chosen a priori, to standardize evaluation by reviewers. The quantitative study scoring system was used previously to appraise medical education published annually in 2008 through 2011, while a separate, new qualitative study scoring system was derived and implemented consisting of parallel metrics. Forty-eight medical education research papers met the a priori criteria for inclusion, and 33 (30 quantitative and three qualitative studies) were reviewed. Seven quantitative and two qualitative studies met the criteria for inclusion as exemplary and are summarized in this article. This critical appraisal series aims to promote superior education research by reviewing and highlighting nine of the 48 major education research studies with relevance to EM published in 2012. Current trends and common methodologic pitfalls in the 2012 papers are noted. © 2014 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Family Boundary Ambiguity: A 30-Year Review of Theory, Research, and Measurement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, Jason S.; Olson, Chad D.; Buckmiller, Nicolle

2007-01-01

Since its introduction 30 years ago, family boundary ambiguity (BA) has been a widely used construct in family stress research and clinical intervention. In this article, we present a comprehensive and interdisciplinary review of published research studies that have used BA as a primary variable. Our review identified 37 studies investigating BA…

Epistemology in Qualitative Social Work Research: A Review of Published Articles, 2008-2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gringeri, Christina; Barusch, Amanda; Cambron, Christopher

2013-01-01

This study explores the epistemological foundations of qualitative social work research. A template-based review was completed on 100 articles from social work journals. Reviewers examined five things: (1) the purpose or aims of the research, (2) the rationale or justification for the work, (3) the populations studied, (4) the presence of four…

Comparison of the Predictive Validity and Consistency among Preference Assessment Procedures: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Soyeon; O'Reilly, Mark; Lancioni, Giulio; Falcomata, Terry S.; Sigafoos, Jeff; Xu, Ziwei

2013-01-01

We reviewed 14 experimental studies comparing different preference assessments for individuals with developmental disabilities that were published in peer-reviewed journals between 1985 and 2012. Studies were summarized based on the following six variables: (a) the number of participants, (b) the type of disability, (c) the number and type of…

Cues and Concerns by Patients in Medical Consultations: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmermann, Christa; Del Piccolo, Lidia; Finset, Arnstein

2007-01-01

The aim of the current article is to review the peer-reviewed research literature on cues and concerns published between 1975 and 2006. To be included, articles had to report observational studies based on patient-physician consultations and report findings on patient expressions of cues and/or concerns. Quantitative and qualitative studies from…

Insights Gained by Schools and Emotional Consequences of School Inspections. A Review of Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penninckx, Maarten; Vanhoof, Jan

2015-01-01

This study systematically reviews research evidence regarding two questions: (1) to what extent do schools gain insight into the quality of their own functioning as a result of an inspection? and (2) what are the emotional consequences of inspections experienced by school staff? It provides a review of empirical research studies published as…

Inclusion of children with developmental disabilities in Arab countries: A review of the research literature from 1990 to 2014.

PubMed

Alkhateeb, Jamal M; Hadidi, Muna S; Alkhateeb, Amal J

2016-01-01

In this study, a literature review was conducted to analyze studies published from 1990 to 2014 in English-written literature on inclusion of children with developmental disabilities in Arab countries. This study sought to review and analyze research conducted on Inclusive Education (IE) in Arab countries. The following electronic databases were used in searching the relevant literature: ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, PsychINFO, EBSCOhost Databases, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Database, ERIC, and Google Scholar. After the publications to be included in this study were retrieved, each study was reviewed and analyzed. Each study was examined for details such as authors, title of research, publication year, country, purpose, methods, and key findings. The results showed that a total of 42 empirical studies related to inclusion of children with developmental disabilities in Arab countries have been published. More than two-thirds of these studies came from United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The majority of the studies were published in the last 6 years. The main parameters in these studies were: attitudes toward inclusion, barriers to inclusion, and evaluating inclusion. The results of the current study revealed that relatively little IE research has been conducted in Arab countries. More research is warranted to test the generalizability of the results of the current study. Further research is also needed to analyze IE practices and demonstrate strategies for the effective implementation of IE in these countries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attention and Cognitive Bias Modification Apps: Review of the Literature and of Commercially Available Apps.

PubMed

Zhang, Melvyn; Ying, JiangBo; Song, Guo; Fung, Daniel Ss; Smith, Helen

2018-05-24

Automatic processes, such as attentional biases or interpretative biases, have been purported to be responsible for several psychiatric disorders. Recent reviews have highlighted that cognitive biases may be modifiable. Advances in eHealth and mHealth have been harnessed for the delivery of cognitive bias modification. While several studies have evaluated mHealth-based bias modification intervention, no review, to our knowledge, has synthesized the evidence for it. In addition, no review has looked at commercial apps and their functionalities and methods of bias modification. A review is essential in determining whether scientifically validated apps are available commercially and the proportion of commercial apps that have been evaluated scientifically. The objective of this review was primarily to determine the proportion of attention or cognitive bias modification apps that have been evaluated scientifically and secondarily to determine whether the scientifically evaluated apps were commercially available. We also sought to identify commercially available bias modification apps and determine the functionalities of these apps, the methods used for attention or cognitive bias modification, and whether these apps had been evaluated scientifically. To identify apps in the published literature, we searched PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus for studies published from 2000 to April 17, 2018. The search terms used were "attention bias" OR "cognitive bias" AND "smartphone" OR "smartphone application" OR "smartphone app" OR "mobile phones" OR "mobile application" OR mobile app" OR "personal digital assistant." To identify commercial apps, we conducted a manual cross-sectional search between September 15 and 25, 2017 in the Apple iTunes and Google Play app stores. The search terms used to identify the apps were "attention bias" and "cognitive bias." We also conducted a manual search on the apps with published evaluations. The effectiveness of bias modification was reported in 7 of 8 trials that we identified in the published literature. Only 1 of the 8 previously evaluated apps was commercially available. The 17 commercial apps we identified tended to use either an attention visual search or gamified task. Only 1 commercial app had been evaluated in the published literature. This is perhaps the first review to synthesize the evidence for published mHealth attention bias apps. Our review demonstrated that evidence for mHealth attention bias apps is inconclusive, and quite a few commercial apps have not been validated scientifically. ©Melvyn Zhang, JiangBo Ying, Guo Song, Daniel SS Fung, Helen Smith. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 24.05.2018.

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-03-01

All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-05-01

All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2017-11-01

All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2017-10-01

All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2017-09-01

All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-02-01

All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2017-12-01

All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Peer review statement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2018-03-01

All papers published in this volume of IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

Conflict of Interest and Disclosure Policies in Psychiatry and Medicine: A Comparative Study of Peer-Reviewed Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khurana, Gauri; Henderson, Schuyler; Walter, Garry; Martin, Andres

2012-01-01

Objective: The authors reviewed and characterized conflict of interest (COI) and disclosure policies published in peer-reviewed psychiatric and nonpsychiatric journals. Methods: The authors examined peer-reviewed publications in the psychiatric (N=20) and nonpsychiatric (N=20) literature. Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, they…

Mini review on fructose metabolism.

PubMed

Akram, M; Hamid, Abdul

2013-01-01

Fructose is a monosaccharide and reducing sugar. It is present in sucrose and honey. Researchers around the world have come together in a just-published study that offers new ideas about how fructose consumption results in obesity and metabolic syndrome, which can lead to diabetes. In this review, we discuss that how fructose causes fatty liver, obesity and insulin resistance. We also discuss the effects of consumption of high fructose corn syrup, dietary fructose, fructose-induced changes in metabolism.: © 2013 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity . Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Affinity in electrophoresis.

PubMed

Heegaard, Niels H H

2009-06-01

The journal Electrophoresis has greatly influenced my approaches to biomolecular affinity studies. The methods that I have chosen as my main tools to study interacting biomolecules--native gel and later capillary zone electrophoresis--have been the topic of numerous articles in Electrophoresis. Below, the role of the journal in the development and dissemination of these techniques and applications reviewed. Many exhaustive reviews on affinity electrophoresis and affinity CE have been published in the last few years and are not in any way replaced by the present deliberations that are focused on papers published by the journal.

A systematic review of ethical issues in vaccine studies involving pregnant women.

PubMed

Beeler, Jennifer A; Lambach, Philipp; Fulton, T Roice; Narayanan, Divya; Ortiz, Justin R; Omer, Saad B

2016-08-02

Immunization during pregnancy can provide protection for mother and child. However, there have been only a limited number of studies documenting the efficacy and safety of this strategy. To determine the extent and nature of subject matter related to ethics in maternal immunization by systematically documenting the spectrum of ethical issues in vaccine studies involving pregnant women. We conducted a systematic literature review of published works pertaining to vaccine and therapeutic studies involving pregnant women through searches of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Database, and ClinicalTrials.gov. We selected literature meeting the inclusion criteria published between 1988 and June 2014. We systematically abstracted subject matter pertaining to ethical issues in immunization studies during pregnancy. Immunization-specific ethical issues were matched and grouped into major categories and subcategories. Seventy-seven published articles met the inclusion criteria. Published articles reported findings on data that had been collected in 26 countries, the majority of which were classified as high-income or upper-middle-income nations according to World Bank criteria. Review of these publications produced 60 immunization-specific ethical issues, grouped into six major categories. Notably, many studies demonstrated limited acknowledgment of key ethical issues including the rights and welfare of participants. Additionally, there was no discussion pertaining to the ethics of program implementation, including integration of maternal immunization programs into existing routine immunization programs. This review of ethical issues in immunization studies of pregnant women can be used to help inform future vaccine trials in this important population. Consistent documentation of these ethical issues by investigators will facilitate a broader and more nuanced discussion of ethics in immunization of pregnant women - offering new and valuable insights for programs developed to prevent disease in newborn children in low- and middle-income countries.

A review of schizophrenia research in malaysia.

PubMed

Chee, K Y; Salina, A A

2014-08-01

Research in schizophrenia has advanced tremendously. One hundred and seventy five articles related to Schizophrenia were found from a search through a database dedicated to indexing all original data relevant to medicine published in Malaysia between the years 2000-2013. This project aims to examine published research articles, in local and international journals in order to provide a glimpse of the research interest in Malaysia with regards to schizophrenia. Single case study, case series report, reviews and registry reports were not included in this review. Medication trial, unless it concerned a wider scope of psychopharmacology was also excluded from this review. A total of 105 articles were included in this review. Despite numerous genetics studies conducted and published, a definitive conclusion on the aetiology or mechanism underlying schizophrenia remains elusive. The National Mental Health - Schizophrenia Registry (NMHR) proved to be an important platform for many studies and publications. Studies stemmed from NMHR have provided significant insight into the baseline characteristic of patients with schizophrenia, pathway to care, and outcomes of the illness. International and regional collaborations have also encouraged important work involving stigma and discrimination in schizophrenia. Ministry of Health's hospitals (MOH) are the main research sites in the country with regards to schizophrenia research. Numbers of schizophrenia research are still low in relation to the number of universities and hospitals in the country. Some of the weaknesses include duplication of studies, over-emphasising clinical trials and ignoring basic clinical research, and the lack of publications in international and regional journals.

Publication Trends in The Analysis of Verbal Behavior: 1999-2008

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcon-Dawson, Allyne; Vicars, Sara M.; Miguel, Caio F.

2009-01-01

"The Analysis of Verbal Behavior" ("TAVB") publishes experimental and theoretical papers relevant to a behavioral analysis of language. Normand, Fossa, and Poling (2000) reviewed the published studies in "TAVB" across several dimensions and found that despite the growth of the journal, most articles published in "TAVB" from 1982 to 1998 were…

Converting systematic reviews to Cochrane format: a cross-sectional survey of Australian authors of systematic reviews

PubMed Central

Piehl, Janet H; Green, Sally; McDonald, Steve

2003-01-01

Background Despite the growing reputation and subject coverage of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, many systematic reviews continue to be published solely in paper-based health care journals. This study was designed to determine why authors choose to publish their systematic reviews outside of the Cochrane Collaboration and if they might be interested in converting their reviews to Cochrane format for publication in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Methods Cross-sectional survey of Australian primary authors of systematic reviews not published on the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews identified from the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness. Results We identified 88 systematic reviews from the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness with an Australian as the primary author. We surveyed 52 authors for whom valid contact information was available. The response rate was 88 per cent (46/52). Ten authors replied without completing the survey, leaving 36 valid surveys for analysis. The most frequently cited reasons for not undertaking a Cochrane review were: lack of time (78%), the need to undergo specific Cochrane training (46%), unwillingness to update reviews (36%), difficulties with the Cochrane process (26%) and the review topic already registered with the Cochrane Collaboration (21%). (Percentages based on completed responses to individual questions.) Nearly half the respondents would consider converting their review to Cochrane format. Dedicated time emerged as the most important factor in facilitating the potential conversion process. Other factors included navigating the Cochrane system, assistance with updating and financial support. Eighty-six per cent were willing to have their review converted to Cochrane format by another author. Conclusion Time required to complete a Cochrane review and the need for specific training are the primary reasons why some authors publish systematic reviews outside of the Cochrane Collaboration. Encouragingly, almost half of the authors would consider converting their review to Cochrane format. Based on the current number of reviews in the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, this could result in more than 700 additional Cochrane reviews. Ways of supporting these authors and how to provide dedicated time to convert systematic reviews needs further consideration. PMID:12533194

Optimising treatment resources for OCD: a review of the evidence base for technology-enhanced delivery.

PubMed

Lovell, Karina; Bee, Penny

2011-12-01

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic and disabling mental health problem. Only a minority of people receive evidence-based psychological treatments, and this deficit has prompted an increasing focus on delivering cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) in new and innovative ways. To conduct a scoping review of the published evidence base for CBT-based interventions incorporating a health technology in the treatment of OCD. The questions posed by the review were (a) are technology-assisted treatments clinically effective, (b) are patient outcomes durable and (c) are more innovative services deemed acceptable by those individuals who engage in them? Scoping review of published studies using any study design examining CBT interventions incorporating a health technology for OCD. Electronic databases searched included MEDLINE (1966-2010), PsycInfo (1967-2010), EMBASE (1980-2010) and CINAHL databases (1982-2010). Thirteen studies were identified, of these, five used bibliotherapy, five examined computerised CBT (cCBT), two investigated telephone delivered CBT and one evaluated video conferencing. Overall studies were small and methodologically flawed, which precludes definitive conclusions of clinical effectiveness, durability or stakeholder satisfaction. To date the evidence base for technology-enhanced OCD treatments has undergone limited development. Future research should seek to overcome the methodological shortcomings of published work by conducting large-scale trials that incorporate clinical, cost and acceptability outcomes.

Electronic nicotine delivery devices, and their impact on health and patterns of tobacco use: a systematic review protocol

PubMed Central

Glasser, Allison M; Cobb, Caroline O; Teplitskaya, Lyubov; Ganz, Ollie; Katz, Lauren; Rose, Shyanika W; Feirman, Shari; Villanti, Andrea C

2015-01-01

Introduction E-cigarettes or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have recently attracted considerable attention. Among some individuals there is strong debate and a polarisation of views about the public health benefits versus harms of ENDS. With little regulation, the ENDS market is evolving, and new products are introduced and marketed constantly. Rapid developments in manufacturing, marketing and consumer domains related to ENDS will warrant frequent re-evaluation, based on the state of the evolving science. The purpose of this article is to describe a protocol for an ongoing comprehensive review of the published scientific literature on ENDS. Methods and analysis We will undertake a systematic review of published empirical research literature on ENDS using the National Library of Medicine's PubMed electronic database to search for relevant articles. Data from included studies will be extracted into a standardised form, tables with study details and key outcomes for each article will be created, and studies will be synthesised qualitatively. Ethics and dissemination This review synthesises published literature and presents no primary data. Therefore, no ethical approval is required for this study. Subsequent papers will provide greater detail on results, within select categories, that represent gaps in the literature base. PMID:25926149

Identifying additional studies for a systematic review of retention strategies in randomised controlled trials: making contact with trials units and trial methodologists.

PubMed

Brueton, Valerie; Tierney, Jayne F; Stenning, Sally; Rait, Greta

2017-08-22

Search strategies for systematic reviews aim to identify all evidence relevant to the research question posed. Reports of methodological research can be difficult to find leading to biased results in systematic reviews of research methodology. Evidence suggests that contact with investigators can help to identify unpublished research. To identify additional eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs) for a Cochrane systematic review of strategies to improve retention in RCTs, we conducted a survey of UK clinical trials units (CTUs) and made contact with RCT methodologists. Key contacts for all UK CTUs were sent a personalised email with a short questionnaire and summary protocol of the Cochrane methodology review. The questionnaire asked whether a RCT evaluating strategies to improve retention embedded in a RCT had ever been conducted by the CTU. Questions about the stage of completion and publication of such RCTs were included. The summary protocol outlined the aims, eligibility criteria, examples of types of retention strategies, and the primary outcome for the systematic review. Personal communication with RCT methodologists and presentations of preliminary results of the review at conferences were also used to identify additional eligible RCTs. We checked the results of our standard searches to see if eligible studies identified through these additional methods were also found using our standard searches. We identified 14 of the 38 RCTs included in the Cochrane methodology review by contacting trials units and methodologists. Eleven of the 14 RCTs identified by these methods were either published in grey literature, in press or unpublished. Three remaining RCTs were fully published at the time. Six of the RCTs identified were not found through any other searches. The RCTs identified represented data for 6 of 14 RCTs of incentive strategies (52% of randomised participants included in the review), and 6 of 14 RCTs of communication strategies (52% of randomised participants included in the Cochrane review). Data were unavailable for two of the RCTs identified. Methodological evaluations embedded in RCTs may be unpublished, published in the grey literature or where published, poorly indexed in bibliographic databases. To identify such studies and minimise selection bias in systematic reviews of methodological evaluations, reviewers should consider contacting CTUs and trial methodologists.

Methodological Review of Studies on Educational Leaders and Emotions (1992-2012): Insights into the Meaning of an Emerging Research Field in Educational Administration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkovich, Izhak; Eyal, Ori

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to do methodological review of the literature on educational leaders and emotions that includes 49 empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 1992 and 2012. Design/methodology/approach: The work systematically analyzes descriptive information, methods, and designs in these studies, and their…

English Language Teaching Research in South Korea: A Review of Recent Studies (2009-2014)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moodie, Ian; Nam, Hyun-Jeong

2016-01-01

This article reviews recent studies on English language teaching (ELT) in South Korea, where a great deal of research has been produced in recent years in local journals. In this article we review 95 studies from a pool of some 1,200 published between 2009 and 2014 on English language teaching and learning, focusing on research within the public…

Inside help: An integrative review of champions in healthcare-related implementation

PubMed Central

Rattray, Nicholas A; Flanagan, Mindy E; Damschroder, Laura; Schmid, Arlene A; Damush, Teresa M

2018-01-01

Background/aims: The idea that champions are crucial to effective healthcare-related implementation has gained broad acceptance; yet the champion construct has been hampered by inconsistent use across the published literature. This integrative review sought to establish the current state of the literature on champions in healthcare settings and bring greater clarity to this important construct. Methods: This integrative review was limited to research articles in peer-reviewed, English-language journals published from 1980 to 2016. Searches were conducted on the online MEDLINE database via OVID and PubMed using the keyword “champion.” Several additional terms often describe champions and were also included as keywords: implementation leader, opinion leader, facilitator, and change agent. Bibliographies of full-text articles that met inclusion criteria were reviewed for additional references not yet identified via the main strategy of conducting keyword searches in MEDLINE. A five-member team abstracted all full-text articles meeting inclusion criteria. Results: The final dataset for the integrative review consisted of 199 unique articles. Use of the term champion varied widely across the articles with respect to topic, specific job positions, or broader organizational roles. The most common method for operationalizing champion for purposes of analysis was the use of a dichotomous variable designating champion presence or absence. Four studies randomly allocated of the presence or absence of champions. Conclusions: The number of published champion-related articles has markedly increased: more articles were published during the last two years of this review (i.e. 2015–2016) than during its first 30 years (i.e. 1980–2009). The number of champion-related articles has continued to increase sharply since the year 2000. Individual studies consistently found that champions were important positive influences on implementation effectiveness. Although few in number, the randomized trials of champions that have been conducted demonstrate the feasibility of using experimental design to study the effects of champions in healthcare. PMID:29796266

Inside help: An integrative review of champions in healthcare-related implementation.

PubMed

Miech, Edward J; Rattray, Nicholas A; Flanagan, Mindy E; Damschroder, Laura; Schmid, Arlene A; Damush, Teresa M

2018-01-01

The idea that champions are crucial to effective healthcare-related implementation has gained broad acceptance; yet the champion construct has been hampered by inconsistent use across the published literature. This integrative review sought to establish the current state of the literature on champions in healthcare settings and bring greater clarity to this important construct. This integrative review was limited to research articles in peer-reviewed, English-language journals published from 1980 to 2016. Searches were conducted on the online MEDLINE database via OVID and PubMed using the keyword "champion." Several additional terms often describe champions and were also included as keywords: implementation leader, opinion leader, facilitator, and change agent. Bibliographies of full-text articles that met inclusion criteria were reviewed for additional references not yet identified via the main strategy of conducting keyword searches in MEDLINE. A five-member team abstracted all full-text articles meeting inclusion criteria. The final dataset for the integrative review consisted of 199 unique articles. Use of the term champion varied widely across the articles with respect to topic, specific job positions, or broader organizational roles. The most common method for operationalizing champion for purposes of analysis was the use of a dichotomous variable designating champion presence or absence. Four studies randomly allocated of the presence or absence of champions. The number of published champion-related articles has markedly increased: more articles were published during the last two years of this review (i.e. 2015-2016) than during its first 30 years (i.e. 1980-2009).The number of champion-related articles has continued to increase sharply since the year 2000. Individual studies consistently found that champions were important positive influences on implementation effectiveness. Although few in number, the randomized trials of champions that have been conducted demonstrate the feasibility of using experimental design to study the effects of champions in healthcare.

The landscape of systematic reviews in urology (1998 to 2015): an assessment of methodological quality.

PubMed

Han, Julia L; Gandhi, Shreyas; Bockoven, Crystal G; Narayan, Vikram M; Dahm, Philipp

2017-04-01

To assess the quality of published systematic reviews in the urology literature (an extension of our previously reported work), as high-quality systematic reviews play a paramount role in informing evidence-based clinical practice. Our focus was on systematic reviews in the urology literature that incorporated questions of prevention and therapy. To identify such reviews published during a 36-month period (2013-2015), we systematically searched PubMed and hand-searched the table of contents of four major urology journals. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of those reviews, using the 11-point 'Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews' (AMSTAR) instrument. We performed protocol-driven analyses of the data from our present study's 36-month period alone, as well as in aggregate with the data from our previously reported work's study periods (2009-2012 and 1998-2008). In our literature search of the 36-month period (2013-2015), we initially identified 490 possibly relevant reviews, of which 125 met our inclusion criteria. The most common topic of reviews for the 2013-2015 period was oncology (51.2%; n = 64), followed by voiding dysfunction (21.6%; n = 27). The mean [standard deviation (SD)] AMSTAR score in the 2013-2015 period (n = 125) was 4.8 (2.4); 2009-2012 (n = 113), 5.4 (2.3); and 1998-2008 (n = 57), 4.8 (2.0) (P = 0.127). In the 2013-2015 period, the mean (SD) AMSTAR score for the BJU International (n = 25) was 5.6 (2.9); for The Journal of Urology (n = 20), 5.1 (2.6); for European Urology (n = 60), 4.5 (2.2); and for Urology (n = 20), 4.4 (2.2) (P = 0.106). The number of systematic reviews published in the urology literature has exponentially increased, year by year, but their methodological quality has stagnated. To enhance the validity and impact of systematic reviews, all authors and editors must apply established methodological standards. © 2016 The Authors BJU International © 2016 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluation of the Cochrane tool for assessing risk of bias in randomized clinical trials: overview of published comments and analysis of user practice in Cochrane and non-Cochrane reviews.

PubMed

Jørgensen, Lars; Paludan-Müller, Asger S; Laursen, David R T; Savović, Jelena; Boutron, Isabelle; Sterne, Jonathan A C; Higgins, Julian P T; Hróbjartsson, Asbjørn

2016-05-10

The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized clinical trials was introduced in 2008 and has frequently been commented on and used in systematic reviews. We wanted to evaluate the tool by reviewing published comments on its strengths and challenges and by describing and analysing how the tool is applied to both Cochrane and non-Cochrane systematic reviews. A review of published comments (searches in PubMed, The Cochrane Methodology Register and Google Scholar) and an observational study (100 Cochrane and 100 non-Cochrane reviews from 2014). Our review included 68 comments, 15 of which were categorised as major. The main strengths of the tool were considered to be its aim (to assess trial conduct and not reporting), its developmental basis (wide consultation, empirical and theoretical evidence) and its transparent procedures. The challenges of the tool were mainly considered to be its choice of core bias domains (e.g. not involving funding/conflicts of interest) and issues to do with implementation (i.e. modest inter-rater agreement) and terminology. Our observational study found that the tool was used in all Cochrane reviews (100/100) and was the preferred tool in non-Cochrane reviews (31/100). Both types of reviews frequently implemented the tool in non-recommended ways. Most Cochrane reviews planned to use risk of bias assessments as basis for sensitivity analyses (70 %), but only a minority conducted such analyses (19 %) because, in many cases, few trials were assessed as having "low" risk of bias for all standard domains (6 %). The judgement of at least one risk of bias domain as "unclear" was found in 89 % of included randomized clinical trials (1103/1242). The Cochrane tool has become the standard approach to assess risk of bias in randomized clinical trials but is frequently implemented in a non-recommended way. Based on published comments and how it is applied in practice in systematic reviews, the tool may be further improved by a revised structure and more focused guidance.

The Use of Published Clinical Study Reports to Support U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approval of Imaging Agents.

PubMed

Rieves, Dwaine; Jacobs, Paula

2016-12-01

Pharmaceutical companies typically perform prospective, multicenter phase 3 clinical studies to support approval of a new imaging agent by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In uncommon situations, the FDA has approved imaging agents based solely, or in large part, on the clinical study experience described in published reports, including reports of exploratory (i.e., phase 1 or 2) studies performed at a single clinical site. We performed a survey of published reports to assess the potential of the reported information to support FDA approval of a commonly cited investigational imaging agent. Our survey revealed critical data limitations in most publications, all of which reported exploratory clinical studies. Here we summarize the precedent for FDA approval of imaging agents using effectiveness data from publications, FDA guidance, and our experience in reviewing publications. We also present a key-data checklist for investigators to consider in the design, conduct, and reporting of exploratory clinical studies for publication. We encourage editors and peer reviewers to consider requiring these key data when reviewing these reports for publication. © 2016 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

Utility of social media and crowd-sourced data for pharmacovigilance: a scoping review protocol.

PubMed

Tricco, Andrea C; Zarin, Wasifa; Lillie, Erin; Pham, Ba; Straus, Sharon E

2017-01-19

Adverse events associated with medications are under-reported in postmarketing surveillance systems. A systematic review of published data from 37 studies worldwide (including Canada) found the median under-reporting rate of adverse events to be 94% in spontaneous reporting systems. This scoping review aims to assess the utility of social media and crowd-sourced data to detect and monitor adverse events related to health products including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biologics and natural health products. Our review conduct will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methods manual. Literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library from inception to 13 May 2016. Additional sources included searches of study registries, conference abstracts, dissertations, as well as websites of international regulatory authorities (eg, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the WHO, European Medicines Agency). Search results will be supplemented by scanning the references of relevant reviews. We will include all publication types including published articles, editorials, websites and book sections that describe use of social media and crowd-sourced data for surveillance of adverse events associated with health products. Two reviewers will perform study selection and data abstraction independently, and discrepancies will be resolved through discussion. Data analysis will involve quantitative (eg, frequencies) and qualitative (eg, content analysis) methods. The summary of results will be sent to Health Canada, who commissioned the review, and other relevant policymakers involved with the Drug Safety and Effectiveness Network. We will compile and circulate a 1-page policy brief and host a 1-day stakeholder meeting to discuss the implications, key messages and finalise the knowledge translation strategy. Findings from this review will ultimately inform the design and development of a data analytics platform for social media and crowd-sourced data for pharmacovigilance in Canada and internationally. Our protocol was registered prospectively with the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/kv9hu/). Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Characteristics of Orthopedic Publications in High-Impact General Medical Journals.

PubMed

Nwachukwu, Benedict U; Kahlenberg, Cynthia A; Lehman, Jason D; Lyman, Stephen; Marx, Robert G

2017-05-01

Orthopedic studies are occasionally published in high-impact general medical journals; these studies are often given high visibility and have significant potential to impact health care policy and inform clinical decision-making. The purpose of this review was to investigate the characteristics of operative orthopedic studies published in high-impact medical journals. The number of orthopedic studies published in high-impact medical journals is relatively low; however, these studies demonstrate methodological characteristics that may bias toward nonoperative treatment. Careful analysis and interpretation of orthopedic studies published in these journals is warranted. [Orthopedics. 2017; 40(3):e405-e412.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

Reporting and Handling Missing Outcome Data in Mental Health: A Systematic Review of Cochrane Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spineli, Loukia M.; Pandis, Nikolaos; Salanti, Georgia

2015-01-01

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to provide empirical evidence about the reporting of methodology to address missing outcome data and the acknowledgement of their impact in Cochrane systematic reviews in the mental health field. Methods: Systematic reviews published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews after January 1, 2009 by…

Is the introduction of violence and injury observatories associated with a reduction of violence in adult populations? Rationale and protocol for a systematic review.

PubMed

Jabar, Ardil; Barth, Dylan; Matzopoulos, Richard; Engel, Mark Emmanuel

2015-07-21

The violence and injury observatories developed in Colombia and found throughout the Americas and Western Europe aim to maximise inter-institutional cooperation, information-sharing, analysis and security policy development initiatives to enhance governance. The purpose of the violence and injury observatories is directed towards preventing crime and violence at the local and regional levels. To date, there has been no systematic review of the literature to present a succinct review of the evidence. We therefore sought to summarise the evidence from existing studies on the contribution of violence and injury observatories towards violence prevention. A number of databases will be searched, supplemented by the same keyword searches in the grey literature. Search terms will include studies published from 1 January 1990 to 30 October 2014. Study quality will be assessed using a validated quality assessment tool. Two researchers will independently assess articles for study eligibility to reduce bias, minimise errors and enhance the reliability of findings. Disagreements will be resolved by consensus among three authors. This review protocol has been published in the PROSPERO International Prospective Register of systematic reviews, registration number 2014:CRD42014009818. There is a paucity of evidence for the effectiveness of violence and injury observatories and their influence on violence in an adult population. We plan to address this gap in knowledge by way of a systematic review and meta-analysis outlined in this abstract. We anticipate that the results could be used by researchers and policymakers to help inform them of the efficacy of violence and injury observatories and their broader role in contributing to violence prevention. CRD42014009818. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

What makes a phenomenological study phenomenological? An analysis of peer-reviewed empirical nursing studies.

PubMed

Norlyk, Annelise; Harder, Ingegerd

2010-03-01

This article contributes to the debate about phenomenology as a research approach in nursing by providing a systematic review of what nurse researchers hold as phenomenology in published empirical studies. Based on the assumption that presentations of phenomenological approaches in peer-reviewed journals have consequences for the quality of future research, the aim was to analyze articles presenting phenomenological studies and, in light of the findings, raise a discussion about addressing scientific criteria. The analysis revealed considerable variations, ranging from brief to detailed descriptions of the stated phenomenological approach, and from inconsistencies to methodological clarity and rigor. Variations, apparent inconsistencies, and omissions made it unclear what makes a phenomenological study phenomenological. There is a need for clarifying how the principles of the phenomenological philosophy are implemented in a particular study before publishing. This should include an articulation of methodological keywords of the investigated phenomenon, and how an open attitude was adopted.

Measurement properties of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) used in adult patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Aiyegbusi, Olalekan Lee; Kyte, Derek; Cockwell, Paul; Marshall, Tom; Keeley, Thomas; Gheorghe, Adrian; Calvert, Melanie

2016-10-12

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with symptoms that can significantly reduce the quality of life (QoL) of patients. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) may facilitate the assessment of the impact of disease and treatment on the QoL, from a patient perspective. PROMs can be used in research and routine clinical practice. A systematic review of studies evaluating the measurement properties of PROMs in adults with CKD will be conducted. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL Plus will be systematically searched from inception. Hand searching of reference lists and citations of included studies will be carried out. 2 reviewers will independently screen the titles and abstracts of all the studies retrieved during the systematic search to determine their eligibility. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist will be used to appraise the methodological quality of the selected studies following the full-text review. Data on the study population, questionnaire characteristics and measurement properties will be extracted from the selected papers. Finally, a narrative synthesis of extracted data will be undertaken. Ethical permissions are not required for this study as data from published research articles will be used. Findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at conferences. This systematic review will provide a comprehensive assessment of the measurement properties of PROMs currently available for use in adult patients with CKD and present evidence which may inform the selection of measures for use in research and clinical practice. CRD42016035554. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The Complexity of Health Service Integration: A Review of Reviews.

PubMed

Heyeres, Marion; McCalman, Janya; Tsey, Komla; Kinchin, Irina

2016-01-01

The aim of health service integration is to provide a sustainable and integrated health system that better meets the needs of the end user. Yet, definitions of health service integration, methods for integrating health services, and expected outcomes are varied. This review was commissioned by Queensland Health, the government department responsible for health service delivery in Queensland, Australia, to inform efforts to integrate their mental health services. This review reports on the characteristics, reported outcomes, and design quality of studies included in systematic reviews of health service integration research. The review was developed by systematically searching nine electronic databases to find peer-reviewed Australian and international systematic reviews with a focus on health service integration. Reviews were included if they were in the English language and published between 2000 and 2015. A standardized assessment tool was used to analyze the study design quality of included reviews. Data relating to the integration types, methods, and reported outcomes of integration were synthesized. Seventeen publications met the inclusion criteria. Eleven (65%) reviews were published during the past 5 years, which may indicate a trend for increased awareness of the need for service integration. The majority of reviews were published by researchers in the UK (8/47%), USA (3/18%), and Australia (3/18%). Included reviews focused on a variety of integration types, including integrated care pathways, governance models, integration of interventions, collaborative/integrated care models, and integration of different types of health care. Most (53%) of the reviews reported on the cost-effectiveness of service integration, e.g., positive results, no effect, or inconclusive. Only one of the reviews reported on the importance of consumer involvement. The overall design of 70% of the reviews was high, 18% medium, and 12% low. There is no "one size fits all" approach to health service integration. Instead, this literature review highlighted the complexity of service integration, which in most primary studies involved a range of strategies. Rigorous assessments of cost-effectiveness and reporting on consumer involvement are required in future research.

Is open access sufficient? A review of the quality of open-access nursing journals.

PubMed

Crowe, Marie; Carlyle, Dave

2015-02-01

The present study aims to review the quality of open-access nursing journals listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals that published papers in 2013 with a nursing focus, written in English, and were freely accessible. Each journal was reviewed in relation to their publisher, year of commencement, number of papers published in 2013, fee for publication, indexing, impact factor, and evidence of requirements for ethics and disclosure statements. The quality of the journals was assessed by impact factors and the requirements for indexing in PubMed. A total of 552 were published in 2013 in the 19 open-access nursing journals that met the inclusion criteria. No journals had impact factors listed in Web of Knowledge, but three had low Scopus impact factors. Only five journals were indexed with PubMed. The quality of the 19 journals included in the review was evaluated as inferior to most subscription-fee journals. Mental health nursing has some responsibility to the general public, and in particular, consumers of mental health services and their families, for the quality of papers published in open-access journals. The way forward might involve dual-platform publication or a process that enables assessment of how research has improved clinical outcomes. © 2014 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Current status of oral health research in Africa: an overview.

PubMed

Kanoute, Aïda; Faye, Daouda; Bourgeois, Denis

2012-12-01

Research in oral health contributes effectively to decisions and strategies aimed at improving the oral health of populations. Further contributions to enhance current knowledge of oral health in Africa are required. The principal objective of this study was to produce an analysis of oral health research published from different subregions of Africa and to estimate bilateral and multilateral international cooperation in oral health research during the period 2005-2010. The PubMed database was searched for published articles on topics related to oral health in Africa. A total of 935 oral health-related articles were retrieved during April and May 2011. Publications emanating from Nigeria and South Africa accounted for a striking 68% of all oral health-related material published from Africa during the study period. Researchers from 30 different countries had participated in collaboration on at least one published article. A total of 262 journals had published at least one item examining oral health in Africa, but only 29 journals had published more than seven articles. These 29 journals accounted for 66% of all published material and induced non-African reviews (26%) and African reviews (40%). This study shows strong variation among countries in the production of articles on oral health whereby rich countries produce greater quantities of published research and poorer nations more frequently develop research partnerships with other countries. © 2012 FDI World Dental Federation.

Targeting strategies of mHealth interventions for maternal health in low and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol

PubMed Central

Abejirinde, Ibukun-Oluwa Omolade; Dieleman, Marjolein; Bardají, Azucena; Broerse, Jacqueline E W; Van Belle, Sara

2018-01-01

Introduction Recently, there has been a steady increase in mobile health (mHealth) interventions aimed at improving maternal health of women in low-income and middle-income countries. While there is evidence indicating that these interventions contribute to improvements in maternal health outcomes, other studies indicate inconclusive results. This uncertainty has raised additional questions, one of which pertains to the role of targeting strategies in implementing mHealth interventions and the focus on pregnant women and health workers as target groups. This review aims to assess who is targeted in different mHealth interventions and the importance of targeting strategies in maternal mHealth interventions. Methods and analysis We will search for peer-reviewed, English-language literature published between 1999 and July 2017 in PubMed, Web of Knowledge (Science Direct, EMBASE) and Cochrane Central Registers of Controlled Trials. The study scope is defined by the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes framework: P, community members with maternal or reproductive needs; I, electronic health or mHealth programmes geared at improving maternal or reproductive health; C, other non-electronic health or mHealth-based interventions; O, maternal health measures including family planning, antenatal care attendance, health facility delivery and postnatal care attendance. Ethics and dissemination This study is a review of already published or publicly available data and needs no ethical approval. Review results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at international conferences. PROSPERO registration number CRD42017072280. PMID:29478019

Development of an algorithm to provide awareness in choosing study designs for inclusion in systematic reviews of healthcare interventions: a method study

PubMed Central

Peinemann, Frank; Kleijnen, Jos

2015-01-01

Objectives To develop an algorithm that aims to provide guidance and awareness for choosing multiple study designs in systematic reviews of healthcare interventions. Design Method study: (1) To summarise the literature base on the topic. (2) To apply the integration of various study types in systematic reviews. (3) To devise decision points and outline a pragmatic decision tree. (4) To check the plausibility of the algorithm by backtracking its pathways in four systematic reviews. Results (1) The results of our systematic review of the published literature have already been published. (2) We recaptured the experience from our four previously conducted systematic reviews that required the integration of various study types. (3) We chose length of follow-up (long, short), frequency of events (rare, frequent) and types of outcome as decision points (death, disease, discomfort, disability, dissatisfaction) and aligned the study design labels according to the Cochrane Handbook. We also considered practical or ethical concerns, and the problem of unavailable high-quality evidence. While applying the algorithm, disease-specific circumstances and aims of interventions should be considered. (4) We confirmed the plausibility of the pathways of the algorithm. Conclusions We propose that the algorithm can assist to bring seminal features of a systematic review with multiple study designs to the attention of anyone who is planning to conduct a systematic review. It aims to increase awareness and we think that it may reduce the time burden on review authors and may contribute to the production of a higher quality review. PMID:26289450

Problems with traditional science publishing and finding a wider niche for post-publication peer review.

PubMed

Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A; Dobránszki, Judit

2015-01-01

Science affects multiple basic sectors of society. Therefore, the findings made in science impact what takes place at a commercial level. More specifically, errors in the literature, incorrect findings, fraudulent data, poorly written scientific reports, or studies that cannot be reproduced not only serve as a burden on tax-payers' money, but they also serve to diminish public trust in science and its findings. Therefore, there is every need to fortify the validity of data that exists in the science literature, not only to build trust among peers, and to sustain that trust, but to reestablish trust in the public and private academic sectors that are witnessing a veritable battle-ground in the world of science publishing, in some ways spurred by the rapid evolution of the open access (OA) movement. Even though many science journals, traditional and OA, claim to be peer reviewed, the truth is that different levels of peer review occur, and in some cases no, insufficient, or pseudo-peer review takes place. This ultimately leads to the erosion of quality and importance of science, allowing essentially anything to become published, provided that an outlet can be found. In some cases, predatory OA journals serve this purpose, allowing papers to be published, often without any peer review or quality control. In the light of an explosion of such cases in predatory OA publishing, and in severe inefficiencies and possible bias in the peer review of even respectable science journals, as evidenced by the increasing attention given to retractions, there is an urgent need to reform the way in which authors, editors, and publishers conduct the first line of quality control, the peer review. One way to address the problem is through post-publication peer review (PPPR), an efficient complement to traditional peer-review that allows for the continuous improvement and strengthening of the quality of science publishing. PPPR may also serve as a way to renew trust in scientific findings by correcting the literature. This article explores what is broadly being said about PPPR in the literature, so as to establish awareness and a possible first-tier prototype for the sciences for which such a system is undeveloped or weak.

Peer review in medical journals: Beyond quality of reports towards transparency and public scrutiny of the process.

PubMed

Vercellini, Paolo; Buggio, Laura; Viganò, Paola; Somigliana, Edgardo

2016-06-01

Published medical research influences health care providers and policy makers, guides patient management, and is based on the peer review process. Peer review should prevent publication of unreliable data and improve study reporting, but there is little evidence that these aims are fully achieved. In the blinded systems, authors and readers do not know the reviewers' identity. Moreover, the reviewers' reports are not made available to readers. Anonymous peer review poses an ethical imbalance toward authors, who are judged by masked referees, and to the medical community and society at large, in case patients suffer the consequences of acceptance of flawed manuscripts or erroneous rejection of important findings. Some general medical journals have adopted an open process, require reviewers to sign their reports, and links online pre-publication histories to accepted articles. This system increases editors' and reviewers' accountability and allows public scrutiny, consenting readers understand on which basis were decisions taken and by whom. Moreover, this gives credit to reviewers for their apparently thankless job, as online availability of signed and scored reports may contribute to researchers' academic curricula. However, the transition from the blind to the open system could pose problems to journals. Reviewers may be more difficult to find, and publishers or medical societies could resist changes that may affect editorial costs and journals' revenues. Nonetheless, also considering the risk of competing interests in the medical field, general and major specialty journals could consider testing the effects of open review on manuscripts regarding studies that may influence clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clinical nursing and midwifery research in African countries: a scoping review.

PubMed

Sun, Carolyn; Larson, Elaine

2015-05-01

Globally, the nursing shortage has been deemed a crisis, but African countries have been hit hardest. Therefore, it is of utmost importance nurses use the best available evidence and that nursing research is targeted to address gaps in the evidence. To achieve this, an understanding of what is currently available and identification of gaps in clinical nursing research is critical. We performed a scoping review of existing literature to assess clinical nursing research conducted in all African countries over the past decade, identify gaps in clinical nursing and midwifery research, determine whether they match with health priorities for countries, and define priorities for regional clinical nursing research agendas to improve health outcomes. This is a scoping review of published clinical nursing research conducted in African countries. Systematic searches of literature published between January 01, 2004 and September 15, 2014 were performed in PubMed, Medline, CINHAL, and Embase. Research was included if it was conducted by nurses, included data obtained in African countries or regions within the African continent, published in a peer-reviewed journal with an abstract, and included patient outcomes. Abstracts were independently reviewed for inclusion by two authors. The following data were extracted: countries of publication and study, study type and design, journal, language, and topics of research. Gaps in the literature were identified. Initially, 1091 papers were identified with a final sample of 73 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Studies used 12 designs, were published in 35 journals published in five countries (including two African countries); 29% of the research was published in a single journal (Curatonis). Research was mostly qualitative (57%) and included twenty countries in Africa (38%). There were 12 major topics of study, most often midwifery/maternal/child health (43%), patient experiences (38%), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (36%). Areas most often studied were associated with funding sources (e.g., a large influx of funds for HIV-related research). Major and common health care problems in African countries (e.g. infectious disease other than HIV, and noncommunicable diseases such as malnutrition, diarrheal disease, hypertension and diabetes) were not subjects of the published literature, indicating a clear gap between health care needs and problems and the focus of the majority of clinical nursing research. Additionally, the shortage of doctorally prepared nurses may contribute to the lack of clinical nursing and midwifery research in African countries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

E-learning & information communication technology (ICT) in nursing education: A review of the literature.

PubMed

Button, Didy; Harrington, Ann; Belan, Ingrid

2014-10-01

To examine primary research articles published between January 2001 and December 2012 that focused on the issues for students and educators involved with E-learning in preregistration nursing programs. The literature was systematically reviewed, critically appraised and thematically analyzed. E-learning is arguably the most significant change to occur in nursing education since the move from hospital training to the tertiary sector. Differences in computer and information literacy for both students and educators influence the success of implementation of E-learning into current curricula. Online databases including CINAHL, MEDLINE, OVID, the ProQuest Central, PubMed, ERIC and Science Direct were used. The criteria used for selecting studies reviewed were: primary focus on electronic learning and issues faced by nursing students and/or nurse educators from undergraduate preregistration nursing programs; all articles had to be primary research studies, published in English in peer reviewed journals between January 2001 and December 2012. Analysis of the 28 reviewed studies revealed the following three themes: issues relating to E-learning for students; use of information technologies; educator (faculty) issues involving pedagogy, workload and staff development in E-learning and associated technology. The review highlighted that commencing preregistration nursing students required ongoing education and support surrounding nursing informatics. This support would enable students to progress and be equipped with the life-long learning skills required to provide safe evidence based care. The review also identified the increased time and skill demands placed on nurse educators to adapt their current education methodologies and teaching strategies to incorporate E-learning. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lack of effectiveness of primary conservative management for infants with brachial plexus birth palsy.

PubMed

Bialocerkowski, Andrea Emmi; Vladusic, Sharon; Moore, Rosemary Patricia

Brachial plexus birth palsy (BPBP) is the most common peripheral nerve injury in children (prevalence <5.1 per 1000 live births) and conservative management is routinely used to manage them. We have previously systematically reviewed studies investigating primary conservative management, published between 1992 and 2002, and found these to be inconclusive. The aim of this review was to update our previous systematic review to include studies published between 2002 and 2008, synthesise the data thus obtained with that of our previous review and create an up-to-date body of evidence for conservative management of infants with BPBP. Fifteen databases were searched systematically for quantitative studies (randomised controlled trials, comparative studies, case series), published in English between January 2002 and June 2008 inclusive. Studies were excluded if they investigated infants who, in their first two years of life, underwent microsurgical repair of the brachial plexus, surgical management of secondary deformities or received other treatments traditionally delivered by surgeons, such as Botulinum toxin injections. The eligibility of each study identified from the database searches was evaluated against the inclusion criteria by two independent reviewers. These studies were then critically appraised for level of evidence using the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Hierarchy of Evidence and methodological quality using the Critical Review Form - Quantitative Studies. Data pertaining to the demographic characteristics of study participants, treatments received, main results and outcome measures used were also extracted. Where any disagreement between reviewers occurred, consensus was reached by discussion. Data from the recently published studies were narratively synthesised and then combined with the data gained from our previous systematic review to create a body of evidence on primary conservative management for BPBP infants. Four publications, representing three studies (one comparative study, two case series), were sourced. Methodological quality scores of these studies ranged from 6 to 12 (maximum =16). The current body of evidence (publications from 1992 to 2008) therefore comprises 11 studies, four using a comparative design and seven using a case series design. Six of the 11 studies were classified as being of "poor" methodological quality (score <8). Conservative management mainly consisted of exercise therapy, although splinting, massage and dynamic traction were also used. All studies lacked a clear definition of conservative management sufficient to allow replication of the treatment in a clinical setting. A variety of outcome measures were used, limiting comparability of the studies. Data from the three case studies suggests that conservative management may be more effective in infants with upper and middle plexus injuries compared with total plexus palsy. However, the different outcome measures used and lack of comparison groups limit the strength of this finding. The body of evidence investigating the use of primary conservative management of infants with BPBP remains inconclusive. The studies published to date are limited in number, level of evidence and methodological quality. Further, a variety of outcome instruments, with limited psychometric properties, have been used to investigate management techniques which do not mirror those of contemporary clinical practice.

A Replication by Any Other Name: A Systematic Review of Replicative Intervention Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cook, Bryan G.; Collins, Lauren W.; Cook, Sara C.; Cook, Lysandra

2016-01-01

Replication research is essential to scientific knowledge. Reviews of replication studies often electronically search for "replicat*" as a textword, which does not identify studies that replicate previous research but do not self-identify as such. We examined whether the 83 intervention studies published in six non-categorical research…

A Dramatic Increase in Tongue Tie-Related Articles: A 67 Years Systematic Review.

PubMed

Bin-Nun, Alona; Kasirer, Yair M; Mimouni, Francis B

2017-09-01

Tongue tie or ankyloglossia articles are recorded in the Medline since 1949. To study trends in yearly number of tongue tie or ankyloglossia publications. Medline search engine was used to determine the yearly number of published consensus statements from 1949 to 2016. Keywords of tongue tie OR ankyloglossia OR frenotomy OR frenulotomy were used for the search. Articles were classified as case reports (or series), reviews, editorials (or opinions), cohort studies, clinical trials (nonrandomized), randomized controlled trials (RCT), and systematic reviews (SR). Linear or polynomial regression was used to determine trends. We also systematically summarized all RCTs published to date. The total number of yearly published articles increased in a cubic fashion (r 2  = 82.6%, p < 0.0001) over time (0-7 per year from 1949 to 1989, and up to 27-44 in the last 5 years). In terms of strength of evidence hierarchy, most articles belonged to low hierarchy categories (case reports 37.9%, reviews 15.4%, and editorials/opinions 13.4%), with only 8 RCTs and 10 SRs (all of them published during the last 10 years of the study period). The yearly number of tongue tie or ankyloglossia-related articles has increased dramatically in past few years. Most articles bring little evidence, but the past few years have witnessed publication of few RCTs and SRs. If this trend continues, much more solid evidence should accumulate about diagnosis and management of tongue tie, as it relates to breastfeeding and other outcomes.

Methodological problems in the use of indirect comparisons for evaluating healthcare interventions: survey of published systematic reviews.

PubMed

Song, Fujian; Loke, Yoon K; Walsh, Tanya; Glenny, Anne-Marie; Eastwood, Alison J; Altman, Douglas G

2009-04-03

To investigate basic assumptions and other methodological problems in the application of indirect comparison in systematic reviews of competing healthcare interventions. Survey of published systematic reviews. Inclusion criteria Systematic reviews published between 2000 and 2007 in which an indirect approach had been explicitly used. Identified reviews were assessed for comprehensiveness of the literature search, method for indirect comparison, and whether assumptions about similarity and consistency were explicitly mentioned. The survey included 88 review reports. In 13 reviews, indirect comparison was informal. Results from different trials were naively compared without using a common control in six reviews. Adjusted indirect comparison was usually done using classic frequentist methods (n=49) or more complex methods (n=18). The key assumption of trial similarity was explicitly mentioned in only 40 of the 88 reviews. The consistency assumption was not explicit in most cases where direct and indirect evidence were compared or combined (18/30). Evidence from head to head comparison trials was not systematically searched for or not included in nine cases. Identified methodological problems were an unclear understanding of underlying assumptions, inappropriate search and selection of relevant trials, use of inappropriate or flawed methods, lack of objective and validated methods to assess or improve trial similarity, and inadequate comparison or inappropriate combination of direct and indirect evidence. Adequate understanding of basic assumptions underlying indirect and mixed treatment comparison is crucial to resolve these methodological problems. APPENDIX 1: PubMed search strategy. APPENDIX 2: Characteristics of identified reports. APPENDIX 3: Identified studies. References of included studies.

A Systematic Review of Scope and Quality of Health Economic Evaluation Studies in Vietnam

PubMed Central

Maher, Rachel Marie; Nguyen, Phuong Khanh; Luu, Hoat Ngoc

2014-01-01

Introduction The application of health economic evaluation (HEE) evidence can play an important role in strategic planning and policy making. This study aimed to assess the scope and quality of existing research, with the goal of elucidating implications for improving the use of HEE evidence in Vietnam. Methods A comprehensive search strategy was developed to search medical online databases (Medline, Google Scholar, and Vietnam Medical Databases) to select all types of HEE studies except cost-only analyses. Two researchers assessed the quality of selected studies using the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) instrument. Results We selected 26 studies, including 6 published in Vietnam. The majority of these studies focused on infectious diseases (14 studies), with HIV being the most common topic (5 studies). Most papers were cost-effectiveness studies that measured health outcomes using DALY units. Using QHES, we found that the overall quality of HEE studies published internationally was much higher (mean score 88.7+13.3) than that of those published in Vietnam (mean score 67.3+22.9). Lack of costing perspectives, reliable data sources and sensitivity analysis were the main shortcomings of the reviewed studies. Conclusion This review indicates that HEE studies published in Vietnam are limited in scope and number, as well as by several important technical errors or omissions. It is necessary to formalize the process of health economic research in Vietnam and to institutionalize the links between researchers and policy-makers. Additionally, the quality of HEE should be enhanced through education about research techniques, and the implementation of standard HEE guidelines. PMID:25122180

Cyberbullying Prevention and Intervention Programs in Schools: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanrikulu, Ibrahim

2018-01-01

This article presents a systematic review of school-based cyberbullying prevention and intervention programs. Research presenting empirical evidence about the effectiveness of a school-based cyberbullying prevention or intervention program published before August 2016 was searched. Seventeen studies were obtained and reviewed. The findings showed…

Selective reporting bias of harm outcomes within studies: findings from a cohort of systematic reviews.

PubMed

Saini, Pooja; Loke, Yoon K; Gamble, Carrol; Altman, Douglas G; Williamson, Paula R; Kirkham, Jamie J

2014-11-21

To determine the extent and nature of selective non-reporting of harm outcomes in clinical studies that were eligible for inclusion in a cohort of systematic reviews. Cohort study of systematic reviews from two databases. Outcome reporting bias in trials for harm outcomes (ORBIT II) in systematic reviews from the Cochrane Library and a separate cohort of systematic reviews of adverse events. 92 systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials and non-randomised studies published in the Cochrane Library between issue 9, 2012 and issue 2, 2013 (Cochrane cohort) and 230 systematic reviews published between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2011 in other publications, synthesising data on harm outcomes (adverse event cohort). A 13 point classification system for missing outcome data on harm was developed and applied to the studies. 86% (79/92) of reviews in the Cochrane cohort did not include full data from the main harm outcome of interest of each review for all of the eligible studies included within that review; 76% (173/230) for the adverse event cohort. Overall, the single primary harm outcome was inadequately reported in 76% (705/931) of the studies included in the 92 reviews from the Cochrane cohort and not reported in 47% (4159/8837) of the 230 reviews in the adverse event cohort. In a sample of primary studies not reporting on the single primary harm outcome in the review, scrutiny of the study publication revealed that outcome reporting bias was suspected in nearly two thirds (63%, 248/393). The number of reviews suspected of outcome reporting bias as a result of missing or partially reported harm related outcomes from at least one eligible study is high. The declaration of important harms and the quality of the reporting of harm outcomes must be improved in both primary studies and systematic reviews. © Saini et al 2014.

Economic burden of smoking: a systematic review of direct and indirect costs.

PubMed

Rezaei, Satar; Akbari Sari, Ali; Arab, Mohammad; Majdzadeh, Reza; Mohammad Poorasl, Asghar

2016-01-01

Smoking imposes considerably high economic costs both on the healthcare system as well as on a country as a whole. This study was aimed at systematically reviewing the currently published literature on the direct and indirect costs associated with smoking globally. A systematic review was performed on systematically searched articles from PubMed and Scopus databases published during the period 1990 to 2014. A combination of key terms such as "economic burden", "direct cost", "indirect cost", and smoking, tobacco or cigarette" and "productivity lost was used for the search. Original research article published in English with the age of study population greater than 35 years, at least three smoking-related diseases and reported direct or indirect cost of smoking were the inclusion criteria. Fourteen original articles were included in the review. The cost of outpatient care and premature deaths were found to be the most important cost driver of direct and indirect costs respectively. The study showed that smoking-related diseases were responsible for 1.5 - 6.8 % of the national health system expenditures and 0.22-0.88% of GDP of a country. Our review indicated that the costs of smoking are substantial, and smoking have a significant impact on the economy of a country. Policies such as increasing the taxation on a cigarette are required and should be implemented to reduce the economic burden of smoking.

Current Perspectives on Interventions for Self-Injurious Behavior of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chezan, Laura C.; Gable, Robert A.; McWhorter, Gabriela Z.; White, Sherita D.

2017-01-01

Our purpose in this systematic review was to identify, evaluate, and summarize the single-case research design studies examining behavioral interventions to address self-injurious behavior for young children with autism spectrum disorder. We identified 24 studies published between 2000 and 2016 that met the inclusion criteria. We reviewed and…

Work and Family Research in IO/OB: Content Analysis and Review of the Literature (1980-2002)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eby, Lillian T.; Casper, Wendy J.; Lockwood, Angie; Bordeaux, Chris; Brinley, Andi

2005-01-01

This monograph reviews 190 work-family studies published in IO/OB journals from 1980 to 2002. The results of a content analysis are presented which catalog these articles with respect to the study focus, nature and direction of the proposed effects, and predictor, criterion, and mediator variables examined. Then a narrative review of the articles…

Interventions to tackle malnutrition and its risk factors in children living in slums: a scoping review.

PubMed

Goudet, Sophie; Griffiths, Paula; Bogin, Barry; Madise, Nyovani

2017-02-01

Children living in slums are at high risk of being malnourished. There are no published reviews on existing interventions promoting better nutrition for children living in slums and the risk factors for children's malnutrition. Improved understanding of the risk factors for malnutrition in slums communities and the impact of interventions on children's health can provide guidance to practitioners and decision-makers. The present review is designed to provide this information. The search included 30 electronic bibliographic databases and relevant eligible studies published up to December 2013. The search located 1512 citations. Full text relevance screening was conducted on 226 studies and on abstracts for 16 studies. The final 58 unique studies included 22 on interventions and 38 on risk. All of the interventions were nutrition-specific, with nutritional intervention being the most dominant type. Seventy-three per cent of the interventions were assessed effective. The findings stressed the gaps in knowledge in terms of quality assessment and programmatic recommendations to identify children who are the most at risk of malnutrition to appropriately target interventions. Finally, the review helped to inform a systematic review (Cochrane Systematic review protocol 2015) that will examine the impact of interventions on outcome measures.

Investigating fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma-COPD overlap (ACO): a scoping review protocol.

PubMed

Mostafavi-Pour-Manshadi, Seyed-Mohammad-Yousof; Naderi, Nafiseh; Barrecheguren, Miriam; Dehghan, Abolfazl; Bourbeau, Jean

2017-12-21

During the last decade, many articles have been published, including reviews on fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) use and utility in clinical practice and for monitoring and identifying eosinophilic airway inflammation, especially in asthma, and evaluating corticosteroid responsiveness. However, the exact role of FeNO in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its ability to distinguish patients with COPD and those having concomitant asthma, that is, asthma-COPD overlap (ACO) is still unclear and needs to be defined. Due to the broad topics of FeNO in chronic airway disease, we undertook a scoping review. The present article describes the protocol of a scoping review of peer-reviewed published literature specific to FeNO in COPD/ACO over the last decade. We used Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers' Manual scoping review methodology as well as Levac et al 's and Arksey et al 's framework as guides. We searched a variety of databases, including Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and BioSciences Information Service (BIOSIS) on 29 June 2016. Additional studies will be recognised by exploring the reference list of identified eligible studies. Screening of eligible studies will be independently performed by two reviewers and any disagreement will be solved by the third reviewer. We will analyse the gathered data from article bibliographies and abstracts. To investigate the body of published studies regarding the role of FeNO in patients with COPD and its usefulness in the clinical setting, a scoping review can be used as a modern and pioneer model, which does not need ethics approval. By this review, new insights for conducting new research specific to FeNO in COPD/ACO population will emerge. The results of this study will be reported in the scientific meetings and conferences, which aim to provide information to the clinicians, primary care providers and basic science researchers. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A systematic assessment of Cochrane reviews and systematic reviews published in high-impact medical journals related to cancer.

PubMed

Goldkuhle, Marius; Narayan, Vikram M; Weigl, Aaron; Dahm, Philipp; Skoetz, Nicole

2018-03-25

To compare cancer-related systematic reviews (SRs) published in the Cochrane Database of SRs (CDSR) and high-impact journals, with respect to type, content, quality and citation rates. Methodological SR with assessment and comparison of SRs and meta-analyses. Two authors independently assessed methodological quality using an Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR)-based extraction form. Both authors independently screened search results, extracted content-relevant characteristics and retrieved citation numbers of the included reviews using the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science database. Cancer-related SRs were retrieved from the CDSR, as well as from the 10 journals which publish oncological SRs and had the highest impact factors, using a comprehensive search in both the CDSR and MEDLINE. We included all cancer-related SRs and meta-analyses published from January 2011 to May 2016. Methodological SRs were excluded. We included 346 applicable Cochrane reviews and 215 SRs from high-impact journals. Cochrane reviews consistently met more individual AMSTAR criteria, notably with regard to an a priori design (risk ratio (RR) 3.89; 95% CI 3.10 to 4.88), inclusion of the grey literature and trial registries (RR 3.52; 95% CI 2.84 to 4.37) in their searches, and the reporting of excluded studies (RR 8.80; 95% CI 6.06 to 12.78). Cochrane reviews were less likely to address questions of prognosis (RR 0.04; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.09), use individual patient data (RR 0.03; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.09) or be based on non-randomised controlled trials (RR 0.04; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.09). Citation rates of Cochrane reviews were notably lower than those for high-impact journals (Cochrane reviews: mean number of citations 6.52 (range 0-143); high-impact journal SRs: 74.45 (0-652)). When comparing cancer-related SRs published in the CDSR versus those published in high-impact medical journals, Cochrane reviews were consistently of higher methodological quality, but cited less frequently. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

EPA Published Research Related to the Hydraulic Fracturing Study

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A list of publications that will support the draft assessment report on the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources. These publications have undergone peer review through the journal where the paper has been published.

[Infective endocarditis. Systematic review of twenty years of performances in the Sociedad Argentina de Medicina].

PubMed

Marcelo, Yorio; Milian Andrés, Escudero; Luis, Camera

2008-01-01

Infective endocarditis (IE) is still a disease with high morbidity and mortality. Its diagnosis and treatment are still a major challenge in clinical practice. There have been very few studies published about IE in Argentina. We reviewed all the studies about IE published in the Argentine Medicine Society from 1980 to 2003 and we analyzed demographic, clinical and bacteriological data. 27 studies with 628 patients were included. Mean age of patients was 50.7 years old. The most frequent clinical data were fever, murmur and elevated sedimentation rate. Stafilococcus spp was the most common causative organism, followed by streptococcus spp. The echocardiographic demonstration allowed the definitive diagnosis in 2/3 of the patients. The IE data of Argentina are not different from other data published in different countries and this study shows some clinical features of IE in Argentina.

The peer review gap: A longitudinal case study of gendered publishing and occupational patterns in a female-rich discipline, Western North America (1974-2016).

PubMed

Tushingham, Shannon; Fulkerson, Tiffany; Hill, Katheryn

2017-01-01

Researchers have repeatedly demonstrated that women continue to be underrepresented in publication output in the sciences. This is true even in female-rich fields such as archaeology. Since most gender-related publication studies rely on data from peer-reviewed journals, it would be instructive, though challenging, to also track publication output in non-refereed and professional or industry venues, which tend to be more accessible to those working in extra-academic settings. This comparison is important in fields such as archaeology in which the vast majority (approximately 90%) of practitioners in the USA work for private sector cultural resource management firms and federal and state agencies. To understand the dynamics of who publishes where, we compiled a new dataset tracking over 40 years of peer-reviewed versus non-peer-reviewed publications that publish articles on the archaeology of California (an American Indian cultural area including southwest Oregon, most of the state of California, and Baja Mexico) and the Great Basin culture area (spanning eight western USA states). Historic gender differences in the publishing output of authors identified as men versus those identified as women were revealed by articles published between 1974 and 2016 in two refereed journals, the Journal of California Anthropology/ Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology and California Archaeology, and in one un-refereed venue, the Society for California Archaeology Proceedings. Although multiple independent measures indicate that women are contributing and active members of the discipline, publishing records yield more variable results. Specifically, while women have historic and increasingly robust levels of participation in the non-peer-reviewed Proceedings, they remain vastly underrepresented in the two peer-reviewed journals, which are widely regarded as more prestigious and influential. We argue that this "peer review gap" is influenced by variation in the costs (largely time investment) and benefits of publication for people working in different professional roles (e.g., agency professionals, private/cultural resource management firm personnel, tenure-track faculty, adjunct faculty, etc.). We also argue that these cost and benefit variations may ultimately influence the decisions of people of all genders and backgrounds, but, because of the current structure of our discipline-including the fact that women and minorities lag in positions where costly peer-reviewed publication is a rewarded and supported activity-overwhelmingly affect these groups. We recognize that non-refereed publications such as Proceedings provide an important means of bridging the peer review gap and give voice to individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

The peer review gap: A longitudinal case study of gendered publishing and occupational patterns in a female-rich discipline, Western North America (1974–2016)

PubMed Central

Fulkerson, Tiffany; Hill, Katheryn

2017-01-01

Researchers have repeatedly demonstrated that women continue to be underrepresented in publication output in the sciences. This is true even in female-rich fields such as archaeology. Since most gender-related publication studies rely on data from peer-reviewed journals, it would be instructive, though challenging, to also track publication output in non-refereed and professional or industry venues, which tend to be more accessible to those working in extra-academic settings. This comparison is important in fields such as archaeology in which the vast majority (approximately 90%) of practitioners in the USA work for private sector cultural resource management firms and federal and state agencies. To understand the dynamics of who publishes where, we compiled a new dataset tracking over 40 years of peer-reviewed versus non-peer-reviewed publications that publish articles on the archaeology of California (an American Indian cultural area including southwest Oregon, most of the state of California, and Baja Mexico) and the Great Basin culture area (spanning eight western USA states). Historic gender differences in the publishing output of authors identified as men versus those identified as women were revealed by articles published between 1974 and 2016 in two refereed journals, the Journal of California Anthropology/ Journal of California and Great Basin Anthropology and California Archaeology, and in one un-refereed venue, the Society for California Archaeology Proceedings. Although multiple independent measures indicate that women are contributing and active members of the discipline, publishing records yield more variable results. Specifically, while women have historic and increasingly robust levels of participation in the non-peer-reviewed Proceedings, they remain vastly underrepresented in the two peer-reviewed journals, which are widely regarded as more prestigious and influential. We argue that this “peer review gap” is influenced by variation in the costs (largely time investment) and benefits of publication for people working in different professional roles (e.g., agency professionals, private/cultural resource management firm personnel, tenure-track faculty, adjunct faculty, etc.). We also argue that these cost and benefit variations may ultimately influence the decisions of people of all genders and backgrounds, but, because of the current structure of our discipline—including the fact that women and minorities lag in positions where costly peer-reviewed publication is a rewarded and supported activity—overwhelmingly affect these groups. We recognize that non-refereed publications such as Proceedings provide an important means of bridging the peer review gap and give voice to individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. PMID:29186153

Synchronous and Asynchronous Text-Based CMC in Educational Contexts: A Review of Recent Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Genevieve, Marie

2006-01-01

This paper presents a review of recent research that examines the relative instructional utility of text-based synchronous and asynchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC). As a mechanism for limiting the number of studies reviewed as well as controlling for emergent technologies, only research published since 2000 was reviewed. The goal was…

Transmission and Prevention of Mood Disorders among Children of Affectively Ill Parents: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beardslee, William R.; Gladstone, Tracy R. G.; O'Connor, Erin E.

2011-01-01

Objective: To provide a conceptual review of the literature on children of depressed parents over the past 12 years. Method: This selective review focused on published studies that delineate the diagnosis of depression in parents, have large samples, describe children 6 to 17 years old, and are methodologically rigorous. The review emphasized…

Statistical Techniques Used in Published Articles: A Historical Review of Reviews

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skidmore, Susan Troncoso; Thompson, Bruce

2010-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to provide a historical account and metasynthesis of which statistical techniques are most frequently used in the fields of education and psychology. Six articles reviewing the "American Educational Research Journal" from 1969 to 1997 and five articles reviewing the psychological literature from 1948 to 2001…

Systematic reviews: guidance relevant for studies of older people.

PubMed

Shenkin, Susan D; Harrison, Jennifer K; Wilkinson, Tim; Dodds, Richard M; Ioannidis, John P A

2017-09-01

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are increasingly common. This article aims to provide guidance for people conducting systematic reviews relevant to the healthcare of older people. An awareness of these issues will also help people reading systematic reviews to determine whether the results will influence their clinical practice. It is essential that systematic reviews are performed by a team which includes the required technical and clinical expertise. Those performing reviews for the first time should ensure they have appropriate training and support. They must be planned and performed in a transparent and methodologically robust way: guidelines are available. The protocol should be written-and if possible published-before starting the review. Geriatricians will be interested in a table of baseline characteristics, which will help to determine if the studied samples or populations are similar to their patients. Reviews of studies of older people should consider how they will manage issues such as different age cut-offs; non-specific presentations; multiple predictors and outcomes; potential biases and confounders. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses may provide evidence to improve older people's care, or determine where new evidence is required. Newer methodologies, such as meta-analyses of individual level data, network meta-analyses and umbrella reviews, and realist synthesis, may improve the reliability and clinical utility of systematic reviews. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.

Animal-Assisted Therapies for Youth with or at risk for Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Hoagwood, Kimberly Eaton; Acri, Mary; Morrissey, Meghan; Peth-Pierce, Robin

2017-01-01

To systematically review experimental evidence about animal-assisted therapies (AAT) for children or adolescents with or at risk for mental health conditions, we reviewed all experimental AAT studies published between 2000-2015, and compared studies by animal type, intervention, and outcomes. Studies were included if used therapeutically for children and adolescents (≤21 years) with or at risk for a mental health problem; used random assignment or a waitlist comparison/control group; and included child-specific outcome data. Of 1,535 studies, 24 met inclusion criteria. Of 24 studies identified, almost half were randomized controlled trials, with 9 of 11 published in the past two years. The largest group addresses equine therapies for autism. Findings are generally promising for positive effects associated with equine therapies for autism and canine therapies for childhood trauma. The AAT research base is slim; a more focused research agenda is outlined.

2016 Year-in-Review of Clinical and Consumer Informatics: Analysis and Visualization of Keywords and Topics.

PubMed

Park, Hyeoun-Ae; Lee, Joo Yun; On, Jeongah; Lee, Ji Hyun; Jung, Hyesil; Park, Seul Ki

2017-04-01

The objective of this study was to review and visualize the medical informatics field over the previous 12 months according to the frequencies of keywords and topics in papers published in the top four journals in the field and in Healthcare Informatics Research (HIR) , an official journal of the Korean Society of Medical Informatics. A six-person team conducted an extensive review of the literature on clinical and consumer informatics. The literature was searched using keywords employed in the American Medical Informatics Association year-in-review process and organized into 14 topics used in that process. Data were analyzed using word clouds, social network analysis, and association rules. The literature search yielded 370 references and 1,123 unique keywords. 'Electronic Health Record' (EHR) (78.6%) was the most frequently appearing keyword in the articles published in the five studied journals, followed by 'telemedicine' (2.1%). EHR (37.6%) was also the most frequently studied topic area, followed by clinical informatics (12.0%). However, 'telemedicine' (17.0%) was the most frequently appearing keyword in articles published in HIR , followed by 'telecommunications' (4.5%). Telemedicine (47.1%) was the most frequently studied topic area, followed by EHR (14.7%). The study findings reflect the Korean government's efforts to introduce telemedicine into the Korean healthcare system and reactions to this from the stakeholders associated with telemedicine.

How do authors of systematic reviews deal with research malpractice and misconduct in original studies? A cross-sectional analysis of systematic reviews and survey of their authors

PubMed Central

Elia, Nadia; von Elm, Erik; Chatagner, Alexandra; Pöpping, Daniel M; Tramèr, Martin R

2016-01-01

Objectives To study whether systematic reviewers apply procedures to counter-balance some common forms of research malpractice such as not publishing completed research, duplicate publications, or selective reporting of outcomes, and to see whether they identify and report misconduct. Design Cross-sectional analysis of systematic reviews and survey of their authors. Participants 118 systematic reviews published in four journals (Ann Int Med, BMJ, JAMA, Lancet), and the Cochrane Library, in 2013. Main outcomes and measures Number (%) of reviews that applied procedures to reduce the impact of: (1) publication bias (through searching of unpublished trials), (2) selective outcome reporting (by contacting the authors of the original studies), (3) duplicate publications, (4) sponsors’ and (5) authors’ conflicts of interest, on the conclusions of the review, and (6) looked for ethical approval of the studies. Number (%) of reviewers who suspected misconduct are reported. The procedures applied were compared across journals. Results 80 (68%) reviewers confirmed their data. 59 (50%) reviews applied three or more procedures; 11 (9%) applied none. Unpublished trials were searched in 79 (66%) reviews. Authors of original studies were contacted in 73 (62%). Duplicate publications were searched in 81 (69%). 27 reviews (23%) reported sponsors of the included studies; 6 (5%) analysed their impact on the conclusions of the review. Five reviews (4%) looked at conflicts of interest of study authors; none of them analysed their impact. Three reviews (2.5%) looked at ethical approval of the studies. Seven reviews (6%) suspected misconduct; only 2 (2%) reported it explicitly. Procedures applied differed across the journals. Conclusions Only half of the systematic reviews applied three or more of the six procedures examined. Sponsors, conflicts of interest of authors and ethical approval remain overlooked. Research misconduct is sometimes identified, but rarely reported. Guidance on when, and how, to report suspected misconduct is needed. PMID:26936908

Discrepancies and rates of publication in orthopaedic sports medicine abstracts.

PubMed

Kleweno, Conor P; Bryant, Whitney K; Jacir, Albert M; Levine, William N; Ahmad, Christopher S

2008-10-01

Presentations of clinically relevant data at AOSSM national meetings are presented yearly and may influence clinical decision making. The incidence of presentations that do not subsequently get published is high, and the numbers of major and minor inconsistencies, once published, are also high. Systematic review. A database was created of all abstracts presented at AOSSM meetings from 1999 to 2001 from official program books. To assess whether each abstract had been followed by publication in a peer-reviewed journal, a PubMed search was conducted to include a 5-year follow-up for each conference. Minor inconsistencies included differences in title, authors, presentation of all outcomes, and authors' interpretation of data. Major inconsistencies included discrepancies in study objective and/or hypothesis, study design, primary and secondary outcome measures, sample size, statistical analysis, results, and standard deviations/confidence intervals. Overall, 98 of the 165 abstracts presented at AOSSM national meetings from 1999 to 2001 were published in a peer-reviewed journal within 5 years, a publication rate of 59.4%. The median time to publication for all articles was 21 (range, 1-60) months. The majority of articles (61) were published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine (62.2%). The median number of major and minor inconsistencies from abstract to publication was 1 (range, 0-5) and 1 (range, 0-4), respectively. Sixty-two of the 98 published abstracts (63%) had at least 1 major inconsistency, while 79 (81%) had at least 1 minor inconsistency. In 5 manuscripts (5%), the authors' interpretation of the data had changed, and in 2 (2%), the change essentially invalidated the abstract. A large number of scientific presentations do not get published in a peer-reviewed journal. In addition, those published have a significant number of changes that, in a small percentage of cases, alter the validity of the original presentation. Orthopaedic surgeons and other attendees as well as nonattendees who reference conference abstracts need to exercise good judgment when considering the implications of oral presentations of unpublished materials. When reviewing meeting presentation abstracts, readers should remember that the material being presented is often not in its definitive or ultimate form.

Cannabis: Exercise performance and sport. A systematic review.

PubMed

Kennedy, Michael C

2017-09-01

To review the evidence relating to the effect of cannabis on exercise performance. A systematic review of published literature METHODS: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the principal psychoactive component of cannabis. A search was conducted using PUB med, Medline and Embase searching for cannabis, marijuana, cannabinoids and THC, in sport and exercise; the contents of sports medicine journals for the last 10 years; as well as cross references from journals and a personal collection of reprints. Only English language literature was reviewed and only articles that specified the details of a formal exercise program or protocol. Individuals in rehabilitation or health screening programs involving exercise were included as the study may have identified adverse reactions in the marijuana group. Review articles, opinion pieces, policy statements by sporting bodies and regulatory agencies were excluded. Only 15 published studies have investigated the effects of THC in association with exercise protocols. Of these studies, none showed any improvement in aerobic performance. Exercise induced asthma was shown to be inhibited. In terms of detrimental effects, two studies found that marijuana precipitated angina at a lower work-load (100% of subjects) and strength is probably reduced. Some subjects could not complete an exercise protocol because adverse reactions caused by cannabis. An important finding relevant to drug testing was that aerobic exercise was shown to cause only very small rises (<1ng/mL) in THC concentrations. THC does not enhance aerobic exercise or strength. Copyright © 2017 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sociocultural Perspective of Science in Online Learning Environments. Communities of Practice in Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdogan, Niyazi

2016-01-01

Present study reviews empirical research studies related to learning science in online learning environments as a community. Studies published between 1995 and 2015 were searched by using ERIC and EBSCOhost databases. As a result, fifteen studies were selected for review. Identified studies were analyzed with a qualitative content analysis method…

A Systematic Review of Interventions on Patients' Social and Economic Needs.

PubMed

Gottlieb, Laura M; Wing, Holly; Adler, Nancy E

2017-11-01

Healthcare systems are experimenting increasingly with interventions to address patients' social and economic needs. This systematic review examines how often and how rigorously interventions bridging social and medical care have been evaluated. The review included literature from PubMed published between January 2000 and February 2017. Additional studies were identified by reference searches and consulting local experts. Included studies were based in the U.S.; addressed at least one social or economic determinant of health (e.g., housing, employment, food insecurity); and were integrated within the medical care delivery system. Data from included studies were abstracted in June 2015 (studies published January 2000-December 2014) and in March 2017 (studies published January 2015-February 2017). Screening of 4,995 articles identified 67 studies of 37 programs addressing social needs. Interventions targeted a broad range of social needs and populations. Forty studies involved non-experimental designs. There was wide heterogeneity in outcome measures selected. More studies reported findings associated with process (69%) or social or economic determinants of health (48%) outcomes than health (30%) or healthcare utilization or cost (27%) outcomes. Studies reporting health, utilization, or cost outcomes reported mixed results. Healthcare systems increasingly incorporate programs to address patients' social and economic needs in the context of care. But evaluations of these programs to date focus primarily on process and social outcomes and are often limited by poor study quality. Higher-quality studies that include common health and healthcare utilization outcomes would advance effectiveness research in this rapidly expanding field. Copyright © 2017 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Side effects are incompletely reported among systematic reviews in gastroenterology.

PubMed

Mahady, Suzanne E; Schlub, Timothy; Bero, Lisa; Moher, David; Tovey, David; George, Jacob; Craig, Jonathan C

2015-02-01

Systematic reviews are an integral component of evidence-based health care. However, little is known on how well they report the potential harms of interventions. We assessed the reporting of harms in recently published systematic reviews of interventions relevant to clinical gastroenterology. We identified all systematic reviews of randomized trials of gastroenterology interventions published from 2008 to 2012 in highly cited gastroenterology and general medical journals. We adapted the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials guidelines for harms and assessed qualitative and quantitative parameters of harms reporting. Regression analyses determined predictors of more comprehensive harms reporting. In total, 78 systematic reviews were identified, with 72 published in gastroenterology journals and six in general medical journals. Overall, one in three systematic reviews (26/78, 33%) did not refer to harms of the intervention anywhere in the article. Less than half of the studies included adverse events as an outcome measure, and data on absolute rates of adverse events were only provided in 28%. Most (65%) did not include any figures or tables on adverse event; however, all included these on efficacy outcomes (mean, 3 and range, 1-7). Regression analyses indicated that the use of reporting guidelines was significantly associated with better harms reporting (P = 0.04). The reporting of harms in gastroenterology systematic reviews is largely inadequate and highly asymmetrical compared with the reporting of benefits. We suggest that review authors routinely assess both efficacy and harms outcomes of an intervention and that reporting guidelines specifically targeting harms reporting be developed. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY IN HEALTH RESEARCH IN INDIA

PubMed Central

Wells, Kristen J.; Preuss, Charles; Pathak, Yashwant; Kosambiya, J. K.; Kumar, Ambuj

2013-01-01

Community-engaged research approaches involve members of the community in various aspects of a research endeavor to improve the health of populations. Engaging the community in research is important in the development, dissemination, and evaluation of new interventions, technologies, and other medical advancements to improve population health globally. A review of published community-engaged research studies conducted in India was performed. Fifteen published studies were identified and reviewed to evaluate the state of community-engaged research in India. The review indicated that community-engaged research in India is limited. Most published community-engaged research focused on health promotion, especially in the prevention or management of HIV/AIDS and other STIs. Community members were involved in a variety of aspects of the research, but there was not one published article indicating that community members had defined the disease of focus. Community-engaged research often led to valuable insights into the views, experiences, and behaviors of community members and also led to increased community participation in health initiatives. It is anticipated that future community-engaged research will lead to improvements in global health through increased empowerment of communities and a better ability to implement new and innovative medical advances, technologies, and interventions. PMID:24353757

Ethical aspects of human biobanks: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Budimir, Danijela; Polašek, Ozren; Marušić, Ana; Kolčić, Ivana; Zemunik, Tatijana; Boraska, Vesna; Jerončić, Ana; Boban, Mladen; Campbell, Harry; Rudan, Igor

2011-01-01

Aim To systematically assess the existing literature on ethical aspects of human biobanks. Method We searched the Web of Science and PubMed databases to find studies addressing ethical problems in biobanks with no limits set (study design, study population, time period, or language of publication). All identified articles published until November 2010 were included. We analyzed the type of published articles, journals publishing them, involvement of countries/institutions, year of publication, and citations received, and qualitatively assessed every article in order to identify ethical issues addressed by the majority of published research on human biobanking. Results Hundred and fifty four studies satisfied our review criteria. The studies mainly came from highly developed countries and were all published in the last two decades, with over half of them published in 2009 or 2010. They most commonly discussed the informed consent, privacy and identifiability, return of results to participants, importance of public trust, involvement of children, commercialization, the role of ethics boards, international data exchange, ownership of samples, and benefit sharing. Conclusions The focus on ethical aspects is strongly present through the whole biobanking research field. Although there is a consensus on the old and most typical ethical issues, with further development of the field and increasingly complex structure of human biobanks, these issues will likely continue to arise and accumulate, hence requiring constant re-appraisal and continuing discussion. PMID:21674823

A bibliometric analysis of two decades of aromatherapy research.

PubMed

Koo, Malcolm

2017-01-18

Quantitative data are lacking on the profile of published research in aromatherapy. The objective of the study was to investigate the profile of original and review articles under the topic aromatherapy using bibliometric analysis. Articles on aromatherapy, published between 1995 and 2014, were retrieved from the Science Citation Index-Expanded database from the Web of Science. The records extracted were analyzed for citation characteristics, including the distribution of publication years, languages, countries or regions, journals, articles, and authors using HistCite 12.03.17. VOSviewer v.1.61 was used to construct bibliometric diagrams. A total of 549 original and review articles, published in 287 different peer-reviewed journals by 1888 authors, were identified. There was a steady increase in the number of published articles from 1995 to 2014. The majority of the articles was written in English (95.8%) and the United States was the leading country in the total number of published articles (n = 107, 19.5%) Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published the greatest number of articles on the topic (n = 31, 5.6%). The article that received the greatest number of citations was published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine. Visualization analysis based on co-occurrences of words in the title and abstract revealed three clusters of research topics, including essential oil, intervention, and complementary medicine. This study provided a systematic overview of productivity and visibility of research work in aromatherapy and the findings could be used for organizing and prioritizing future research efforts in aromatherapy research.

Publication patterns of oral and poster presentations at the annual meetings of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

PubMed

Patel, Akash J; Cherian, Jacob; Fox, Benjamin D; Whitehead, William E; Curry, Daniel J; Luerssen, Thomas G; Jea, Andrew

2011-12-01

National and international meetings, such as the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) meetings, provide a central location for the gathering and dissemination of research. The purpose of this study was to determine the publication rates of both oral and poster presentations at CNS and AANS meetings in peer-reviewed journals. The authors reviewed all accepted abstracts, presented as either oral or poster presentations, at the CNS and AANS meetings from 2003 to 2005. This information was then used to search PubMed to determine the rate of publication of the abstracts presented at the meetings. Abstracts were considered published if the data presented at the meeting was identical to that in the publication. The overall publication rate was 32.48% (1243 of 3827 abstracts). On average, 41.28% of oral presentations and 29.03% of poster presentations were eventually published. Of those studies eventually published, 98.71% were published within 5 years of presentation at the meeting. Published abstracts were published most frequently in the Journal of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery. Approximately one-third of all presentations at the annual CNS and AANS meetings will be published in peer-reviewed, MEDLINE-indexed journals. These meetings are excellent forums for neurosurgical practitioners to be exposed to current research. Oral presentations have a significantly higher rate of eventual publication compared with poster presentations, reflecting their higher quality. The Journal of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery have been the main outlets of neurosurgical research from these meetings.

Participation in psychosocial oncology and quality-of-life research: a systematic review.

PubMed

Wakefield, Claire E; Fardell, Joanna E; Doolan, Emma L; Aaronson, Neil K; Jacobsen, Paul B; Cohn, Richard J; King, Madeleine

2017-03-01

Quality-of-life and psychosocial oncology studies that have low participation might have less precision, less statistical power, and can have non-response bias. In this systematic Review, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycInfo, for paediatric studies published in 2010-15 and adults studies published 2014-15. Studies were eligible if they were original studies published in a peer-reviewed journal; recruited children (aged 0-18 years at diagnosis) with cancer or their parents, or adult patients with cancer; and assessed psychosocial outcomes, including quality of life, depression, anxiety, wellbeing, distress, coping, or adjustment as a primary or secondary outcome. We assessed participation reporting quality, calculated percentages of participation achieved, and measured the influence of study design and participant characteristics. We reviewed 311 studies including a total of 87 240 adults, children, and parents. Mean participation across studies was more than 70% (paediatric participation was 72% and adult participation was 74%). Many studies did not report data essential for the assessment of participation, especially for non-respondents. Studies using a longitudinal cohort design had higher participation than randomised trials. In paediatric studies, recruitment of participants at diagnosis, face to face, and with the use of short questionnaires yielded higher participation. Other study design characteristics (method of data collection, who enrolled the participants, and incentives) and patient characteristics (cancer type, patient or parent age, and sex) did not affect participation in either paediatric or adult studies. Researchers can use these data to improve reporting quality and make evidence-based choices to maximise participation in future studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Knowledge and attitudes regarding influenza vaccination among nurses: a research review.

PubMed

Zhang, Jing; While, Alison E; Norman, Ian J

2010-10-18

Influenza vaccination rates among nurses remain suboptimal despite health authority recommendations in many countries and several vaccination campaign programmes to encourage nurses to be vaccinated in many institutions. We reviewed published studies investigating nurses' knowledge and attitudes towards influenza vaccination to establish what is known about the determinants of nurses' influenza vaccination practices. Relevant articles published up to July 2010 were identified through multiple databases (CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, BNI, HMIC, PsycINFO, CMAC, and CNJ) using predetermined search strategies. Review of the titles and abstracts revealed 182 of 254 references were not relevant. Of 45 full papers reviewed, 32 did not report nurse data separately and one was a duplicate report of a study. We included 12 research studies which had investigated the relationship between knowledge and attitudes towards influenza vaccination and nurses' vaccination practices published between 2003 and 2010. All the studies were descriptive and relied upon self-report data. The findings of this review indicate a relationship between knowledge, attitudes and vaccination practices of nurses. There were three main findings: first, there was a strong association between nurses' knowledge of influenza and vaccination and their vaccination status; second, the surveys showed a positive relationship between perceptions of influenza as a serious illness and vaccination as effective and safe and a positive vaccination status; and third, there was a relationship between nurses' vaccination status and their reported promotion of vaccination to their patients. This review indicates that higher knowledge and positive attitudes towards influenza vaccination have a significantly positive association with vaccination coverage among nurses. Further studies are needed to identify influences on nurses' attitudes and practices regarding influenza vaccination and the personal, organizational, and situational factors that influence the uptake of influenza vaccine by nurses. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publication bias is underreported in systematic reviews published in high-impact-factor journals: metaepidemiologic study.

PubMed

Onishi, Akira; Furukawa, Toshi A

2014-12-01

To examine how often a significant publication bias (PB) existed when the assessment of PB was not reported in systematic reviews. All systematic reviews with meta-analyses of interventions and risk/prognostic factors published in the general medical journals with the top 10 impact factors in 2011 and 2012 were included. The results regarding PB were extracted. When the assessment of PB was not reported, we examined the presence of PB using the Egger test and contour-enhanced funnel plot and the impact of unreported PB by regression-based method. Among all the identified 116 reviews, the assessment of PB was not reported in 36 reviews (31.0%), particularly in reviews without a comprehensive literature search. Of these 36 reviews, seven (19.4%) were found to have a significant PB. The original pooled results may have been overestimated by a median of 50.9% if corrected for PB. Among the 28 reviews with PB including both reviews that did or did not report the assessment of PB, seven reviews (25.0%) did not report the presence of PB. Significant PB was underreported in systematic reviews published in high-impact-factor journals (eg, 19.4% of those that did not report assessment of PB had significant PB). Readers of systematic reviews should not assume that PB does not exist when not reported whereas researchers should report the results of assessments for PB. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reflections on the challenges and possibilities of journal publication in science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milne, Catherine; Siry, Christina; Mueller, Michael

2015-12-01

In this editorial we reflect on the intersections between the review and publishing policies of Cultural Studies of Science Education (CSSE) and the challenges and possibilities in global science education publishing. In particular we discuss the tensions associated with open or closed review policies, the hegemony of English as a language of publication, and reflect on some of the common challenges experienced by editors and authors from different contexts. We draw on the paper set in this issue consisting of five papers focused on publishing in various contexts, and elaborate several central questions for the field of science education and the dissemination of knowledges.

Is dyspnea management evidence-based?

PubMed

Aiello-Laws, Lisa B

2013-11-01

Reviewing the articles published in the past 40 years in the Oncology Nursing Forum (ONF) can assist in the identification of trends related to lung cancer treatment and management. Fifty-eight articles or studies published in ONF during that time were specific to lung cancer. The total number of published articles increased with each decade, but no articles were identified in the 1970s. The topics were quite varied, with each of the following represented by three or more articles: symptom clusters, radiation, smoking cessation, dyspnea, nutrition, and quality of life. To better focus this review on a specific aspect of lung cancer management, dyspnea was chosen.

Technical Features of Curriculum-Based Measurement in Writing: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMaster, Kristen; Espin, Christine

2007-01-01

This article reviews research examining technical features of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) in written expression. Twenty-eight technical reports and published articles are included in this review. Studies examining the development and technical adequacy of measures of written expression are summarized, beginning with research conducted at…

A Review of Neurofeedback Treatment for Pediatric ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lofthouse, Nicholas; Arnold, L. Eugene; Hersch, Sarah; Hurt, Elizabeth; DeBeus, Roger

2012-01-01

Objective: The aim of this paper was to review all randomized published trials and unpublished conference presentations on the neurofeedback (NF) treatment of pediatric ADHD, and their relevance, strengths, and limitations. Method: Via PsychInfo and Medline searches and contacts with NF researchers 14 studies were identified and reviewed. Results:…

Educational Psychology as an Evolving Discipline: Trends and Synthesis in Asia Pacific Education Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Dong-il; Koh, Hye-jung; Jo, Su-yeon; Nam, JeeEun Karin; Kim, Myeung-chan

2014-01-01

Educational psychology has seen rapid growth as an academic discipline in recent years. The current study reviewed research articles published in "Asia Pacific Education Review" ("APER"), a journal that has been gaining greater international recognition, to reveal recent trends in educational psychology research in Asia…

Do Continuing Medical Education Articles Foster Shared Decision Making?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Labrecque, Michel; Lafortune, Valerie; Lajeunesse, Judith; Lambert-Perrault, Anne-Marie; Manrique, Hermes; Blais, Johanne; Legare, France

2010-01-01

Introduction: Defined as reviews of clinical aspects of a specific health problem published in peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed medical journals, offered without charge, continuing medical education (CME) articles form a key strategy for translating knowledge into practice. This study assessed CME articles for mention of evidence-based…

Systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses: part 6 of a series on evaluation of scientific publications.

PubMed

Ressing, Meike; Blettner, Maria; Klug, Stefanie J

2009-07-01

Because of the rising number of scientific publications, it is important to have a means of jointly summarizing and assessing different studies on a single topic. Systematic literature reviews, meta-analyses of published data, and meta-analyses of individual data (pooled reanalyses) are now being published with increasing frequency. We here describe the essential features of these methods and discuss their strengths and weaknesses. This article is based on a selective literature search. The different types of review and meta-analysis are described, the methods used in each are outlined so that they can be evaluated, and a checklist is given for the assessment of reviews and meta-analyses of scientific articles. Systematic literature reviews provide an overview of the state of research on a given topic and enable an assessment of the quality of individual studies. They also allow the results of different studies to be evaluated together when these are inconsistent. Meta-analyses additionally allow calculation of pooled estimates of an effect. The different types of review and meta-analysis are discussed with examples from the literature on one particular topic. Systematic literature reviews and meta-analyses enable the research findings and treatment effects obtained in different individual studies to be summed up and evaluated.

Preapproval and postapproval availability of published comparative efficacy research on biological agents.

PubMed

Thomas, Rachel Hutchins; Freeman, Maisha Kelly; Hughes, Peter J

2013-07-15

Preapproval and postapproval availability of published comparative efficacy studies on biological agents approved between 2000 and 2010 was investigated. Approval packages published on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website were examined for all biological agents approved between 2000 and 2010 to determine if comparative efficacy studies were available at the time of FDA approval. The availability of comparative efficacy studies published subsequent to approval was determined by searching PubMed for randomized, active-controlled experimental or observational study designs that measured efficacy as the primary endpoint and were relevant to the original FDA-approved indication. From 2000 to 2010, 107 biological agents were approved by FDA. Of the biological agents with alternative treatments, 54.6% had comparative efficacy data available at the time of approval. Although standard-reviewed biological agents were more likely to have comparative efficacy trials included in the FDA approval packages than priority-reviewed biological agents, statistically significant differences are unlikely. Subsequent to approval, 58.1% of biological agents had at least one published comparative efficacy trial, representing a 3.5% absolute increase in the availability of comparative efficacy studies since the time of approval. Vaccines and biological agents in the hematologic diseases, oncology, and miscellaneous diseases classes had fewer published postapproval comparative efficacy studies per agent compared with the overall group of biological agents. Nearly half of all biological agents approved for marketing between 2000 and 2010 lacked publicly accessible, active-controlled efficacy studies at the time of drug approval; a slightly greater proportion of biological agents had comparative efficacy data published subsequent to their approval.

Revisiting typhoid fever surveillance in low and middle income countries: lessons from systematic literature review of population-based longitudinal studies.

PubMed

Mogasale, Vittal; Mogasale, Vijayalaxmi V; Ramani, Enusa; Lee, Jung Seok; Park, Ju Yeon; Lee, Kang Sung; Wierzba, Thomas F

2016-01-29

The control of typhoid fever being an important public health concern in low and middle income countries, improving typhoid surveillance will help in planning and implementing typhoid control activities such as deployment of new generation Vi conjugate typhoid vaccines. We conducted a systematic literature review of longitudinal population-based blood culture-confirmed typhoid fever studies from low and middle income countries published from 1(st) January 1990 to 31(st) December 2013. We quantitatively summarized typhoid fever incidence rates and qualitatively reviewed study methodology that could have influenced rate estimates. We used meta-analysis approach based on random effects model in summarizing the hospitalization rates. Twenty-two papers presented longitudinal population-based and blood culture-confirmed typhoid fever incidence estimates from 20 distinct sites in low and middle income countries. The reported incidence and hospitalizations rates were heterogeneous as well as the study methodology across the sites. We elucidated how the incidence rates were underestimated in published studies. We summarized six categories of under-estimation biases observed in these studies and presented potential solutions. Published longitudinal typhoid fever studies in low and middle income countries are geographically clustered and the methodology employed has a potential for underestimation. Future studies should account for these limitations.

Scholarly publishing depends on peer reviewers.

PubMed

Fernandez-Llimos, Fernando

2018-01-01

The peer-review crisis is posing a risk to the scholarly peer-reviewed journal system. Journals have to ask many potential peer reviewers to obtain a minimum acceptable number of peers accepting reviewing a manuscript. Several solutions have been suggested to overcome this shortage. From reimbursing for the job, to eliminating pre-publication reviews, one cannot predict which is more dangerous for the future of scholarly publishing. And, why not acknowledging their contribution to the final version of the article published? PubMed created two categories of contributors: authors [AU] and collaborators [IR]. Why not a third category for the peer-reviewer?

Sleep and Student Performance at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taras, Howard; Potts-Datema, William

2005-01-01

To review the state of research on the association between sleep among school-aged children and academic outcomes, the authors reviewed published studies investigating sleep, school performance, and cognitive and achievement tests. Tables with brief descriptions of each study's research methods and outcomes are included. Research reveals a high…

Obesity and Student Performance at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taras, Howard; Potts-Datema, William

2005-01-01

To review the state of research on the association between obesity among school-aged children and academic outcomes, the authors reviewed published studies investigating obesity, school performance, and rates of student absenteeism. A table with brief descriptions of each study's research methodology and outcomes is included. Research demonstrates…

Electro-Thermo-Mechanical Homogenization of Ferroelectric Atomistic Medium

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-23

design new electroactive materials and devices. (a) Papers published in peer-reviewed journals (N/A for none) List of papers submitted or published...that acknowledge ARO support during this reporting period. List the papers, including journal references, in the following categories: (b) Papers...published in non-peer-reviewed journals or in conference proceedings (N/A for none) 0.00Number of Papers published in peer-reviewed journals : Number of

Quality of the written radiology report: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Pool, Felicity; Goergen, Stacy

2010-08-01

A literature review was carried out, guided by the question, What are the important elements of a high-quality radiology written report? Two papers known to the authors were used as a basis for 5 PubMed search strategies. Exclusion criteria were applied to retrieved citations. Reference lists of retrieved citations were scanned for additional relevant papers and exclusion criteria applied to these. Web sites of professional radiology organizations were scanned for guidelines relating to the written radiology report. Retrieved guidelines were appraised using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation instrument. Methodologies of retrieved papers were not suitable for conventional appraisal, and an evidence table was constructed. The search strategy identified 25 published papers and 4 guidelines. Published study methodologies included 1 randomized controlled trial; 1 before-and-after study of interventions; 10 observational studies, audits, or analyses; 12 surveys; and 1 narrative review of the literature. Existing guidelines have a number of weaknesses with regard to scope and purpose, methods of development, stakeholder consultation, and editorial independence and applicability. There is a major gap in published studies relating to testing of interventions to improve report quality using conventional randomized controlled trial methods. Published studies and guidelines generally support report content, including clinical history, examination quality, description of findings, comparison, and diagnosis. Important report attributes include accuracy, clarity, and certainty. There is wide variation in the language used to describe imaging findings and diagnostic certainty. Survey participants strongly preferred reports with structured or itemized formats, but few studies exist regarding the effect of report structure on quality. Copyright 2010 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Towards a proposal for a universal diagnostic definition of protein-losing enteropathy in Fontan patients: a systematic review.

PubMed

Udink Ten Cate, Floris Ea; Hannes, Tobias; Germund, Ingo; Khalil, Markus; Huntgeburth, Michael; Apitz, Christian; Brockmeier, Konrad; Sreeram, Narayanswami

2016-07-15

A standardised diagnostic definition of protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) in Fontan patients serves both patient care and research. The present study determined whether a diagnostic definition of PLE was routinely used in published clinical Fontan studies, and to identify potentially relevant diagnostic criteria for composing a uniform PLE definition. A systematic review was conducted in adherence to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) recommendations. Published clinical Fontan studies that were written in English and included at least four patients with PLE were selected. PLE definitions were quantitatively analysed using a lateral thinking tool in which definitions were fractionated into constituent pieces of information (building blocks or diagnostic criteria). We identified 364 papers. In the final analysis, data from 62 published articles were extracted. A diagnostic definition of PLE was used in only 27/62 (43.5%) of selected studies, and definitions were very heterogeneous. We identified eight major diagnostic criteria. Hypoalbuminaemia (n=23 studies, 85.2%), clinical presentation (n=18, 66.7%), documentation of enteric protein loss (n=16, 59.3%) and exclusion of other causes of hypoproteinaemia (n=17, 63.0%), were the most frequently used diagnostic criteria. Most studies used three diagnostic variables (n=13/27, 48.1%). Cut-off values for laboratory parameters (serum albumin, protein or faecal α-1-antitrypsin) were frequently incorporated in the PLE definition (n=16, 59.3%). Establishment of a universally accepted PLE definition for routine use in clinical research and daily practice is required. The diagnostic criteria may help constitute a diagnostic PLE definition. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Protocol for developing a Database of Zoonotic disease Research in India (DoZooRI).

PubMed

Chatterjee, Pranab; Bhaumik, Soumyadeep; Chauhan, Abhimanyu Singh; Kakkar, Manish

2017-12-10

Zoonotic and emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) represent a public health threat that has been acknowledged only recently although they have been on the rise for the past several decades. On an average, every year since the Second World War, one pathogen has emerged or re-emerged on a global scale. Low/middle-income countries such as India bear a significant burden of zoonotic and EIDs. We propose that the creation of a database of published, peer-reviewed research will open up avenues for evidence-based policymaking for targeted prevention and control of zoonoses. A large-scale systematic mapping of the published peer-reviewed research conducted in India will be undertaken. All published research will be included in the database, without any prejudice for quality screening, to broaden the scope of included studies. Structured search strategies will be developed for priority zoonotic diseases (leptospirosis, rabies, anthrax, brucellosis, cysticercosis, salmonellosis, bovine tuberculosis, Japanese encephalitis and rickettsial infections), and multiple databases will be searched for studies conducted in India. The database will be managed and hosted on a cloud-based platform called Rayyan. Individual studies will be tagged based on key preidentified parameters (disease, study design, study type, location, randomisation status and interventions, host involvement and others, as applicable). The database will incorporate already published studies, obviating the need for additional ethical clearances. The database will be made available online, and in collaboration with multisectoral teams, domains of enquiries will be identified and subsequent research questions will be raised. The database will be queried for these and resulting evidence will be analysed and published in peer-reviewed journals. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Systematic review of non-surgical therapies for osteoarthritis of the hand: an update.

PubMed

Lue, S; Koppikar, S; Shaikh, K; Mahendira, D; Towheed, T E

2017-09-01

To update our earlier systematic reviews which evaluated all published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies in patients with hand osteoarthritis (OA). Surgical therapies were not evaluated. RCTs published between March 2008 and December 2015 were added to the previous systematic reviews. A total of 95 RCTs evaluating various pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies in hand OA were analyzed in this update. Generally, the methodological quality of these RCTs has improved since the last update, with more studies describing their methods for randomization, blinding, and allocation concealment. However, RCTs continue to be weakened by a lack of consistent case definition and a lack of standardized outcome assessments specific to hand OA. The number and location of evaluated hand joints continues to be underreported, and only 25% of RCTs adequately described the method used to ensure allocation concealment. These remain major weaknesses of published RCTs. A meta-analysis could not be performed because of marked study heterogeneity, insufficient statistical data available in the published RCTs, and a small number of identical comparators. Hand OA is a complex area in which to study the efficacy of therapies. There has been an improvement in the overall design and conduct of RCTs, however, additional large RCTs with a more robust methodological approach specific to hand OA are needed in order to make clinically relevant conclusions about the efficacy of the diverse treatment options available. Copyright © 2017 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Assessment of Intervention Fidelity in Published Social Work Intervention Research Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corley, Nicole A.; Kim, Irang

2016-01-01

Objectives: Intervention fidelity is a critical strategy to help advance the usefulness and integrity of social work research. This study assessed the extent to which a selected sample of published social work intervention researchers reported its intervention protocols. Methods: Six core social work journals were reviewed in this analysis. The…

Reviewing Instructional Studies Conducted Using Video Modeling to Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acar, Cimen; Diken, Ibrahim H.

2012-01-01

This study explored 31 instructional research articles written using video modeling to children with autism and published in peer-reviewed journals. The studies in this research have been reached by searching EBSCO, Academic Search Complete, ERIC and other Anadolu University online search engines and using keywords such as "autism, video modeling,…

Integrating Progress Files into the Academic Process: A Review of Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haigh, Jackie

2008-01-01

A literature review of published case studies reporting progress file implementation was conducted with the intent of discovering how this is being interpreted and implemented in higher education institutions. The three studies found were analysed using an ideal type categorization developed by Clegg and Bradley (2006), that is, professional,…

Group Incentives for Teachers and Their Effects on Student Learning: A Systematic Review of Theory and Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tirivayi, Nyasha; Maasen van den Brink, Henriette; Groot, Wim

2014-01-01

The effects of teachers' group incentives on student achievement are examined by reviewing theoretical arguments and empirical studies published between 1990 and 2011. Studies from developing countries reported positive effects of group incentives on student test scores. However, experimental studies from developed countries reported insignificant…

A systematic review of technology-based interventions for unintentional injury prevention education and behaviour change.

PubMed

Omaki, Elise; Rizzutti, Nicholas; Shields, Wendy; Zhu, Jeffrey; McDonald, Eileen; Stevens, Martha W; Gielen, Andrea

2017-04-01

The aims of this literature review are to (1) summarise how computer and mobile technology-based health behaviour change applications have been evaluated in unintentional injury prevention, (2) describe how these successes can be applied to injury-prevention programmes in the future and (3) identify research gaps. Studies included in this systematic review were education and behaviour change intervention trials and programme evaluations in which the intervention was delivered by either a computer or mobile technology and addressed an unintentional injury prevention topic. Articles were limited to those published in English and after 1990. Among the 44 technology-based injury-prevention studies included in this review, 16 studies evaluated locally hosted software programmes, 4 studies offered kiosk-based programmes, 11 evaluated remotely hosted internet programmes, 2 studies used mobile technology or portable devices and 11 studies evaluated virtual-reality interventions. Locally hosted software programmes and remotely hosted internet programmes consistently increased knowledge and behaviours. Kiosk programmes showed evidence of modest knowledge and behaviour gains. Both programmes using mobile technology improved behaviours. Virtual-reality programmes consistently improved behaviours, but there were little gains in knowledge. No studies evaluated text-messaging programmes dedicated to injury prevention. There is much potential for computer-based programmes to be used for injury-prevention behaviour change. The reviewed studies provide evidence that computer-based communication is effective in conveying information and influencing how participants think about an injury topic and adopt safety behaviours. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

GM crops and the rat digestive tract: a critical review.

PubMed

Zdziarski, I M; Edwards, J W; Carman, J A; Haynes, J I

2014-12-01

The aim of this review is to examine the relationship between genetically modified (GM) crops and health, based on histopathological investigations of the digestive tract in rats. We reviewed published long-term feeding studies of crops containing one or more of three specific traits: herbicide tolerance via the EPSPS gene and insect resistance via cry1Ab or cry3Bb1 genes. These genes are commonly found in commercialised GM crops. Our search found 21 studies for nine (19%) out of the 47 crops approved for human and/or animal consumption. We could find no studies on the other 38 (81%) approved crops. Fourteen out of the 21 studies (67%) were general health assessments of the GM crop on rat health. Most of these studies (76%) were performed after the crop had been approved for human and/or animal consumption, with half of these being published at least nine years after approval. Our review also discovered an inconsistency in methodology and a lack of defined criteria for outcomes that would be considered toxicologically or pathologically significant. In addition, there was a lack of transparency in the methods and results, which made comparisons between the studies difficult. The evidence reviewed here demonstrates an incomplete picture regarding the toxicity (and safety) of GM products consumed by humans and animals. Therefore, each GM product should be assessed on merit, with appropriate studies performed to indicate the level of safety associated with them. Detailed guidelines should be developed which will allow for the generation of comparable and reproducible studies. This will establish a foundation for evidence-based guidelines, to better determine if GM food is safe for human and animal consumption. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Cost Effectiveness of HPV Vaccination: A Systematic Review of Modelling Approaches.

PubMed

Pink, Joshua; Parker, Ben; Petrou, Stavros

2016-09-01

A large number of economic evaluations have been published that assess alternative possible human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination strategies. Understanding differences in the modelling methodologies used in these studies is important to assess the accuracy, comparability and generalisability of their results. The aim of this review was to identify published economic models of HPV vaccination programmes and understand how characteristics of these studies vary by geographical area, date of publication and the policy question being addressed. We performed literature searches in MEDLINE, Embase, Econlit, The Health Economic Evaluations Database (HEED) and The National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED). From the 1189 unique studies retrieved, 65 studies were included for data extraction based on a priori eligibility criteria. Two authors independently reviewed these articles to determine eligibility for the final review. Data were extracted from the selected studies, focussing on six key structural or methodological themes covering different aspects of the model(s) used that may influence cost-effectiveness results. More recently published studies tend to model a larger number of HPV strains, and include a larger number of HPV-associated diseases. Studies published in Europe and North America also tend to include a larger number of diseases and are more likely to incorporate the impact of herd immunity and to use more realistic assumptions around vaccine efficacy and coverage. Studies based on previous models often do not include sufficiently robust justifications as to the applicability of the adapted model to the new context. The considerable between-study heterogeneity in economic evaluations of HPV vaccination programmes makes comparisons between studies difficult, as observed differences in cost effectiveness may be driven by differences in methodology as well as by variations in funding and delivery models and estimates of model parameters. Studies should consistently report not only all simplifying assumptions made but also the estimated impact of these assumptions on the cost-effectiveness results.

Factors That Impact the Success of Interorganizational Health Promotion Collaborations: A Scoping Review.

PubMed

Seaton, Cherisse L; Holm, Nikolai; Bottorff, Joan L; Jones-Bricker, Margaret; Errey, Sally; Caperchione, Cristina M; Lamont, Sonia; Johnson, Steven T; Healy, Theresa

2018-05-01

To explore published empirical literature in order to identify factors that facilitate or inhibit collaborative approaches for health promotion using a scoping review methodology. A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, and Academic Search Complete for articles published between January 2001 and October 2015 was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. To be included studies had to: be an original research article, published in English, involve at least 2 organizations in a health promotion partnership, and identify factors contributing to or constraining the success of an established (or prior) partnership. Studies were excluded if they focused on primary care collaboration or organizations jointly lobbying for a cause. Data extraction was completed by 2 members of the author team using a summary chart to extract information relevant to the factors that facilitated or constrained collaboration success. NVivo 10 was used to code article content into the thematic categories identified in the data extraction. Twenty-five studies across 8 countries were identified. Several key factors contributed to collaborative effectiveness, including a shared vision, leadership, member characteristics, organizational commitment, available resources, clear roles/responsibilities, trust/clear communication, and engagement of the target population. In general, the findings were consistent with previous reviews; however, additional novel themes did emerge.

Obese children experience more extremity fractures than nonobese children and are significantly more likely to die from traumatic injuries.

PubMed

Kim, Seung-Ju; Ahn, Joonghyun; Kim, Hyung Kook; Kim, Jong Hun

2016-10-01

Two of the most prevalent problems children facing worldwide are injuries and obesity. We conducted a systematic review of published studies that evaluated the effects of obesity on children with traumatic injuries. Six studies published between 2006 and 2014 were identified, comprising a total of 4594 children: 867 were obese and 3727 were not. Obese children were 25% more likely to have extremity fractures than nonobese children (p = 0.003), and their mortality rate was significantly higher at 4.7% versus 2.8% (p = 0.026). Our review showed that obese children were more likely to have extremity fractures and die of traumatic injuries than nonobese children. ©2016 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Getting a Technology-based Diabetes Intervention Ready for Primetime: A Review of Usability Testing Studies

PubMed Central

Lyles, Courtney R.; Sarkar, Urmimala; Osborn, Chandra Y.

2014-01-01

Consumer health technologies can educate patients about diabetes and support their self-management, yet usability evidence is rarely published even though it determines patient engagement, optimal benefit of any intervention, and an understanding of generalizability. Therefore, we conducted a narrative review of peer-reviewed articles published from 2009–2013 that tested the usability of a web- or mobile-delivered system/application designed to educate and support patients with diabetes. Overall, the 23 papers included in our review used mixed (n=11), descriptive quantitative (n=9), and qualitative methods (n=3) to assess usability, such as documenting which features performed as intended and how patients rated their experiences. More sophisticated usability evaluations combined several complementary approaches to elucidate more aspects of functionality. Future work pertaining to the design and evaluation of technology-delivered diabetes education/support interventions should aim to standardize the usability testing processes, and publish usability findings to inform interpretation of why an intervention succeeded or failed, and for whom. PMID:25173689

Social determinants and maternal exposure to intimate partner violence of obstetric patients with severe maternal morbidity in the intensive care unit: a systematic review protocol

PubMed Central

Ayala Quintanilla, Beatriz Paulina; Taft, Angela; McDonald, Susan; Pollock, Wendy; Roque Henriquez, Joel Christian

2016-01-01

Introduction Maternal mortality is a potentially preventable public health issue. Maternal morbidity is increasingly of interest to aid the reduction of maternal mortality. Obstetric patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) are an important part of the global burden of maternal morbidity. Social determinants influence health outcomes of pregnant women. Additionally, intimate partner violence has a great negative impact on women's health and pregnancy outcome. However, little is known about the contextual and social aspects of obstetric patients treated in the ICU. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the social determinants and exposure to intimate partner violence of obstetric patients admitted to an ICU. Methods and analysis A systematic search will be conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, ProQuest, LILACS and SciELO from 2000 to 2016. Studies published in English and Spanish will be identified in relation to data reporting on social determinants of health and/or exposure to intimate partner violence of obstetric women, treated in the ICU during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy. Two reviewers will independently screen for study eligibility and data extraction. Risk of bias and assessment of the quality of the included studies will be performed by using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Data will be analysed and summarised using a narrative description of the available evidence across studies. This systematic review protocol will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Ethics and dissemination Since this systematic review will be based on published studies, ethical approval is not required. Findings will be presented at La Trobe University, in Conferences and Congresses, and published in a peer-reviewed journal. Trial registration number CRD42016037492. PMID:27895065

Controlled clinical studies of homeopathy.

PubMed

Mathie, Robert T

2015-10-01

Observations about controlled clinical trials expressed by Max Haidvogl in the book Ultra High Dilution (1994) have been appraised from a perspective two decades later. The present commentary briefly examines changes in homeopathy research evidence since 1994 as regards: the published number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the use of individualised homeopathic intervention, the 'proven efficacy of homeopathy', and the quality of the evidence. The commentary reflects the details of RCTs that are available in a recently published literature review and by scrutiny of systematic reviews of RCTs in homeopathy. The homeopathy RCT literature grew by 309 records in the 18 years that immediately followed Haidvogl's article, with more than a doubling of the proportion that investigated individualised homeopathy. Discounting one prior publication, the entire systematic review literature on homeopathy RCTs post-dates 1994. A total of 36 condition-specific systematic reviews have been identified in the peer-reviewed literature: 16 of them reported positive, or tentatively positive, conclusions about homeopathy's clinical effectiveness; the other 20 were negative or non-conclusive. Reviews typically have been restricted in the strength of their conclusions by the low quality of the original RCT evidence. Three comprehensive systematic reviews concluded, cautiously, that homeopathy may differ from placebo; a fourth such review reached negative conclusions. A recent high-quality meta-analysis concluded that medicines prescribed in individualised homeopathic treatment may have small, specific, effects. Despite important growth in research activity since 1994, concerns about study quality limit the interpretation of available RCT data. The question whether homeopathic intervention differs from placebo awaits decisive answer. Copyright © 2015 The Faculty of Homeopathy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Achieving a Successful Closure of an Anterior Tympanic Membrane Perforation: Evidence-Based Systematic Review.

PubMed

Visvanathan, Vikranth; Vallamkondu, Vamsidhar; Bhimrao, Sanjiv K

2018-06-01

Objectives Surgical repair of a tympanic membrane perforation is a common otologic procedure. However, achieving a successful closure can be challenging, especially if the anterior margin of the tympanic membrane is involved. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on evidence published in closure of anterior tympanic membrane perforations. Data Sources The following data sources were searched: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (1997 to August, 3 2017), MEDLINE (February 1948 to August 3, 2017), and Embase (1975 to August 3, 2017). Data Extraction Two authors independently reviewed titles and abstracts. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines were followed. For the purpose of this study, the inclusion criteria were as follows; (1) studies reporting surgical technique for closure of anterior tympanic membrane perforations, (2) primary cases only, (3) articles published in the English language, (4) minimum 6-month follow-up, and (5) recorded pre- and postoperative audiometry. The exclusion criteria were non-English language articles, revision surgery, and no audiometric outcomes. Results On initial search, a total of 181 articles were identified (PubMed, n = 136; Cochrane, n = 28; Embase, n = 17). Based on the criteria, 136 articles were excluded. Full text of 45 articles was reviewed, and a further 24 articles were excluded. A total of 21 articles fulfilled the criteria for study inclusion. Conclusions All published evidence is level 4. High-quality controlled studies are required to determine the most effective method for closure of anterior tympanic membrane perforation.

How long is too long in contemporary peer review? Perspectives from authors publishing in conservation biology journals.

PubMed

Nguyen, Vivian M; Haddaway, Neal R; Gutowsky, Lee F G; Wilson, Alexander D M; Gallagher, Austin J; Donaldson, Michael R; Hammerschlag, Neil; Cooke, Steven J

2015-01-01

Delays in peer reviewed publication may have consequences for both assessment of scientific prowess in academics as well as communication of important information to the knowledge receptor community. We present an analysis on the perspectives of authors publishing in conservation biology journals regarding their opinions on the importance of speed in peer-review as well as how to improve review times. Authors were invited to take part in an online questionnaire, of which the data was subjected to both qualitative (open coding, categorizing) and quantitative analyses (generalized linear models). We received 637 responses to a total of 6,547 e-mail invitations sent. Peer-review speed was generally perceived as slow, with authors experiencing a typical turnaround time of 14 weeks while their perceived optimal review time is six weeks. Male and younger respondents seem to have higher expectations of review speed than females and older respondents. Majority of participants attributed lengthy review times to the 'stress' on the peer-review system (i.e., reviewer and editor fatigue), while editor persistence and journal prestige were believed to speed up the review process. Negative consequences of lengthy review times appear to be greater for early career researchers and can also have impact on author morale (e.g. motivation or frustration). Competition among colleagues were also of concern to respondents. Incentivizing peer review was among the top suggested alterations to the system along with training graduate students in peer review, increased editorial persistence, and changes to the norms of peer-review such as opening the peer-review process to the public. It is clear that authors surveyed in this study view the peer-review system as under stress and we encourage scientists and publishers to push the envelope for new peer review models.

Characteristics of retractions related to faked peer reviews: an overview.

PubMed

Qi, Xingshun; Deng, Han; Guo, Xiaozhong

2017-08-01

A faked peer review is a novel cause for retraction. We reviewed the characteristics of papers retracted due to a faked peer review. All papers retracted due to faked peer reviews were identified by searching the Retraction Watch website and by conducting a manual search. All identified papers were confirmed in published journals. The information of retracted papers was collected, which primarily included publisher, journal, journal impact factor, country, as well as publication and retraction year. Overall, 250 retracted papers were identified. They were published in 48 journals by six publishers. The top 5 journals included the Journal of Vibration and Control (24.8%), Molecular Biology Reports (11.6%), Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology (8.0%), Tumour Biology (6.8%) and European Journal of Medical Research (6.4%). The publishers included SAGE (31%), Springer (26%), BioMed Central (18%), Elsevier (13%), Informa (11%) and LWW (1%). A minority (4%) of retracted papers were published in Science Citation Index (SCI) journals with an impact factor of >5. A majority (74.8%) of retracted papers were written by Chinese researchers. In terms of the publication year, the retracted papers were published since 2010, and the number of retracted papers peaked in 2014 (40.8%). In terms of the retraction year, the retractions started in 2012, and the number of retractions peaked in 2015 (59.6%). The number of papers retracted due to faked peer reviews differs largely among journals and countries. With the improvement of the peer review mechanism and increased education about publishing ethics, such academic misconduct may gradually disappear in future. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Varicella zoster virus-associated morbidity and mortality in Africa - a systematic review.

PubMed

Hussey, Hannah; Abdullahi, Leila; Collins, Jamie; Muloiwa, Rudzani; Hussey, Gregory; Kagina, Benjamin

2017-11-14

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes varicella and herpes zoster. These vaccine preventable diseases are common globally. Most available data on VZV epidemiology are from industrialised temperate countries and cannot be used to guide decisions on the immunization policy against VZV in Africa. This systematic review aims to review the published data on VZV morbidity and mortality in Africa. All published studies conducted in Africa from 1974 to 2015 were eligible. Eligible studies must have reported any VZV epidemiological measure (incidence, prevalence, hospitalization rate and mortality rate). For inclusion in the review, studies must have used a defined VZV case definition, be it clinical or laboratory-based. Twenty articles from 13 African countries were included in the review. Most included studies were cross-sectional, conducted on hospitalized patients, and half of the studies used varying serological methods for diagnosis. VZV seroprevalence was very high among adults. Limited data on VZV seroprevalence in children showed very low seropositivity to anti-VZV antibodies. Co-morbidity with VZV was common. There is lack of quality data that could be used to develop VZV control programmes, including vaccination, in Africa. PROSPERO 2015: CRD42015026144 .

Review of recent non-hyperbaric oxygen interventions for mild traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Wilson, Steffanie H; Roth, Michael; Lindblad, Anne S; Weaver, Lindell K

2016-01-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects 3.2 to 5.3 million persons in the United States (U.S.), and the impact in the U.S. military is proportionally higher. Consensus is lacking regarding an accepted outcome to measure the effectiveness of interventions to improve the symptoms associated with TBI, and no standard-of-care treatment exists for mild TBI (mTBI). A recent literature review evaluated hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO₂) interventions, and findings were mixed. We conducted a systematic review of non-HBO₂ mTBI interventional trials published in 2005-2015 in military and civilian populations. A total of 154 abstracts, seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and five pilot studies were reviewed. RCTs were evaluated using Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials criteria. Results indicated that studies published within the period of review were small pilot studies for rehabilitation therapy and motion capture or virtual reality gaming interventions. Neuropsychological assessments were commonly specified outcomes, and most studies included a combination of symptom and neuropsychological assessments. Findings indicated a lack of large-scale, well-controlled trials to address the symptoms and sequelae of this condition, but results of small exploratory studies show evidence of potentially promising interventions. Copyright© Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society.

Systematic review of skills transfer after surgical simulation-based training.

PubMed

Dawe, S R; Pena, G N; Windsor, J A; Broeders, J A J L; Cregan, P C; Hewett, P J; Maddern, G J

2014-08-01

Simulation-based training assumes that skills are directly transferable to the patient-based setting, but few studies have correlated simulated performance with surgical performance. A systematic search strategy was undertaken to find studies published since the last systematic review, published in 2007. Inclusion of articles was determined using a predetermined protocol, independent assessment by two reviewers and a final consensus decision. Studies that reported on the use of surgical simulation-based training and assessed the transferability of the acquired skills to a patient-based setting were included. Twenty-seven randomized clinical trials and seven non-randomized comparative studies were included. Fourteen studies investigated laparoscopic procedures, 13 endoscopic procedures and seven other procedures. These studies provided strong evidence that participants who reached proficiency in simulation-based training performed better in the patient-based setting than their counterparts who did not have simulation-based training. Simulation-based training was equally as effective as patient-based training for colonoscopy, laparoscopic camera navigation and endoscopic sinus surgery in the patient-based setting. These studies strengthen the evidence that simulation-based training, as part of a structured programme and incorporating predetermined proficiency levels, results in skills transfer to the operative setting. © 2014 BJS Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Methodologic quality of meta-analyses and systematic reviews on the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease outcomes: a review.

PubMed

Huedo-Medina, Tania B; Garcia, Marissa; Bihuniak, Jessica D; Kenny, Anne; Kerstetter, Jane

2016-03-01

Several systematic reviews/meta-analyses published within the past 10 y have examined the associations of Mediterranean-style diets (MedSDs) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, these reviews have not been evaluated for satisfying contemporary methodologic quality standards. This study evaluated the quality of recent systematic reviews/meta-analyses on MedSD and CVD risk outcomes by using an established methodologic quality scale. The relation between review quality and impact per publication value of the journal in which the article had been published was also evaluated. To assess compliance with current standards, we applied a modified version of the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTARMedSD) quality scale to systematic reviews/meta-analyses retrieved from electronic databases that had met our selection criteria: 1) used systematic or meta-analytic procedures to review the literature, 2) examined MedSD trials, and 3) had MedSD interventions independently or combined with other interventions. Reviews completely satisfied from 8% to 75% of the AMSTARMedSD items (mean ± SD: 31.2% ± 19.4%), with those published in higher-impact journals having greater quality scores. At a minimum, 60% of the 24 reviews did not disclose full search details or apply appropriate statistical methods to combine study findings. Only 5 of the reviews included participant or study characteristics in their analyses, and none evaluated MedSD diet characteristics. These data suggest that current meta-analyses/systematic reviews evaluating the effect of MedSD on CVD risk do not fully comply with contemporary methodologic quality standards. As a result, there are more research questions to answer to enhance our understanding of how MedSD affects CVD risk or how these effects may be modified by the participant or MedSD characteristics. To clarify the associations between MedSD and CVD risk, future meta-analyses and systematic reviews should not only follow methodologic quality standards but also include more statistical modeling results when data allow. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

The influence of ethnicity and culture on dementia caregiving: a review of empirical studies on Chinese Americans.

PubMed

Sun, Fei; Ong, Rebecca; Burnette, Denise

2012-02-01

The purpose of this article is to pinpoint the cultural and ethnic influences on dementia caregiving in Chinese American families through a systemic review and analysis of published research findings. Eighteen publications on Chinese American dementia family caregivers published in peer-reviewed journals between 1990 and early 2011 were identified. Based on a systematic database search and review process, we found that caregivers' beliefs concerning dementia and the concept of family harmony as evidenced through the practice of filial piety are permeating cultural values, which together affect attitudes toward research and help-seeking behaviors (ie, seeking information on diagnosis and using formal services). There is also evidence to suggest that these cultural beliefs impinge on key elements of the caregiving process, including caregivers' appraisal of stress, coping strategies, and informal and formal support. The study concludes with recommendations for future research and practice with the Chinese American population.

An Analysis of Factors Predicting Successful Transition From Pancreatology Abstracts to Full Publications.

PubMed

Grunwald, Douglas; Feuerstein, Joseph D; Maier, Irena Maria; Sheth, Sunil G

2017-01-01

Historically, less than half of peer-reviewed abstracts are published. We set out to determine how many pancreas-related abstracts are published within 5 years of presentation at gastroenterology conferences and to determine a model that predicts successful transition from abstract to journal publication. We collected data on study design from all pancreas-related abstracts at the 2010 Digestive Disease Week (DDW), American College of Gastroenterology, and American Pancreatic Association conferences. We then determined whether an abstract was published by October 2015 using a standardized search algorithm. Of 412 abstracts, 39.8% were published. Studies that were of basic science or translational design (P = 0.02, 0.01, respectively); had more listed authors (P = 0.05); employed randomized, prospective, and multicenter methodology (P = 0.02); and were accepted to DDW (P = 0.02) were more likely to be published. After regression, basic/translational studies (P = 0.002, 0.02, respectively) and DDW-accepted abstracts (P = 0.004) continued to predict successful publication. It is not clear why only 40% of the pancreas abstracts from 2010 were published 5 years later. Some abstracts may go unpublished because of methodological flaws that escape detection during abstract peer review. Therefore, physicians should use caution when applying abstract data to their clinical decision making.

Interventions to improve cultural competency in healthcare: a systematic review of reviews

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Cultural competency is a recognized and popular approach to improving the provision of health care to racial/ethnic minority groups in the community with the aim of reducing racial/ethnic health disparities. The aim of this systematic review of reviews is to gather and synthesize existing reviews of studies in the field to form a comprehensive understanding of the current evidence base that can guide future interventions and research in the area. Methods A systematic review of review articles published between January 2000 and June 2012 was conducted. Electronic databases (including Medline, Cinahl and PsycINFO), reference lists of articles, and key websites were searched. Reviews of cultural competency in health settings only were included. Each review was critically appraised by two authors using a study appraisal tool and were given a quality assessment rating of weak, moderate or strong. Results Nineteen published reviews were identified. Reviews consisted of between 5 and 38 studies, included a variety of health care settings/contexts and a range of study types. There were three main categories of study outcomes: patient-related outcomes, provider-related outcomes, and health service access and utilization outcomes. The majority of reviews found moderate evidence of improvement in provider outcomes and health care access and utilization outcomes but weaker evidence for improvements in patient/client outcomes. Conclusion This review of reviews indicates that there is some evidence that interventions to improve cultural competency can improve patient/client health outcomes. However, a lack of methodological rigor is common amongst the studies included in reviews and many of the studies rely on self-report, which is subject to a range of biases, while objective evidence of intervention effectiveness was rare. Future research should measure both healthcare provider and patient/client health outcomes, consider organizational factors, and utilize more rigorous study designs. PMID:24589335

The Use of Mobile Games in Formal and Informal Learning Environments: A Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koutromanos, George; Avraamidou, Lucy

2014-01-01

Our purpose in this paper is to review studies that explored the impact of the use of mobile games in both formal and informal learning environments. Through a review of studies on mobile learning that have been published between 2000 and 2013, we aim to identify the ways in which researchers used mobile games in a variety of learning…

A Country in Focus: Empirical Studies on Foreign Language Learning and Teaching in China (2008-2011)--A Review of Selected Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gao, Xuesong; Liao, Yanyi; Li, Yuxia

2014-01-01

In this review, we highlight 60 articles from 1,120 empirical studies in leading language learning and teaching journals published on the Chinese mainland during the years 2008-2011. In preparing the review, we have found Chinese researchers addressing a wide range of topics including language learners' cognitive processes, their language…

Trends and Patterns in Massive Open Online Courses: Review and Content Analysis of Research on MOOCs (2008-2015)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozkurt, Aras; Akgün-Özbek, Ela; Zawacki-Richter, Olaf

2017-01-01

To fully understand the phenomenon of massive open online courses (MOOCs), it is important to identify and map trends and patterns in research on MOOCs. This study does so by reviewing 362 empirical articles published in peer-reviewed journals from 2008 to 2015. For the purpose of this study, content analysis and discourse analysis were employed…

Protocol for a scoping review study to identify and classify patient-centred quality indicators.

PubMed

Jolley, Rachel J; Lorenzetti, Diane L; Manalili, Kimberly; Lu, Mingshan; Quan, Hude; Santana, Maria J

2017-01-05

The concept of patient-centred care (PCC) is changing the way healthcare is understood, accepted and delivered. The Institute of Medicine has defined PCC as 1 of its 6 aims to improve healthcare quality. However, in Canada, there are currently no nationwide standards in place for measuring and evaluating healthcare from a patient-centred approach. In this paper, we outline our scoping review protocol to systematically review published and unpublished literature specific to patient-centred quality indicators that have been implemented and evaluated across various care settings. Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology framework will guide the conduct of this scoping review. We will search electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts), grey literature sources and the reference lists of key studies to identify studies appropriate for inclusion. 2 reviewers will independently screen all abstracts and full-text studies for inclusion. We will include any study which focuses on quality indicators in the context of PCC. All bibliographic data, study characteristics and indicators will be collected and analysed using a tool developed through an iterative process by the research team. Indicators will be classified according to a predefined conceptual framework and categorised and described using qualitative content analysis. The scoping review will synthesise patient-centred quality indicators and their characteristics as described in the literature. This review will be the first step to formally identify what quality indicators have been used to evaluate PCC across the healthcare continuum, and will be used to inform a stakeholder consensus process exploring the development of a generic set of patient-centred quality indicators applicable to multiple care settings. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations and a one-day stakeholder meeting. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Protocol for a systematic review of preference-based instruments for measuring care-related outcomes and their suitability for the palliative care setting.

PubMed

McCaffrey, Nikki; Al-Janabi, Hareth; Currow, David; Hoefman, Renske; Ratcliffe, Julie

2016-09-12

Despite informal caregivers' integral role in supporting people affected by disease or disability, economic evaluations often ignore the costs and benefits experienced by this group, especially in the palliative setting. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify preference-based instruments for measuring care-related outcomes and provide guidance on the selection of instrument in palliative care economic evaluations. A comprehensive search of the literature will be conducted from database inception (ASSIA; CINAHL; Cochrane library including DARE, NHS EED, HTA; Econlit; Embase; PsychINFO; PubMed). Published peer-reviewed, English-language articles reporting preference-based instruments for measuring care-related outcomes in any clinical area will be included. One researcher will complete the searches and screen the results for potentially eligible studies. A randomly selected subset of 10% citations will be independently screened by two researchers. Any disagreement will be resolved by consensus among the research team. Subsequently, a supplementary search will identify studies detailing the development, valuation, validation and application of the identified instruments. The degree of suitability of the instruments for palliative economic evaluations will be assessed using criteria in the International Society for Quality of Life Research minimum standards for patient-reported outcome measures, the checklist for reporting valuation studies of multiattribute utility-based instruments and information on the development of the instrument in the palliative setting. A narrative summary of the included studies and instruments will be provided; similarities and differences will be described and possible reasons for variations explored. Recommendations for practice on selection of instruments in palliative care economic analyses will be provided. This is a planned systematic review of published literature. Therefore, ethics approval to conduct this research is not required. Findings will be presented at leading palliative care and health economic conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal. CRD42016034188. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

A descriptive analysis of oral health systematic reviews published 1991-2012: cross sectional study.

PubMed

Saltaji, Humam; Cummings, Greta G; Armijo-Olivo, Susan; Major, Michael P; Amin, Maryam; Major, Paul W; Hartling, Lisa; Flores-Mir, Carlos

2013-01-01

To identify all systematic reviews (SRs) published in the domain of oral health research and describe them in terms of their epidemiological and descriptive characteristics. Cross sectional, descriptive study. An electronic search of seven databases was performed from inception through May 2012; bibliographies of relevant publications were also reviewed. Studies were considered for inclusion if they were oral health SRs defined as therapeutic or non-therapeutic investigations that studied a topic or an intervention related to dental, oral or craniofacial diseases/disorders. Data were extracted from all the SRs based on a number of epidemiological and descriptive characteristics. Data were analysed descriptively for all the SRs, within each of the nine dental specialities, and for Cochrane and non-Cochrane SRs separately. 1,188 oral health (126 Cochrane and 1062 non-Cochrane) SRs published from 1991 through May 2012 were identified, encompassing the nine dental specialties. Over half (n = 676; 56.9%) of the SRs were published in specialty oral health journals, with almost all (n = 1,178; 99.2%) of the SRs published in English and almost none of the non-Cochrane SRs (n = 11; 0.9%) consisting of updates of previously published SRs. 75.3% of the SRs were categorized as therapeutic, with 64.5% examining non-drug interventions, while approximately half (n = 150/294; 51%) of the non-therapeutic SRs were classified as epidemiological SRs. The SRs included a median of 15 studies, with a meta-analysis conducted in 43.6%, in which a median of 9 studies/1 randomized trial were included in the largest meta-analysis conducted. Funding was received for 25.1% of the SRs, including nearly three-quarters (n = 96; 76.2%) of the Cochrane SRs. Epidemiological and descriptive characteristics of the 1,188 oral health SRs varied across the nine dental specialties and by SR category (Cochrane vs. non-Cochrane). There is a clear need for more updates of SRs in all the dental specialties.

Alignment of single-case design (SCD) research with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing with the what Works Clearinghouse standards for SCD research.

PubMed

Wendel, Erica; Cawthon, Stephanie W; Ge, Jin Jin; Beretvas, S Natasha

2015-04-01

The authors assessed the quality of single-case design (SCD) studies that assess the impact of interventions on outcomes for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH). More specifically, the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards for SCD research were used to assess design quality and the strength of evidence of peer-reviewed studies available in the peer-reviewed, published literature. The analysis yielded four studies that met the WWC standards for design quality, of which two demonstrated moderate to strong evidence for efficacy of the studied intervention. Results of this review are discussed in light of the benefits and the challenges to applying the WWC design standards to research with DHH individuals and other diverse, low-incidence populations. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Developing the Evidence Base to Inform Best Practice: A Scoping Study of Breast and Cervical Cancer Reviews in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

PubMed Central

Demment, Margaret M.; Peters, Karen; Dykens, J. Andrew; Dozier, Ann; Nawaz, Haq; McIntosh, Scott; Smith, Jennifer S.; Sy, Angela; Irwin, Tracy; Fogg, Thomas T.; Khaliq, Mahmooda; Blumenfeld, Rachel; Massoudi, Mehran; De Ver Dye, Timothy

2015-01-01

Background Breast and cervical cancers have emerged as major global health challenges and disproportionately lead to excess morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) when compared to high-income countries. The objective of this paper was to highlight key findings, recommendations, and gaps in research and practice identified through a scoping study of recent reviews in breast and cervical cancer in LMICs. Methods We conducted a scoping study based on the six-stage framework of Arskey and O’Malley. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Reviews, and CINAHL with the following inclusion criteria: 1) published between 2005-February 2015, 2) focused on breast or cervical cancer 3) focused on LMIC, 4) review article, and 5) published in English. Results Through our systematic search, 63 out of the 94 identified cervical cancer reviews met our selection criteria and 36 of the 54 in breast cancer. Cervical cancer reviews were more likely to focus upon prevention and screening, while breast cancer reviews were more likely to focus upon treatment and survivorship. Few of the breast cancer reviews referenced research and data from LMICs themselves; cervical cancer reviews were more likely to do so. Most reviews did not include elements of the PRISMA checklist. Conclusion Overall, a limited evidence base supports breast and cervical cancer control in LMICs. Further breast and cervical cancer prevention and control studies are necessary in LMICs. PMID:26325181

An Analysis of Research from Faculty at U.S. Adult Reconstruction Fellowships.

PubMed

Formby, Peter M; Pavey, Gabriel J; Van Blarcum, Gregory S; Mack, Andrew W; Newman, Michael T

2015-12-01

We reviewed all articles published in three major orthopaedic journals from January 2010 to December 2014. Any article focusing on adult reconstruction of the hip or knee was reviewed for first and last authorship, institution, and level of evidence. Three institutions had authored work from arthroplasty faculty that fell within the top five most published institutions in all three journals, while one institution ranked first in all three journals. 43 of 67 (64.2%) reconstruction fellowships had at least one publication included in this study. The majority of the adult reconstruction literature published by faculty at U.S. reconstruction fellowships stems from a few academic centers with the ten most prolific institutions accounting for 65.9% of all U.S. fellowship publications. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Parental leave policies in graduate medical education: A systematic review.

PubMed

Humphries, Laura S; Lyon, Sarah; Garza, Rebecca; Butz, Daniel R; Lemelman, Benjamin; Park, Julie E

2017-10-01

A thorough understanding of attitudes toward and program policies for parenthood in graduate medical education (GME) is essential for establishing fair and achievable parental leave policies and fostering a culture of support for trainees during GME. A systematic review of the literature was completed. Non-cohort studies, studies completed or published outside of the United States, and studies not published in English were excluded. Studies that addressed the existence of parental leave policies in GME were identified and were the focus of this study. Twenty-eight studies addressed the topic of the existence of formal parental leave policies in GME, which was found to vary across time and ranged between 22 and 90%. Support for such policies persisted across time. Attention to formal leave policies in GME has traditionally been lacking, but may be increasing. Negative attitudes towards parenthood in GME persist. Active awareness of the challenges faced by parent-trainees combined with formal parental leave policy implementation is important in supporting parenthood in GME. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Review of Selected Research in Applied Linguistics Published in Australia (2008-2014)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Rhonda; Chen, Honglin; Moore, Stephen

2016-01-01

This article reviews the significant and diverse range of research in applied linguistics published in Australia in the period 2008-2014. Whilst acknowledging that a great deal of research by Australian scholars has been published internationally during these seven years, this review is based on books, journal articles, and conference proceedings…

"The Globalization of Journals": A Review of the 2007 "Comparative Education Review" Bibliography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raby, Rosalind Latiner

2008-01-01

The distribution of knowledge is directly connected to the publishing industry. Who gets published, where the article appears, the distribution of the journal itself, and publishing influences directly affect how knowledge is disseminated. The 2007 "Comparative Education Review" ("CER") bibliography begins to question these patterns in terms of…

Liver Biochemistry During the Course of Influenza A/H1N1 Infection.

PubMed

Seretis, Charalampos; Lagoudianakis, Emmanuel; Salemis, Nikolaos; Pappas, Apostolos; Gemenetzis, George; Seretis, Fotios; Gourgiotis, Stavros

2013-06-01

Despite the multi-systemic effects of influenza A/H1N1 virus, the occurrence of hepatic injury during the natural course of the infection remains a matter of debate. We performed a review of the published clinical studies which assess the above mentioned relationship, reviewing the studies published in PubMed database (English literature), using the key words "H1N1", "influenza A" and "liver". We excluded case reports and clinical studies that referred to pediatric and transplanted patients, pregnants and patients with known history of chronic liver diseases. From a total of 96 results, a total of 78 papers met one or more of the exclusion criteria set. Evaluating the remaining 18 published papers, 14 more were excluded as they did not provide any sufficient data, relevant to the subject of our review. Although the analysis of the remaining studies revealed the existence of conflicting results concerning the exact degree and the potential mechanisms of liver injury in H1N1 positive patients, it can be assumed that influenza A/H1N1 virus is -or at least could be- a hepatotropic virus.

Liver Biochemistry During the Course of Influenza A/H1N1 Infection

PubMed Central

Seretis, Charalampos; Lagoudianakis, Emmanuel; Salemis, Nikolaos; Pappas, Apostolos; Gemenetzis, George; Seretis, Fotios; Gourgiotis, Stavros

2013-01-01

Despite the multi-systemic effects of influenza A/H1N1 virus, the occurrence of hepatic injury during the natural course of the infection remains a matter of debate. We performed a review of the published clinical studies which assess the above mentioned relationship, reviewing the studies published in PubMed database (English literature), using the key words “H1N1”, “influenza A” and “liver”. We excluded case reports and clinical studies that referred to pediatric and transplanted patients, pregnants and patients with known history of chronic liver diseases. From a total of 96 results, a total of 78 papers met one or more of the exclusion criteria set. Evaluating the remaining 18 published papers, 14 more were excluded as they did not provide any sufficient data, relevant to the subject of our review. Although the analysis of the remaining studies revealed the existence of conflicting results concerning the exact degree and the potential mechanisms of liver injury in H1N1 positive patients, it can be assumed that influenza A/H1N1 virus is -or at least could be- a hepatotropic virus. PMID:27785237

From Poster Presentation to Publication: National Congress of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

PubMed

Mutlu, Caner; Kaya Mutlu, Ebru; Kiliçoğlu, Ali Güven; Yorbik, Özgür

2015-06-01

The aims of this study were as follows: 1) to determine publication rate, time to publication, and study design of poster presentations accepted at the National Congress of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (NCCAP) and converted to publication and the degree of first author in a published article and journal index and 2) to investigate the relationship of these data with each other. The poster presentations of four congresses organized between 2005 and 2008 were investigated separately. The presentations were screened by taking into account the title and the first and second author in English and Turkish languages via PubMed and Google Academic databases. Published studies, time between presentation and publishing date, study design, degree of first author, and journal index of these studies were recorded. Fifty-four (25.2%) of 214 poster presentations were published in international and national peer-reviewed journals. Of the published articles, 74.1% (n=40) were research type and 61.1% (n=33) were found in the Science Citation Index (SCI) and Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCI-E) peer-reviewed journals. The first author in 42.6% (n=23) of published articles were assistant professors. The average time between presentation and publishing date was 30.72±18.89 months. Statistical differences were not determined between publication rate and study design; between time to publication and study type/study design, degree of first author, and journal index; and between journal index and study design and degree of first author (p>0.05). It was found that research articles were published significantly more by teaching staff than experts and other researchers (p<0.05). Compared with literature data, it was found that the time to publication was longer while the publication rate was similar for poster presentations in our congresses. Based on these results, it is important to create necessary conditions and encourage the researchers to publish the poster presentations presented in NCCAP.

From Poster Presentation to Publication: National Congress of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

PubMed Central

MUTLU, Caner; KAYA MUTLU, Ebru; KILIÇOĞLU, Ali Güven; YORBIK, Özgür

2015-01-01

Introduction The aims of this study were as follows: 1) to determine publication rate, time to publication, and study design of poster presentations accepted at the National Congress of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (NCCAP) and converted to publication and the degree of first author in a published article and journal index and 2) to investigate the relationship of these data with each other. Methods The poster presentations of four congresses organized between 2005 and 2008 were investigated separately. The presentations were screened by taking into account the title and the first and second author in English and Turkish languages via PubMed and Google Academic databases. Published studies, time between presentation and publishing date, study design, degree of first author, and journal index of these studies were recorded. Results Fifty-four (25.2%) of 214 poster presentations were published in international and national peer-reviewed journals. Of the published articles, 74.1% (n=40) were research type and 61.1% (n=33) were found in the Science Citation Index (SCI) and Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCI-E) peer-reviewed journals. The first author in 42.6% (n=23) of published articles were assistant professors. The average time between presentation and publishing date was 30.72±18.89 months. Statistical differences were not determined between publication rate and study design; between time to publication and study type/study design, degree of first author, and journal index; and between journal index and study design and degree of first author (p>0.05). It was found that research articles were published significantly more by teaching staff than experts and other researchers (p<0.05). Conclusion Compared with literature data, it was found that the time to publication was longer while the publication rate was similar for poster presentations in our congresses. Based on these results, it is important to create necessary conditions and encourage the researchers to publish the poster presentations presented in NCCAP. PMID:28360689

Imaging for uterine myomas and adenomyosis.

PubMed

Shwayder, James; Sakhel, Khaled

2014-01-01

Uterine myomas and adenomyosis are common findings, in particular in patients with symptoms of abdominal enlargement, pelvic pressure, abnormal uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea, and dyspareunia. Diagnosis and differentiation between the 2 entities are critical in establishing treatment options and the operative approach for surgical management. Herein are reviewed diagnostic options, their relative accuracy, and the effect of accurate diagnosis on treatment. A review was performed using PubMed, MdConsult, OVID, and reviews including cross-referenced articles and prospective and retrospective studies published from 1980 to 2013. Also reviewed are use of ultrasound with its various methods, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and positron emission tomography in the diagnosis, pretreatment evaluation, and differentiation of myomas and adenomyosis. Copyright © 2014 AAGL. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chronic Health Conditions and Student Performance at School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taras, Howard; Potts-Datema, William

2005-01-01

To review the state of research on the association between common chronic health conditions and academic outcomes, the authors reviewed published studies investigating the association of school attendance, cognitive ability, and achievement with a number of chronic diseases. Tables with brief descriptions of each study's research methods and…

A Review of Research on Technology-Assisted School Science Laboratories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Chia-Yu; Wu, Hsin-Ka; Lee, Silvia Wen-Yu; Hwang, Fu-Kwun; Chang, Hsin-Yi; Wu, Ying-Tien; Chiou, Guo-Li; Chen, Sufen; Liang, Jyh-Chong; Lin, Jing-Wen; Lo, Hao-Chang; Tsai, Chin-Chung

2014-01-01

Studies that incorporate technologies into school science laboratories have proliferated in the recent two decades. A total of 42 studies published from 1990 to 2011 that incorporated technologies to support school science laboratories are reviewed here. Simulations, microcomputer-based laboratories (MBLs), and virtual laboratories are commonly…

A Comprehensive Review of Learner-Control: The Role of Learner Characteristics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Michael D.

This paper reviews findings from over 70 published studies investigating various facets of learner-control in computer-based instruction (CBI). General conclusions about the relative effectiveness of learner-control versus program-control are equivocal. Across these studies, however, are strong suggestions that individual learner differences can…

Train the Trainer Effectiveness Trials of Behavioral Intervention for Individuals with Autism: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shire, Stephanie Yoshiko; Kasari, Connie

2014-01-01

This systematic review examines train the trainer (TTT) effectiveness trials of behavioral interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Published methodological quality scales were used to assess studies including participant description, research design, intervention, outcomes, and analysis. Twelve studies including 9 weak…

A Critical Review of Psychotherapy Outcome Studies with Adolescents: 1978-1988.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mann, Barton J.; Borduin, Charles M.

1991-01-01

Reviews methods and findings of adolescent psychotherapy outcome studies published from 1978 to 1988. Concludes that evaluations of individual psychotherapy with adolescents generally reveal positive short-term outcomes, but long-term outcomes are still to be determined; evaluations of systemic therapies with adolescents often reveal positive…

Adolescents' Perspectives on the Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martins, João; Marques, Adilson; Sarmento, Hugo; Carreiro da Costa, Francisco

2015-01-01

This article examined qualitative studies of adolescents' perspectives about the facilitators and barriers of physical activity, published from 2007 to 2014. A systematic review of "Web of Science", "EBSCO", "Psychinfo" and "ERIC" databases was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic…

Parenting Education for Parents with Intellectual Disabilities: A Review of Outcome Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldman, Maurice A.

1994-01-01

This review examined parenting education interventions in 20 published studies, involving 190 parents with intellectual disabilities. The most common instructional approach was behavioral. Initial training, follow-up, and social validity results were encouraging, whereas generalization and child outcomes data were weak. Research needs are noted.…

Secondary Analysis of National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hicks, Tyler A.; Knollman, Greg A.

2015-01-01

This review examines published secondary analyses of National Longitudinal Transition Study 2 (NLTS2) data, with a primary focus upon statistical objectives, paradigms, inferences, and methods. Its primary purpose was to determine which statistical techniques have been common in secondary analyses of NLTS2 data. The review begins with an…

Influence of family environment on children's oral health: a systematic review.

PubMed

Castilho, Aline Rogéria Freire de; Mialhe, Fábio Luiz; Barbosa, Taís de Souza; Puppin-Rontani, Regina Maria

2013-01-01

To review current models and scientific evidence on the influence of parents' oral health behaviors on their children's dental caries. MEDLINE articles published between 1980 and June, 2012. Original research articles on parents' oral health behavior were reviewed. A total of 218 citations were retrieved, and 13 articles were included in the analysis. The studies were eligible for review if they matched the following inclusion criteria: (1) they evaluated a possible association between dental caries and parents' oral-health-related behaviors, and (2) the study methodology included oral clinical examination. The main search terms were "oral health", "parental attitudes", "parental knowledge", and "dental caries". : 13 experimental studies contributed data to the synthesis. Original articles, reviews, and chapters in textbooks were also considered. Parents' dental health habits influence their children's oral health. Oral health education programs aimed at preventive actions are needed to provide children not only with adequate oral health, but better quality of life. Special attention should be given to the entire family, concerning their lifestyle and oral health habits. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Issues and Advances in the Systematic Review of Single-Case Research: A Commentary on the Exemplars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manolov, Rumen; Guilera, Georgina; Solanas, Antonio

2017-01-01

The current text comments on three systematic reviews published in the special section "Issues and Advances in the Systematic Review of Single-Case Research: An Update and Exemplars." The commentary is provided in relation to the need to combine the assessment of the methodological quality of the studies included in systematic reviews,…

Including Parents in the Continuum of School-Based Mental Health Services: A Review of Intervention Program Research from 1995 to 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendez, Linda Raffaele; Ogg, Julia; Loker, Troy; Fefer, Sarah

2013-01-01

In this study, the authors reviewed journal articles published between 1995 and 2010 that described student mental health interventions involving parents delivered in school settings. Their review identified 100 articles describing 39 interventions. On the basis of participant selection criteria provided by the authors of the reviewed articles,…

What Works for Adolescent Black Males at Risk of Suicide: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joe, Sean; Scott, Marquisha Lawrence; Banks, Andrae

2018-01-01

We reviewed the controlled studies that report outcome findings for Black adolescent males 24 years of age and younger at risk of suicide. Our review identified 48 articles published from 2000 to 2015, 33 that met our initial criteria for full-text articles review, resulting in 6 that met all inclusion criteria. We sought to understand what works…

Reviewing methodologically disparate data: a practical guide for the patient safety research field.

PubMed

Brown, Katrina F; Long, Susannah J; Athanasiou, Thanos; Vincent, Charles A; Kroll, J Simon; Sevdalis, Nick

2012-02-01

This article addresses key questions frequently asked by researchers conducting systematic reviews in patient safety. This discipline is relatively young, and asks complex questions about complex aspects of health care delivery and experience, therefore its studies are typically methodologically heterogeneous, non-randomized and complex; but content rich and highly relevant to practice. Systematic reviews are increasingly necessary to drive forward practice and research in this area, but the data do not always lend themselves to 'standard' review methodologies. This accessible 'how-to' article demonstrates that data diversity need not preclude high-quality systematic reviews. It draws together information from published guidelines and experience within our multidisciplinary patient safety research group to provide entry-level advice for the clinician-researcher new to systematic reviewing, to non-biomedical research data or to both. It offers entry-level advice, illustrated with detailed practical examples, on defining a research question, creating a comprehensive search strategy, selecting articles for inclusion, assessing study quality, extracting data, synthesizing data and evaluating the impact of your review. The article concludes with a comment on the vital role of robust systematic reviews in the continuing advancement of the patient safety field. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Workplace bullying and the association with suicidal ideation/thoughts and behaviour: a systematic review.

PubMed

Leach, Liana S; Poyser, Carmel; Butterworth, Peter

2017-01-01

The established links between workplace bullying and poor mental health provide a prima facie reason to expect that workplace bullying increases the risk of suicidal ideation (thoughts) and behaviours. Until now, there has been no systematic summary of the available evidence. This systematic review summarises published studies reporting data on workplace bullying and suicidal ideation, or behaviour. The review sought to ascertain the nature of this association and highlight future research directions. 5 electronic databases were searched. 2 reviewers independently selected the articles for inclusion, and extracted information about study characteristics (sample, recruitment method, assessment and measures) and data reporting the association of workplace bullying with suicidal ideation and behaviour. 12 studies were included in the final review-8 reported estimates of a positive association between workplace bullying and suicidal ideation, and a further 4 provided descriptive information about the prevalence of suicidal ideation in targets of bullying. Only 1 non-representative cross-sectional study examined the association between workplace bullying and suicidal behaviour. The results show an absence of high-quality epidemiological studies (eg, prospective cohort studies, which controlled for workplace characteristics and baseline psychiatric morbidity). While the available literature (predominantly cross-sectional) suggests that there is a positive association between workplace bullying and suicidal ideation, the low quality of studies prevents ruling out alternative explanations. Further longitudinal, population-based research, adjusting for potential covariates (within and outside the workplace), is needed to determine the level of risk that workplace bullying independently contributes to suicidal ideation and behaviour. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Review on health effects related to mobile phones. Part II: results and conclusions.

PubMed

Moussa, Mayada M R

2011-01-01

Part 1 of this review was published in the Journal of Egyptian Association of Public Health 2010; 85(5, 6):337-345. It included the introduction and methodology. It was based on reviewing the literature published in the last 10 years (2000-2010). Searches were made electronically through various search engines and health-related databases, and manually through journals, reports, and conference proceedings. The references used in the introduction of part 1 were mainly WHO reports, textbooks, and nonserial publications. In part 2, the literature published in 2011 was added to the yield and the results and conclusions are based on the updated search. In this literature search, 69 research articles (epidemiologic, experimental, cellular, and animal studies), 17 systemic or meta-analysis review studies, and four reports were included. The evidence presented in these peer-reviewed publications did not provide a consistent pattern that exposure to mobile phones is detrimental to health. Only studies associating mobile phone use during driving with road traffic accidents and those investigating electromagnetic interference with personal or hospital medical electronic devices showed consistent results. Regarding children, there are currently little data on cell phone use and health effects, including the risk of cancer. Further experimental and epidemiologic studies are needed to seek explanations for the controversies in studies on mobile phones so far. These studies should apply sound methodology for exposure assessment of mobile phone radiation and should focus on the effects of long-term use (more than 10 years). Cohort studies, in particular, should be established to investigate the long-term effects of mobile phone use on brain cancer as well as to investigate the possible health effects among children.

Can electronic search engines optimize screening of search results in systematic reviews: an empirical study.

PubMed

Sampson, Margaret; Barrowman, Nicholas J; Moher, David; Clifford, Tammy J; Platt, Robert W; Morrison, Andra; Klassen, Terry P; Zhang, Li

2006-02-24

Most electronic search efforts directed at identifying primary studies for inclusion in systematic reviews rely on the optimal Boolean search features of search interfaces such as DIALOG and Ovid. Our objective is to test the ability of an Ultraseek search engine to rank MEDLINE records of the included studies of Cochrane reviews within the top half of all the records retrieved by the Boolean MEDLINE search used by the reviewers. Collections were created using the MEDLINE bibliographic records of included and excluded studies listed in the review and all records retrieved by the MEDLINE search. Records were converted to individual HTML files. Collections of records were indexed and searched through a statistical search engine, Ultraseek, using review-specific search terms. Our data sources, systematic reviews published in the Cochrane library, were included if they reported using at least one phase of the Cochrane Highly Sensitive Search Strategy (HSSS), provided citations for both included and excluded studies and conducted a meta-analysis using a binary outcome measure. Reviews were selected if they yielded between 1000-6000 records when the MEDLINE search strategy was replicated. Nine Cochrane reviews were included. Included studies within the Cochrane reviews were found within the first 500 retrieved studies more often than would be expected by chance. Across all reviews, recall of included studies into the top 500 was 0.70. There was no statistically significant difference in ranking when comparing included studies with just the subset of excluded studies listed as excluded in the published review. The relevance ranking provided by the search engine was better than expected by chance and shows promise for the preliminary evaluation of large results from Boolean searches. A statistical search engine does not appear to be able to make fine discriminations concerning the relevance of bibliographic records that have been pre-screened by systematic reviewers.

A systematic review and meta-analysis assessing adverse event profile and tolerability of nicergoline.

PubMed

Fioravanti, Mario; Nakashima, Taku; Xu, Jun; Garg, Amit

2014-07-30

To evaluate the safety profile of nicergoline compared with placebo and other active agents from published randomised controlled trials. Systematic review and meta-analysis of nicergoline compared with placebo and other active agents across various indications. MEDLINE, Medline-in-process, Cochrane, EMBASE, EMBASE alerts, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) and Cochrane Methodology Register (CMR) for all the randomised controlled trials, open-label or blinded, in adults treated with nicergoline. Studies published until August 2013 were included. 29 studies were included for data extraction. The studies included in this review were majorly from European countries and mostly in cerebrovascular disease (n=15) and dementia (n=8). The treatment withdrawals were comparatively lower in the nicergoline group as compared with the placebo group (RR=0.92; 95% CI 0.7 to 1.21) and other active comparators (RR=0.45; 95% CI 0.10 to 1.95), but the difference was non-significant. Incidence of any adverse events (AEs) was slightly higher (RR=1.05; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.2) while incidence of serious AEs was lower (RR=0.85; 95% CI 0.50 to 1.45) in the nicergoline compared with placebo group. Frequency of anxiety was significantly lower in nicergoline as compared with placebo (p=0.01). Other AEs including diarrhoea, gastric upset, dizziness and drowsiness were less frequent in the nicergoline group when compared with placebo/active drugs, but the difference was non-significant. Frequency of hypotension and hot flushes was slightly higher in the nicergoline group but the difference was non-significant. None of the studies reported any incidence of fibrosis or ergotism with nicergoline treatment. Nicergoline is an ergot derivative, but its safety profile is better than other ergot derivatives like ergotamine and ergotoxine. This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that nicergoline has a good safety profile. None of the studies included in this systematic review reported any incidence of fibrosis or ergotism with nicergoline. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

An updated review of the efficacy of cupping therapy.

PubMed

Cao, Huijuan; Li, Xun; Liu, Jianping

2012-01-01

Since 1950, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cupping therapy has been applied as a formal modality in hospitals throughout China and elsewhere in the world. Based on a previous systematic literature review of clinical studies on cupping therapy, this study presents a thorough review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the therapeutic effect of cupping therapy. Six databases were searched for articles published through 2010. RCTs on cupping therapy for various diseases were included. Studies on cupping therapy combined with other TCM treatments versus non-TCM therapies were excluded. 135 RCTs published from 1992 through 2010 were identified. The studies were generally of low methodological quality. Diseases for which cupping therapy was commonly applied were herpes zoster, facial paralysis (Bell palsy), cough and dyspnea, acne, lumbar disc herniation, and cervical spondylosis. Wet cupping was used in most trials, followed by retained cupping, moving cupping, and flash cupping. Meta-analysis showed cupping therapy combined with other TCM treatments was significantly superior to other treatments alone in increasing the number of cured patients with herpes zoster, facial paralysis, acne, and cervical spondylosis. No serious adverse effects were reported in the trials. Numerous RCTs on cupping therapy have been conducted and published during the past decades. This review showed that cupping has potential effect in the treatment of herpes zoster and other specific conditions. However, further rigorously designed trials on its use for other conditions are warranted.

Physical activity in older people: a systematic review.

PubMed

Sun, Fei; Norman, Ian J; While, Alison E

2013-05-06

Physical activity (PA) in older people is critically important in the prevention of disease, maintenance of independence and improvement of quality of life. Little is known about the physical activity of the older adults or their compliance with current physical activity guidelines. A systematic literature search of the published literature was conducted. Included were published reports of original research that independently reported: the PA level of non-institutional older adults (aged 60 years and over); and the proportion of older adults in the different samples who met PA recommendations or guidelines. The review was restricted to studies published since 2000 to provide a current picture of older adults' PA levels. Fifty three papers were included in the review. The percentage of older adults meeting recommended physical activity ranged from 2.4 - 83.0% across the studies. Definitions of "recommended" physical activity in older adults varied across the studies as did approaches to measurement which posed methodological challenges to data analysis. Older age groups were less likely than the reference group to be regularly active, and women were less likely than men to achieve regular physical activity, especially leisure time physical activity, when measured by both subjective and objective criteria. The review highlights the need for studies which recruit representative random samples of community based older people and employ validated measurement methods consistently to enable comparison of PA levels over time and between countries.

How Long Is Too Long in Contemporary Peer Review? Perspectives from Authors Publishing in Conservation Biology Journals

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Vivian M.; Haddaway, Neal R.; Gutowsky, Lee F. G.; Wilson, Alexander D. M.; Gallagher, Austin J.; Donaldson, Michael R.; Hammerschlag, Neil; Cooke, Steven J.

2015-01-01

Delays in peer reviewed publication may have consequences for both assessment of scientific prowess in academia as well as communication of important information to the knowledge receptor community. We present an analysis on the perspectives of authors publishing in conservation biology journals regarding their opinions on the importance of speed in peer-review as well as how to improve review times. Authors were invited to take part in an online questionnaire, of which the data was subjected to both qualitative (open coding, categorizing) and quantitative analyses (generalized linear models). We received 637 responses to 6,547 e-mail invitations sent. Peer-review speed was generally perceived as slow, with authors experiencing a typical turnaround time of 14 weeks while their perceived optimal review time was six weeks. Male and younger respondents seem to have higher expectations of review speed than females and older respondents. The majority of participants attributed lengthy review times to reviewer and editor fatigue, while editor persistence and journal prestige were believed to speed up the review process. Negative consequences of lengthy review times were perceived to be greater for early career researchers and to have impact on author morale (e.g. motivation or frustration). Competition among colleagues was also of concern to respondents. Incentivizing peer-review was among the top suggested alterations to the system along with training graduate students in peer-review, increased editorial persistence, and changes to the norms of peer-review such as opening the peer-review process to the public. It is clear that authors surveyed in this study viewed the peer-review system as under stress and we encourage scientists and publishers to push the envelope for new peer-review models. PMID:26267491

Can editors save peer review from peer reviewers?

PubMed

D'Andrea, Rafael; O'Dwyer, James P

2017-01-01

Peer review is the gold standard for scientific communication, but its ability to guarantee the quality of published research remains difficult to verify. Recent modeling studies suggest that peer review is sensitive to reviewer misbehavior, and it has been claimed that referees who sabotage work they perceive as competition may severely undermine the quality of publications. Here we examine which aspects of suboptimal reviewing practices most strongly impact quality, and test different mitigating strategies that editors may employ to counter them. We find that the biggest hazard to the quality of published literature is not selfish rejection of high-quality manuscripts but indifferent acceptance of low-quality ones. Bypassing or blacklisting bad reviewers and consulting additional reviewers to settle disagreements can reduce but not eliminate the impact. The other editorial strategies we tested do not significantly improve quality, but pairing manuscripts to reviewers unlikely to selfishly reject them and allowing revision of rejected manuscripts minimize rejection of above-average manuscripts. In its current form, peer review offers few incentives for impartial reviewing efforts. Editors can help, but structural changes are more likely to have a stronger impact.

Training practitioners in preparing systematic reviews: a cross-sectional survey of participants in the Australasian Cochrane Centre training program.

PubMed

Piehl, Janet H; Green, Sally; Silagy, Chris

2002-06-02

Although systematic reviews of health care interventions are an invaluable tool for health care providers and researchers, many potential authors never publish reviews. This study attempts to determine why some people with interest in performing systematic reviews do not subsequently publish a review; and what steps could possibly increase review completion. Cross-sectional survey by email and facsimile of the 179 participants in Australasian Cochrane Centre training events between 1998 and 2000. Ninety-two participants responded to the survey (51 percent). Response rate of deliverable surveys was 82 percent (92/112). The remainder of the participants had invalid or no contact information on file. More than 75 percent of respondents felt that the current workshops met their needs for training. The most critical barriers to completion of a Cochrane review were: lack of time (80 percent), lack of financial support (36 percent), methodological problems (23 percent) and problems with group dynamics (10 percent). Strategies to protect reviewer time and increase the efficiency of the review process may increase the numbers of trained reviewers completing a systematic review.

Highlights in emergency medicine medical education research: 2008.

PubMed

Farrell, Susan E; Coates, Wendy C; Khun, Gloria J; Fisher, Jonathan; Shayne, Philip; Lin, Michelle

2009-12-01

The purpose of this article is to highlight medical education research studies published in 2008 that were methodologically superior and whose outcomes were pertinent to teaching and education in emergency medicine. Through a PubMed search of the English language literature in 2008, 30 medical education research studies were independently identified as hypothesis-testing investigations and measurements of educational interventions. Six reviewers independently rated and scored all articles based on eight anchors, four of which related to methodologic criteria. Articles were ranked according to their total rating score. A ranking agreement among the reviewers of 83% was established a priori as a minimum for highlighting articles in this review. Five medical education research studies met the a priori criteria for inclusion and are reviewed and summarized here. Four of these employed experimental or quasi-experimental methodology. Although technology was not a component of the structured literature search employed to identify the candidate articles for this review, 14 of the articles identified, including four of the five highlighted articles, employed or studied technology as a focus of the educational research. Overall, 36% of the reviewed studies were supported by funding; three of the highlighted articles were funded studies. This review highlights quality medical education research studies published in 2008, with outcomes of relevance to teaching and education in emergency medicine. It focuses on research methodology, notes current trends in the use of technology for learning in emergency medicine, and suggests future avenues for continued rigorous study in education.

[Sleep-apnea syndrome, mechanical ventilation and critical care in Archivos de Bronconeumología (December 2009-December 2010)].

PubMed

Abad Fernández, Araceli; Pumarega, Irene Cano; Hernández, Concepción; Sampol, Gabriel; Terán-Santos, Joaquín

2011-01-01

The present study aims to review all the major articles on respiratory sleep disorders, mechanical ventilation, and respiratory critical care published in the last year in Archivos de bronconeumología. Between December 2009 and November 2010, 15 studies on these topics were published in Archivos de bronconeumología. Ten of these studies dealt with respiratory sleep disorders, consisting of six original articles, one special article, one review article, one letter to the editor and one supplement on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its association with sleep apneas. Five articles were published on non-invasive mechanical ventilation: one editorial, one special article, one article in a supplement and two original articles. As in previous years, there was a marked difference in the number of articles published on non-invasive mechanical ventilation and sleep-apnea syndrome, with a greater number of articles being published on the latter. Although some articles highlight the importance of the place where ventilation is commenced, no study specifically dealing with intermediate care units was published in Archivos de bronconeumología in 2010. This absence could be interpreted as a result of the low implantation of this type of unit in Spain, contrasting with the high activity undertaken in this field by pneumology services. Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Neumología y Cirugía Torácica. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Literature review of teaching skills programs for junior medical officers.

PubMed

Dannaway, Jasan; Ng, Heryanto; Schoo, Adrian

2016-01-31

The aim of this review was to assess the current evidence regarding the efficacy of teaching skills programs for junior medical officers. We aimed to compare and contrast these results with findings from previous literature reviews, the last of which were published in 2009. In order to capture studies since the last published literature reviews, five databases and grey literature were searched for publications from January 2008 to January 2015. A search for literature reviews without using the timeframe limitation was also performed. The search from January 2008 to January 2015 resulted in the inclusion of 12 studies. Five systematic reviews of the topic were found which included 39 individual studies that were also analysed. Nearly all studies reported positive effects. Twenty nine studies reported change in attitudes, 28 reported modification in knowledge, 28 reported change in behaviour, 6 reported change in the organisation and two reported change in program participant's students. There were substantial threats of bias present. The literature reviewed demonstrated many positive effects of teaching skills programs, which supports their utilization. However, high level outcomes need to be evaluated over longer periods of time to establish their true impact. An organisation specific approach to these programs needs to occur using sound course design principles, and they need to be reported in evaluation trials that are designed with robust methodology.

Standard of reporting animal-based experimental research in Indian Journal of Pharmacology.

PubMed

Aiman, Umme; Rahman, Syed Ziaur

2015-01-01

The objective of present study was to survey and determine the reporting standards of animal studies published during three years from 2012 to 2014 in the Indian Journal of Pharmacology (IJP). All issues of IJP published in the year 2012, 2013 and 2014 were reviewed to identify animal studies. Each animal study was searched for 15 parameters specifically designed to review standards of animal experimentation and research methodology. All published studies had clearly defined aims and objectives while a statement on ethical clearance about the study protocol was provided in 97% of papers. Information about animal strain and sex was given in 91.8% and 90% of papers respectively. Age of experimental animals was mentioned by 44.4% papers while source of animals was given in 50.8% papers. Randomization was reported by 37.4% while 9.9% studies reported blinding. Only 3.5% studies mentioned any limitations of their work. Present study demonstrates relatively good reporting standards in animal studies published in IJP. The items which need to be improved are randomization, blinding, sample size calculation, stating the limitations of study, sources of support and conflict of interest. The knowledge shared in the present paper could be used for better reporting of animal based experiments.

For the General Internist: A Summary of Key Innovations in Medical Education.

PubMed

Roy, Brita; Chheda, Shobhina G; Bates, Carol; Dunn, Kathel; Karani, Reena; Willett, Lisa L

2016-08-01

We conducted a review of published medical education articles to identify high-quality research and innovation relevant to educators in general medicine. Our review team consisted of six general internists with expertise in medical education and a professional medical librarian. We manually searched 15 journals in pairs (a total of 3062 citations) for original research articles in medical education published in 2014. Each pair of reviewers independently rated the relevance, importance, and generalizability of articles on medical education in their assigned journals using a 27-point scale (maximum of 9 points for each characteristic). From this list, each team member independently reviewed the 22 articles that received a score of 20 or higher from both initial reviewers, and for each selected article rated the quality and global relevance for the generalist educator. We included the seven top-rated articles for presentation in this review, and categorized the studies into four general themes: continuity clinic scheduling, remediation, interprofessional education, and quality improvement and patient safety. We summarized key findings and identified significant limitations of each study. Further studies assessing patient outcomes are needed to strengthen the literature in medical education. This summary of relevant medical education articles can inform future research, teaching, and practice.

Integrative medicine for managing the symptoms of lupus nephritis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Choi, Tae-Young; Jun, Ji Hee; Lee, Myeong Soo

2018-03-01

Integrative medicine is claimed to improve symptoms of lupus nephritis. No systematic reviews have been performed for the application of integrative medicine for lupus nephritis on patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Thus, this review will aim to evaluate the current evidence on the efficacy of integrative medicine for the management of lupus nephritis in patients with SLE. The following electronic databases will be searched for studies published from their dates of inception February 2018: Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), as well as 6 Korean medical databases (Korea Med, the Oriental Medicine Advanced Search Integrated System [OASIS], DBpia, the Korean Medical Database [KM base], the Research Information Service System [RISS], and the Korean Studies Information Services System [KISS]), and 1 Chinese medical database (the China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI]). Study selection, data extraction, and assessment will be performed independently by 2 researchers. The risk of bias (ROB) will be assessed using the Cochrane ROB tool. This systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated both electronically and in print. The review will be updated to inform and guide healthcare practice and policy. PROSPERO 2018 CRD42018085205.

Attention and Cognitive Bias Modification Apps: Review of the Literature and of Commercially Available Apps

PubMed Central

Ying, JiangBo; Song, Guo; Fung, Daniel SS; Smith, Helen

2018-01-01

Background Automatic processes, such as attentional biases or interpretative biases, have been purported to be responsible for several psychiatric disorders. Recent reviews have highlighted that cognitive biases may be modifiable. Advances in eHealth and mHealth have been harnessed for the delivery of cognitive bias modification. While several studies have evaluated mHealth-based bias modification intervention, no review, to our knowledge, has synthesized the evidence for it. In addition, no review has looked at commercial apps and their functionalities and methods of bias modification. A review is essential in determining whether scientifically validated apps are available commercially and the proportion of commercial apps that have been evaluated scientifically. Objective The objective of this review was primarily to determine the proportion of attention or cognitive bias modification apps that have been evaluated scientifically and secondarily to determine whether the scientifically evaluated apps were commercially available. We also sought to identify commercially available bias modification apps and determine the functionalities of these apps, the methods used for attention or cognitive bias modification, and whether these apps had been evaluated scientifically. Methods To identify apps in the published literature, we searched PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus for studies published from 2000 to April 17, 2018. The search terms used were “attention bias” OR “cognitive bias” AND “smartphone” OR “smartphone application” OR “smartphone app” OR “mobile phones” OR “mobile application” OR mobile app” OR “personal digital assistant.” To identify commercial apps, we conducted a manual cross-sectional search between September 15 and 25, 2017 in the Apple iTunes and Google Play app stores. The search terms used to identify the apps were “attention bias” and “cognitive bias.” We also conducted a manual search on the apps with published evaluations. Results The effectiveness of bias modification was reported in 7 of 8 trials that we identified in the published literature. Only 1 of the 8 previously evaluated apps was commercially available. The 17 commercial apps we identified tended to use either an attention visual search or gamified task. Only 1 commercial app had been evaluated in the published literature. Conclusions This is perhaps the first review to synthesize the evidence for published mHealth attention bias apps. Our review demonstrated that evidence for mHealth attention bias apps is inconclusive, and quite a few commercial apps have not been validated scientifically. PMID:29793899

Barriers and enablers in primary care clinicians' management of osteoarthritis: protocol for a systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis.

PubMed

Egerton, T; Diamond, L; Buchbinder, R; Bennell, K; Slade, S C

2016-05-27

Osteoarthritis is a highly prevalent and disabling condition. Primary care management of osteoarthritis is generally suboptimal despite evidence for several modestly effective interventions and the availability of high-quality clinical practice guidelines. This report describes a planned study to synthesise the views of primary care clinicians on the barriers and enablers to following recommended management of osteoarthritis, with the aim of providing new interpretations that may facilitate the uptake of recommended treatments, and in turn improve patient care. A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. 5 databases will be searched using key search terms for qualitative research, evidence-based practice, clinical practice guidelines, osteoarthritis, beliefs, perceptions, barriers, enablers and adherence. A priori inclusion/exclusion criteria include availability of data from primary care clinicians, reports on views regarding management of osteoarthritis, and studies using qualitative methods for both data collection and analysis. At least 2 independent reviewers will identify eligible reports, conduct a critical appraisal of study conduct, extract data and synthesise reported findings and interpretations. Synthesis will follow thematic analysis within a grounded theory framework of inductive coding and iterative theme identification. The reviewers plus co-authors will contribute to the meta-synthesis to find new themes and theories. The Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research (CERQual) approach will be used to determine a confidence profile of each finding from the meta-synthesis. The protocol has been registered on PROSPERO and is reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Ethical approval is not required. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The results will help to inform policy and practice and assist in the optimisation of management for people with osteoarthritis. CRD42015027543. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Comparative effectiveness of different wound dressings for patients with partial-thickness burns: study protocol of a systematic review and a Bayesian framework network meta-analysis.

PubMed

Jiang, Qiong; Chen, Zhao-Hong; Wang, Shun-Bin; Chen, Xiao-Dong

2017-03-22

Selecting a suitable wound dressing for patients with partial-thickness burns (PTBs) is important in wound care. However, the comparative effectiveness of different dressings has not been studied. We report the protocol of a network meta-analysis designed to combine direct and indirect evidence of wound dressings in the management of PTB. We will search for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the wound-healing effect of a wound dressing in the management of PTB. Searches will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Wounds Group Specialised Register and CINAHL. A comprehensive search strategy is developed to retrieve articles reporting potentially eligible RCTs. Besides, we will contact the experts in the field and review the conference proceedings to locate non-published studies. The reference lists of articles will be reviewed for any candidate studies. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts of the candidate articles. All eligible RCTs will be obtained in full text to perform a review. Disagreement on eligibility of an RCT will be solved by group discussion. The information of participants, interventions, comparisons and outcomes from included RCTs will be recorded and summarised. The primary outcome is time to complete wound healing. Secondary outcomes include the proportion of burns completely healed at the end of treatment, change in wound surface area at the end of treatment, incidence of adverse events, etc. The result of this review will provide evidence for the comparative effectiveness of different wound dressings in the management of PTB. It will also facilitate decision-making in choosing a suitable wound dressing. We will disseminate the review through a peer-review journal and conference abstracts or posters. PROSPERO CRD42016041574; Pre-results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The research evidence published in high impact nursing journals between 2000 and 2006: a quantitative content analysis.

PubMed

Mantzoukas, Stefanos

2009-04-01

Evidence-based practice has become an imperative for efficient, effective and safe practice. Furthermore, evidences emerging from published research are considered as valid knowledge sources to guiding practice. The aim of this paper is to review all research articles published in the top 10 general nursing journals for the years 2000-2006 to identify the methodologies used, the types of evidence these studies produced and the issues upon which they endeavored. Quantitative content analysis was implemented to study all published research papers of the top 10 general nursing journals for the years 2000-2006. The top 10 general nursing journals were included in the study. The abstracts of all research articles were analysed with regards the methodologies of enquiry, the types of evidence produced and the issues of study they endeavored upon. Percentages were developed as to enable conclusions to be drawn. The results for the category methodologies used were 7% experimental, 6% quasi-experimental, 39% non-experimental, 2% ethnographical studies, 7% phenomenological, 4% grounded theory, 1% action research, 1% case study, 15% unspecified, 5.5% other, 0.5% meta-synthesis, 2% meta-analysis, 5% literature reviews and 3% secondary analysis. For the category types of evidence were 4% hypothesis/theory testing, 11% evaluative, 5% comparative, 2% correlational, 46% descriptive, 5% interpretative and 27% exploratory. For the category issues of study were 45% practice/clinical, 8% educational, 11% professional, 3% spiritual/ethical/metaphysical, 26% health promotion and 7% managerial/policy. Published studies can provide adequate evidences for practice if nursing journals conceptualise evidence emerging from non-experimental and qualitative studies as relevant types of evidences for practice and develop appropriate mechanisms for assessing their validity. Also, nursing journals need to increase and encourage the publication of studies that implement RCT methodology, systematic reviews, meta-synthesis and meta-analysis methodologies. Finally, nursing journals need to encourage more high quality research evidence that derive from interpretative, theory testing and evaluative types of studies that are practice relevant.

Quality Assessment of Published Articles in Iranian Journals Related to Economic Evaluation in Health Care Programs Based on Drummond's Checklist: A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Rezapour, Aziz; Jafari, Abdosaleh; Mirmasoudi, Kosha; Talebianpour, Hamid

2017-09-01

Health economic evaluation research plays an important role in selecting cost-effective interventions. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of published articles in Iranian journals related to economic evaluation in health care programs based on Drummond's checklist in terms of numbers, features, and quality. In the present review study, published articles (Persian and English) in Iranian journals related to economic evaluation in health care programs were searched using electronic databases. In addition, the methodological quality of articles' structure was analyzed by Drummond's standard checklist. Based on the inclusion criteria, the search of databases resulted in 27 articles that fully covered economic evaluation in health care programs. A review of articles in accordance with Drummond's criteria showed that the majority of studies had flaws. The most common methodological weakness in the articles was in terms of cost calculation and valuation. Considering such methodological faults in these studies, it is anticipated that these studies would not provide an appropriate feedback to policy makers to allocate health care resources correctly and select suitable cost-effective interventions. Therefore, researchers are required to comply with the standard guidelines in order to better execute and report on economic evaluation studies.

Quality Assessment of Published Articles in Iranian Journals Related to Economic Evaluation in Health Care Programs Based on Drummond’s Checklist: A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Rezapour, Aziz; Jafari, Abdosaleh; Mirmasoudi, Kosha; Talebianpour, Hamid

2017-01-01

Health economic evaluation research plays an important role in selecting cost-effective interventions. The purpose of this study was to assess the quality of published articles in Iranian journals related to economic evaluation in health care programs based on Drummond’s checklist in terms of numbers, features, and quality. In the present review study, published articles (Persian and English) in Iranian journals related to economic evaluation in health care programs were searched using electronic databases. In addition, the methodological quality of articles’ structure was analyzed by Drummond’s standard checklist. Based on the inclusion criteria, the search of databases resulted in 27 articles that fully covered economic evaluation in health care programs. A review of articles in accordance with Drummond’s criteria showed that the majority of studies had flaws. The most common methodological weakness in the articles was in terms of cost calculation and valuation. Considering such methodological faults in these studies, it is anticipated that these studies would not provide an appropriate feedback to policy makers to allocate health care resources correctly and select suitable cost-effective interventions. Therefore, researchers are required to comply with the standard guidelines in order to better execute and report on economic evaluation studies. PMID:29234174

Comparing the Areas of Interest in the Field of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder and Neurogastroenterology and Motility Between the East and the West

PubMed Central

Lee, Ju Yup; Kim, Nayoung; Kim, Gwang Ha; Kim, Gi Hyun

2015-01-01

There is a paucity of studies that compare the differences in published articles submitted from the East and the West in the area of neurogastroenterology and motility (NM). To compare the article topics from the East and the West which have been published, 5 Western (Gastroenterology, Gut, American Journal of Gastroenterology, American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, and Neurogastroenterology and Motility) and 3 Eastern gastrointestinal journals (Journal of Gastroenterology, Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility) were selected based on the impact factor. Published papers were classified into 12 categories and 60 subcategories. The titles and abstracts of review articles, original articles, and meta-analyses from these journals were reviewed for the last 2 years (2013–2014). In case of Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility which is published quarterly, this search was performed for 5 years (2010–2014). Of the total 2656 reviewed articles, 842 (260 from the East and 582 from the West) were classified into the category of NM. The most frequently published papers from the Western researchers were categorized as brain-gut interaction, visceral hypersensitivity, and irritable bowel syndrome, whereas those from the Eastern researchers were categorized as gastroesophageal reflux disease, functional dyspepsia, and irritable bowel syndrome. This difference between the East and the West is not just due to the journal itself, but it also depends on the author’s affiliation and their ability to perform high quality research in the area of the NM. These data provide evidence for the research trend and give valuable information to the researchers for determining subjects for the study and for selecting proper journals for publishing their studies. PMID:26351091

Global prevalence of diabetes mellitus in patients with tuberculosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

PubMed

Tankeu, Aurel T; Bigna, Jean Joël; Nansseu, Jobert Richie; Endomba, Francky Teddy A; Wafeu, Guy Sadeu; Kaze, Arnaud D; Noubiap, Jean Jacques

2017-06-09

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important risk factor for active tuberculosis (TB), which also adversely affect TB treatment outcomes. The escalating global DM epidemic is fuelling the burden of TB and should therefore be a major target in the strategy for ending TB. This review aims to estimate the global prevalence of DM in patients with TB. This systematic review will include cross-sectional, case-control or cohort studies of populations including patients diagnosed with TB that have reported the prevalence of DM using one of the fourth standard recommendations for screening and diagnosis. This protocol is written in accordance with recommendations from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols 2015 statement. Relevant abstracts published in English/French from inception to 31 December 2016 will be searched in PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database and online journals. Two investigators will independently screen, select studies, extract data and assess the risk of bias in each study. The study-specific estimates will be pooled through a random-effects meta-analysis model to obtain an overall summary estimate of the prevalence of diabetes across the studies. Heterogeneity will be assessed, and we will pool studies judged to be clinically homogenous. On the other hand, statistical heterogeneity will be evaluated by the χ² test on Cochrane's Q statistic. Funnel-plots analysis and Egger's test will be used to investigate publication bias. Results will be presented by continent or geographic regions. This study is based on published data. An ethical approval is therefore not required. This systematic review and meta-analysis is expected to inform healthcare providers as well as general population on the co-occurrence of DM and TB. The final report will be published as an original article in a peer-reviewed journal, and will also be presented at conferences and submitted to relevant health authorities. We also plan to update the review every 5 years. PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42016049901). © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Research Report for GeSCI Meta-Review of ICT in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LeBaron, John; McDonough, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

The purpose of this research is to provide a multi-disciplinary, multi-methodological meta-review of literature for understanding the global complexity and exponential growth of information and communication technologies (ICT). The scope of the literature review behind this research is limited to studies published between 2006 and 2008. It…

Educational Leaders and Emotions: An International Review of Empirical Evidence 1992-2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berkovich, Izhak; Eyal, Ori

2015-01-01

The aim of the present article is to review the international evidence about emotional aspects related to educational leaders. The review focuses on empirical studies published in peer-refereed educational journals between 1992 and 2012. First, we address the importance of researching emotions for understanding educational leaders. Next, we…

42 CFR 90.10 - Notice and comment period.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., PRACTICES, AND PROCEDURES § 90.10 Notice and comment period. Following internal review by ATSDR and external peer review of a draft final report of the results of a health effects study, ATSDR will publish a notice that the draft final report is available for public review and comment. At a minimum, the notice...

Use and Impacts of Campbell Systematic Reviews on Policy, Practice, and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maynard, Brandy R.; Dell, Nathaniel A.

2018-01-01

Aim: This study examines use and impacts of systematic reviews produced by the Campbell Collaboration's Social Welfare Coordinating Group (SWCG) on practice, policy, and research. Methods: A mixed-method research design was used to examine impacts of 52 systematic reviews published by the SWCG. We conducted author surveys and retrieved multiple…

75 FR 78252 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-15

... Review Boards--OMB Control Number 0910-0130--Extension When reviewing clinical research studies regulated... participating in clinical research. In the Federal Register of August 17, 2010 (75 FR 50766), FDA published a 60... IRB will use in performing its functions; the research protocols, informed consent documents, progress...

Framing Students' Progression in Understanding Matter: A Review of Previous Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hadenfeldt, Jan Christoph; Liu, Xiufeng; Neumann, Knut

2014-01-01

This manuscript presents a systematic review of the research on how students conceptualise matter. Understanding the structure and properties of matter is an essential part of science literacy. Over the last decades the number of studies on students' conceptions of matter published in peer-reviewed journals has increased significantly. These…

Assessing the Strengths of Mental Health Consumers: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bird, Victoria J.; Le Boutillier, Clair; Leamy, Mary; Larsen, John; Oades, Lindsay G.; Williams, Julie; Slade, Mike

2012-01-01

Strengths assessments focus on the individual's talents, abilities, resources, and strengths. No systematic review of strengths assessments for use within mental health populations has been published. The aims of this study were to describe and evaluate strengths assessments for use within mental health services. A systematic review identified 12…

Predictors of Post-School Success: A Systematic Review of NLTS2 Secondary Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazzotti, Valerie L.; Rowe, Dawn A.; Sinclair, James; Poppen, Marcus; Woods, William E.; Shearer, Mackenzie L.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this systematic review was to (a) systematically review the literature to identify National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 secondary analyses articles published since 2009 that met the quality indicators for correlational research, (b) further extend the findings of Test et al. by identifying additional evidence to support the…

A Review and Synthesis of Recent Research in Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fang, Yu-Shen; Lee, Lung-Sheng

2009-01-01

Purpose: Applications of online Second Life (SL) prevail over the world. The purpose of this paper is to make a review and synthesis of recent research studies on SL. Design/methodology/approach: Documental analysis is employed. Totally, 135 research publications, published in 2006-2008, are reviewed and synthesized. Findings: Findings are as…

Physical Activity in Young Children: A Systematic Review of Parental Influences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Jessica; Skouteris, Helen; McCabe, Marita; Ricciardelli, Lina A.; Milgrom, Jeannette; Baur, Louise A.; Fuller-Tyszkiewicz, Matthew; Dwyer, Genevieve

2012-01-01

The primary aim of this review was to identify and evaluate the strength of associations of the key parental factors measured in studies examining early childhood physical activity (PA). A systematic review of the literature, using databases PsychINFO, Medline, Academic Search Complete, PSYCHinfo, and CINHAL, published between January 1986 and…

Systematic Review of Two Decades (1995 to 2014) of Research on Synchronous Online Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Florence; Ahlgrim-Delzell, Lynn; Budhrani, Kiran

2017-01-01

Systematic reviews of literature are studies that strategically search for published research on a specific topic in order to synthesize what is known about the topic. This systematic review describes 157 articles on synchronous online learning (SOL) from thirty-four different countries on instructional setting, content areas, participant…

Family Literacy Research: A Review of Five Journal Articles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rights, Mollie

This paper reviews 5 articles published in 1995 on family literacy research. The articles reviewed are: (1) a study on literacy in Iceland by Ronald Taylor which examined how Icelandic families share language and reading related activities; (2) an article by Barbara Moss and Gay Fawcett which describes and comments on different home literacy…

Animal-Assisted Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Haire, Marguerite E.

2013-01-01

The inclusion of animals in therapeutic activities, known as animal-assisted intervention (AAI), has been suggested as a treatment practice for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This paper presents a systematic review of the empirical research on AAI for ASD. Fourteen studies published in peer-reviewed journals qualified for inclusion. The…

Citrus fruits intake and oral cancer risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Cirmi, Santa; Navarra, Michele; Woodside, Jayne V; Cantwell, Marie M

2018-05-10

To quantify the relationship between Citrus intake and risk of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched until September 2017. Search terms included Citrus, Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus sinensis, Citrus paradisi, Citrus fruits, Citrus fruits extract, Citrus oil, fruits, oral cancer, mouth cancer, mouth neoplasm. The selection of studies and the systematic review were carried out in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. A pre-defined inclusion checklist resulted in the inclusion of articles which were (i) published in peer-reviewed scientific journals; (ii) English language; (iii) and included a measure of Citrus fruit intake and risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer. Studies were excluded if (i) preparations derived from other fruits were used, (ii) Citrus intake was combined with intake of other fruits; (iii) in vitro or animal models were used. We also excluded reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, letters, personal opinions, conference abstracts and book chapters. Three reviewers independently performed the extraction of data from studies included. Seventeen studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in the final review. Pooled analyses showed that those with the highest Citrus fruit intake compared to the lowest intake had a 50% reduction in risk of oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer (OR 0.50; 95% CI 0.43-0.59). The studies included in this review and meta-analysis showed an inverse association between Citrus fruit intake and oral cancer. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Validity of Communication Experiments Using Human Subjects: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossiter, Charles M.

1976-01-01

Reviews sixty-eight experiments published in various journals in 1973 and 1974 and concludes that communication experimentation may be severely limited by the nature of the subjects studied and the inappropriate handling of experimental reactivity. (MH)

Conflicts of Interest in Clinical Guidelines: Lack of Authors and Disclosures in the AAOMS White Papers.

PubMed

Ji, Yisi D; Lahey, Edward T

2018-03-02

The purpose of this study was to evaluate current state of authorship, financial disclosures, and conflicts of interest in position papers published by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS). This is a cross-sectional review of the position papers published by the AAOMS from 2013 to 2017. Primary outcome variables include position papers published by the AAOMS. Secondary outcome variables include declaration of authorship, financial disclosures, and financial payments. The Open Payments Database for financial disclosures was reviewed for the year the position paper was published and the immediate preceding year. Ten position papers were published by the AAOMS from 2013 to 2017. Of the 10 papers, authorship was listed in 3, and none explicitly addressed the presence or absence of financial disclosures or conflicts of interest. Contributors to 3 of the 3 authored papers were found at review of the Open Payments Database to have received industry funding in the year the position paper was published and the immediate preceding year. The remuneration ranged from less than $1,000 to $554,006.02. Position papers published by the AAOMS lack standardization for authorship and statements on potential financial disclosure. The authors suggest full disclosures of authorship and authors' conflicts of interest should be stated on all position papers to provide transparency to the process. Copyright © 2018 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Brief review of published alprazolam clinical studies

PubMed Central

Straw, R. N.

1985-01-01

1 The clinical efficacy of alprazolam has been evaluated in both anxiety states and depressive disorders. In anxiety neurosis, studies have been conducted vs placebo and/or other benzodiazepine tranquilizers. Reports, to date, with regard to panic/phobia disorders have been limited to open-label studies and a single report from a placebo-controlled study. In depression, both open-label and double-blind studies (vs tricyclic antidepressants) have been published. PMID:2859879

Psychopathology in Young People Experiencing Homelessness: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Shelton, Katherine H.; van den Bree, Marianne B. M.; Los, Férenc J.

2013-01-01

Understanding mental health issues faced by young homeless persons is instrumental to the development of successful targeted interventions. No systematic review of recent published literature on psychopathology in this group has been completed. We conducted a systematic review of published research examining the prevalence of psychiatric problems among young homeless people. We examined the temporal relationship between homelessness and psychopathology. We collated 46 articles according to the PRISMA Statement. All studies that used a full psychiatric assessment consistently reported a prevalence of any psychiatric disorder from 48% to 98%. Although there was a lack of longitudinal studies of the temporal relationship between psychiatric disorders and homelessness, findings suggested a reciprocal link. Supporting young people at risk for homelessness could reduce homelessness incidence and improve mental health. PMID:23597340

Tracking tumor biology with radiomics: A systematic review utilizing a radiomics quality score.

PubMed

Sanduleanu, Sebastian; Woodruff, Henry C; de Jong, Evelyn E C; van Timmeren, Janna E; Jochems, Arthur; Dubois, Ludwig; Lambin, Philippe

2018-05-18

In this review we describe recent developments in the field of radiomics along with current relevant literature linking it to tumor biology. We furthermore explore the methodologic quality of these studies with our in-house radiomics quality scoring (RQS) tool. Finally, we offer our vision on necessary future steps for the development of stable radiomic features and their links to tumor biology. Two authors (S.S. and H.W.) independently performed a thorough systematic literature search and outcome extraction to identify relevant studies published in MEDLINE/PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information, NCBI), EMBASE (Ovid) and Web of Science (WoS). Two authors (S.S, H.W) separately and two authors (J.v.T and E.d.J) concordantly scored the articles for their methodology and analyses according to the previously published radiomics quality score (RQS). In summary, a total of 655 records were identified till 25-09-2017 based on the previously specified search terms, from which n = 236 in MEDLINE/PubMed, n = 215 in EMBASE and n = 204 from Web of Science. After determining full article availability and reading the available articles, a total of n = 41 studies were included in the systematic review. The RQS scoring resulted in some discrepancies between the reviewers, e.g. reviewer H.W scored 4 studies ≥50%, reviewer S.S scored 3 studies ≥50% while reviewers J.v.T and E.d.J scored 1 study ≥50%. Up to nine studies were given a quality score of 0%. The majority of studies were scored below 50%. In this study, we performed a systematic literature search linking radiomics to tumor biology. All but two studies (n = 39) revealed that radiomic features derived from ultrasound, CT, PET and/or MR are significantly associated with one or several specific tumor biologic substrates, from somatic mutation status to tumor histopathologic grading and metabolism. Considerable inter-observer differences were found with regard to RQS scoring, while important questions were raised concerning the interpretability of the outcome of such scores. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A systematic review of methods for studying consumer health YouTube videos, with implications for systematic reviews.

PubMed

Sampson, Margaret; Cumber, Jordi; Li, Claudia; Pound, Catherine M; Fuller, Ann; Harrison, Denise

2013-01-01

Background. YouTube is an increasingly important medium for consumer health information - with content provided by healthcare professionals, government and non-government organizations, industry, and consumers themselves. It is a rapidly developing area of study for healthcare researchers. We examine the methods used in reviews of YouTube consumer health videos to identify trends and best practices. Methods and Materials. Published reviews of consumer-oriented health-related YouTube videos were identified through PubMed. Data extracted from these studies included type of journal, topic, characteristics of the search, methods of review including number of reviewers and method to achieve consensus between reviewers, inclusion and exclusion criteria, characteristics of the videos reported, ethical oversight, and follow-up. Results. Thirty-three studies were identified. Most were recent and published in specialty journals. Typically, these included more than 100 videos, and were examined by multiple reviewers. Most studies described characteristics of the videos, number of views, and sometime characteristics of the viewers. Accuracy of portrayal of the health issue under consideration was a common focus. Conclusion. Optimal transparency and reproducibility of studies of YouTube health-related videos can be achieved by following guidance designed for systematic review reporting, with attention to several elements specific to the video medium. Particularly when seeking to replicate consumer viewing behavior, investigators should consider the method used to select search terms, and use a snowballing rather than a sequential screening approach. Discontinuation protocols for online screening of relevance ranked search results is an area identified for further development.

A systematic review of methods for studying consumer health YouTube videos, with implications for systematic reviews

PubMed Central

Cumber, Jordi; Li, Claudia; Pound, Catherine M.; Fuller, Ann; Harrison, Denise

2013-01-01

Background. YouTube is an increasingly important medium for consumer health information – with content provided by healthcare professionals, government and non-government organizations, industry, and consumers themselves. It is a rapidly developing area of study for healthcare researchers. We examine the methods used in reviews of YouTube consumer health videos to identify trends and best practices. Methods and Materials. Published reviews of consumer-oriented health-related YouTube videos were identified through PubMed. Data extracted from these studies included type of journal, topic, characteristics of the search, methods of review including number of reviewers and method to achieve consensus between reviewers, inclusion and exclusion criteria, characteristics of the videos reported, ethical oversight, and follow-up. Results. Thirty-three studies were identified. Most were recent and published in specialty journals. Typically, these included more than 100 videos, and were examined by multiple reviewers. Most studies described characteristics of the videos, number of views, and sometime characteristics of the viewers. Accuracy of portrayal of the health issue under consideration was a common focus. Conclusion. Optimal transparency and reproducibility of studies of YouTube health-related videos can be achieved by following guidance designed for systematic review reporting, with attention to several elements specific to the video medium. Particularly when seeking to replicate consumer viewing behavior, investigators should consider the method used to select search terms, and use a snowballing rather than a sequential screening approach. Discontinuation protocols for online screening of relevance ranked search results is an area identified for further development. PMID:24058879

Acquisition of a Scanning Tunneling Microscope to Enhance Research and Education in Stress-Controlled Catalysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-14

Feb-2014 ABSTRACT Number of Papers published in peer-reviewed journals: Number of Papers published in non peer-reviewed journals: Final Report...educational impact of the STM/AFM. (a) Papers published in peer-reviewed journals (N/A for none) Enter List of papers submitted or published that acknowledge...ARO support from the start of the project to the date of this printing. List the papers , including journal references, in the following categories

Impact of vitamin D supplementation on endothelial and inflammatory markers in adults: A systematic review.

PubMed

Agbalalah, Tari; Hughes, Stephen F; Freeborn, Ellen J; Mushtaq, Sohail

2017-10-01

This systematic review aims to evaluate randomised controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effect of vitamin D supplementation on endothelial function and inflammation in adults. An electronic search of published randomised controlled trials, using Cochrane, Pubmed and Medline databases was conducted, with the search terms related to vitamin D and endothelial function. Inclusion criteria were RCTs in adult humans with a measure of vitamin D status using serum/plasma 25(OH)D and studies which administered the intervention through the oral route. Among the 1107 studies retrieved, 29 studies met the full inclusion criteria for this systematic review. Overall, 8 studies reported significant improvements in the endothelial/inflammatory biomarkers/parameters measured. However, in 2 out of the 8 studies, improvements were reported at interim time points, but improvements were absent post-intervention. The remaining 21 trial studies did not show significant improvements in the markers of interest measured. Evidence from the studies included in this systematic review did not demonstrate that vitamin D supplementation in adults, results in an improvement in circulating inflammatory and endothelial function biomarkers/parameters. This systematic review does not therefore support the use of vitamin D supplementation as a therapeutic or preventative measure for CVD in this respect. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Caries and periodontal disease in Indigenous adults in Australia: a case of limited and non-contemporary data.

PubMed

de Silva, Andrea M; Martin-Kerry, Jacqueline M; McKee, Katherine; Cole, Deborah

2017-08-01

Objective The aim of the present study was to identify all evidence about the prevalence and severity of clinically measured caries and periodontal disease in Indigenous adults in Australia published in peer-reviewed journals and to summarise trends over time. In addition, we examined whether the studies investigated associations between putative risk factors and levels of caries and periodontal disease. Methods PubMed was searched in September 2014, with no date limitations, for published peer-reviewed articles reporting the prevalence rates and/or severity of caries and periodontal disease in Indigenous adults living in Australia. Articles were excluded if measurement was not based on clinical assessment and if oral disease was reported only in a specific or targeted sample, and not the general population. Results The search identified 18 papers (reporting on 10 primary studies) that met the inclusion criteria. The studies published clinical data about dental caries and/or periodontal disease in Australian Indigenous adults. The studies reported on oral health for Indigenous adults living in rural (40%), urban (10%) and both urban and rural (50%) locations. Included studies showed that virtually all Indigenous adults living in rural locations had periodontal disease. The data also showed caries prevalence ranged from 46% to 93%. Although 10 studies were identified, the peer-reviewed literature was extremely limited and no published studies were identified that provided statistics for a significant proportion of Australia (Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland or the Australian Capital Territory). There were also inconsistencies in how the data were reported between studies, making comparisons difficult. Conclusions This review highlights a lack of robust and contemporary data to inform the development of policies and programs to address the disparities in oral health in Indigenous populations living in many parts of Australia. What is known about the topic? Many studies report that Indigenous people in Australia have poorer general health compared with non-Indigenous people. What does this paper add? This paper documents the available caries and periodontal disease prevalence and experience for Indigenous adults in Australia published in peer-reviewed journals. It demonstrates significant limitations in the data, including no data in several large Australian jurisdictions, inconsistency with reporting methods and most data available being for Indigenous adults living in rural locations. Therefore, the oral health data available in the peer-reviewed literature do not reflect the situation of all Indigenous people living in Australia. What are the implications for practitioners? It is important for oral health practitioners to have access to current and relevant statistics on the oral health of Indigenous Australians. However, we have highlighted significant evidence gaps for this population group within the peer-reviewed literature and identified the limitations of the available data upon which decisions are currently being made. This paper also identifies ways to capture and report oral health data in the future to enable more meaningful comparisons and relevance for use in policy development.

Evaluating the evidence: is phrenic nerve stimulation a safe and effective tool for decreasing ventilator dependence in patients with high cervical spinal cord injuries and central hypoventilation?

PubMed

Sieg, Emily P; Payne, Russell A; Hazard, Sprague; Rizk, Elias

2016-06-01

Case reports, case series and case control studies have looked at the use of phrenic nerve stimulators in the setting of high spinal cord injuries and central hypoventilation syndromes dating back to the 1980s. We evaluated the evidence related to this topic by performing a systematic review of the published literature. Search terms "phrenic nerve stimulation," "phrenic nerve and spinal cord injury," and "phrenic nerve and central hypoventilation" were entered into standard search engines in a systematic fashion. Articles were reviewed by two study authors and graded independently for class of evidence according to published guidelines. The published evidence was reviewed, and the overall body of evidence was evaluated using the grading of recommendations, assesment, development and evaluations (GRADE) criteria Balshem et al. (J Clin Epidemiol 64:401-406, 2011). Our initial search yielded 420 articles. There were no class I, II, or III studies. There were 18 relevant class IV articles. There were no discrepancies among article ratings (i.e., kappa = 1). A meta-analysis could not be performed due to the low quality of the available evidence. The overall quality of the body of evidence was evaluated using GRADE criteria and fell within the "very poor" category. The quality of the published literature for phrenic nerve stimulation is poor. Our review of the literature suggests that phrenic nerve stimulation is a safe and effective option for decreasing ventilator dependence in high spinal cord injuries and central hypoventilation; however, we are left with critical questions that provide crucial directions for future studies.

Economic evaluations of clinical pharmacist interventions on hospital inpatients: a systematic review of recent literature.

PubMed

Gallagher, James; McCarthy, Suzanne; Byrne, Stephen

2014-12-01

Clinical and cost-effectiveness evidence are needed to justify the existence or extension of routine clinical pharmacy services in hospital settings. Previous reviews have indicated that clinical pharmacist interventions are likely to have a positive economic impact on hospital budgets but highlighted issues relating to the quality of studies. The primary aim of this review was to feature economic evaluations of clinical pharmacy services which targeted hospital inpatients. The review focused on the current cost-effectiveness status of different services, in addition to evaluating the quality of individual studies. Results of this systematic review were compared with cost-effectiveness and quality related findings of reviews which considered earlier time frames and alternative settings. A systematic review of the literature included a review of the following databases: Academic Search Complete, Cochrane Library, EconLit, Embase Elsevier, NHS Economic Evaluation Database and PubMed. Only studies with an economic assessment of a clinical pharmacy service provided in a hospital setting were included. Data relating to the cost-effectiveness was extracted from eligible studies. Methodologies employed and overall quality of the studies was also reviewed. A grading system was applied to determine the quality of studies. Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards statement was employed to determine which aspects of a high quality health economic study were employed. Twenty studies were deemed eligible for inclusion. Overall, pharmacist interventions had a positive impact on hospital budgets. Only three studies (15 %) were deemed to be "good-quality" studies. No 'novel'clinical pharmacist intervention was identified during the course of this review. Clinical pharmacy interventions continue to provide cost savings. However, the standard of studies published has stagnated or even deteriorated in comparison with those included in previous reviews. Utilisation of published guidelines at initial stages of future studies may help improve the overall quality of studies.

Affordances of students' using the World Wide Web as a publishing medium in project-based learning environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bos, Nathan Daniel

This dissertation investigates the emerging affordance of the World Wide Web as a place for high school students to become authors and publishers of information. Two empirical studies lay groundwork for student publishing by examining learning issues related to audience adaptation in writing, motivation and engagement with hypermedia, design, problem-solving, and critical evaluation. Two models of student publishing on the World Wide Web were investigated over the course of two 11spth grade project-based science curriculums. In the first curricular model, students worked in pairs to design informative hypermedia projects about infectious diseases that were published on the Web. Four case studies were written, drawing on both product- and process-related data sources. Four theoretically important findings are illustrated through these cases: (1) multimedia, especially graphics, seemed to catalyze some students' design processes by affecting the sequence of their design process and by providing a connection between the science content and their personal interest areas, (2) hypermedia design can demand high levels of analysis and synthesis of science content, (3) students can learn to think about science content representation through engagement with challenging design tasks, and (4) students' consideration of an outside audience can be facilitated by teacher-given design principles. The second Web-publishing model examines how students critically evaluate scientific resources on the Web, and how students can contribute to the Web's organization and usability by publishing critical reviews. Students critically evaluated Web resources using a four-part scheme: summarization of content, content, evaluation of credibility, evaluation of organizational structure, and evaluation of appearance. Content analyses comparing students' reviews and reviewed Web documents showed that students were proficient at summarizing content of Web documents, identifying their publishing source, and evaluating their organizational features; however, students struggled to identify scientific evidence, bias, or sophisticated use of media in Web pages. Shortcomings were shown to be partly due to deficiencies in the Web pages themselves and partly due to students' inexperience with the medium or lack of critical evaluation skills. Future directions of this idea are discussed, including discussion of how students' reviews have been integrated into a current digital library development project.

Methodological Orientations of Articles Appearing in Allied Health's Top Journals: Who Publishes What and Where

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alderman, Pamela Lea McCloud

2012-01-01

This study examined articles published in the major peer-reviewed journals, either hard copy, web, or both formats, in five allied health professions from January 2006 to December 2010. Research journals used in this study include: "Journal of Dental Hygiene," "Journal of the American Dietetic Association," "Journal of…

ELT Research in Turkey: A Content Analysis of Selected Features of Published Articles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yagiz, Oktay; Aydin, Burcu; Akdemir, Ahmet Selçuk

2016-01-01

This study reviews a selected sample of 274 research articles on ELT, published between 2005 and 2015 in Turkish contexts. In the study, 15 journals in ULAKBIM database and articles from national and international journals accessed according to convenience sampling method were surveyed and relevant articles were obtained. A content analysis was…

New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies: Cumulative Index of Volumes 1-17, 1966-1982.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marland, E. J., Comp.

This cumulative index lists all articles and book reviews published in the "New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies" from 1966 to 1982. The index consists of three sections. In the main entry section, citations are grouped in numerical order beginning with the first article published. The author and institution index provides access…

Spontaneous pregnancy loss in humans and exposure to arsenic in drinking water.

PubMed

Bloom, Michael S; Fitzgerald, Edward F; Kim, Keewan; Neamtiu, Iulia; Gurzau, Eugen S

2010-11-01

Maternal exposure to high concentrations of inorganic arsenic (iAs) in naturally contaminated drinking groundwater sources has been associated with an increased risk for the spontaneous loss of clinically recognized pregnancies in several epidemiologic studies. Whereas a large worldwide population depends on drinking groundwater sources with high levels of iAs contamination, in quantities exceeding 10 parts per billion (ppb), an even larger population is likely to be exposed to mild-moderate drinking groundwater iAs contamination, in quantities <10ppb. Only a single epidemiologic study to date has considered spontaneous pregnancy loss in association with consumption of drinking water with mild-moderate iAs contamination; the vast majority of published studies of spontaneous loss addressed populations with substantial exposure. The aim of this review is to evaluate the published literature to assess the plausibility for a causal association between exposure to iAs-contaminated drinking water and the spontaneous loss of clinically recognized pregnancy. In spite of numerous methodologic limitations resulting from circumstance or design, a consistent pattern of increased risk for loss is suggested by the epidemiologic literature. Moreover, these study results are corroborated by a large number of experimental studies, albeit usually conducted at concentrations exceeding that to which humans are exposed via contaminated drinking water. In this review, we discuss sources of human iAs exposure, highlight several experimental studies pertinent to a possible causal link between iAs and spontaneous pregnancy loss in humans, and provide a critical review of published epidemiologic studies of pregnancy loss and drinking water iAs exposures, and their limitations. Based on a review of the published literature, we recommend the future conduct of a two-stage comprehensive prospective study of low-moderate iAs drinking water exposure and spontaneous pregnancy loss. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Review of Single Subject Research Examining the Effectiveness of Interventions for At-Risk English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baker, Doris Luft; Richards-Tutor, Catherine; Sparks, Anthony; Canges, Rebecca

2018-01-01

We review published single subject design (SSD) studies that examine the effects of interventions for English learners at-risk or with learning disabilities. Results of our literature search yielded 10 studies, five in reading, one in reading and behavior, and four in mathematics that met our inclusion criteria. Seven studies targeted…

A 20 Year Review of Punishment and Alternative Methods to Treat Problem Behaviors in Developmentally Delayed Persons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matson, Johnny L.; Taras, Marie E.

1989-01-01

Studies assessing treatments for severe behavior problems of developmentally delayed persons were reviewed. Procedures used in the 382 studies, published from 1967-1987, were analyzed in terms of problem behaviors, side effects, and treatment methods. Also examined were number of studies reported yearly, maintenance and generalization of effects,…

The State of the Art in Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices: A Systematic Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanassche, Eline; Kelchtermans, Geert

2015-01-01

This article reports on a systematic review of the Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices research literature published between 1990 and 2012. Self-study research refers to teacher educators researching their practice with the purpose of improving it, making explicit and validating their professional expertise and, at the same time,…

Prognostic factors for chronic headache

PubMed Central

Bowers, Hannah; Caldwell, Fiona; Mistry, Dipesh; Underwood, Martin; Matharu, Manjit; Pincus, Tamar

2017-01-01

Objective: To identify predictors of prognosis and trial outcomes in prospective studies of people with chronic headache. Methods: This was a systematic review of published literature in peer-reviewed journals. We included (1) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions for chronic headache that reported subgroup analyses and (2) prospective cohort studies, published in English, since 1980. Participants included adults with chronic headache (including chronic headache, chronic migraine, and chronic tension-type headache with or without medication overuse headache). We searched key databases using free text and MeSH terms. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the methodologic quality of studies and overall quality of evidence identified using appropriate published checklists. Results: We identified 16,556 titles, removed 663 duplicates, and reviewed 199 articles, of which 27 were included in the review—17 prospective cohorts and 10 RCTs with subgroup analyses reported. There was moderate-quality evidence indicating that depression, anxiety, poor sleep and stress, medication overuse, and poor self-efficacy for managing headaches are potential prognostic factors for poor prognosis and unfavorable outcomes from preventive treatment in chronic headache. There was inconclusive evidence about treatment expectations, age, age at onset, body mass index, employment, and several headache features. Conclusions: This review identified several potential predictors of poor prognosis and worse outcome postinterventions in people with chronic headache. The majority of these are modifiable. The findings also highlight the need for more longitudinal high-quality research of prognostic factors in chronic headache. PMID:28615422

Interventions Designed to Promote Exclusive Breastfeeding in High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review Update.

PubMed

Skouteris, Helen; Bailey, Cate; Nagle, Cate; Hauck, Yvonne; Bruce, Lauren; Morris, Heather

2017-12-01

Worldwide, women seldom reach the recommended target of exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months postpartum. The aim of the current study was to update a previously published review that presented a conceptual and methodological synthesis of interventions designed to promote exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months in high-income countries. A systematic search of leading databases was conducted for scholarly, peer-reviewed, randomized controlled trials published from June 2013 to December 2016. Twelve new articles were identified as relevant; all were published in English and assessed exclusive breastfeeding with a follow-up period extending beyond 4 months postpartum. Articles were analyzed for overall quality of evidence in regard to duration of exclusive breastfeeding, using the Grading and Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach. A significant increase in the duration of exclusive breastfeeding was found in 4 of the 12 studies. All four successful interventions had long-duration postpartum programs, implemented by telephone, text message, or through a website. Some of the successful interventions also included prenatal education or in-hospital breastfeeding support. Results from this review update correspond closely with previous findings, in that all of the successful interventions had lengthy postnatal support or an education component. More studies assessed intervention fidelity than in the previous review; however, there was little discussion of maternal body-mass index. While a pattern of successful interventions is beginning to emerge, further research is needed to provide a robust evidence base to inform future interventions, particularly with overweight and obese women.

Treatment options and barriers to case management of neonatal pneumonia in India: a protocol for a scoping review.

PubMed

Nair, N Sreekumaran; Lewis, Leslie Edward; Murthy, Shruti; Godinho, Myron Anthony; Lakiang, Theophilus; Venkatesh, Bhumika T

2017-09-15

India contributes to the highest neonatal deaths globally. Case management is said to be the cornerstone of pneumonia control. Much of the published evidence focuses on children aged 1 to 59 months. This scoping review, thus, aims to identify the treatment options for and barriers to case management of neonatal pneumonia in India. This protocol is part of a series of three reviews on neonatal pneumonia in India. Studies addressing treatment of or barriers to case management of neonatal pneumonia in Indian context, published in English in peer-reviewed and indexed journals will be eligible for inclusion. Electronic search will be conducted on nine databases. Hand searching and snowballing will be done for published and grey literature. Selection of studies will be done in title, abstract and full-text stages. A narrative summary will be performed to summarise the details of evidence. As this is a review involving analysis of secondary data which is available in the public domain and does not involve human participants, ethical approval was not required. The findings of the study will be shared with all stakeholders of this research. Knowledge dissemination workshops will be conducted with relevant stakeholders to ultimately transfer the evidence tailored to the stakeholder (eg, policy briefs, publications, information booklets and so on). PROSPERO 2016: CRD42016045449. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Systematic review of the association between dietary acid load, alkaline water and cancer.

PubMed

Fenton, Tanis R; Huang, Tian

2016-06-13

To evaluate the evidence for a causal relationship between dietary acid/alkaline and alkaline water for the aetiology and treatment of cancer. A systematic review was conducted on published and grey literature separately for randomised intervention and observational studies with either varying acid-base dietary intakes and/or alkaline water with any cancer outcome or for cancer treatment. Incidence of cancer and outcomes of cancer treatment. 8278 citations were identified, and 252 abstracts were reviewed; 1 study met the inclusion criteria and was included in this systematic review. No randomised trials were located. No studies were located that examined dietary acid or alkaline or alkaline water for cancer treatment. The included study was a cohort study with a low risk of bias. This study revealed no association between the diet acid load with bladder cancer (OR=1.15: 95% CI 0.86 to 1.55, p=0.36). No association was found even among long-term smokers (OR=1.72: 95% CI 0.96 to 3.10, p=0.08). Despite the promotion of the alkaline diet and alkaline water by the media and salespeople, there is almost no actual research to either support or disprove these ideas. This systematic review of the literature revealed a lack of evidence for or against diet acid load and/or alkaline water for the initiation or treatment of cancer. Promotion of alkaline diet and alkaline water to the public for cancer prevention or treatment is not justified. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Photogrammetry as a tool for the postural evaluation of the spine: A systematic review.

PubMed

Furlanetto, Tássia Silveira; Sedrez, Juliana Adami; Candotti, Cláudia Tarragô; Loss, Jefferson Fagundes

2016-02-18

To evaluate the use of photogrammetry and identify the mathematical procedures applied when evaluating spinal posture. A systematic search using keywords was conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Science and Medicine(®) databases. The following inclusion criteria adopted were: (1) the use of photogrammetry as a method to evaluate spinal posture; (2) evaluations of spinal curvature in the sagittal and/or frontal plane; (3) studies published within the last three decades; and (4) written entirely in English. The exclusion criteria were: (1) studies which objective involved the verification of some aspect of validation of instruments; (2) studies published as abstracts and those published in scientific events; and (3) studies using evaluation of the anteriorization of the head to determine the angular positioning of the cervical spine. The articles in this review were included and evaluated for their methodological quality, based on the Downs and Black scale, by two independent reviewers. Initially, 1758 articles were found, 76 of which were included upon reading the full texts and 29 were included in accordance with the predetermined criteria. In addition, after analyzing the references in those articles, a further six articles were selected, so that 35 articles were included in this review. This systematic review revealed that the photogrammetry has been using in observational studies. Furthermore, it was also found that, although the data collection methodologies are similar across the studies, in relation to aspects of data analysis, the methodologies are very different, especially regarding the mathematical routines employed to support different postural evaluation software. With photogrammetry, the aim of the assessment, whether it is for clinical, research or collective health purposes, must be considered when choosing which protocol to use to evaluate spinal posture.

Photogrammetry as a tool for the postural evaluation of the spine: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Furlanetto, Tássia Silveira; Sedrez, Juliana Adami; Candotti, Cláudia Tarragô; Loss, Jefferson Fagundes

2016-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the use of photogrammetry and identify the mathematical procedures applied when evaluating spinal posture. METHODS: A systematic search using keywords was conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Science and Medicine® databases. The following inclusion criteria adopted were: (1) the use of photogrammetry as a method to evaluate spinal posture; (2) evaluations of spinal curvature in the sagittal and/or frontal plane; (3) studies published within the last three decades; and (4) written entirely in English. The exclusion criteria were: (1) studies which objective involved the verification of some aspect of validation of instruments; (2) studies published as abstracts and those published in scientific events; and (3) studies using evaluation of the anteriorization of the head to determine the angular positioning of the cervical spine. The articles in this review were included and evaluated for their methodological quality, based on the Downs and Black scale, by two independent reviewers. RESULTS: Initially, 1758 articles were found, 76 of which were included upon reading the full texts and 29 were included in accordance with the predetermined criteria. In addition, after analyzing the references in those articles, a further six articles were selected, so that 35 articles were included in this review. This systematic review revealed that the photogrammetry has been using in observational studies. Furthermore, it was also found that, although the data collection methodologies are similar across the studies, in relation to aspects of data analysis, the methodologies are very different, especially regarding the mathematical routines employed to support different postural evaluation software. CONCLUSION: With photogrammetry, the aim of the assessment, whether it is for clinical, research or collective health purposes, must be considered when choosing which protocol to use to evaluate spinal posture. PMID:26925386