Articles

Prognosis of PD-L1 in human breast cancer: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women worldwide, and one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) are key physiologic suppres...

Authors: Isnard Elman Litvin, Machline Paim Paganella, Eliana Marcia Wendland and Adriana Vial Roehe

Depression, anxiety, stress, and dysmenorrhea: a protocol for a systematic review

Dysmenorrhea is one of the most common menstrual disorders and is influenced by various factors. Psychological disorders including anxiety, depression, and stress have been suggested as influencing dysmenorrhe...

Authors: Amir H. Pakpour, Farideh Kazemi, Zainab Alimoradi and Mark D. Griffiths

Technologies, strategies and approaches for testing populations at risk of sexually transmitted infections: a systematic review protocol to inform prevention and control in EU/EEA countries

This protocol outlines a systematic review methodology, aiming to assess the recent evidence-base for the impact of testing strategies and approaches on access to testing, testing coverage, and linkage to care...

Authors: Suzanna C. Francis, Arun Parajuli, Otilia Mardh, Jane Falconer, Aura Andreasen and Emma Harding-Esch

Census of economic evaluations in primary prevention 2014–2019: a scoping review protocol

A large proportion of the burden of disease is preventable, yet investment in health promotion and disease prevention programmes remains a small share of the total health budget in many countries. The percepti...

Authors: Hannah Jackson and Alan Shiell

Physical therapy interventions for cervicogenic dizziness in a military-aged population: protocol for a systematic review

Traumatic cervicogenic dizziness is dizziness that is temporally associated with neck pain and injury after other causes of dizziness have been excluded. It can lead to activity limitations and participation r...

Authors: Carrie W. Hoppes, Anthony J. Romanello, Kathryn E. Gaudette, William K. Herron, Anne E. McCarthy, Catherine J. McHale, Joan Bares, Rose Turner and Susan L. Whitney

Attachment and relationship-based interventions for families during neonatal intensive care hospitalization: a study protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Attachment in the parent-infant dyads is fundamental for growth and development of children born prematurely. However, the natural process of attachment is interrupted just after preterm birth, and emotional a...

Authors: Ah. Rim Kim, Soo-yeon Kim and Ji Eun Yun

Physical activity and exercise for older people living with HIV: a protocol for a scoping review

Older people living with HIV (OPLWH) are expected to live longer in the era of antiretroviral treatment, but at the same time, they are at risk for developing various health complications as a consequence of a...

Authors: Levin Chetty, Saul Cobbing and Verusia Chetty

Adverse drug reactions associated with amitriptyline — protocol for a systematic multiple-indication review and meta-analysis

Unwanted anticholinergic effects are both underestimated and frequently overlooked. Failure to identify adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can lead to prescribing cascades and the unnecessary use of over-the-counte...

Authors: Maria-Sophie Brueckle, Elizabeth T. Thomas, Svenja E. Seide, Maximilian Pilz, Ana Isabel Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Truc Sophia Nguyen, Sebastian Harder, Paul P. Glasziou, Ferdinand M. Gerlach and Christiane Muth

Cognitive interventions for adults with chronic kidney disease: protocol for a scoping review

Cognitive impairment is a common and frequently under-recognized complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Although there is extensive literature on cognitive interventions that can ameliorate cognitive im...

Authors: Janine F. Farragher, Katherine E. Stewart, Tyrone G. Harrison, Lisa Engel, Samantha E. Seaton and Brenda R. Hemmelgarn

Mapping evidence on the prevalence, incidence, risk factors and cost associated with chronic low back pain among adults in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic scoping review protocol

Globally, low back pain (LBP) is a major public health problem affecting mainly adults of the working class and is the leading cause of disability. The estimated lifetime prevalence of LBP is 50 to 80%. From 1...

Authors: Morris Kahere and Themba Ginindza

Rates of compliance and adherence to high-intensity interval training in insufficiently active adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Both high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training demonstrate beneficial physiological outcomes for active and insufficiently active populations. However, it remains unclear whet...

Authors: Alexandre Santos, Chris Lonsdale, David Lubans, Diego Vasconcellos, Nathanial Kapsal, Mathew Vis-Dunbar and Mary E. Jung

Impacts of school feeding on educational and health outcomes of school-age children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

School feeding programs are beneficial for the physical, mental, and psychosocial development of school-age children and adolescents, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). While schoo...

Authors: Dongqing Wang and Wafaie W. Fawzi

Effectiveness of pharmacological agents for the treatment of non-infectious scleritis: a systematic review protocol

Non-infectious scleritis is a potentially sight-threatening condition in which the sclera, the white outer layer of the eye, becomes inflamed. Whilst scleritis can be infective, the majority of cases are due t...

Authors: Sathana Ingaralingam, Saaeha Rauz, Philip I. Murray and Robert J. Barry

Journal impact factor, trial effect size, and methodological quality appear scantly related: a systematic review and meta-analysis

As systematic reviews’ limited coverage of the medical literature necessitates decision-making based on unsystematic review, we investigated a possible advantage of systematic review (aside from dataset size a...

Authors: Michael Saginur, Dean Fergusson, Tinghua Zhang, Karen Yeates, Tim Ramsay, George Wells and David Moher

Mapping evidence on malnutrition screening tools for children under 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review protocol

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), malnutrition remains a major public health challenge, particularly among children under 5 years of age. Despite nutritional screening tools being developed and available to detect ...

Authors: Tlharihani Phisac Maphosa, Delarise Maud Mulqueeny, Ernest Osei, Desmond Kuupiel and Tivani P. Mashamba-Thompson

Children’s and adolescents’ experiences of healthcare professionals: scoping review protocol

Children and adolescents form a distinct patient group, whose experiences are relatively under-represented in research. Surveys have shown that healthcare professionals (HCPs) do not always communicate with th...

Authors: Gail Davison, Martina Ann Kelly, Andrew Thompson and Tim Dornan

Precarious employment and migrant workers’ mental health: a protocol for a systematic review of observational studies

Precarious employment has become an urgent public health issue at a global scale with potential consequences for quality of life and health of employees, especially in vulnerable groups such as migrants. The p...

Authors: Ozlem Koseoglu Ornek, Tobias Weinmann, Julia Waibel and Katja Radon

What is the effectiveness of various invitation methods to a colonoscopy in the early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer? Protocol of a systematic review

Colorectal cancer, a prevalent malignancy worldwide, is associated with numerous modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that play a role in the early detection and successful treatment of cancer. Despite i...

Authors: Undine Antonia Stark, Thomas Frese, Susanne Unverzagt and Alexander Bauer

Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of hippotherapy and related equine-assisted therapies on motor capabilities in children with cerebral palsy

Equine-assisted treatments of the motor system appear to have an effect on the neuromuscular system and aim to improve the pathological condition of children with cerebral palsy. Hippotherapy is a distinct for...

Authors: Martin Häusler and Nicole Heussen

Salvage therapy for progressive, treatment-refractory or recurrent pediatric medulloblastoma: a systematic review protocol

Central nervous system tumors remain the leading cause of cancer-related mortality amongst children with solid tumors, with medulloblastoma (MB) representing the most common pediatric brain malignancy. Despite...

Authors: Ashley A. Adile, Michelle M. Kameda-Smith, David Bakhshinyan, Laura Banfield, Sabra K. Salim, Forough Farrokhyar and Adam J. Fleming

Implementation strategies in emergency management of children: a scoping review protocol

Behavior change is not simple, and the introduction of guidelines or protocols does not mean that they will be followed. As such, implementation strategies are vital for the uptake and sustainability of change...

Authors: Alex Aregbesola, Ahmed M. Abou-Setta, Maya M. Jeyaraman, George Okoli, Otto Lam, Kathryn M. Sibley and Terry P. Klassen

Association between subthreshold depression and self-care behaviors in people with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review of observational studies

Self-care behaviors in people living with type 2 diabetes are important to achieving optimal glycemic control. Major depression in type 2 diabetes is associated with decreased adherence to self-care behaviors....

Authors: Monika Shrestha, Ashley Ng, Amal Al-Ghareeb, Fatimah Alenazi and Richard Gray

The applications of machine learning in plastic and reconstructive surgery: protocol of a systematic review

Machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence, is a set of models and methods that can automatically detect patterns in vast amounts of data, extract information and use it to perform various kinds of ...

Authors: Angelos Mantelakis and Ankur Khajuria

Benefits and harms of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines: systematic review with meta-analyses of trial data from clinical study reports

To assess the benefits and harms of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines.

Authors: Lars Jørgensen, Peter C. Gøtzsche and Tom Jefferson

Benefits and harms of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines: comparison of trial data from clinical study reports with corresponding trial register entries and journal publications

No study has looked at differences of pooled estimates—such as meta-analyses—of corresponding study documents of the same intervention. In this study, we compared meta-analyses of human papillomavirus (HPV) va...

Authors: Lars Jørgensen, Peter C. Gøtzsche and Tom Jefferson

What the systematic review of HPV vaccine clinical study reports does, and does not, reveal: commentary on Jørgensen et al.

Authors: Hilda Bastian

Performance management methods and practices among nurses in primary health care settings: a systematic scoping review protocol

Nurses make up the largest constituent of the health workforce. The success of health care interventions depends on nurses’ ability and willingness to provide quality health care services. A well-implemented p...

Authors: Cynthia Zandile Madlabana, Tivani Phosa Mashamba-Thompson and Inge Petersen

Proposed pathway for patients undergoing enhanced recovery after spinal surgery: protocol for a systematic review

The best evidence-enhanced recovery care pathway is yet to be defined for patients undergoing spinal surgery. Minimally invasive surgery, multimodal analgesia, early mobilization, and early postoperative nutri...

Authors: Ana Licina, Andrew Silvers, Harry Laughlin, Jeremy Russell and Crispin Wan

Hospital volume-outcome relationship in total knee arthroplasty: protocol for a systematic review and non-linear dose-response meta-analysis

Knee osteoarthritis is a common, chronic condition and main contributor to global disability. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the most successful treatment for end-stage knee osteoarthritis. It is assumed tha...

Authors: Tanja Rombey, Käthe Goossen, Jessica Breuing, Tim Mathes, Simone Hess, Rene Burchard and Dawid Pieper

Oral nutritional supplements for preventing surgical site infections: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are among the most common healthcare-associated infections. Under-nutrition is an important risk factor for SSIs and can lead to delayed wound healing and longer hospital stays....

Authors: Nicholas Ralph, Lindsay Brown, Kristy L. McKillop, Jed Duff, Sonya Osborne, Victoria R. Terry, Karen-Leigh Edward, Rachel King and Edward Barui

Sedentary behaviour in hospitalised older people: a scoping review protocol

Older adults spend up to 23 h daily sitting or lying while in hospital. Sedentary behaviour (SB) within a hospital setting is often associated with poor health outcomes including physical and cognitive decline...

Authors: Unyime S. Jasper, Lalit Yadav, Agathe Daria Jadczak, Solomon Yu, Renuka Visvanathan and Joanne Dollard

The association between community mental health nursing and hospital admissions for people with serious mental illness: a systematic review

Relapse prevention is an important objective in the management of serious mental illness (SMI). While community mental health nurses (CMHN) might be well-placed to support people with SMI in averting relapse, ...

Authors: Matthew J. Leach, Martin Jones, Dan Bressington, Adrian Jones, Fiona Nolan, Kuda Muyambi, Marianne Gillam and Richard Gray

Prehabilitation programs for cancer patients: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (protocol)

Around twenty million new cases and ten million of deaths were attributed to cancer in 2018. Physical exercise, as main component of prehabilitation programs, has been associated with clinical improvements in ...

Authors: Jose F. Meneses-Echávez, Andrés F. Loaiza-Betancur, Víctor Díaz-López and Andrés M. Echavarría-Rodríguez

Long-term effects of alcohol consumption on cognitive function: a systematic review and dose-response analysis of evidence published between 2007 and 2018

Understanding the long-term health effects of low to moderate alcohol consumption is important for establishing thresholds for minimising the lifetime risk of harm. Recent research has elucidated the dose-resp...

Authors: Sue E. Brennan, Steve McDonald, Matthew J. Page, Jane Reid, Stephanie Ward, Andrew B. Forbes and Joanne E. McKenzie

Inter-rater reliability and validity of risk of bias instrument for non-randomized studies of exposures: a study protocol

A new tool, “risk of bias (ROB) instrument for non-randomized studies of exposures (ROB-NRSE),” was recently developed. It is important to establish consistency in its application and interpretation across rev...

Authors: Maya M. Jeyaraman, Nameer Al-Yousif, Reid C. Robson, Leslie Copstein, Chakrapani Balijepalli, Kimberly Hofer, Mir S. Fazeli, Mohammed T. Ansari, Andrea C. Tricco, Rasheda Rabbani and Ahmed M. Abou-Setta

Under-five anemia and its associated factors with dietary diversity, food security, stunted, and deworming in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis

Anemia is the most common hematologic disorder of children in the globe. There are fragmented and inconclusive study findings on under-five anemia in Ethiopia. Understanding the distribution of anemia is an im...

Authors: Amare Belachew and Tilahun Tewabe

The effectiveness of solar disinfection water treatment method for reducing childhood diarrhea: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Several studies employing the effectiveness of solar disinfection water treatment method for reducing diarrhea have reported heterogeneous outcomes, necessitating a systematic review to provide an exhaustive s...

Authors: Negasa Eshete Soboksa, Sirak Robele Gari, Abebe Beyene Hailu, Dereje Oljira Donacho and Bezatu Mengistie Alemu

Prescription drug diversion, misuse, and abuse among people living with HIV: a scoping review protocol

Prescription drugs are controlled medicines due to their potential risks of being diverted, misused, and abused. Since the introduction of antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs, HIV is currently regarded as a chronic co...

Authors: Buyisile Chibi, Neusa Fernanda Torres and Tivani P. Mashamba-Thompson

Health apps targeting children with overweight—a protocol for a systematic review with meta-analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis of randomised clinical trials

The prevalence of overweight is increasing worldwide in children. Multi-component interventions incorporating diet, physical activity, and behavioural change have been shown to reduce body mass index (BMI). Wh...

Authors: Rajeeb Rashid, Paolo Perego, Laura Condon, Janus Christian Jakobsen, Jane Lindschou, Christian Gluud, Giuseppe Andreoni and Inge Lissau

Situation analysis of onchocerciasis in Cameroon: a protocol for systematic review of epidemiological studies and impact of disease control interventions

Many control methods have been implemented to tackle onchocerciasis and great successes have been achieved, leading to a paradigm shift from control of morbidity to interruption of transmission and ultimately ...

Authors: Hugues C. Nana-Djeunga, André Domche, Yannick Niamsi-Emalio, Henri C. Moungui, Martin Walker, Maria-Gloria Basáñez and Joseph Kamgno

From the sticky floor to the glass ceiling and everything in between: protocol for a systematic review of barriers and facilitators to clinical academic careers and interventions to address these, with a focus on gender inequality

Gender inequality within academic medicine and dentistry is a well-recognised issue, but one which is not completely understood in terms of its causes, or interventions to facilitate equality. This systematic ...

Authors: Jennifer V. E. Brown, Paul E. S. Crampton, Gabrielle M. Finn and Jessica E. Morgan

Implementation of evidence-based practice for alcohol and substance use disorders: protocol for systematic review

Whilst effective treatments exist for substance use and alcohol use disorders, they are not commonly practised. Studies have shown that only a small percentage of services provide evidence-based treatments suc...

Authors: Eva Louie, Emma L. Barrett, Andrew Baillie, Paul Haber and Kirsten C. Morley

Social science research contributions to antimicrobial resistance: protocol for a scoping review

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an escalating global health issue with complex and dynamic interdependencies, high uncertainty and decision stakes, multiple drivers and stakeholders with diverse values and i...

Authors: Abou Ali Vedadhir, Carla Rodrigues and Helen Lambert

Prognostic-factors for neurodegeneration in chronic moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury: a systematic review protocol

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability. Recently, a paradigm shift in our understanding of moderate-to-severe TBI has led to its reconceptualization as a progressive neurodegen...

Authors: Bhanu Sharma, Alana Changoor, Leanne Monteiro, Brenda Colella and Robin Green

A systematic review protocol for crime trends facilitated by synthetic biology

When new technologies are developed, it is common for their crime and security implications to be overlooked or given inadequate attention, which can lead to a ‘crime harvest’. Potential methods for the crimin...

Authors: Mariam Elgabry, Darren Nesbeth and Shane D. Johnson

Protocol for the development of guidance for stakeholder engagement in health and healthcare guideline development and implementation

Stakeholder engagement has become widely accepted as a necessary component of guideline development and implementation. While frameworks for developing guidelines express the need for those potentially affecte...

Authors: Jennifer Petkovic, Alison Riddle, Elie A. Akl, Joanne Khabsa, Lyubov Lytvyn, Pearl Atwere, Pauline Campbell, Kalipso Chalkidou, Stephanie M. Chang, Sally Crowe, Leonila Dans, Fadi El Jardali, Davina Ghersi, Ian D. Graham, Sean Grant, Regina Greer-Smith…

Screening for esophageal adenocarcinoma and precancerous conditions (dysplasia and Barrett’s esophagus) in patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease with or without other risk factors: two systematic reviews and one overview of reviews to inform a guideline of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (CTFPHC)

Two reviews and an overview were produced for the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care guideline on screening for esophageal adenocarcinoma in patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GE...

Authors: Candyce Hamel, Nadera Ahmadzai, Andrew Beck, Micere Thuku, Becky Skidmore, Kusala Pussegoda, Lise Bjerre, Avijit Chatterjee, Kristopher Dennis, Lorenzo Ferri, Donna E. Maziak, Beverley J. Shea, Brian Hutton, Julian Little, David Moher and Adrienne Stevens

Association between anthraquinone laxatives and colorectal cancer: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Products containing anthraquinones (AQ) are mainly used as laxatives and have several biological effects. Long-term use of AQ laxatives is associated with an increased risk of serious adverse events (AEs), suc...

Authors: Niccolò Lombardi, Alessandra Bettiol, Giada Crescioli, Valentina Maggini, Eugenia Gallo, Francesco Sivelli, Francesco Sofi, Gian Franco Gensini, Alfredo Vannacci and Fabio Firenzuoli

What factors affect patients’ access to healthcare? Protocol for an overview of systematic reviews

The importance of access to healthcare for all is internationally recognised as a global goal, high on the global agenda. Yet inequalities in health exist within and between countries which are exacerbated by ...

Authors: Bryony Dawkins, Charlotte Renwick, Tim Ensor, Bethany Shinkins, David Jayne and David Meads

Uncontrolled hypertension among patients with comorbidities in sub-Saharan Africa: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Uncontrolled hypertension is the most important risk factor and leading cause of cardiovascular diseases. It is predicted that the number of people with hypertension will increase, and a large proportion of th...

Authors: Shukri F. Mohamed, Olalekan A. Uthman, Rishi Caleyachetty, Ivy Chumo, Martin K. Mutua, Gershim Asiki and Paramjit Gill