"What's Sex and Gender Got to Do With It?" A Scoping Review of Sex- and Gender-Based Analysis in Pharmacoepidemiologic Studies of Medication Adherence.

OBJECTIVES: Medication taking is a complex multidimensional behavior that may be impeded by a range of biological and psychosocial factors, including sex and gender. We aimed to synthesize how sex and gender have been reported and analyzed in pharmacoepidemiologic studies of medication. METHODS: We searched for English-language peer-reviewed articles of observational studies (eg, cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control) that examined medication adherence among adults and included sex or gender in their reporting. RESULTS: We included 937 studies among 530 537 287 participants published between the year 1979 and 2021. Most studies were cross-sectional (47%), lasted ≤ 1 year (35%), examined self-reported adherence (53%), did not assess specific adherence problem(s) (40%), and included medications for cardiovascular conditions (24%) or systemic infections (24%). A quarter of studies (25%) used sex and gender interchangeably, more than one third of studies (36%) that reported gender data likely collected data on sex, and < 1% of studies described sex and gender as distinct variables. Studies of cisgender participants more often reported that females/women experienced greater adherence problems often than males/men (31% vs 20%), particularly discontinuation and cost-related nonadherence. Only 21 studies (2%) reported on transgender individuals, and these predominantly examined antiretroviral medications for HIV. CONCLUSIONS: Our review revealed substantial conflation of sex and gender in studies of medication adherence and a paucity of research among transgender individuals. Moreover, our synthesis showed sex/gender disparities in medication taking with studies reporting greater medication adherence problems among cisgender women and transgender participants than cisgender men.

Direct medical costs of young-onset colorectal cancer: a worldwide systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Given the rising incidence of young-onset colorectal cancer (yCRC) among individuals younger than 50 years old, understanding the economic burden of yCRC is required to inform the delivery of healthcare services. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of studies assessing the direct medical costs of yCRC, and where relevant average-age onset CRC (aCRC). METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science from inception to May 2022 for original, peer-reviewed studies, that reported direct medical costs (e.g., chemotherapy, radiotherapy, outpatient visits, inpatient care, prescription medications) for yCRC and aCRC. We used a modified version of the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards checklist to appraise the studies. Costs were inflation-adjusted to 2020 US dollars. RESULTS: We included 14 studies from 10 countries, including the USA, England, France, Korea, Vietnam, China, Italy, Australia, Canada and Japan. Five studies focused on prevalent disease and reported annualized per-capita cost of prevalent yCRC, ranging from $2,263 to $16,801 and $1,412 to $14,997 among yCRC and aCRC cases, respectively. Nine studies estimated the cost of incident disease. Synthesis of per-capita costs incurred 12 months following colorectal cancer diagnosis ranged from $23,368 to $89,945 for yCRC and $19,929 to $67,195 for aCRC. Five studies used multivariable approaches to compare costs associated with yCRC and aCRC, four showed no differences and one suggested greater costs with yCRC. CONCLUSION: Our synthesis of direct medical costs of yCRC across multiple jurisdictions provide relevant information for healthcare decisions, including on-going considerations for expanding CRC screening strategies to younger adults.

Correction: The composition and capacity of the clinical genetics workforce in high-income countries: a scoping review.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The composition and capacity of the clinical genetics workforce in high-income countries: a scoping review.

As genetics becomes increasingly integrated into all areas of health care and the use of complex genetic tests continues to grow, the clinical genetics workforce will likely face greatly increased demand for its services. To inform strategic planning by health-care systems to prepare to meet this future demand, we performed a scoping review of the genetics workforce in high-income countries, summarizing all available evidence on its composition and capacity published between 2010 and 2019. Five databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PAIS, CINAHL, and Web of Science) and gray literature sources were searched, resulting in 162 unique studies being included in the review. The evidence presented includes the composition and size of the workforce, the scope of practice for genetics and nongenetics specialists, the time required to perform genetics-related tasks, case loads of genetics providers, and opportunities to increase efficiency and capacity. Our results indicate that there is currently a shortage of genetics providers and that there is a lack of consensus about the appropriate boundaries between the scopes of practice for genetics and nongenetics providers. Moreover, the results point to strategies that may be used to increase productivity and efficiency, including alternative service delivery models, streamlining processes, and the automation of tasks.

Risk Factors Associated With Young-Onset Colorectal Adenomas and Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Research.

The risk of young-onset colorectal adenomas and cancer (yCRAC) in adults less than 50 years of age is increasing. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies to identify lifestyle and clinical risk factors associated with yCRAC risk. We searched Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for studies which: used an epidemiologic study design, involved individuals with yCRAC, evaluated at least 1 lifestyle or clinical factor, and applied multivariable regression approaches. We critically appraised the quality of included studies and calculated pooled measures of association (e.g. odds ratio [OR]) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using random-effects models. We identified 499 articles in our search with 9 included in a narrative synthesis and 6 included in a meta-analysis. We found in the pooled analysis that smoking and alcohol consumption were lifestyle factors associated with yCRAC, as were clinical factors including obesity elevated blood glucose, elevated blood pressure, and elevated triglycerides. We identified lifestyle and clinical risk factors associated with risk of yCRAC, which have potential implications for informing preventive efforts and modifying screening to target at-risk populations.

Efficacy of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 Inhibitors in Patients with Heterozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) are at high risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and mortality. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i), including monoclonal antibodies (alirocumab, evolocumab) and small interfering RNA (inclisiran), substantially reduce lipid levels. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy of both types of PCSK9i specifically in patients with HeFH. METHODS: A librarian-assisted systematic search of MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed from 2013 to 2023. Randomized controlled trials of PCSK9i versus control in patients with HeFH were included. No language restrictions were applied. Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool 2 was used to assess quality of evidence. Meta-analyses were performed using Cochrane ReviewManager. Outcomes included change in atherogenic lipids, MACE, and all-cause death. RESULTS: Seven trials were included (N = 2196). Overall risk of bias was mostly low or with some concerns. Median follow-up was 24 weeks. PCSK9i had an uncertain effect on MACE (odds ratio [OR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-2.26) and all-cause death (OR 2.47, 95% CI 0.33-18.26) due to the low event rate and short follow-up. However, PCSK9i significantly reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) by 54% (95% CI 49-58), apolipoprotein B by 43% (95% CI 37-49), and lipoprotein(a) by 20% (95% CI 13-28). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with HeFH, PCSK9i significantly reduced atherogenic lipids (LDL-C, apolipoprotein B, and lipoprotein[a]). Despite this, the effect on MACE or all-cause death was unclear. Larger-scale randomized controlled trials of longer duration are needed to validate whether this short-term reduction in lipid levels translates into a reduction in clinically meaningful outcomes.

Searching and reporting in Campbell Collaboration systematic reviews: A systematic assessment of current methods.

The search methods used in systematic reviews provide the foundation for establishing the body of literature from which conclusions are drawn and recommendations made. Searches should aim to be comprehensive and reporting of search methods should be transparent and reproducible. Campbell Collaboration systematic reviews strive to adhere to the best methodological guidance available for this type of searching. The current work aims to provide an assessment of the conduct and reporting of searches in Campbell Collaboration systematic reviews. Our objectives were to examine how searches are currently conducted in Campbell systematic reviews, how search strategies, search methods and search reporting adhere to the Methodological Expectations of Campbell Collaboration Intervention Reviews (MECCIR) and PRISMA standards, and identify emerging or novel methods used in searching in Campbell systematic reviews. We also investigated the role of information specialists in Campbell systematic reviews. We handsearched the Campbell Systematic Reviews journal tables of contents from January 2017 to March 2024. We included all systematic reviews published since 2017. We excluded other types of evidence synthesis (e.g., evidence and gap maps), updates to systematic reviews when search methods were not changed from the original pre-2017 review, and systematic reviews that did not conduct their own original searches. We developed a data extraction form in part based on the conduct and reporting items in MECCIR and PRISMA. In addition, we extracted information about the general quality of searches based on the use of Boolean operators, keywords, database syntax and subject headings. Data extraction included information about reporting of sources searched, some aspects of search quality, the use and reporting of supplementary search methods, reporting of the search strategy, the involvement of information specialists, date of the most recent search, and citation of the Campbell search methods guidance. Items were rated as fully, partially or not conducted or reported. We cross-walked our data extraction items to the 2019 MECCIR standards and 2020 PRISMA guidelines and provide descriptive analyses of the conduct and reporting of searches in Campbell systematic reviews, indicating level of adherence to standards where applicable. We included 111 Campbell systematic reviews across all coordinating groups published since 2017 up to the search date. Almost all (98%) included reviews searched at least two relevant databases and all reported the databases searched. All reviews searched grey literature and most (82%) provided a full list of grey literature sources. Detailed information about databases such as platform and date range coverage was lacking in 16% and 77% of the reviews, respectively. In terms of search strategies, most used Boolean operators, search syntax and phrase searching correctly, but subject headings in databases with controlled vocabulary were used in only about half of the reviews. Most reviews reported at least one full database search strategy (90%), with 63% providing full search strategies for all databases. Most reviews conducted some supplementary searching, most commonly searching the references of included studies, whereas handsearching of journals and forward citation searching were less commonly reported (51% and 62%, respectively). Twenty-nine percent of reviews involved an information specialist co-author and about 45% did not mention the involvement of any information specialist. When information specialists were co-authors, there was a concomitant increase in adherence to many reporting and conduct standards and guidelines, including reporting website URLs, reporting methods for forward citation searching, using database syntax correctly and using subject headings. No longitudinal trends in adherence to conducting and reporting standards were found and the Campbell search methods guidance published in 2017 was cited in only twelve reviews. We also found a median time lag of 20 months between the most recent search and the publication date. In general, the included Campbell systematic reviews searched a wide range of bibliographic databases and grey literature, and conducted at least some supplementary searching such as searching references of included studies or contacting experts. Reporting of mandatory standards was variable with some frequently unreported (e.g., website URLs and database date ranges) and others well reported in most reviews. For example, database search strategies were reported in detail in most reviews. For grey literature, source names were well reported but search strategies were less so. The findings will be used to identify opportunities for advancing current practices in Campbell reviews through updated guidance, peer review processes and author training and support.

Antithrombotic therapy in patients after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a network meta-analysis.

AIMS: The optimal antithrombotic therapy to balance the risk of thrombosis and bleeding in patients who undergo transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is unknown. This systematic review/network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of different oral anticoagulant and antiplatelet regimens in patients post-TAVI. METHODS AND RESULTS: MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to April 2023. Co-primary outcomes were all-cause death and major bleeding. We conducted Bayesian network meta-analyses to compare all interventions simultaneously. For each outcome, we generated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% credible intervals using a random-effects model with informative priors, and ranked interventions based on mean surface under the cumulative ranking curve. We included 11 RCTs (n = 6415), including one unpublished RCT. Three trials enrolled patients with an indication for an oral anticoagulant (OAC). Overall risk of bias was low or with some concerns. Median age was 81 years. Median follow-up was 6 months. The Combination of OAC plus single antiplatelet therapy (SAPT) increased the risk of all-cause death compared with dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) (OR 1.78, 95% credible interval 1.15-2.77). No other comparisons for all-cause death were significantly different. For major bleeding, SAPT reduced the risk compared with DAPT, direct-acting OAC, and OAC + SAPT (OR 0.20-0.40), and DAPT reduced the risk compared with OAC + SAPT. SAPT and DAPT ranked best for all-cause death, while SAPT ranked best for major bleeding. CONCLUSION: In post-TAVI patients, SAPT may provide the optimal balance of reducing thrombotic events while minimizing the risk of bleeding.

Patient and public involvement in cancer research: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Patient and public involvement (PPI) in research emphasizes the importance of doing research with, rather than for people with lived health/illness experience(s). The purpose of this scoping review is to investigate the breadth and depth of scientific literature on PPI in cancer research and to identify how is PPI applied and reported in cancer research. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and PsycInfo up to March 2022. All titles/abstracts and full-text results were screened by two reviewers. Data were analyzed and are presented in both narrative and tabular format. RESULTS: We screened 22,009 titles/abstract, reviewed 375 full-text articles, of which 101 studies were included in this review. 66 papers applied PPI; 35 used co-design methodologies. PPI in cancer research in published research has increased steadily since 2015 and often includes those with a past diagnosis of cancer or relatives/informal caregivers. The most common applied methods were workshops or interviews. PPI was generally used at the level of consultation/advisor and occurred mainly in early stages of research. Costs related to PPI were mentioned in 25 papers and four papers described training provided for PPI. CONCLUSIONS: Results of our review demonstrate the nature and extent of PPI expansion in cancer research. Researchers and research organizations entering the fray of PPI should consider planning and reporting elements such as the stage, level, and role type of PPI, as well as methods and strategies put in place to assure diversity. Furthermore, a thorough evaluation of whether all these elements meet the stated PPI purpose will help to grasp its impact on research outcomes. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Two patients participated in the stakeholder consultation as part of the scoping review methodology, contributed to the discussion on refining the results, and critically reviewed the manuscript. Both are co-authors of this manuscript.

Reproductive Health Outcomes among Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA) aimed to synthesize the current literature on the impacts of adolescent and young adult (AYA, ages 15-39 years) cancer on reproductive health outcomes. METHODS: EMBASE and Medline were searched from 1 January 2000 to 26 January 2022 for observational studies that included individuals with AYA cancer and controls which evaluated reproductive health outcomes. We used random effects models and 95% confidence intervals to obtain pooled measures of associations between AYA cancer, cancer treatment, and reproductive health outcomes. RESULTS: The search identified 8625 articles; 21 were included. 62 reproductive outcomes were assessed and classified according to a sex-based framework as fetal/neonatal (n = 26), maternal (n = 11), fetal/neonatal-maternal (n = 23), and maternal-paternal (n = 2). Meta-analyses of crude estimates showed significant associations between AYA cancer and outcomes including preterm birth (pooled odds ratio [pOR] 1.31; 95% CI: 1.22, 1.42), gestational diabetes (pOR 1.43; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.99), and fertility treatment (pOR 2.66; 95% CI 1.71, 4.11). We also found higher odds of preterm birth (pOR 1.65; 95% CI: 1.21, 2.26) and low APGAR score at birth (pOR 2.03; 95% CI: 1.32, 3.13) among AYA cancer patients who received radiation compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: Our SRMA quantified impacts of AYA cancers and treatments on several reproductive health outcomes.

Sexual health outcomes among adolescent and young adult cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sexual health outcomes (SHO), which entail the physical, emotional, mental, and social impacts, are an important consideration for adolescent and young adults (AYA, ages 15-39) affected by cancer. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarize the current literature and evaluate AYA cancer impact on SHO. METHODS: EMBASE and MEDLINE were searched from January 1, 2000 to September 28, 2022 to identify epidemiologic studies that used an analytic observational design, included individuals with AYA cancer and non-cancer control participants, and evaluated SHO. Odds ratios and prevalence ratios were calculated; random effects models were used to obtain pooled measures where possible. RESULTS: Of 2621 articles, 8 were included that investigated 23 SHO in 9038 AYA cancer patients. Based on the sexual response cycle, outcomes were categorized as those occurring among males (desire = 1, arousal = 1, orgasm = 4, other = 3) and females (desire = 2, arousal = 1, orgasm = 2, pain = 6, other = 3). It was feasible to conduct meta-analysis for 3 female SHO and 5 male SHO. There were associations between AYA cancer and 3 SHO: vaginal dryness (pooled odds ratio = 3.94; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.02 to 7.70), ejaculatory dysfunction (pooled odds ratio = 3.66; 95% CI = 2.20 to 6.08), and testosterone level (pooled mean difference = -2.56 nmol/liter; 95% CI = -3.46 to -1.66; P = .00001). CONCLUSION: This study found increased ejaculatory dysfunction and reduced testosterone levels in male AYA cancer patients and increased vaginal dryness in female AYA cancer patients, highlighting the need for sexual health resources in this population.

eHealth literacy among older adults living with cancer and their caregivers: A scoping review.

INTRODUCTION: Over 90% of people living with cancer access information online to inform healthcare decisions. Older adults with cancer are also increasingly adopting electronic healthcare services, or eHealth, particularly with the rapid transition to virtual care amidst the pandemic. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to understand the level of eHealth literacy among older adults with cancer and their caregivers, as well as any barriers and facilitators in terms of accessing, comprehending, and implementing eHealth information. METHODS: This scoping review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley methodology and PRISMA ScR guidelines. Comprehensive searches for the concepts of "eHealth Literacy" and "cancer" were performed in MEDLINE, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO, AMED and EMBASE, from 2000 to 2021. We used descriptive quantitative and thematic analysis to analyze the literature. RESULTS: Of the 6076 articles screened by two reviewers, eleven articles were included. Quantitative findings suggest older adults with cancer and their caregivers have low self-perceived eHealth literacy and less confidence evaluating online health information for cancer decision-making. Low socioeconomic status, lower education levels, rapid expansion of digital applications, broadband access, reduced familiarity, and frequency of use were cited as prominent barriers. eHealth literacy appears to be positively correlated with caregivers seeking a second opinion, awareness of treatment options, shared decision making, and trust in the health care system. CONCLUSION: With the growing reliance on eHealth tools, developing credible digital health applications that require minimal internet navigation skills, patient education, and collaborative efforts to address access and affordability are urgently warranted.

Home-based and community-based activities that can improve mental wellness: a protocol for an umbrella review.

INTRODUCTION: Mental disorders affect about 13% of the world's population. While evidence-based mental health treatments are available, a significant number of persons with mental illnesses are untreated or do not receive adequate mental healthcare due to various reasons, including costs, stigma and the desire to self-manage symptoms. In the past few years, there has been an increase in the body of evidence regarding leisure activities and mental wellness. However, there is currently no published overview of the state of the evidence on these activities and their potential preventive and therapeutic effects on mental health. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) review guidelines, an umbrella review will be undertaken to synthesise findings from systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the mental health benefits of home-based and community-based activities. MEDLINE, PsycInfo, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Epistemonikos, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports will be searched for potentially relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses published from January 1991 to present. Title/abstract screening, full-text review, data extraction and assessment of methodological quality will each be performed independently by two reviewers. A third review author will be available to resolve discrepancies in any of the review tasks. To assess the quality of potentially eligible reviews, the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses will be used. Findings will be presented in table form and will be summarised by study population, type of home-based or community-based activity or intervention, and type of mental health outcomes. Overall assessment of the strength of existing evidence from eligible systematic reviews will be provided following the grading of recommendation, assessment, development and evaluation approach. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: No ethical approval is required. Results of this umbrella review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021266989.

Rapid Review of Medication Taking (Adherence) Among Patients With Rheumatic Diseases During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify, appraise, synthesize, and contextualize rapidly emerging reports on medication taking (adherence) among patients with rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL for peer-reviewed communications, letters, and articles published during the COVID-19 pandemic evaluating medication taking among individuals with rheumatic diseases. We appraised assessment and reporting of medication adherence according to established definitions of 3 distinct problems of medication taking (i.e., noninitiation, poor implementation, and discontinuation) and pooled findings using random-effects models. RESULTS: We included 31 peer-reviewed studies in our synthesis from various jurisdictions, of which 25 described medication taking among rheumatology patients and 6 described medication prescribing among rheumatology providers. The pooled prevalence of overall medication nonadherence was 14.8% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 12.3-17.2) and that of medication discontinuation (i.e., stopping of prescriptions) and poor implementation (i.e., not taking medication at the dose/frequency prescribed) as 9.5% (95% CI 5.1-14.0) and 9.6% (95% CI 6.2-13.0), respectively. Noninitiation (i.e., not starting/not filling new prescriptions) was not addressed. CONCLUSION: Medication taking among individuals with rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic varies globally. Unclear reporting and extensive variation in research methods between studies create barriers to research replication, comparison, and generalization to specific patient populations. Future research in this area should use consistent and transparent approaches to defining and measuring medication taking problems to ensure that findings appropriately describe the epidemiology of medication adherence and have the potential to identify modifiable targets for improving patient care.

A new taxonomy was developed for overlap across 'overviews of systematic reviews': A meta-research study of research waste.

Multiple 'overviews of reviews' conducted on the same topic ("overlapping overviews") represent a waste of research resources and can confuse clinicians making decisions amongst competing treatments. We aimed to assess the frequency and characteristics of overlapping overviews. MEDLINE, Epistemonikos and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched for overviews that: synthesized reviews of health interventions and conducted systematic searches. Overlap was defined as: duplication of PICO eligibility criteria, and not reported as an update nor a replication. We categorized overview topics according to 22 WHO ICD-10 medical classifications, overviews as broad or narrow in scope, and overlap as identical, nearly identical, partial, or subsumed. Subsummation was defined as when broad overviews subsumed the populations, interventions and at least one outcome of another overview. Of 541 overviews included, 169 (31%) overlapped across similar PICO, fell within 13 WHO ICD-10 medical classifications, and 62 topics. 148/169 (88%) overlapping overviews were broad in scope. Fifteen overviews were classified as having nearly identical overlap (9%); 123 partial overlap (73%), and 31 subsumed (18%) others. One third of overviews overlapped in content and a majority covered broad topic areas. A multiplicity of overviews on the same topic adds to the ongoing waste of research resources, time, and effort across medical disciplines. Authors of overviews can use this study and the sample of overviews to identify gaps in the evidence for future analysis, and topics that are already studied, which do not need to be duplicated.

Bibliometric study of 'overviews of systematic reviews' of health interventions: Evaluation of prevalence, citation and journal impact factor.

Overviews synthesising the results of multiple systematic reviews help inform evidence-based clinical practice. In this first of two companion papers, we evaluate the bibliometrics of overviews, including their prevalence and factors affecting citation rates and journal impact factor (JIF). We searched MEDLINE, Epistemonikos and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR). We included overviews that: (a) synthesised reviews, (b) conducted a systematic search, (c) had a methods section and (d) examined a healthcare intervention. Multivariable regression was conducted to determine the association between citation density, JIF and six predictor variables. We found 1218 overviews published from 2000 to 2020; the majority (73%) were published in the most recent 5-year period. We extracted a selection of these overviews (n = 541; 44%) dated from 2000 to 2018. The 541 overviews were published in 307 journals; CDSR (8%), PLOS ONE (3%) and Sao Paulo Medical Journal (2%) were the most prevalent. The majority (70%) were published in journals with impact factors between 0.05 and 3.97. We found a mean citation count of 10 overviews per year, published in journals with a mean JIF of 4.4. In multivariable analysis, overviews with a high number of citations and JIFs had more authors, larger sample sizes, were open access and reported the funding source. An eightfold increase in the number of overviews was found between 2009 and 2020. We identified 332 overviews published in 2020, which is equivalent to one overview published per day. Overviews perform above average for the journals in which they publish.

Identification and Reporting of Patient and Public Partner Authorship on Knowledge Syntheses: Rapid Review.

BACKGROUND: Patient and public involvement (PPI) in health research is an area of growing interest. Several studies have examined the use and impact of PPI in knowledge syntheses (systematic, scoping, and related reviews); however, few studies have focused specifically on the patient or public coauthorship of such reviews. OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to identify published systematic and scoping reviews coauthored by patient or public partners and examine the characteristics of these coauthored reviews, such as which journals publish them, geographic location of research teams, and terms used to describe patient or public partner authors in affiliations, abstracts, or article text. METHODS: We searched CAB Direct, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), and PsycInfo from 2011 to May 2019, with a supplementary search of several PPI-focused databases. We refined the Ovid MEDLINE search by examining frequently used words and phrases in relevant search results and searched Ovid MEDLINE using the modified search strategy in June 2020. RESULTS: We screened 13,998 results and found 37 studies that met our inclusion criteria. In line with other PPI research, we found that a wide range of terms were used for patient and public authors in author affiliations. In some cases, partners were easy to identify with titles such as patient, caregiver or consumer representative, patient partner, expert by experience, citizen researcher, or public contributor. In 11% (n=4) of studies, they were identified as members of a panel or advisory council. In 27% (n=10) of articles, it was either impossible or difficult to tell whether an author was a partner solely from the affiliation, and confirmation was found elsewhere in the article. We also investigated where in the reviews the partner coauthors' roles were described, and when possible, what their specific roles were. Often, there was little or no information about which review tasks the partner coauthors contributed to. Furthermore, only 14% (5/37) of reviews mentioned patient or public involvement as authors in the abstract; involvement was often only indicated in the author affiliation field or in the review text (most often in the methods or contributions section). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings add to the evidence that searching for coproduced research is difficult because of the diversity of terms used to describe patient and public partners, and the lack of consistent, detailed reporting about PPI. For better discoverability, we recommend ensuring that patient and public authorships are indicated in commonly searched database fields. When patient and public-authored research is easier to find, its impact will be easier to measure.

Pharmacotherapy for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and health-related quality of life: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to synthesize the evidence on the effect of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) pharmacotherapy on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). METHODS AND RESULTS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform in June 2020. Randomized placebo-controlled trials evaluating contemporary HFrEF pharmacotherapy and reporting HRQoL as an outcome were included. Two reviewers independently assessed studies for eligibility, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias and GRADE certainty of evidence. The primary outcome was HRQoL at last available follow-up analysed using a random-effects model. We included 37 studies from 5770 identified articles. Risk of bias was low in 10 trials and high/unclear in 27 trials. High certainty evidence from meta-analyses demonstrated improved HRQoL over placebo with sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors [standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.08-0.23] and intravenous iron (SMD 0.52, 95% CI 0.04-1.00). Furthermore, high certainty evidence from ≥1 landmark trial further supported improved HRQoL with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) (SMD 0.09, 95% CI 0.02-0.17), ivabradine (SMD 0.14, 95% CI 0.04-0.23), hydralazine-nitrate (SMD 0.24, 95% CI 0.04-0.44) vs. placebo, and for angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) compared with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor (SMD 0.09, 95% CI 0.02-0.17). Findings were inconclusive for ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, digoxin, and oral iron based on low-to-moderate certainty evidence. CONCLUSION: ARBs, ARNIs, SGLT2 inhibitors, ivabradine, hydralazine-nitrate, and intravenous iron improved HRQoL in patients with HFrEF. These findings can be incorporated into discussions with patients to enable shared decision-making.

"Walking into the unknown " key challenges of pregnancy and early parenting with inflammatory arthritis: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.

BACKGROUND: To conduct a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies on the pregnancy and early parenting experiences of patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA). METHODS: We searched online databases for English-language, qualitative studies capturing the experiences of females with IA or their healthcare providers with pregnancy and/or early parenthood. We extracted findings from included studies and used thematic synthesis to develop descriptive and higher-order analytical themes. RESULTS: Of 20 included studies, our analysis identified 5 analytical themes among patients and 3 among providers. Patients' reproductive desires, the impact of IA on their ability to experience pregnancy, and the availability of information to guide preparedness informed their pregnancy decisions. Patients' IA management, pregnancy expectations, and access to support influenced their reproductive experiences. Patients' experiences seeking information and care revealed substantial gaps in reproductive care provision to patients with IA. Reproductive uncertainty related to IA placed a heavy burden on patients' emotional and psychological wellbeing. Reproductive care provision was influenced by providers' perceived professional responsibility to address patients' reproductive goals, fears of negative outcomes, and capacity to harness patient trust, incorporate reproductive care into rheumatology practice and facilitate multi-disciplinary care coordination. CONCLUSIONS: Our review illuminated several barriers to experiencing pregnancy among patients with IA, particularly related to pregnancy planning support, availability of information, and care coordination among the patient's healthcare team. To improve care, these barriers may be mitigated through the provision of relevant, practical, and consistent information as well as patient-centred multi-disciplinary approaches for managing pregnancy among patients with IA.

Utilization and uptake of clinical genetics services in high-income countries: A scoping review.

Ongoing rapid growth in the need for genetic services has the potential to severely strain the capacity of the clinical genetics workforce to deliver this care. Unfortunately, assessments of the scale of this health policy challenge and potential solutions are hampered by the lack of a consolidated evidence base on the growth in genetic service utilization. To enable health policy research and strategic planning by health systems in this area, we conducted a scoping review of the literature on the utilization and uptake of clinical genetics services in high-income countries published between 2010 and 2018. One-hundred-and-ninety-five unique studies were included in the review. Most focused on cancer (85/195; 44%) and prenatal care (50/195; 26%), which are consistently the two areas with the greatest volume of genetic service utilization in both the United States and other high-income countries. Utilization and uptake rates varied considerably and were influenced by contextual factors including health system characteristics, provider knowledge, and patient preferences. Moreover, growth in genetic service utilization appears to be driven to a significant degree by technological advances and the integration of new tests into clinical care. Our review highlights both the policy challenge posed by the rapid growth in the utilization of genetic services and the variability in this trend across clinical indications and health systems.