[Database indexing of health science journals from the German-speaking area: A journal analysis]. / Datenbankindexierung von gesundheitswissenschaftlichen Fachzeitschriften aus dem deutschsprachigen Raum: eine Zeitschriftenanalyse.

BACKGROUND: Journal hand searching offers the possibility to complement a literature search as part of systematic reviews and other evidence syntheses. Hand searching is indicated in cases where scientific journals with potentially relevant publications addressing the research question are not indexed in a literature database. However, it is often unclear whether these journals are actually indexed, and when they are, in which literature databases. In many cases, it is also unknown which journals should be searched by hand in addition to systematic literature search after databases to be searched have been specified. Therefore, the project aimed to investigate the indexation of selected scientific health science journals and to provide an overview of indexation in order to facilitate the hand search planning process. METHODS: Journals from German-speaking countries covering eight professional fields (medical laboratory assistance, occupational therapy, midwifery, logopedics, nursing, physiotherapy, public health and rehabilitation) were considered that publish original research papers or systematic reviews or other review types in German and/or English. Two researchers per field identified relevant journals and independently analyzed the indexing locations using the journal websites. In case of missing information, we contacted the editors. RESULTS: A total of 70 journals were included: from 1 to 17 journals per field. These journals are indexed in 1 to 29 databases. Twelve journals are not indexed or do not offer information concerning indexation. Indexation is distributed across n=74 different literature databases. Most journals are indexed in LIVIVO (n=55) and bibnet.org (n=33). Other common indexing databases are Scopus (n=18), Web of Science Core Collection (n=16), PSYNDEX (n=13), and Embase (n=10). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a heterogeneous indexation of the included journals. Only a small number is indexed in common international literature databases such as MEDLINE or CINAHL. On the other hand, only a few journals are not indexed in any database. The results can be used as a basis to define databases for literature searches as part of systematic reviews. In addition, the findings might guide the selection of journals for hand searching after literature databases have been defined.

The Effectiveness of Biographical Approaches in Long-Term Care: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Older adults in long-term residential aged care experience loneliness and reduced quality of life (QoL). Biographical approaches use the recall of the past events to increase self-efficacy, promote acceptance, and improve QoL. The aim of the systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of biographical approaches in improving the QoL of older adults in long-term residential aged care. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, using databases Medline, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library. A 2-phase search strategy was used to identify research literature relating to the use of biographical interventions. Narrative analysis was used to synthesize results. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria for this review, comprising both group and individual interventions. The findings were inconsistent. Subjective elements of QoL of older adults improved in a narrow majority of the studies. Of a total of 21 outcomes investigated in group interventions, 11 resulted in significant improvements in QoL. The 16 outcomes of the individual interventions resulted in 10 significant improvements. The most significant influence was observed in life satisfaction. Group reminiscence also had a particularly strong influence on self-esteem. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Although benefits were observed, it remains unclear why some interventions led to improvements in subjective elements of QoL and others did not. Exploration of the participant perspective through qualitative data collection and more detailed description of interventions in future studies could lead to a better understanding of the treatment components that are related to improved outcomes for older adults.

[Potential analysis of research on speech therapy-led communication training in aphasia following stroke]. / Potenzialanalyse zu logopädischem Kommunikationstraining bei Aphasie nach Schlaganfall.

HEALTH PROBLEM: In Germany, about 100,000 people currently suffer from aphasia. This speech disorder occurs as a result of neurologic events such as stroke or traumatic brain injury. Aphasia causes major limitations in social participation and quality of life and can be associated with unemployability and social isolation. For affected persons, it is essential to regain and maintain autonomy in daily life, both at work and with family and friends. The loss of autonomy is perceived much more dramatically than the loss of speech. Clients wish to minimise this loss of autonomy in daily life. As full recovery is not achievable in chronic aphasia, treatment must focus on improved compensatory approaches and on supporting the clients' coping strategies. EVIDENCE BASE: Based on eight randomised comparisons including 347 participants, a recent Cochrane review (Brady et al., 2012) revealed that speech therapy - as compared with no treatment - had positive effects on functional communication in clients suffering from aphasia (0.30 SMD; 95% CI[0.08 to 0.52]). There was no evidence suggesting that one type of training was superior to the others. However, quality of life and social participation were not evaluated as outcomes. Recent studies found that speech therapy-led training for communication and self-efficacy and the integration of communication partners may have a positive impact on these client-centred outcomes. IMPLICATION FOR RESEARCH: Speech therapy-led training for communication within a group setting should be manualised and pilot-tested with respect to feasibility and acceptance in a German sample of people with aphasia and their communication partners. Instruments measuring quality of life and social participation can be validated within the scope of this feasibility study. These research efforts are necessary to prepare a large-scale comparative effectiveness research trial comparing the effects of both usual speech therapy and speech therapy-led group communication training on quality of life and social participation.