Large scoping reviews: managing volume and potential chaos in a pool of evidence sources.

Scoping reviews can identify a large number of evidence sources. This commentary describes and provides guidance on planning, conducting, and reporting large scoping reviews. This guidance is informed by experts in scoping review methodology, including JBI (formerly Joanna Briggs Institute) Scoping Review Methodology group members, who have also conducted and reported large scoping reviews. We propose a working definition for large scoping reviews that includes approximately 100 sources of evidence but must also consider the volume of data to be extracted, the complexity of the analyses, and purpose. We pose 6 core questions for scoping review authors to consider when planning, developing, conducting, and reporting large scoping reviews. By considering and addressing these questions, scoping review authors might better streamline and manage the conduct and reporting of large scoping reviews from the planning to publishing stage.

Supporting birth companions for women in labor, the views and experiences of birth companions, women and midwives: A mixed methods systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Birth companions can have a positive effect on women's experiences in labor. However, companions can feel unprepared and need professional guidance to help them feel involved and provide effective support. METHODS: A convergent segregated mixed-methods systematic review was conducted to explore women's, companions', and midwives' experiences of birth companion support and identify ways to improve the experience for women and companions. A thematic synthesis of qualitative data and a narrative summary of quantitative data were conducted followed by integration of the findings. RESULTS: Companions who cope well in labor reported feeling involved, able to preserve women's internal focus and have a defined role, providing physical or emotional support. LBGTQ+ partners faced barriers to inclusion due to "forefronting" of their sexuality by staff and a lack of recognition in the language and processes used. The experience of birth companions can be enhanced by promoting their role as co-parent, guardian, and coach, provision of timely information and developing a trusting relationship with care providers. Only two papers reported midwives' views on birth companions in labor. CONCLUSIONS: Women's and companions' satisfaction with birth is increased when companions can support the mother, feel supported themselves, and valued as a co-parent. The midwives' role in information provision and guidance can maximize birth companions' experience and ability to provide positive support. LBGTQ+ families need more support to feel included and recognized.

Nurses' experiences of perceiving violence and abuse of women in Saudi Arabia: A phenomenological study.

AIM: To explore the practices, understanding, and experiences of nurses and nursing students about domestic violence and abuse in Saudi Arabia. BACKGROUND: Domestic violence and abuse is a well-known public health issue and a clear violation of human rights resulting in detrimental effects on women's health. INTRODUCTION: Societal and cultural barriers in Saudi Arabia limit women's rights and disclosure of violence within marriage and families, preventing access to health care and support. There are few reports of this phenomenon in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: We used a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to acquire in-depth insights into nurses' perceptions and experiences regarding domestic violence and abuse. Eighteen nurses and student nurses were recruited from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, using convenience sampling. Data were gathered between October 2017 and February 2018 through in-depth semistructured interviews, organized using NVivo 12 and analyzed manually to identify consistent themes. This study adhered to the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research. FINDINGS: An overarching concept of "being disempowered" was identified, which was present at three levels: a lack of nurses' professional preparation, insufficient organizational structures and processes, and wider social and cultural components. CONCLUSION: This study provides an in-depth account of nurses' practices, understanding, and experiences of domestic violence and abuse, highlighting the sensitivity and difficulties of addressing the problem in hospitals across Saudi Arabia and potentially other similar countries. IMPLICATIONS: The study's findings will inform the development of nursing education and practice in Saudi Arabia, as well as pave the way toward formulating effective strategies with needed modifications in curriculum, organizations, policy, procedures, and laws.

Exploring the role of advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) and their contribution to health services in England: A qualitative exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: An extended role being explored globally is the advanced clinical practitioner (ACP). In England this is an extended role for allied health professions, nurses and midwives in a range of settings. OBJECTIVES: This paper focuses on three research questions: 1) What is the role of ACPs in England? 2) What are the barriers and facilitators to implementing the role? and 3) What is the contribution of ACPs to health services in England? DESIGN/SETTING: A qualitative, exploratory study to explore perspectives on the ACP role in a range of clinical settings. PARTICIPANTS: We recruited 63 stakeholders, including 34 nurses, working in a ACP role or ACP education. A purposive snowball sampling technique identified participants meeting inclusion criteria. METHODS: One-to-one semi-structured interviews throughout 2020, recorded and transcribed verbatim, anonymised and thematically analysed. RESULTS: The ACP role in England was undertaken in a broad range of clinical contexts. In England 'advanced clinical practitioner' was not a protected title. There were high levels of variability and ambiguity of understanding and deployment of the ACP role in England. Facilitators to the implementation process included training and education, clinical supervision and organisational support. Lack of protection for the role and variances in experience were barriers. Employer support facilitated development of the ACP role, however where support was limited, at either an individual or organisation level, this was a barrier. Our study highlighted the wide range of ways the ACP role benefitted patient outcomes and workforce development. CONCLUSIONS: This study outlines the contribution that ACPs can make to health services, contributing factors and key barriers and facilitators to implementing this role. The work showed the positive contribution ACPs can make to service redesign, workforce development and patient outcomes, whilst accepting there is much work to do to ensure protected status and parity across all professions and clinical contexts.

Recommendations for the extraction, analysis, and presentation of results in scoping reviews.

Scoping reviewers often face challenges in the extraction, analysis, and presentation of scoping review results. Using best-practice examples and drawing on the expertise of the JBI Scoping Review Methodology Group and an editor of a journal that publishes scoping reviews, this paper expands on existing JBI scoping review guidance. The aim of this article is to clarify the process of extracting data from different sources of evidence; discuss what data should be extracted (and what should not); outline how to analyze extracted data, including an explanation of basic qualitative content analysis; and offer suggestions for the presentation of results in scoping reviews.

Birth environments for women with complex pregnancies: A mixed-methods systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Birth environments can help support women through labour and birth. Home-like rooms which encourage active birthing are embraced in midwifery-led settings. However, this is often not reflected in obstetric settings for women with more complex pregnancies. AIM: To investigate the impact of the birth environment for women with complex pregnancies. METHODS: This was a mixed-methods systematic review, incorporating qualitative and quantitative research. A literature search was implemented across three databases (Medline, CINAHL, Embase) from the year 2000 to June 2021. Studies were eligible if they were based in an Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development country and reported on birth environments for women with complex pregnancies. Papers were screened and quality appraised by two researchers independently. FINDINGS: 30,345 records were returned, with 15 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Studies were based in Australia, the UK, and the USA. Participants included women and health professionals. Five main themes arose: Quality of care and experience; Supportive spaces for women; Supportive spaces for midwives; Control of the space; Design issues. DISCUSSION: Women and midwives found the birth environment important in supporting, or failing to support, a positive birth experience. Obstetric environments are complex spaces requiring balance between space for women to mobilise and access birthing aids, with the need for medical teams to have easy access to the woman and equipment in emergencies. CONCLUSION: Further research is needed investigating different users' needs from the environment and how safety features can be balanced with comfort to provide high-quality care and positive experiences for women.

The role of scoping reviews in reducing research waste.

OBJECTIVES: Scoping reviews and evidence map methodologies are increasingly being used by researchers. The objective of this article is to examine how scoping reviews can reduce research waste. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: This article summarizes the key issues facing the research community regarding research waste and how scoping reviews can make an important contribution to the reduction of research waste in both primary and secondary research. RESULTS: The problem of research waste is an enduring challenge for global health, leading to a waste of human and financial resources and producing research outputs that do not provide answers to the most pressing research questions. Research waste occurs within primary research but also in secondary research such as evidence syntheses. The focus of scoping reviews on characterizing the nature of existing evidence on a topic and including all types of evidence, potentially reduces research waste in five ways: (1) identifying key research gaps on a topic, (2) determining appropriate outcome measures, (3) mapping existing methodological approaches, (4) developing a consistent understanding of terms and concepts used in existing evidence, and (5) ensuring scoping reviews do not exacerbate the issue of research waste. CONCLUSION: To ensure that scoping reviews do not themselves end up contributing to research waste, it is important to register the scoping review and to ensure that international reporting standards and methodological guidance are followed.

Realist inquiry into Maternity care @ a Distance (ARM@DA): realist review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most commonly reported COVID-19-related changes to all maternity services has been an increase in the use of digital clinical consultations such as telephone or video calling; however, the ways in which they can be optimally used along maternity care pathways remain unclear. It is imperative that digital service innovations do not further exacerbate (and, ideally, should tackle) existing inequalities in service access and clinical outcomes. Using a realist approach, this project aims to synthesise the evidence around implementation of digital clinical consultations, seeking to illuminate how they can work to support safe, personalised and appropriate maternity care and to clarify when they might be most appropriately used, for whom, when, and in what contexts? METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The review will be conducted in four iterative phases, with embedded stakeholder involvement: (1) refining the review focus and generating initial programme theories, (2) exploring and developing the programme theories in light of evidence, (3) testing/refining the programme theories and (4) constructing actionable recommendations. The review will draw on four sources of evidence: (1) published literature (searching nine bibliographic databases), (2) unpublished (grey) literature, including research, audit, evaluation and policy documents (derived from Google Scholar, website searches and e-thesis databases), (3) expertise contributed by service user and health professional stakeholder groups (n=20-35) and (4) key informant interviews (n=12). Included papers will consist of any study design, in English and from 2010 onwards. The review will follow the Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis Evolving Standards quality procedures and reporting guidance. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained from the University of Nottingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Ethics Committee (FMHS 426-1221). Informed consent will be obtained for all key informant interviews. Findings will be disseminated in a range of formats relevant to different audiences. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021288702.

Domesticating cleaner cookstoves for improved respiratory health: Using approaches from the sanitation sector to explore the adoption and sustained use of improved cooking technologies in Nepal.

Drawing on village-based data from Nepal, this paper explores the transferability of the Integrated Behavioural Model for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (IBM-WASH) to the clean cooking sector and its potential to elucidate how barriers to improved cookstove adoption and sustained use intersect at different scales. The paper also explores the potential of IBM-WASH, behaviour settings theory and domestication analysis to collectively inform effective behaviour change techniques and interventions that promote both adoption and sustained use of health-promoting technologies. Information on cookstove use in the community since 2012 enables valuable insights to be gained on how kitchen settings and associated cooking behaviour were re-configured as homes and stoves were re-built following the April 2015 earthquake. The methodological approach comprised of semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, direct observation and household surveys. The findings indicated that the IBM-WASH framework translated well to the improved cookstove sector, capturing key influences on clean cooking transitions across the model's three dimensions (context, psychosocial and technology) at all five levels. Understandings gained from utilising IBM-WASH were enhanced - especially at the individual and habitual levels - by domestication analysis and settings theory which elucidated how different cooking technologies were incorporated (or not) within physical structures, everyday lives and routine behaviour. The paper concludes that this combination of approaches has potential applicability for initiatives seeking to promote improved environmental health at community-wide scales.

The practice of pilot/feasibility studies in informing the conduct of HIV related clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review.

Introduction: Pilot/feasibility studies represent a fundamental phase of the research process and play a vital role in the preliminary planning of a full size HIV clinical trial. Published HIV clinical trial protocols were reviewed to establish the extent to which the proposed HIV clinical trials are informed by a prior pilot/feasibility study. Methods: The JBI methodology for scoping reviews was followed. Six databases were systematically searched to identify articles for inclusion. Results: Thirty two (32) published HIV study protocols were included. Articles were in the English language and were published in the past 10 years (2011-2020). The review results showed that the majority of HIV-related clinical trials in sub-Saharan Africa were not informed by pilot/feasibility studies. The results further indicated that the number of HIV clinical trials informed by a pilot/feasibility study have been on the increase in the 8 years' period since 2012, a trend that indicates positive uptake of pilot studies in HIV related studies. A few select countries (South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Kenya) comprised more than 70% of all clinical trials that were informed by a pilot/feasibility study, conducted in sub Saharan Africa. Conclusions: Although there is an increasing interest among researchers to integrate pilot/feasibility studies in HIV related research, limited countries in sub-Saharan Africa appear to have embraced this trend. Strategies that can motivate researchers to engage in a culture of incorporating pilot/feasibility studies in HIV related research should be implemented.

Opt-in HIV testing in construction workplaces: an exploration of its suitability, using the socioecological framework.

BACKGROUND: Late diagnosis of HIV remains a challenge, despite improved testing and treatment. Testing is often targeted at high-risk groups; workplace events might normalise testing and allow access to a wider population. The construction workforce has a number of risk factors for HIV. In the Test@Work study, HIV tests were delivered within general health checks to construction employees, with high uptake and acceptability. This paper reports on the experiences of construction managers and health professionals involved in Test@Work and explores the suitability of construction worksites as a venue for opt-in HIV testing. METHODS: Qualitative interviews (n = 24) were conducted with construction managers who had facilitated health check/HIV testing (n = 13), and delivery partners (n = 11) including i) healthcare volunteers who had delivered general health checks (n = 7) and, ii) HIV professionals who had conducted HIV testing (n = 4) at 21 Test@Work events held on construction sites. Interviews explored their experiences of these events and views towards HIV testing in the workplace. Exit questionnaires (n = 107) were completed by delivery partners after every event, providing qualitative data identifying facilitators and barriers to effective delivery. Thematic analysis identified themes that were mapped against a socioecological framework. RESULTS: Delivery partners reported high engagement of construction workers with workplace HIV testing, peer-to-peer encouragement for uptake, and value for accessibility of onsite testing. HIV professionals valued the opportunity to reach an untested population, many of whom had a poor understanding of their exposure to HIV risk. Managers valued the opportunity to offer workplace health checks to employees but some identified challenges with event planning, or provision of private facilities. CONCLUSIONS: The construction sector is complex with a largely male workforce. Providing worksite HIV testing and education to an untested population who have poor knowledge about HIV risk helped to normalise testing, encourage uptake and reduce HIV-related stigma. However, there are practical barriers to testing in the construction environment. Rapid testing may not be the most suitable approach given the challenges of maintaining confidentiality on construction worksites and alternatives should be explored.

Identifying and Understanding the Non-Clinical Impacts of Delayed or Cancelled Surgery in Order to Inform Prioritisation Processes: A Scoping Review.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant delays to non-urgent elective surgery. Decision making regarding prioritisation for surgery is currently informed primarily by clinical urgency. The ways in which decision making should also consider potential social and economic harm arising from surgical delay are currently unclear. This scoping review aimed to identify evidence related to (i) the nature and prevalence of social and economic harm experienced by patients associated with delayed surgery, and (ii) any patient assessment tools that could measure the extent of, or predict, such social and economic harm. A rapid scoping review was undertaken following JBI methodological guidance. The following databases were searched in October 2020: AMED; BNI; CINAHL; EMBASE; EMCARE; HMIC; Medline; PsychINFO, Cochrane, and the JBI. A total of 21 publications were included. The findings were categorised into five themes: (i) employment, (ii) social function and leisure, (iii) finances, (iv) patients' experiences of waiting, and (v) assessment tools that could inform decision making. The findings suggest that, for some patients, waiting for surgery can include significant social, economic, and emotional hardship. Few validated assessment tools exist. There is an urgent need for more research on patients' experiences of surgical delay in order to inform a more holistic process of prioritising people on surgical waiting lists in the COVID-19 pandemic recovery stages.

JBI series paper 2: tailored evidence synthesis approaches are required to answer diverse questions: a pragmatic evidence synthesis toolkit from JBI.

Evidence synthesis is critical in evidence-based healthcare and is a core program of JBI. JBI evidence synthesis is characterised by a pluralistic view of what constitutes evidence and is underpinned by a pragmatic ethos to facilitate the use of evidence to inform practice and policy. This second paper in this series provides a descriptive overview of the JBI evidence synthesis toolkit with reference to resources for 11 different types of reviews. Unique methodologies such as qualitative syntheses, mixed methods reviews, and scoping reviews are highlighted. Key features include standardised and collaborative processes for development of methodologies and a broad range of tailored resources to facilitate the conduct of a JBI evidence synthesis, including appraisal and data extraction tools, software to support the conduct of a systematic review and an intensive systematic review training program. JBI is one of the leading international protagonists for evidence synthesis, providing those who want to answer health-related questions with a toolkit of resources to synthesize the evidence.

Rapid reviews and the methodological rigor of evidence synthesis: a JBI position statement.

ABSTRACT: The demand for rapid reviews has exploded in recent years. A rapid review is an approach to evidence synthesis that provides timely information to decision-makers (eg, health care planners, providers, policymakers, patients) by simplifying the evidence synthesis process. A rapid review is particularly appealing for urgent decisions. JBI is a world-renowned international collaboration for evidence synthesis and implementation methodologies. The principles for JBI evidence synthesis include comprehensiveness, rigor, transparency, and a focus on applicability to clinical practice. As such, JBI has not yet endorsed a specific approach for rapid reviews. In this paper, we compare rapid reviews versus other types of evidence synthesis, provide a range of rapid evidence products, outline how to appraise the quality of rapid reviews, and present the JBI position on rapid reviews. JBI Collaborating Centers conduct rapid reviews for decision-makers in specific circumstances, such as limited time or funding constraints. A standardized approach is not used for these cases;instead, the evidence synthesis methods are tailored to the needs of the decision-maker. The urgent need to deliver timely evidence to decision-makers poses challenges to JBI's mission to produce high-quality, trustworthy evidence. However, JBI recognizes the value of rapid reviews as part of the evidence synthesis ecosystem. As such, it is recommended that rapid reviews be conducted with the same methodological rigor and transparency expected of JBI reviews. Most importantly, transparency is essential, and the rapid review should clearly report where any simplification in the steps of the evidence synthesis process has been taken.

Nationwide evaluation of the advanced clinical practitioner role in England: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY OBJECTIVE: In response to growing pressures on healthcare systems, the advanced clinical practice (ACP) role has been implemented widely in the UK and internationally. In England, ACP is a level of practice applicable across various healthcare professions, who exercise a level of autonomy across four domains, referred to as the four pillars of practice (education, leadership, research and clinical practice). A national framework for ACP was established in 2017 to ensure consistency across the ACP role, however current ACP governance, education and support is yet to be evaluated. This study aimed to analyse data from a national survey of the ACP role to inform the development and improvement of policies relating to ACP in the National Health Service (NHS) in England. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey with free-text comments. SETTING: The survey was distributed across primary and secondary levels of care to three distinct groups in England, including individual ACPs, NHS provider organisations and Trusts and primary care settings. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 4365 surveys were returned, from ACP staff (n=4013), NHS provider organisations and Trusts (n=166) and primary care organisations (n=186). RESULTS: Considerable variation was found in role titles, scope of practice, job descriptions and educational backgrounds of ACPs. Differing approaches to governance were noted, which led to inconsistent ACP frameworks in some organisations. A further challenge highlighted included committing time to work across the four pillars of advanced practice, particularly the research pillar. ACPs called for improvements in supervision and continuing professional development alongside further support in navigating career pathways. CONCLUSIONS: A standardised approach may support ACP workforce development in England and enable ACPs to work across the four pillars of practice. Due to the wide uptake of ACP roles internationally, this study has relevance across professions for global healthcare workforce transformation.

Test@work: evaluation of workplace HIV testing for construction workers using the RE-AIM framework.

BACKGROUND: Community testing for HIV can reach previously untested populations but is rarely offered in workplaces. Targeting the construction sector could reach workers from high risk populations. METHODS: The RE-AIM framework was used to evaluate Test@Work, a workplace HIV testing intervention for construction workers implemented at 21 events (10 companies) in the UK. Test@Work had three components: 1) an online health toolkit to inform managers about health screening and HIV testing; 2) general health checks; and 3) opt-in HIV consultation and testing. Quantitative data were collected using registration and exit questionnaires with workers (n = 426) and pre/post-event questionnaires with managers (n = 15), with qualitative analysis of free text responses. RESULTS: Reach 426 individuals had health checks. Participants were broadly representative of the UK construction workforce, but with a higher proportion of permanent workers. Most workers reported being in good health but also believed their work had an adverse impact on their health. Effectiveness: 97% of health check participants opted to have a consultation about sexual health (n = 413) and 82% had an HIV test (n = 348), of whom 78% had not previously been tested. All HIV tests were non-reactive. HIV testing at work was considered acceptable by most participants. Participants reported learning new things about their health (74%), said they would make changes as a result (70%) and felt confident of success (median score 8/10). Adoption: Recruitment of companies was challenging and time consuming. Seven of the participating companies were very large, employing over 1000 workers, which is atypical of construction generally. IMPLEMENTATION: All events were completed as planned and were considered successful by all parties. Maintenance: All managers would arrange further events if they were offered them. Six managers incorporated sexual health awareness into their health programmes, but this was not possible for many as health agendas were set centrally by their organisations. CONCLUSIONS: Opt-in HIV testing, when embedded within a general health check, has high uptake and acceptability in the UK construction sector, and reaches individuals at risk for HIV who may not otherwise attend for testing. Cost-effectiveness of this approach is yet to be determined. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04292002 .

Characterising the outcomes, impacts and implementation challenges of advanced clinical practice roles in the UK: a scoping review.

OBJECTIVES: In response to demographic and health system pressures, the development of non-medical advanced clinical practice (ACP) roles is a key component of National Health Service workforce transformation policy in the UK. This review was undertaken to establish a baseline of evidence on ACP roles and their outcomes, impacts and implementation challenges across the UK. DESIGN: A scoping review was undertaken following JBI methodological guidance. METHODS: 13 online databases (Medline, CINAHL, ASSIA, Embase, HMIC, AMED, Amber, OT seeker, PsycINFO, PEDro, SportDiscus, Osteopathic Research and PenNutrition) and grey literature sources were searched from 2005 to 2020. Data extraction, charting and summary was guided by the PEPPA-Plus framework. The review was undertaken by a multi-professional team that included an expert lay representative. RESULTS: 191 papers met the inclusion criteria (any type of UK evidence, any sector/setting and any profession meeting the Health Education England definition of ACP). Most papers were small-scale descriptive studies, service evaluations or audits. The papers reported mainly on clinical aspects of the ACP role. Most papers related to nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy and radiography roles and these were referred to by a plethora of different titles. ACP roles were reported to be achieving beneficial impacts across a range of clinical and health system outcomes. They were highly acceptable to patients and staff. No significant adverse events were reported. There was a lack of cost-effectiveness evidence. Implementation challenges included a lack of role clarity and an ambivalent role identity, lack of mentorship, lack of continuing professional development and an unclear career pathway. CONCLUSION: This review suggests a need for educational and role standardisation and a supported career pathway for advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) in the UK. Future research should: (i) adopt more robust study designs, (ii) investigate the full scope of the ACP role and (iii) include a wider range of professions and sectors.

The burden of chronic respiratory diseases in adults in Nepal: A systematic review.

While chronic lung disease causes substantial global morbidity and mortality, global estimates have primarily been based on broad assumptions. Specific country data from low-income countries such as Nepal are limited. This review assessed primary evidence on chronic respiratory disease burden among adults in Nepal. A systematic search was performed in June 2019 (updated May 2020) for studies through nine databases. High levels of heterogeneity deemed a narrative synthesis appropriate. Among 27 eligible studies identified, most were low-moderate quality with cross-sectional and retrospective study design. Chronic lung diseases identified were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, bronchiectasis and restrictive lung diseases. Studies were categorised as: (i) community-based, (ii) hospital-based and (iii) comorbidity-related and disease burden. Reported disease prevalence varied widely (COPD, 1.67-14.3%; asthma, 4.2-8.9%). The prevalence of airflow obstruction was higher among rural dwellers (15.8%) and those exposed to household air pollution from domestic biomass burning as opposed to liquid petroleum gas users (Odds Ratio: 2.06). Several comorbidities, including hypertension and diabetes mellitus added to the disease burden. The review shows limited literature on lung disease burden in Nepal. Publications varied in terms of overall quality. Good quality research studies with prospective cohorts related to respiratory conditions are required.