Controlled Before-after Studies Research Articles

Real-world glycaemic outcomes of automated insulin delivery in type 1 diabetes: A meta-analysis.

To evaluate the real-world effectiveness of automated insulin delivery (AID) systems in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for studies published up until 2 March 2024. We included pragmatic randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cohort studies, and before-after studies that compared AID systems with conventional insulin therapy in real-world settings and reported continuous glucose monitoring outcomes. Percent time in range (TIR; 3.9-10 mmol/L), time below range (TBR; <3.9 mmol/L), time above range (TAR; >10 mmol/L), and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level were extracted. Data were summarized as mean differences (MDs) with 95% confidence interval. A total of 23 before-after studies (101 704 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. AID systems were associated with an increased percentage of TIR (11.61%, 10.47 to 12.76; p < 0.001). The favourable effect of AID systems was consistently observed when used continuously for 6 (11.76%) or 12 months (11.33%), and in both children (12.16%) and adults (11.04%). AID systems also showed favourable effects on TBR (-0.53%, -0.63 to -0.42), TAR (-9.65%, -10.63 to -8.67) and HbA1c level (-0.42%, -0.47 to -0.37) when compared with previous treatments. Similar improvements in glycaemic parameters were observed in real-world settings in RCTs using AID systems in T1D. AID systems benefit both children and adults by increasing TIR for both short- and long-term interventions.

Application of Transcultural Nursing Teaching Model Based on Campinha-Bacote Theory in the Practical Teaching of Health Assessment: A Controlled Before-after Study of Nursing Students

Application of Transcultural Nursing Teaching Model Based on Campinha-Bacote Theory in the Practical Teaching of Health Assessment: A Controlled Before-after Study of Nursing Students

The Meaning of School program: A controlled before-after study enhancing growth mindset in priority education schools

ObjectiveExperiences at school have an impact on youths’ development, global quality of life, and life trajectory. The “Meaning of School” program adopts a collaborative approach to enhance students' motivation and satisfaction at school. It fosters a growth mindset and aligns learning with students' personal interests and values, drawing from the Self-Determination Theory. This study aims to evaluate the program's effectiveness in improving school motivation and satisfaction by meeting the students' fundamental psychological needs for autonomy and competence and increasing growth mindset. MethodsThe intervention offered to students aged 9 to 11 the opportunity to become aware of their role as students, the importance of education, and their potential contribution to the world by encouraging them to reflect both together and individually. The intervention was proposed in ten schools in France, including those in ‘Priority Education Networks’ (Réseau d’Éducation Prioritaire), a French initiative that designates schools in underserved or low-income areas with additional resources and support to address educational inequalities. The study encompassed 311 students (4th and 5th grades), divided into experimental and control groups, and employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative analyses through pre- and post-program questionnaires and qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews. ResultsQuantitative results revealed a significant impact of the workshop on the growth mindset of students, while other measures like motivation, satisfaction, and classroom climate showed no significant changes. Qualitative data, however, highlighted improvements in classroom climate, motivation, and positive school-related emotions post-intervention. Students reported enhanced sense of belonging, perception of intelligence, and a shift towards viewing mistakes as learning opportunities. ConclusionThe study underscores the possibility of school-based interventions to foster a growth mindset, which can be an important dimension to improve academic engagement and success. It suggests the potential for such programs to contribute to academic perseverance and overall student well-being. Future research may focus on long-term effects, incorporate teacher perspectives, and explore broader application in varied educational settings.

Communication training for general practitioners aimed at improving antibiotic prescribing: a controlled before-after study in multicultural Dutch cities.

IntroductionSuboptimal doctor-patient communication drives inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics. We evaluated a communication intervention for general practitioners (GPs) in multicultural Dutch cities to improve antibiotic prescribing for respiratory tract infections (RTI).MethodsThis was a non-randomized controlled before-after study. The study period was pre-intervention November 2019 – April 2020 and post-intervention November 2021 – April 2022. The intervention consisted of a live training (organized between September and November 2021), an E-learning, and patient material on antibiotics and antibiotic resistance in multiple languages. The primary outcome was the absolute number of prescribed antibiotic courses indicated for RTIs per GP; the secondary outcome was all prescribed antibiotics per GP. We compared the post-intervention differences in the mean number of prescribed antibiotics between the intervention (N = 25) and the control group (N = 110) by using an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test, while adjusting for the pre-intervention number of prescribed antibiotics. Additionally, intervention GPs rated the training and their knowledge and skills before the intervention and 3 months thereafter.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference in the mean number of prescribed antibiotics for RTI between the intervention and the control group, nor for mean number of overall prescribed antibiotics. The intervention GPs rated the usefulness of the training for daily practice a 7.3 (on a scale from 1–10) and there was a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-intervention on four out of nine items related to knowledge and skills.DiscussionThere was no change in GPs prescription behavior between the intervention and control group. However, GPs found the intervention useful and showed some improvement on self-rated knowledge and communication skills.

Making research and evaluation more useful and more interesting for information services and their users: A guide for students and practitioners.

Reflections on the recent increase in the number of cross-sectional surveys received by the editorial team of the journal indicated that potential contributors might consider other research techniques, in addition to, or instead of a survey. In this article, Christine Urquhart discusses some different research designs, and different research methods that may help students and practitioners find useful answers to questions about professional practice beyond the standard survey. Researchers could consider research designs such as quasi-experimental techniques, controlled before-after studies, and interrupted time series. The basic principles of such methods are outlined and some examples cited. Other research techniques outlined include those that research subjects might find more interesting to do, such as conjoint analysis and vignettes.

Impact of a patient and family participation education program on hospital nurses' attitudes and competencies: A controlled before-after study

ObjectiveWe designed a Patient and Family Participation Education Program (PFEP) with the aim of fostering a positive attitude and enhancing the competencies of hospital nurses required for effective patient and family participation in care. MethodsIn a Dutch university hospital, we conducted a before-after study. The PFEP comprising three courses: family conversation, supporting shared decision-making, and health literacy. We assessed nursing attitudes using the FINC-NA questionnaire and competencies with a separate questionnaire before and three months after the program. Changes in attitudes and competencies were analyzed using regression analysis. ResultsTwenty-two nurses participated in the education group, and 58 participated as controls.After three months, the change scores for the education group were statistically significantly higher on the total attitude score (FINC-NA) compared to the control group. Moreover, in six out of twelve competencies, the education group demonstrated significantly higher scores than the control group. ConclusionThe educational program appeared effective in promoting nurses' attitudes and feelings of competencies towards patient and family-centered care. InnovationA blended education program focusing on patient and family has potential value for implementation in hospital care settings, especially for hospitals aiming to cultivate a more patient- and family-centered environment.

The Effect of Spermidine Supplementation on Cognitive Function in Adults: A Mini-Review

Introduction: Spermidine, a naturally occurring polyamine found in various foods, has been linked to enhanced autophagy and has shown potential cognitive benefits in previous human studies. This mini-review aimed to evaluate the evidence on spermidine’s effect on the adult population’s cognitive functions. Methods: Randomized clinical trials, controlled cohort/cross-sectional, and controlled before-after studies assessing spermidine consumption/supplementation compared to placebo, non-placebo comparators, or regular diet evaluating cognitive function in adults were included. A comprehensive search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL yielded 1726 records. After duplicate title/abstract and full-text screening, 17 studies were assessed for eligibility, and three were included in the review. Results: All studies were randomized controlled trials in adults aged 60-96. Doses of spermidine supplementation ranged from 0.9mg to 3.3mg. Wirth 2018 (30 participants) and Pekar 2021 (85 participants) showed an improvement in cognitive performance after three months of spermidine supplementation measured with the Mnemonic Similarity Task (MST) and the CERAD-Plus test, respectively. Schwarz 2022 (100 participants) did not find a significant change in memory performance after 12 months of spermidine supplementation compared to placebo measured with MST. Two studies were at high risk of bias, while one study was judged to have a low risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of-bias tool for randomized trials 2 (RoB 2). Conclusion: Current evidence of the effect of spermidine on cognitive function shows inconsistent results based on a few studies with low spermidine doses and a small number of participants. Further evidence is needed to assess its actual effect.

What is an "early palliative care" intervention? A scoping review of controlled studies in oncology.

Early palliative care (EPC) has been advocated to improve cancer patients' health. However, EPC differs with regard to its elements and target groups. It is not known which parts of EPC contribute to effectiveness for which patient group. This scoping review provides a structured analysis of EPC interventions and outcome measures. We searched EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and CENTRAL up to February 2022. We included randomized controlled trials (RCT), nonrandomized trials, cohort studies (CS), and controlled before-after studies of EPC in adult patients in English, Dutch, and German language. Interventions had to be self-labeled as EPC. Screening and data extraction were performed by two raters. A structured analysis incorporating the TIDieR checklist was performed to describe the elements of the interventions. We screened 2651 articles, resulting in 40 articles being included: 34 studies were RCT and six studies were CS with a mean sample size of 208 patients. Patients with pancreatic (n = 10) and lung cancer (n = 9) were most often included. Studies reported different reference points for the onset of EPC such as time after diagnosis of incurable cancer (n = 18) or prognosis (n = 9). Thirteen studies provided information about elements of EPC and eight studies about the control intervention. Most frequent elements of EPC were symptom management (n = 28), case management (n = 16), and advance care planning (ACP; n = 15). Most frequently reported outcome measures were health-related quality of life (n = 26), symptom intensity (n = 6), resource use, and the patient's mood (n = 4 each). The elicited heterogeneity of ECP in combination with deficits of reporting are considerable barriers that should be addressed to further develop effective EPC interventions for different groups of cancer patients.

Effect of COVID-19 vaccines for the treatment of people with post-COVID-19 condition: a rapid review

Background: Vaccination for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has demonstrated reduced risk of hospitalisation and death against more recent variants of COVID-19. Some studies suggested improvements in patients with post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) following vaccination. We systematically explored available evidence on the effect of COVID-19 vaccines on the treatment of people with PCC. Methods: We conducted a rapid review of the literature following systematic approaches. We searched Medline (OVID), EMBASE (Elsevier), ClinicalTrials.gov, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) for randomised trials, non-randomised trials, controlled before-after studies, and interrupted time-series studies of the effect of COVID-19 vaccines for treating people with PCC. Two independent review authors screened citations. Two review authors extracted data independently. We had planned to assess the risk of bias and use the GRADE approach (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) to assess the certainty of evidence if there were completed studies. Results: We identified two ongoing randomised controlled trials. Both trials examine the effectiveness of therapeutic vaccines on PCC. The anticipated completion date of the CIMAvax-EGFA trial is January 2023, and the completion date of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine trial is not stated. Conclusions: There is currently an absence of high‐quality evidence evaluating the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines for treating people with post-COVID-19 condition. The absence of published studies and only two ongoing trials highlight the need for additional studies on the effectiveness of vaccines for PCC. We recommend that researchers consider PCC as per the definition provided by the World Health Organization and use the available core outcome set for PCC in deciding which outcomes to measure and report in the trials. PROPSERO registration: CRD42022330821 (20/06/2022)

A systematic review of policies regulating or removing mark-ups in the pharmaceutical supply and distribution chain

The regulation of mark-ups throughout the pharmaceutical supply and distribution chain may be a valuable approach to control prices of medicines and to achieve broader access to medicines. As part of a wider review, we aimed to systematically determine whether policies regulating mark-ups are effective in managing the prices of pharmaceutical products. We searched for studies published between January 1, 2004 and October 10, 2019, comparing policies on regulating mark-ups against other interventions or a counterfactual. Eligible study designs included randomized trials, and non-randomized or quasi-experimental studies such as interrupted time-series (ITS), repeated measures (RM), and controlled before-after studies. Studies were eligible if they included at least one of the following outcomes: price (or expenditure as a proxy for price and volume), volume, availability or affordability of pharmaceutical products. The quality of the evidence was assessed using the GRADE methodology. A total of 32,011 records were retrieved, seven of which were eligible for inclusion for this review. The limited body of evidence cautiously suggests that policies regulating mark-ups may be effective in reducing medicine prices and pharmaceutical expenditures. However, the design of mark-up regulations is a critical factor for their potential success. Additional research is required to confirm the effects of these policies on the availability, affordability or usage patterns of medicines and in low- and middle-income countries.

Fortification of condiments and seasonings with iron for preventing anaemia and improving health.

Fortification of condiments and seasonings with iron for preventing anaemia and improving health.

Topical repellents for malaria prevention.

Insecticide-based interventions, such as long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), remain the backbone of malaria vector control. These interventions target mosquitoes that prefer to feed and rest indoors, but have limited capacity to prevent transmission that occurs outdoors or outside regular sleeping hours. In low-endemicity areas, malaria elimination will require that these control gaps are addressed, and complementary tools are found. The use of topical repellents may be particularly useful for populations who may not benefit from programmatic malaria control measures, such as refugees, the military, or forest goers. This Cochrane Review aims to measure the effectiveness of topical repellents to prevent malaria infection among high- and non-high-risk populations living in malaria-endemic regions. To assess the effect of topical repellents alone or in combination with other background interventions (long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, or indoor residual spraying, or both) for reducing the incidence of malaria in high- and non-high-risk populations living in endemic areas. We searched the following databases up to 11 January 2023: the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group Specialised Register; CENTRAL (in the Cochrane Library); MEDLINE; Embase; CAB Abstracts; and LILACS. We also searched trial registration platforms and conference proceedings; and contacted organizations and companies for ongoing and unpublished trials. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cluster-randomized controlled trials (cRCTs) of topical repellents proven to repel mosquitoes. We also included non-randomized studies that complied with pre-specified inclusion criteria: controlled before-after studies (CBA), controlled interrupted time series (ITS), and controlled cross-over trials. Four review authors independently assessed trials for inclusion, and extracted the data. Two authors independently assessed the risk of bias (RoB) using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool. A fifth review author resolved any disagreements. We analysed data by conducting a meta-analysis, stratified by whether studies included populations considered to be at high-risk of developing malaria infection (for example, refugees, forest goers, or deployed military troops). We combined results from cRCTs with RCTs by adjusting for clustering and presented results using forest plots. We used the GRADE framework to assess the certainty of the evidence. We only included data on Plasmodium falciparum infections in the meta-analysis. Thirteen articles relating to eight trials met the inclusion criteria and were qualitatively described. We included six trials in the meta-analysis (five cRCTs and one RCT). Effect on malaria incidence Topical repellents may slightly reduce P falciparum infection and clinical incidence when both outcomes are considered together (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.56 to 0.98; 3 cRCTs and 1 RCT, 61,651 participants; low-certainty evidence); but not when these two outcomes were considered independently. Two cRCTs and one RCT (12,813 participants) evaluated the effect of topical repellents on infection incidence (IRR 0.76, 95% CI 0.56 to 1.02; low-certainty evidence). One cRCT (48,838 participants) evaluated their effect on clinical case incidence (IRR 0.66, 95% CI 0.32 to 1.36; low-certainty evidence). Three studies (2 cRCTs and 1 RCT) included participants belonging to groups considered at high-risk of being infected, while only one cRCT did not include participants at high risk. Adverse events Topical repellents are considered safe. The prevalence of adverse events among participants who used topical repellents was very low (0.6%, 283/47,515) and limited to mild skin reactions. Effect on malaria prevalence Topical repellents may slightly reduce P falciparum prevalence (odds ratio (OR) 0.81, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.97; 3 cRCTs and 1 RCT; 55,366 participants; low-certainty evidence). Two of these studies (1 cRCT and 1 RCT) were carried out in refugee camps, and included exclusively high-risk populations that were not receiving any other background vector control intervention. There is insufficient evidence to conclude that topical repellents can prevent malaria in settings where other vector control interventions are in place. We found the certainty of evidence for all outcomes to be low, primarily due to the risk of bias. A protective effect was suggested among high-risk populations, specially refugees, who might not have access to other standard vector control measures. More adequately powered clinical trials carried out in refugee camps could provide further information on the potential benefit of topical repellents in this setting. Individually randomized studies are also likely necessary to understand whether topical repellents have an effect on personal protection, and the degree to which diversion to non-protected participants affects overall transmission dynamics. Despite this, the potential additional benefits of topical repellents are most likely limited in contexts where other interventions are available.

The health and health system impacts of China's comprehensive primary health care reforms: a systematic review.

China's comprehensive primary health care (PHC) reforms since 2009 aimed to deliver accessible, efficient, equitable and high-quality health care services. However, knowledge on the system-wide effectiveness of these reforms is limited. This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the reforms' health and health system impacts. In August 2022, 13 international databases and three Chinese databases were searched for randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies and controlled before-after studies. Included studies assessed large-scale PHC policies since 2009; had a temporal comparator and a control group; and assessed impacts on expenditures, utilisation, care quality, and health outcomes. Study quality was assessed using ROBINS-I and results were synthesized narratively. From 49,174 identified records, 42 studies were included - all with quasi-experimental designs, except for one randomised control trial. Nine studies assessed as at low risk of bias. Only five low to moderate quality studies assessed the comprehensive reforms as a whole and found associated increases in health service utilisation, whilst the other 37 studies examined single-component policies. The National Essential Medicine Policy (N=15) and financing reforms (N=11) were the most studied policies, whilst policies on primary care provision (i.e., family physician policy and the National Essential Public Health Services) were poorly evaluated. The PHC reforms were associated with increased primary care utilisation (N=17) and improved health outcomes in people with non-communicable diseases (N=8). Evidence on healthcare costs was unclear and impacts on patients' financial burden and care quality were understudied. Some studies showed disadvantaged regions and groups accrued greater benefits (N=8). China's comprehensive PHC reforms have made some progress in achieving their policy objectives including increasing primary care utilisation, improving some health outcomes, and reducing health inequalities. However, China's health system remains largely hospital-centric and further PHC strengthening is needed to advance Universal Health Coverage.

The impact of online medication reviews and educational workshops on deprescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic: a controlled before-after study

Abstract Objectives The South Peace Polypharmacy Reduction Project is a quality improvement project in three communities in rural Canada that aimed to reduce polypharmacy and inappropriate prescribing practices in older adults. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a multifaceted intervention consisting of online team-based medication reviews and educational workshops on the number of chronic medications. Methods A controlled before-after design was used to compare if a decrease in the number of chronic medications was associated with the intervention comprising of online team-based medication reviews and educational workshops, compared with two matched control groups that received either a standard medication review or no medication review. Logistic regression models fit with generalized estimated equations were used to identify the impact of the interventions on decreasing the number of chronic medications. Key findings Following a medication review, the percentage of individuals that had deprescribed at least one medication was highest in the intervention group (52%), followed by the medication review controls at 45%, and 36% in non-medication review controls. Individuals in the intervention group were 20% more likely to have at least one medication deprescribed than individuals in the medication review control group (adjusted odds ratio: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.39), whereas they were 42% more likely to deprescribe at least one medication compared with non-medication review controls (adjusted odds ratio: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.25 to 1.61). Conclusions Online team-based medication reviews had a significant impact on decreasing the number of chronic medications in older adults. Furthermore, providing healthcare providers with education can complement the role of other healthcare interventions.

Pharmaceutical policies: effects of policies regulating drug marketing.

The costs of developing new treatments and bringing them to the market are substantial. The pharmaceutical industry uses drug promotion to gain a competitive market share, and drive sale volumes and industry profitability. This involves disseminating information about new treatments to relevant targets. However, conflicts of interest can arise when profits are prioritised over patient care and its benefits. Drug promotion regulations are complex interventions that aim to prevent potential harm associated with these activities. To assess the effects of policies that regulate drug promotion on drug utilisation, coverage or access, healthcare utilisation, patient outcomes, adverse events and costs. We searched Epistemonikos for related reviews and their included studies. To find primary studies we searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, EconLit, Global Index Medicus, Virtual Health Library, INRUD Bibliography, two trial registries and two sources of grey literature. All databases and sources were searched in January 2023. We planned to include studies that assessed policies regulating drug promotion to consumers, healthcare professionals or regulators and third-party payers, or any combination of these groups.In this review we defined policies as laws, rules, guidelines, codes of practice, and financial or administrative orders made by governments, non-government organisations or private insurers. One of the following outcomes had to be reported: drug utilisation, coverage or access, healthcare utilisation, patient health outcomes, any adverse effects (unintended consequences), and costs. The study had to be a randomised or non-randomised trial, an interrupted time series analysis (ITS), a repeated measures (RM) study or a controlled before-after (CBA) study. At least two review authors independently assessed eligibility for inclusion of studies. When consensus was not reached, any disagreements were discussed with a third review author. We planned to use the criteria suggested by Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) to assess the risk of bias of included studies. For randomised trials, non-randomised trials, and CBA studies, we planned to estimate relative effects, with 95% confidence intervals (CI). For dichotomous outcomes, we planned to report the risk ratio (RR) when possible and adjusted for baseline differences in the outcome measures. For ITS and RM, we planned to compute changes along two dimensions: change in level and change in slope. We planned to undertake a structured synthesis following EPOC guidance. MAIN RESULTS: The search yielded 4593 citations, and 13 studies were selected for full-text review. No study met the inclusion criteria. We sought to assess the effects of policies that regulate drug promotion on drug use, coverage or access, use of health services, patient outcomes, adverse events, and costs, however we did not find studies that met the review's inclusion criteria. As pharmaceutical policies that regulate drug promotion have untested effects, their impact, as well as their positive and negative influences, is currently only a matter of opinion, debate, informal or descriptive reporting. There is an urgent need to assess the effects of pharmaceutical policies that regulate drug promotion using well-conducted studies with high methodological rigour.

Impact of a Nursing Intervention Bundle of Care on Nasal-CPAP-Related Nasal Injuries in Preterm Infants: A Quality Improvement Initiative

AIM: The objective is to assess the effect of the application of a nasal injury prevention bundle on the incidence and severity of nasal-continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP)-related nasal injuries in preterm infants. METHODS: We conducted a prospective controlled before-after study in a preterm neonate, &lt;37 weeks gestation, who required nCPAP in the neonatal intensive care unit, at Mansoura University Children’s Hospital, between September 2018 through October 2019. After 2 months of nursing staff training, a nasal trauma prevention bundle was implemented. The nursing intervention bundle comprised nasal barrier dressing, regular focused checking for evolving nasal skin injury, and proper application of the CPAP device. nCPAP-related nasal injuries per 1000 days and grading of nasal injury severity were the primary outcomes. Time to onset of nasal injury after initiation of CPAP; duration of nCPAP use, duration of oxygen dependency; incidence of pneumothorax, broncho-pulmonary dysplasia; intraventricular hemorrhage; periventricular leukomalacia; late-onset sepsis; length of hospital stay; and in-hospital mortality were the secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Data from 62 preterm neonates were analyzed (31 in each group). The nasal trauma prevention bundle of care was associated with reduced nasal injury incidence per 1000 nCPAP-days (140 vs. 148.94, p = 0.03) with improved nasal injury severity staging (p = 0.003) compared to the pre-bundle era. Nasal injury developed earlier in the control group (1 [1–1] vs. 2 [1–3] days, p = 0.002) compared to the intervention group. No statistically significant differences were reported between groups regarding any of the other secondary outcomes. Longer duration of CPAP use (p = 0.009) and lack of bundle application (0.03) were the independent risk factors associated with nCPAP-related nasal injuries in preterm neonates. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a bundle of nursing interventions is associated with a substantially improved incidence and severity of nasal injuries in preterm infants receiving nCPAP.

Effectiveness of non-interruptive nudge interventions in electronic health records to improve the delivery of care in hospitals: a systematic review.

To describe the application of nudges within electronic health records (EHRs) and their effects on inpatient care delivery, and identify design features that support effective decision-making without the use of interruptive alerts. We searched Medline, Embase, and PsychInfo (in January 2022) for randomized controlled trials, interrupted time-series and before-after studies reporting effects of nudge interventions embedded in hospital EHRs to improve care. Nudge interventions were identified at full-text review, using a pre-existing classification. Interventions using interruptive alerts were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the ROBINS-I tool (Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions) for non-randomized studies or the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care Group methodology for randomized trials. Study results were summarized narratively. We included 18 studies evaluating 24 EHR nudges. An improvement in care delivery was reported for 79.2% (n = 19; 95% CI, 59.5-90.8) of nudges. Nudges applied were from 5 of 9 possible nudge categories: change choice defaults (n = 9), make information visible (n = 6), change range or composition of options (n = 5), provide reminders (n = 2), and change option-related effort (n = 2). Only one study had a low risk of bias. Nudges targeted ordering of medications, laboratory tests, imaging, and appropriateness of care. Few studies evaluated long-term effects. Nudges in EHRs can improve care delivery. Future work could explore a wider range of nudges and evaluate long-term effects. Nudges can be implemented in EHRs to improve care delivery within current system capabilities; however, as with all digital interventions, careful consideration of the sociotechnical system is crucial to enhance their effectiveness.

Interventions for improving adherence to iron chelation therapy in people with sickle cell disease or thalassaemia.

Interventions for improving adherence to iron chelation therapy in people with sickle cell disease or thalassaemia.

The effect of minimum volume standards in hospitals (MIVOS) — protocol of a systematic review

BackgroundThe volume-outcome relationship, i.e., higher hospital volume results in better health outcomes, has been established for different surgical procedures as well as for certain nonsurgical medical interventions. Accordingly, many countries such as Germany, the USA, Canada, the UK, and Switzerland have established minimum volume standards. To date, there is a lack of systematically summarized evidence regarding the effects of such regulations.MethodsTo be included in the review, studies must measure any effects connected to minimum volume standards. Outcomes of interest include the following: (1) patient-related outcomes, (2) process-related outcomes, and (3) health system-related outcomes. We will include (cluster) randomized controlled trials ([C]RCTs), non-randomized controlled trials (nRCTs), controlled before-after studies (CBAs), and interrupted time-series studies (ITSs). We will apply no restrictions regarding language, publication date, and publication status. We will search MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase (via Embase), CENTRAL (via Cochrane Library), CINHAL (via EBSCO), EconLit (via EBSCO), PDQ evidence for informed health policymaking, health systems evidence, OpenGrey, and also trial registries for relevant studies. We will further search manually for additional studies by cross-checking the reference lists of all included primary studies as well as cross-checking the reference lists of relevant systematic reviews.To evaluate the risk of bias, we will use the ROBINS-I and RoB 2 risk-of-bias tools for the corresponding study designs. For data synthesis and statistical analyses, we will follow the guidance published by the EPOC Cochrane group (Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC), EPOC Resources for review authors, 2019).DiscussionThis systematic review focuses on minimum volume standards and the outcomes used to measure their effects. It is designed to provide thorough and encompassing evidence-based information on this topic. Thus, it will inform decision-makers and policymakers with respect to the effects of minimum volume standards and inform further studies in regard to research gaps.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42022318883

Effectiveness of a provider and patient-focused intervention to improve hypertension management and control in the primary health care setting in Cuba: a controlled before-after study

BackgroundImplementation research to improve hypertension control is scarce in Latin America. We assessed the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at primary care practitioners and hypertensive patients in a setting that provides integrated care through an accessible network of family practices.MethodsWe conducted in Cardenas and Santiago, Cuba, a controlled before-after study in 122 family practices, which are staffed with a doctor and a nurse. The intervention comprised a control arm (usual care), an arm with a component targeting providers (hypertension management workshops), and an arm with, on top of the latter, a component targeting patients (hypertension schools). To evaluate the effect, we undertook a baseline survey before the intervention and an endline survey sixteen months after its start. In each survey, we randomly included 1400 hypertensive patients. Controlled hypertension, defined as a mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure below 140 and 90 mmHg, respectively, was the primary endpoint assessed. We performed linear and logistic regression with a Generalized Estimating Equations approach to determine if the proportion of patients with controlled hypertension changed following the intervention.ResultsSeventy-three doctors, including substitutes, and 54 nurses from the 61 intervention family practices attended the provider workshops, and 3308 patients −51.6% of the eligible ones- participated in the hypertension schools. Adherence to anti-hypertensive medication improved from 42% at baseline to 63% at the endline in the intervention arms. Under the provider intervention, the proportion of patients with controlled hypertension increased by 18.9%, from 48.7% at baseline to 67.6% at endline. However, adding the component that targeted hypertensive patients did not augment the effect. Compared to patients in the control arm, the adjusted OR of having controlled hypertension was 2.36 (95% CI, 1.73–3.22) in the provider and 2.00 (95% CI, 1.68–2.37) in the provider plus patient intervention arm.ConclusionsThe intervention’s patient component remains to be fine-tuned. Still, we demonstrate that it is feasible to substantially improve hypertension outcomes by intervention at the primary care level, despite an already relatively high control rate.