Quality Appraisal Checklist Research Articles

Oncologic outcomes and morbidity following heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy at cytoreductive surgery for primary epithelial ovarian cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

e17093 Background: Heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) following cytoreductive surgery in the treatment of primary epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with a significant 12 months improved overall survival (OS) in a well-designed randomized controlled trial. Nonetheless, there remains uncertainty about the benefit and safety of HIPEC in ovarian cancer. The aim of this review was to assess efficacy and safety of HIPEC in primary EOC. Methods: We conducted a systematic search in Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, from inception to February 22nd 2018 for observational and randomized studies of patients with primary EOC undergoing HIPEC at cytoreductive surgery with no language restrictions . We assessed risk of bias with the Institute of Health Economics Quality Appraisal Checklist for single-arm studies, and Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Scale for double-arm studies. We determined the pooled proportion of 30-day grade 3-4 morbidity, reoperation, and postoperative death. Results: Thirty-five articles including 1937 patients with primary EOC met inclusion criteria. Timing of HIPEC and type of chemotherapy regimens were not consistent between studies. There was significant variation in the reported OS of patients treated with HIPEC at cytoreductive surgery for primary EOC (3-year OS:48-77%; 5-year OS:17-72%). Thirteen articles were including in a meta-analysis to determine to the safety of HIPEC. The pooled proportions for 30-day Grade 3-4 morbidity, 30-day reoperation, and 30-day postoperative death were 33.0% (95% CI 23.0-45.0), 9.0% (95% CI 5.0-17.0) and 3.0% (95% CI 1.0-5.0) respectively. Conclusions: The use of HIPEC in primary EOC is associated with significant morbidity. There is significant heterogeneity in current literature. Higher quality, large prospective randomized control trials are needed to further support the benefit of HIPEC at cytoreductive surgery in the first-line treatment of primary EOC.

Outcomes of salvage surgery for anal squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

3571 Background: Following primary chemoradiotherapy for squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal (A-SCCa), 10% of patients have persistent cancer, and 30% develop local recurrence after initial complete response. Both persistent and recurrent A-SCCa may be amenable to salvage surgery, which typically involves intense health care resource utilization. Because only small cohorts have been reported, we synthesized the evidence for salvage surgery to gain a comprehensive understanding of outcomes. Methods: We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library (until October 11, 2018) for studies reporting on persistent or recurrent A-SCCa treated with salvage surgery. Quality assessment was performed using the Institute of Health Economics Quality Appraisal Checklist. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were pooled using two approaches: survival curve meta-analysis, and exact binomial likelihood random-effects model for survival probabilities. We used meta-regression, subgroup and sensitivity meta-analyses to explore sources of heterogeneity. Results: We identified 39 observational studies that included 1388 patients. Pooled 5-year OS was 45.5% (95% CI 40.6 to 49.9; 33 studies; 1308 patients), and did not differ in patients resected for recurrent (14 studies, n=259 patients) vs. persistent (n=238 patients) disease. There was no association of OS with study year, tumor size, or resection margin at the aggregate-level. Pooled 5-year DFS was 38.3% (95% CI 31.4-43.9; 14 studies; 554 patients). Pooled 30-day complications were 65.3% (95% CI 50.2-77.9; 17 studies; 720 patients): major complications 27.7% (95% CI 22.3-33.8), reoperations 12.7% (95% CI 8.7-18.2), and mortality 1.7% (95% CI 1.1-2.6%). Pooled perineal complications were 32.7% (95% CI 25.0-41.4). Conclusions: Salvage surgery offers 5-year OS of ≈45% and DFS of ≈40% for recurrent/persistent A-SCCa. Major complications and perineal wound complications are common, but postoperative mortality is rare. Presently, there are no reports of patient-reported outcomes such as quality of life after salvage surgery for A-SCCa. Comparative effectiveness studies comparing surgery to other treatments are warranted.

Undernutrition and its determinants among Ethiopian adolescent girls: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionIn Ethiopia, undernutrition is the common public health concern, swaying the lives of lots of adolescent girls. Its sequelae are not only limited to them, but rather their upcoming offspring...

Knee-to-Talus Donor-Site Morbidity Following Autologous Osteochondral Transplantation: A Meta-Analysis with Best-case and Worst-case Analysis.

Despite the promising clinical results of autologous osteochondral transplantation in the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus, the occurrence of knee donor-site morbidity remains a concern. However, the proportion of patients experiencing donor-site morbidity is not well established because of important variations in estimates drawn by heterogeneous studies with loss to followup, often made at short-term (< 1 year). Therefore, both a meta-analysis of studies that assumed no patients lost to followup had donor-site morbidity and assumed all patients lost to followup had donor-site morbidity may help to estimate the true risk of donor-site morbidity. To evaluate the proportion of patients who developed knee donor-site morbidity after autologous osteochondral transplantation for osteochondral lesion of the talus, by (1) meta-analysis of the proportion of patients experiencing donor-site morbidity in the best-case scenario as reported, in which no patients lost to followup were assumed to have donor-site morbidity and (2) meta-analysis of the percentage of patients who had donor-site morbidity in the worst-case scenario, in which all patients lost to followup were assumed to have donor-site morbidity and (3) present the characteristics of studies associated with the reporting of donor-site morbidity. A systematic search of the PubMed, Embase and The Cochrane Library databases was performed from their inception to October 2017 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The inclusion criteria were clinical studies that reported knee donor-site morbidity after autologous osteochondral transplantation for osteochondral lesion of the talus, mean followup ≥ 1 year, full-text studies published in a peer-review journal and written in English. Quality of evidence (Case Series Quality Appraisal Checklist), sample size, mean patient age, study design, mean followup time, and observed rate of knee donor-site morbidity were evaluated. Twenty-six studies with 915 ankles (904 patients) were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Approximately half of the included studies were of small cohort (n < 30, 12 studies), and 12 of 26 studies did not report at all on loss to followup. In the studies that reported loss to followup (14 of 26), a total of 32 patients (35 ankles) were reported lost. Random-effects models were used to estimate the risk of donor-site morbidity as between-study heterogeneity was determined to be high in both meta-analyses that assumed that no patients lost to followup experienced donor-site morbidity (I = 82.1%) and the one that assumed all patients lost to followup experienced donor-site morbidity (I = 88.7%). Multivariable metaregression was used to estimate the association between study characteristics and the observed proportion of patients who experienced of donor-site morbidity. If there was evidence of an association between a study characteristic and proportion, a subgroup analysis was performed. The estimated proportion of donor-site morbidity was 6.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.8-11.8), assuming that no patients lost to followup experienced donor-site morbidity and 10.8% (95% CI, 4.8-18.3) assuming that all patients lost to followup experienced donor-site morbidity after a mean followup of 43.8 ± 24.7 months (range, 15.9-120 months). There was a negative association between study sample size and proportion of donor-site morbidity (β = -0.26; 95% CI, -0.39 to -0.12; p < 0.001 assuming that no patients lost to followup experienced donor-site morbidity and β = -0.31; 95% CI, -0.48 to -0.13; p < 0.001 assuming that all patients lost to followup experienced donor-site morbidity); that is, as study size increased, the proportion of patients reported with donor-site morbidity decreased. In larger studies (n ≥ 30), the estimated percentage of donor-site morbidity was 2.8% (95% CI, 1.2%-5.0%; I = 47.6%) assuming that no patients lost to followup experienced donor-site morbidity, and 5.0% (95% CI, 2.1%-9.0%; I = 74.5%) assuming all patients lost to followup experienced donor-site morbidity. High between-study heterogeneity (differences in methodology) could not be completely explained by variability in study sample size, mean patient age, design, or mean followup time, and may be attributable to other factors such as inconsistent definitions of donor-site morbidity. The estimated proportion of donor-site morbidity after autologous osteochondral transplantation for osteochondral lesion of the talus ranged from 6.7% to 10.8% in the current meta-analysis. However, subgroup analysis demonstrated that larger studies (n ≥ 30) estimated a lower donor-site morbidity risk (< 5.0%) than smaller studies (n < 30). This estimate should be interpreted in light of the fact that nearly half of the included studies did not report on loss to followup, and so their estimates of donor-site morbidity may be low. In addition, high between-study heterogeneity and the inclusion of predominantly retrospective studies with small sample sizes likely contributed to estimates that suffered from a high risk of bias, probably in favor of the surgical treatment being studied. Level IV, therapeutic study.

PP182 Natalizumab Therapy For Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

IntroductionMultiple Sclerosis is a progressive, degenerating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which affects more than 2.5 million people worldwide. The monoclonal antibody natalizumab (TysabriTM) has been approved by the European Medicines Agency in 2006. Yet, the treatment is associated with an increased risk of developing progressive multifocal encephalopathy (PML). The aim of the systematic review was to investigate whether natalizumab is more effective and safer than alternative pharmacological therapies or placebo over a prolonged period (≥ 36 months) with respect to annualised relapse rate (ARR), disability progression, quality of life and number of serious adverse events (SAEs).MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted considering randomized controlled trials (no restriction in length) and prospective, non-randomized controlled trials. In terms of safety, prospective single arm studies were additionally included. The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using the Cochrane RoB tool (RCT), the ROBINS-I tool (NRCT) and the Institute of Health Economics quality appraisal checklist (IHE-20) for case series (single-arm studies). The quality of evidence was determined using the GRADE-method (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation).ResultsFor the assessment of clinical effectiveness, three studies (one RCT and two NRCTs) met the inclusion criteria. No significant differences regarding the ARR and disability progression were detected, if natalizumab was compared to an alternative treatment with fingolimod. Yet, if compared to placebo or a group of natalizumab interrupters, a 70 percent reduction in the ARR was observed. For the assessment of safety, seven studies met the inclusion criteria. The proportion of patients suffering from SAEs ranged from 2.4 percent to 16.0 percent. In total, 35 cases of PML occurred. The results were supported by a very low quality of evidence.ConclusionsFuture research should provide more head-to-head RCTs comparing natalizumab with other disease modulating drugs along with a comprehensive documentation of adverse events.

Skin disorders are prominent features in primary immunodeficiency diseases: A systematic overview of current data.

Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) are characterized by an increased risk of infections, autoimmunity, autoinflammation, malignancy, and allergic disorders. Skin disorders are also common clinical features in PIDs and may be among the presenting manifestations. Recognition of specific PID-associated skin conditions in combination with other clinical features as described in the currently used warning signs could raise suspicion of an underlying PID. We aimed to provide a systematically obtained overview of skin disorders and their prevalence in PIDs. Secondary, the prevalence of Staphylococcus (S.) aureus-associated skin disorders and atopy was reviewed, as these are the most prominent skin features in PIDs. A systematic search was performed in EMBASE, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Google Scholar (up to May 9, 2018). All original observational and experimental human studies that address the presence of skin disorders in PIDs were selected. We rated study quality using the Institute of Health Economics Quality Appraisal Checklist for Case Series Studies. Sixty-seven articles (5030 patients) were included. Study quality ranged from 18.2% to 88.5%. A broad spectrum of skin disorders was reported in 30 PIDs, mostly in single studies with a low number of included patients. An overview of associated PIDs per skin disorder was generated. Data on S.aureus-associated skin disorders and atopy in PIDs were limited. In conclusion, skin disorders are prominent features in PIDs. Through clustering of PIDs per skin disorder, we provide a support tool to use in clinical practice that should raise awareness of PIDs based on presenting skin manifestations.

Prevalence and associated factors of khat chewing among students in Ethiopia: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionThese days, in Ethiopia, khat chewing is one of the widely spreading public health problems affecting the most productive segment of the population. The health implications of khat chewing among...

Magnitude of prelacteal feeding practice and its association with place of birth in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis, 2017

BackgroundPrelacteal feeding is one of the commonest inappropriate child feeding practice which exposes to malnutrition, infection, and neonatal mortality. However, there is no systematic review and meta-analysis that estimates the pooled prevalence of prelacteal feeding and its association with place of birth in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the magnitude of prelacteal feeding practice and its association with home delivery in the country.MethodsPrimary studies were accessed through, HINARI and PubMed databases. Additionally, electronics search engines such as Google Scholar, and Google were used. The Joana Briggs Institute quality appraisal checklist was used to appraise the quality of studies. Data were extracted using Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Heterogeneity between the studies was examined using the I2 heterogeneity test. The DerSimonian and Liard random-effect model was used. The random effects were pooled after conducting subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Publication bias was also checked.ResultsA total of 780 primary studies were accessed. However, about 24 studies were included in the qualitative description and quantitative analysis of the prevalence of prelacteal feeding. To examine the association between home delivery and prelacteal feeding practice, only six studies were included. The prevalence of prelacteal feeding ranged from 6.1–75.8%. The pooled prevalence of prelacteal feeding among Ethiopian children was 26.95% (95% CI: 17.76%, 36.14%). The highest prevalence was observed in the Afar region. The pooled odds of prelacteal feeding among women who gave birth at home was increased by 5.16 (95% CI: 3.7, 7.2) folds as compared to those who gave birth at Health institutions.ConclusionPrelacteal feeding practice in Ethiopia was found to be high. Home delivery was strongly associated with prelacteal feeding practice. Therefore, promoting institutional delivery and strengthening of the existing child nutrition strategies are recommended.

Scoping review of systematic reviews of complementary medicine for musculoskeletal and mental health conditions

ObjectiveTo identify potentially effective complementary approaches for musculoskeletal (MSK)–mental health (MH) comorbidity, by synthesising evidence on effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and safety from systematic reviews (SRs).DesignScoping review of SRs.MethodsWe searched literature databases,...

Midwifery abdication - is it acknowledged or discussed within the midwifery literature: An integrative review.

INTRODUCTIONIn this review we explore the concept of Midwifery Abdication and whether it is acknowledged or discussed within the midwifery literature.METHODSA modified Whittemore and Knafl integrative review framework of 2005 enabled consideration of quantitative and qualitative literature. A total of 1508 papers were located. Duplicate records were removed, leaving 1197 records. All titles, abstracts, or case facts were reviewed using a framework derived from the definition of Midwifery Abdication. Three qualitative studies were selected for analysis; the NICE Quality Appraisal Checklist was used to determine study quality.RESULTSMidwifery Abdication occurs, as reported within the wider midwifery literature, and indicated in three studies from different countries. However, the original constructs need to be widened to include: ‘external perceptions of midwifery practice’ and ‘how can reflection facilitate change’. The extent of philosophy in these environments leads to the adoption of midwifery philosophy failure. Such an environment impacts on a midwife’s ability to fully exercise autonomy, and to advocate for normality and women. This renders Midwifery Abdication almost inevitable or at least very difficult to prevent. A midwife’s professional identity, environmental hierarchy and associated culture of social obedience, acceptance and finding one’s place, all act as influencing factors in abdication.CONCLUSIONSMidwifery education needs to ensure that midwives are prepared and able to embrace their professional status as independent practitioners. Promotion of reflexive practice to facilitate personal and professional change is warranted. Practice policies that are not supportive of a midwife’s professional autonomy and scope of practice reinforce the technocratic work environment.

Is there a link between psychopathy and self-harm?

The aim of this review was to examine whether there is a link between psychopathy and self-harm. A systematic search identified 14 papers which examine this link. A quality appraisal checklist was used to evaluate the quality of each study. The application of the quality appraisal checklist showed that the majority of the studies had good internal validity; however, there were some biases that affected the external validity of some studies. The results indicated that there may be a positive association between total psychopathy score and self-harm; however some studies with smaller sample sizes and low rates of self-harm failed to show this association. The results of most of the studies showed a positive association between Factor 2 of the Psychopathy Checklist (PCL-R; Hare, 2003) and self-harm. No link was found between Factor 1 and self-harm. The results did not show consistent evidence for a link between any of the four facets and self-harm. Although this review indicates a link between Factor 2 and self-harm, and a possible link between total psychopathy score and self-harm, the small number of studies in this area means that the research is not robust enough to provide strong evidence for these associations.

A systematic review of clinical pharmacist interventions in paediatric hospital patients.

Clinical pharmacists provide beneficial services to adult patients, though their benefits for paediatric hospital patients are less defined. Five databases were searched using the MeSH terms 'clinical pharmacist', 'paediatric/paediatric', 'hospital', and 'intervention' for studies with paediatric patients conducted in hospital settings, and described pharmacist-initiated interventions, published between January 2000 and October 2017. The search strategy after full-text review identified 12 articles matching the eligibility criteria. Quality appraisal checklists from the Joanna Briggs Institute were used to appraise the eligible articles. Clinical pharmacist services had a positive impact on paediatric patient care. Medication errors intercepted by pharmacists included over- and under-dosing, missed doses, medication history gaps, allergies, and near-misses. Interventions to address these errors were positively received, and implemented by physicians, with an average acceptance rate of over 95%. Clinical pharmacist-initiated education resulted in improved medication understanding and adherence, improved patient satisfaction, and control of chronic medical conditions.Conclusion: This review found that clinical pharmacists in paediatric wards may reduce drug-related problems and improve patient outcomes. The benefits of pharmacist involvement appear greatest when directly involved in ward rounds, due to being able to more rapidly identify medication errors during the prescribing phase, and provide real-time advice and recommendations to prescribers. What is Known: • Complex paediatric conditions can require multiple pharmaceutical treatments, utilised in a safe manner to ensure good patient outcomes • The benefits of pharmacist interventions when using these treatments are well-documented in adult patients, though less so in paediatric patients What is New: • Pharmacists are adept at identifying and managing medication errors for paediatric patients, including incorrect doses, missed doses, and gaps in medication history • Interventions recommended by pharmacists are generally well-accepted by prescribing physicians, especially when recommendations can be made during the prescribing phase of treatment.

The association between nurse staffing and omissions in nursing care: A systematic review.

AimsTo identify nursing care most frequently missed in acute adult inpatient wards and to determine evidence for the association of missed care with nurse staffing.BackgroundResearch has established associations between nurse staffing levels and adverse patient outcomes including in‐hospital mortality. However, the causal nature of this relationship is uncertain and omissions of nursing care (referred as missed care, care left undone or rationed care) have been proposed as a factor which may provide a more direct indicator of nurse staffing adequacy.DesignSystematic review.Data SourcesWe searched the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase and Medline for quantitative studies of associations between staffing and missed care. We searched key journals, personal libraries and reference lists of articles.Review MethodsTwo reviewers independently selected studies. Quality appraisal was based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence quality appraisal checklist for studies reporting correlations and associations. Data were abstracted on study design, missed care prevalence and measures of association. Synthesis was narrative.ResultsEighteen studies gave subjective reports of missed care. Seventy‐five per cent or more nurses reported omitting some care. Fourteen studies found low nurse staffing levels were significantly associated with higher reports of missed care. There was little evidence that adding support workers to the team reduced missed care.ConclusionsLow Registered Nurse staffing is associated with reports of missed nursing care in hospitals. Missed care is a promising indicator of nurse staffing adequacy. The extent to which the relationships observed represent actual failures, is yet to be investigated.

A systematic review of interventions to support the careers of women in academic medicine and other disciplines

ObjectiveTo summarise quantitative evaluations of interventions designed to support the careers of women in academia of any discipline.MethodA systematic search of English entries in PubMed, CINAHL and Google Scholar was...

A systematic review and classification of interventions for speech-sound disorder in preschool children.

Multiple interventions have been developed to address speech sound disorder (SSD) in children. Many of these have been evaluated but the evidence for these has not been considered within a model which categorizes types of intervention. The opportunity to carry out a systematic review of interventions for SSD arose as part of a larger scale study of interventions for primary speech and language impairment in preschool children. To review systematically the evidence for interventions for SSD in preschool children and to categorize them within a classification of interventions for SSD. Relevant search terms were used to identify intervention studies published up to 2012, with the following inclusion criteria: participants were aged between 2 years and 5 years, 11 months; they exhibited speech, language and communication needs; and a primary outcome measure of speech was used. Studies that met inclusion criteria were quality appraised using the single case experimental design (SCED) or PEDro-P, depending on their methodology. Those judged to be high quality were classified according to the primary focus of intervention. The final review included 26 studies. Case series was the most common research design. Categorization to the classification system for interventions showed that cognitive-linguistic and production approaches to intervention were the most frequently reported. The highest graded evidence was for three studies within the auditory-perceptual and integrated categories. The evidence for intervention for preschool children with SSD is focused on seven out of 11 subcategories of interventions. Although all the studies included in the review were good quality as defined by quality appraisal checklists, they mostly represented lower-graded evidence. Higher-graded studies are needed to understand clearly the strength of evidence for different interventions.

Quality of development and reporting of dietetic intervention studies in primary care: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

High-quality research methodologies and clear reporting of studies are essential to facilitate confidence in research findings. The aim of the present study was to conduct an in-depth examination of the methodological quality and reporting of studies included in a recent systematic review of dietitians' effectiveness at providing individualised nutrition care to adult patients. The methodological quality and reporting of 27 Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) were appraised using the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) Guidelines for complex interventions and the CONSORT checklist for reporting RCTs. A quality appraisal checklist was developed for each guideline/assessment tool aiming to evaluate the extent to which each study met the designated criteria. Excerpts from studies that best addressed criteria were collated to provide exemplary accounts of how criteria may be achieved in future studies. None of the reviewed studies met more than half of the MRC Guidance criteria, indicating that there is clear room for improvement in reporting the methodological underpinnings of these studies. Similarly, no studies met all criteria of the CONSORT checklist, suggesting that there is also room for improvement in the design and reporting of studies in this field. Dietitians, researchers and journal editors are encouraged to use the results and exemplary accounts from this review to identify key aspects of studies that could be improved in future research. Improving future research will enhance the quality of the evidence-base that investigates the outcomes of dietary interventions involving dietitians.

The impact of younger-onset dementia on relationships, intimacy, and sexuality in midlife couples: a systematic review.

The impact of dementia on relationships, intimacy, and sexuality has been documented in later life couples. However, little is known about the experiences of couples living with younger-onset dementia. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the literature describing the impact of younger-onset dementia on relationships, intimacy, and sexuality in midlife couples. A systematic literature search was conducted in July 2016 for relevant research papers. Five databases were searched: Web of Science, PsycINFO, MedLine, Scopus, and CINAHL. A quality appraisal checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. Eleven studies were identified that explored relationships, intimacy, and sexuality from the perspective of the spouse, the person with dementia or both members of the dyad. Several themes were identified including shifts in roles and responsibilities, declines in relationship quality, changes in identity, and self-esteem, increasing social isolation and loneliness, shifts in intimacy, and changes in sexual activity. Many of the reviewed studies were subject to a range of methodological issues including small sample sizes, small number of studies, and a reliance on the perspective of only one member of the dyad. Future research should follow couples longitudinally to gain a clearer picture of the impact of younger-onset dementia on the couple relationship over time. The inclusion of people living with younger-onset dementia in research will assist in developing a deeper understanding of the experiences of the individual and dyad.

Barriers to early presentation and diagnosis of breast cancer among African women living in sub-Saharan Africa.

BackgroundBreast cancer (BC) has been described as the leading cause of cancer deaths among women especially in the developing world including sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Delayed presentation and late diagnosis at health facilities are parts of the contributing factors of high BC mortality in Africa. This review aimed to appraise the contributing factors to delayed breast cancer presentation and diagnosis among SSA women.MethodsFive databases encompassing medical and social sciences were systematically searched using predefined search terms linked with breast cancer presentation and diagnosis and sub Saharan Africa. Reference lists of relevant papers were also hand searched. Quality of quantitative and qualitative articles were assessed using the National Institute of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) quality appraisal checklist. Thematic analysis was used to synthesize the qualitative studies to integrate findings.ResultsFourteen (14) quantitative studies, two (2) qualitative studies and one (1) mixed method study merited inclusion for analysis. This review identified low knowledge of breast cancer among SSA women. This review also found lack of awareness of early detection treatment, poor perception of BC, socio-cultural factors such as belief, traditions and fear as factors impacting African women’s health seeking behavior in relation to breast cancer.ConclusionImproving African women’s knowledge and understanding will improve behaviors related to breast cancer and facilitate early presentation and detection and enhance proper management and treatment of breast cancer.

PP049 Exploring The Utility Of A Validated Quality Appraisal Tool

INTRODUCTION:The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) researchers at the Institute of Health Economics, in collaboration with researchers from two HTA agencies in Australia and Spain, developed, piloted, and validated a 20-criteria quality appraisal checklist specific for case series studies (before-after single arm studies with no control group) (1,2). Since its publication in 2012, the use of the checklist has spread globally through the HTA community and to researchers in other areas. This presentation will briefly introduce the tool, summarize user experiences, outline potential challenges, and provide practical solutions for using or adapting the checklist to various HTA topics.METHODS:Feedback from fifteen researchers was collected informally by email and/or formally by questionnaire. The questions included focused on the relevance, clarity, and usefulness of the checklist and its instructions, as well as potential revisions and/or addition of other criteria.RESULTS:While some of the checklist's criteria apply to all studies of a particular type, others are specific to the research question and/or the technology under investigation; discussion on the modification and/or adaptation of the checklist and its instructions is therefore required before commencing appraisal. Some criteria are difficult to score owing to study reporting limitations. Quality assessment can be challenging when multiple types of studies are included; however, currently there is no single universally validated tool available for diverse study designs. There are frequent demands for a cut-off point in order to separate high- from low-quality studies. However, no scale or numeric scoring was developed for the checklist, due to the well-recognized risks associated with such a scoring system.CONCLUSIONS:The increased use of the checklist and general positive feedback indicates the need for such a tool. User feedback helped improve our understanding of the checklist's applicability with various topics, as well as the potential refinements needed to increase its utility and robustness.

Reporting quality and risk of bias in randomised trials in health professions education.

Complete reporting of research is essential to enable consumers to accurately appraise, interpret and apply findings. Quality appraisal checklists are giving way to tools that judge the risk for bias. We sought to determine the prevalence of these complementary aspects of research reports (completeness of reporting and perceived risk for bias) of randomised studies in health professions education. We searched bibliographic databases for randomised studies of health professions education. We appraised two cohorts representing different time periods (2008-2010 and 2014, respectively) and worked in duplicate to apply the CONSORT guidelines and Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. We explored differences between time periods using independent-samples t-tests or the chi-squared test, as appropriate. We systematically identified 180 randomised studies (2008-2010, n=150; 2014, n=30). Frequencies of reporting of CONSORT elements within full-text reports were highly variable and most elements were reported in fewer than 50% of studies. We found a statistically significant difference in the CONSORT reporting index (maximum score: 500) between the 2008-2010 (mean±standard deviation [SD]: 242.7±55.6) and 2014 (mean±SD: 311.6±53.2) cohorts (p<0.001). High or unclear risk for bias was most common for allocation concealment (157, 87%) and blinding of participants (147, 82%), personnel (152, 84%) and outcome assessors (112, 62%). Most risk for bias elements were judged to be unclear (range: 51-84%). Risk for bias elements significantly improved over time for blinding of participants (p=0.007), incomplete data (p<0.001) and the presence of other sources of bias (p<0.001). Reports of randomised studies in health professions education frequently omit elements recommended by the CONSORT statement. Most reports were assessed as having a high or unclear risk for bias. Greater attention to how studies are reported at study outset and in manuscript preparation could improve levels of complete transparent reporting.