How do you measure trust in the health system? A systematic review of the literature

People's trust in the health system plays a role in explaining one's access to and utilization of medical care, adherence to medications, continuity of care, and even self-reported health status. Yet it is not easy to find trust measures and understand what they are measuring. A systematic review of scales and indices identified 45 measures of trust within the health system with an average of 12 questions each, which quantified levels of trust among various relationships across the health system. Existing evidence was narrow in scope, where half examined the relationship between doctors/nurses and patients, and the majority were designed, tested and validated in the United States. We developed a health systems trust content area framework, where we identified that honesty, communication, confidence and competence were captured frequently in these measures, with less focus on concepts such as fidelity, system trust, confidentiality and fairness. Half of the measures employed a qualitative method in the design of these measures and 33% were pilot tested. Reporting of test–retest reliability and inter-rater reliability were less common. This review identifies a need to develop measurements of trust beyond doctor–patient relationships and outside of U.S. contexts, and strengthen the rigor of existing trust measures. Greater development and use of trust measures in the health system could improve monitoring and evaluation efforts, which may in turn result in better health outcomes.     

Focusing on functional knee parameter determination to develop a better clinical gait analysis protocol

BackgroundAttempts to improve protocol standards of marker-based clinical gait analysis (CGA) have been one of the main focuses of research to enhance robustness and reliability outcomes since the 1990s. Determining joint centres and axes constitutes an important aspect of those protocols. Although the hip joint is more prominent in such studies, knee joint center (KJC) and axis (KJA) directly affect all outcomes.Research questionWhat recommendations arise from the study of the scientific literature for determining knee joint parameters (KJP) for protocols of CGA?MethodsA systematic, electronic search was conducted on November 2018 using three databases with the keyword combination (“functional approach” OR “functional method” OR “functional calibration”) AND (“hip joint” OR “knee joint” OR “ankle joint”) and analyzed by four reviewers. Given the existence of a recent review about the hip joint and the lack of material about the ankle joint, only papers about the knee joint were kept. The references cited in the selected papers were also screened in the final round of the search for these publications.The quality of the selected papers was assessed and aspects regarding accuracy, repeatability, and feasibility were thoroughly considered to allow for a comparison between studies. Technical aspects, such as marker set choice, KJP determination techniques, demographics, and functional movements, were also included.ResultsThirty-one papers were included and on average received a rating of about 75 % according to the quality scale used. The results showed that functional methods are superior or equivalent to predictive methods to estimate the KJA, while a regression method was slightly better for KJC prediction.SignificanceCalibration methods should be applied to CGA whenever feasibility is reached. No study to date has focused on evaluating the in vivo RoM required to obtain reliable and repeatable results and future work should aim in this direction.     

Impaired self-awareness after traumatic brain injury: a systematic review. Part 1: Assessment,clinical aspects and recovery

BackgroundImpaired self-awareness (ISA) has frequently been found to be both frequent and deleterious in patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).ObjectivesThe present paper is the first of a two-part systematic review of ISA after traumatic brain injury (TBI), focusing on assessment methods, clinical aspects and recovery.MethodsFollowing the PRISMA guidelines, 95 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included.ResultsISA occurs in 30% to 50% of patients with moderate to severe TBI, although it tends to improve with time. There is no one single gold-standard measure of ISA. Self-proxy discrepancy scores, with scales such as the Patient Competency Rating Scale or the Awareness Questionnaire, or a structured interview such as the Self Awareness of Deficits Interview, are the most frequently used assessment methods, with adequate psychometric properties. Scores on these different scales correlate only moderately with each other, which suggests that they may address different aspects of self-awareness. ISA mainly concerns cognitive and behavioral problems rather than physical or sensory impairments and may concern different areas of functioning, such as anticipatory, emergent or meta-cognitive awareness.ConclusionISA is a complex and multifaceted issue that should be systematically assessed in rehabilitation settings using a range of relatively well-validated tools. The consequences and predictors of ISA after TBI will be addressed in a companion paper.     

Gender differences in the modifiable risk factors associated with the presence of prediabetes: A systematic review

BackgroundPrediabetes is a risk state for the future development of type 2 diabetes. Previously, it was evident that the risk factors for diabetes differ by gender. However, conclusive evidence regarding the gender difference in modifiable risk factors associated with the presence of pre-diabetes is still lacking.AimsTo systematically identify and summarize the available literature on whether the modifiable risk factors associated with prediabetes displays similar relationship in both the genders.MethodsA systematic search was performed on electronic databases i.e. PubMed, EBSCOhost, and Scopus using “sex”, “gender”, “modifiable risk factors” and “prediabetes” as keywords. Reference list from identified studies was used to augment the search strategy. Methodological quality and results from individual studies were summarized in tables.ResultsGender differences in the risk factor association were observed among reviewed studies. Overall, reported association between risk factors and prediabetes apparently stronger among men. In particular, abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, smoking and alcohol drinking habits were risk factors that showed prominent association among men. Hypertension and poor diet quality may appear to be stronger among women. General obesity showed stringent hold, while physical activity not significantly associated with the risk of prediabetes in both the genders.ConclusionsEvidence suggests the existence of gender differences in risk factors associated with prediabetes, demands future researchers to analyze data separately based on gender. The consideration and the implementation of gender differences in health policies and in diabetes prevention programs may improve the quality of care and reduce number of diabetes prevalence among prediabetic subjects.     

系统化护理干预对反流性胃炎患者生活质量的影响

目的探讨系统化护理干预对反流性胃炎患者生活质量的影响。方法选取我院2019年1月至2019年12月收治的120例反流性胃炎患者,按照入院顺序分为对照组和观察组各60例。对照组采用常规护理,观察组采用系统化护理干预,比较两组的生活质量评分和VAS评分。结果护理后,观察组的生活质量各项评分均高于对照组(P <0.05)。护理前,两组患者的VAS评分比较无统计学差异(P>0.05);护理后,观察组的VAS评分明显低于对照组(P <0.05)。结论系统化护理干预能够有效提高反流性胃炎患者的生活质量,减轻其疼痛感,值得推广。     

One or two doses of hepatitis A vaccine in universal vaccination programs in children in 2020: A systematic review

BackgroundHepatitis A virus (HAV) is a global health concern as outbreaks continue to occur. Since 1999, several countries have introduced universal vaccination (UV) of children against HAV according to approved two-dose schedules. Other countries have implemented one-dose UV programs since 2005; the long-term impact of this schedule is not yet known.MethodsWe conducted a systematic literature search in four electronic databases for data published between January 2000 and July 2019 to assess evidence for one-dose and two-dose UV of children with non-live HAV vaccines and describe their global impact on incidence, mortality, and severity of hepatitis A, vaccine effectiveness, vaccine efficacy, and antibody persistence.ResultsOf 3739 records screened, 33 peer-reviewed articles and one conference abstract were included. Rapid declines in incidence of hepatitis A and related outcomes were observed in all age groups post-introduction of UV programs, which persisted for at least 14 years for two-dose and six years for one-dose programs according to respective study durations. Vaccine effectiveness was ≥95% over 3–5 years for two-dose programs. Vaccine efficacy was >98% over 0.1–7.5 years for one-dose vaccination. Antibody persistence in vaccinated individuals was documented for up to 15 years (≥90%) and ten years (≥74%) for two-dose and one-dose schedules, respectively.ConclusionExperience with two-dose UV of children against HAV is extensive, demonstrating an impact on the incidence of hepatitis A and antibody persistence for at least 15 years in many countries globally. Because evidence is more limited for one-dose UV, we were unable to draw conclusions on immune response persistence beyond ten years or the need for booster doses later in life. Ongoing epidemiological monitoring is essential in countries implementing one-dose UV against HAV. Based on current evidence, two doses of non-live HAV vaccines are needed to ensure long-term protection.     

Heat and cold therapy reduce pain in patients with delayed onset muscle soreness: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 32 randomized controlled trials

ObjectiveThe aim of this review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of heat and cold therapy on the treatment of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).MethodsWe followed our protocol that was registered in PROSPERO with ID CRD42020170632. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCT) was conducted. Nine databases were searched up to December 2020. Data was extracted from the retained studies and underwent methodological quality assessment and meta-analysis.ResultsA total of 32 RCTs involving 1098 patients were included. Meta-analysis showed that, the application of cold therapy within 1 h after exercise could reduce the pain of DOMS patients within 24 h (≤24 h) after exercise (SMD -0.57,95%CI -0.89 to −0.25, P = 0.0005) and had no obvious effect within more than 24 h (>24 h) (P = 0.05). In cold therapies, cold water immersion (SMD -0.48, 95%CI -0.84 to −0.13, P = 0.008) and other cold therapies (SMD -0.68, 95%CI -1.28 to −0.08, P = 0.03) had the significant effects within 24 h. Heat treatment could reduce the pain of patients. It had obvious effects on the pain within 24 h (SMD -1.17, 95%CI -2.62 to −0.09, P = 0.03) and over 24 h (SMD -0.82, 95%CI -1.38 to −0.26, P = 0.004). Hot pack effect was the most obvious, which reduced the pain within 24 h (SMD -2.31, 95%CI -4.33 to −0.29, P = 0.03) and over 24 h (SMD -1.78, 95%CI -2.97 to −0.59, P = 0.003). Other thermal therapies were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Both cold and heat showed effect in reducing pain of patients, however there was no significant difference between cold and heat group (P = 0.16).ConclusionsThe current evidence indicated that the application of cold and heat therapy within 1 h after exercise could effectively reduce the pain degree of DOMS patients for 24 h cold water immersion and hot pack therapy, which had the best effect, could promote the recovery of DOMS patients. But more high-quality studies are needed to confirm whether cold or heat therapy work better.     

A systematic review of Tuina for irritable bowel syndrome: Recommendations for future trials

ObjectivesThis systematic review assessed whether Tuina (therapeutic massage) is more effective and safer than no treatment or routine medical treatment for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).MethodsEleven databases were searched for randomized controlled trials of IBS diagnosed based on Manning or Rome criteria. Tuina with or without routine treatments (RTs) was tested against RTs. The Cochrane risk of bias was evaluated for each trial. RevMan 5.3 was used to conduct a meta-analysis.ResultsA total of 8 trials (5 IBS-diarrhea and 3 IBS-constipation) with 545 participants using 8 different manipulations were included. All trials were published in Chinese. For overall symptom improving rate (> 30 % improvement in overall symptom scores), it had not been shown that Tuina was significantly better than RTs (RR 1.23, 95 % CI 0.94–1.60, 197 participants, 3 studies, I² = 65 %) for IBS-diarrhea, and Tuina combined with RTs showed more benefit than RTs alone (RR 1.29, 95 % CI 1.08–1.54, 115 participants, 3 studies) for IBS-diarrhea. All trials did not report adverse effect in relation to Tuina. Risk of bias was generally unclear across all domains.ConclusionsTuina combined with RTs may be superior to RTs for improving overall symptom of IBS-diarrhea. Due to the existing methodological issues and the heterogeneity of Tuina manipulation, current findings need to be confirmed in large scale, multicenter, and robust randomized trials (especially on outcome assessing blinding and allocation concealment).     

左奥硝唑治疗厌氧菌感染的系统评价

摘 要 目的：系统评价左奥硝唑治疗厌氧菌感染的临床疗效及安全性，为临床合理用药提供参考。方法：计算机检索PubMed、Medline（viaOvidSP）、Cochrane Library、CNKI、WanFang Data、VIP数据库，搜集有关左奥硝唑治疗厌氧菌感染的随机对照试验（RCTs），检索时限均为建库至2018年10月1日，由两名研究人员独立交叉筛选文献，并进行质量评估和数据提取，采用RevMan 5.3软件进行Meta分析。结果：纳入16个RCTs，共计1 557例研究对象，其中左奥硝唑治疗厌氧菌感染的试验组779例，奥硝唑治疗厌氧菌感染的对照组778例。Meta分析结果显示：试验组的临床治愈率明显优于对照组，差异有统计学意义[OR=2.28，95%CI（1.60，3.25），P<0.000 01]；但腹部感染两组临床治愈率差异无统计学意义[OR=1.73，95%CI（0.76，3.96），P<0.19]。两组在细菌清除上效果相当，差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。试验组在消化系统不良反应、过敏反应以及白细胞减少等方面的发生率略低于对照组，但差异均无统计学意义（P＞0.05）；但在神经系统不良反应方面，试验组与对照组相比发生率较低，差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。在假设其他治疗方案一致的情况下，试验组的成本及成本 效果比显著高于对照组，在一定程度上增加了患者的医疗负担。结论：基于目前的临床研究，左奥硝唑治疗厌氧菌感染可提高临床治愈率，减少神经系统不良反应的发生，但鉴于临床发生的药品不良反应均为轻中度，无需针对治疗处理，停药后即可缓解或消失，且奥硝唑的成本 效果比远低于左奥硝唑，因此，临床医生综合评估患者病情后仍可考虑选用奥硝唑治疗厌氧菌感染。而对于合并消化系统、神经系统、免疫系统、恶性肿瘤等基础疾病，以及药品不良反应不耐受的患者，则可优选左奥硝唑。     

Accuracy of direct examination and culture as compared to the anatomopathological examination for the diagnosis of chromoblastomycosis: a systematic review

BackgroundChromoblastomycosis is a skin infection caused by dematiaceous fungi that take the form of muriform cells in the tissue. It mainly manifests as verrucous plaques on the lower limbs of rural workers in tropical countries.ObjectivesThe primary objective of this review is to evaluate the accuracy of diagnostic methods for the identification of chromoblastomycosis, considering the histopathological examination as the reference test.MethodsMEDLINE, LILACS and Scielo databases were consulted using the terms “chromoblastomycosis” AND “diagnosis”. The eligibility criteria were: studies that evaluated the accuracy of tests for the diagnosis of chromoblastomycosis. Eleven studies were selected. Statistical analysis included the calculation of sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic methods.ResultsConsidering the histopathological examination as the reference test, the culture showed a sensitivity (S) of 37.5% - 90.9% and a specificity (Sp) of 100%; while direct mycological examination showed S = 50% - 91.6% and Sp of 100% . Considering the culture as the reference test, the serology (precipitation techniques) showed S of 36% - 99%; and Sp of 80% - 100%; while the intradermal test showed S of 83.3% - 100% and Sp of 99.4% - 100%.Study limitationsThe small number of studies and very discrepant sensitivity results among them do not allow the calculation of summary measures through a meta-analysis.ConclusionsDirect mycological examination, culture, intradermal test and serology show sensitivity and specificity values ??for the diagnosis of chromoblastomycosis with no significant difference between the studies.