Hospital patients are at an increased risk of falls, which are a significant safety concern within healthcare settings.1 Understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced fall risks is essential for identifying key factors that could inform future fall prevention strategies.2 This scoping review aims to explore the barriers and challenges associated with preventing inpatient falls in the context of the post-COVID-19 environment.
The methodology for this scoping review follows the framework established by Arksey and O’Malley. A comprehensive literature search will be conducted using specific keywords to identify relevant published studies. Searches will be performed across selected electronic databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, ProQuest and Web of Science, covering publications from 2014 to 2024. This review will focus on a global perspective. Two authors will independently screen titles and abstracts to identify potential studies for inclusion. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria will be retrieved for full-text review, and their references will be assessed for relevance using the same criteria. The PRISMA flow diagram will guide the review process. Data will be extracted, analysed and charted according to categories from the selected publications.
This scoping review will provide a comprehensive overview of the barriers and challenges in preventing inpatient falls in the post-pandemic context. The findings will be disseminated through submission for publication in a scientific journal.
This scoping review protocol is registered with Open Science Framework (OSF) available at https://osf.io/.
Falls are highly prevalent among individuals with dementia, largely due to the cognitive and physical impairments associated with the condition. Understanding the barriers and challenges to fall prevention in community-dwelling individuals with dementia is essential for developing tailored strategies that address their unique risks. Despite the existing evidence on fall prevention in older adults, few reviews specifically examine the obstacles faced by persons with dementia and their caregivers in community settings. This scoping review, therefore, aims to map the barriers and challenges to preventing falls among community-dwelling individuals with dementia.
This review will follow Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage framework and be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses—Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. Six electronic databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus and Embase) will be searched for relevant studies published between 2014 and 2024. Grey literature sources, including dissertations and conference proceedings, will also be included. Data will be charted and synthesised thematically to provide an overview of barriers and contextual factors influencing fall prevention. The study commenced in August 2025 and is expected to be completed by February 2026.
As this review involves the analysis of existing literature, ethical approval is not required. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and summaries tailored for healthcare providers and caregiver groups.
The protocol is registered with the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/gnw47/(dataset).
Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) of unknown origin, affecting the gastrointestinal tract and often causing extraintestinal symptoms. Conventional treatments (eg, glucocorticosteroids, immunomodulators) and targeted advanced treatments, including anti-TNFα, antibodies to p40 subunit of IL-12/23, antibodies to p19 subunit of IL-23, anti-α4β7 integrin, Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKis) and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR) modulators, do not achieve sustained responses for all patients, leaving significant unmet therapeutic needs.
This prospective, multi-centre observational study will follow a cohort of 240 patients across multiple study centres within NHS trusts in the UK who are initiating or switching biologics, specifically anti-TNFα and anti-α4β7 integrin for UC, and anti-TNFα, antibodies to p40 subunit of IL-12/2 and JAKi for CD. Through comprehensive profiling of immunological, transcriptional, microbiome, genetic and proteomic markers at baseline, week 12, and week 52, this study aims to uncover non-invasive biomarkers that predict response to these drug classes, ultimately advancing personalised medicine in IBD.
Ethical approval for the Nottingham/AstraZeneca study was granted by the West of Scotland Research Ethics Committee. Recruitment began in December 2022 and is currently ongoing at 10 NHS Trust sites across the UK. Study findings will be disseminated by publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at relevant national and international conferences.
The Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) prospective cohort study was established in 2000 to investigate the causes of cancer and chronic disease. The cohort consists of almost 55 000 participants aged 35–69 years at the time of recruitment. From 2020 to 2022, ATP conducted a longitudinal substudy, the COVID-19 Antibody Testing (CAT) study, nested in this existing cohort, to understand the spread and impact of the SARS-CoV-2. In this cohort profile, we describe the CAT study design, recruitment and initial findings.
In this prospective cohort substudy, ~4000 participants completed online surveys and provided blood samples at a study centre every 4 months for 1 year, across four cities in Alberta, Canada. The study was launched on a rolling basis beginning in September 2020 and data collection was completed in May 2022. The surveys collected information on health and lifestyle factors, COVID-19 (testing, symptoms, vaccination, public health recommendations) and impacts of the pandemic (including economic, health services, mental health). Blood samples were tested for antinucleocapsid and antispike protein SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
A total of 4102 participants consented and attended a study centre at baseline, and almost 90% of these completed the study. Overall, participants were aged 61±10 years, 60% female, 12% came from rural areas, 45% had at least a bachelor’s degree, 24% reported a household income 4 weeks). By the end of the study, 96% of participants had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose. Through investigating other outcomes, it was observed that participants under 50 years of age were more likely to be assessed to have mild or moderate-to-severe anxiety and depressive symptoms compared with older participants. In addition, approximately 15% of participants reported a moderate to major impact on their ability to meet financial obligations.
Serology results, together with health, lifestyle and sociodemographic data, and the continued follow-up of these participants as part of the broader ATP cohort study (planned through 2065), will provide opportunities to investigate the long-term sequelae of COVID-19 infection as well as the broader impacts of the pandemic on physical, mental and emotional health. Data are available to researchers on request through the ATP access process.
To develop and validate a polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) case definition using administrative health data sources.
A validation study.
Secondary care centre outpatient gynaecology clinic in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
3951 electronic health records of women aged 18–45 years who presented to a gynaecology clinic in Calgary, Canada, between January 2014 and December 2019 were reviewed. We identified 180 patients with PCOS using the Rotterdam criteria. Participants were excluded if they were biologically male, pregnant at the time of the consultation, did not meet the date criteria or if their consultation note was missing. The chart data were connected to the Practitioner Claims and the Discharge Abstract Database by personal health number.
Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 68 case definitions for PCOS were estimated. Case definition performance was graded.
Of the 68 case definitions tested, none had high validity. The best performing case definitions were: (1) ≥3 instances of International Classification of Diseases-9 code 256.4 (polycystic ovaries) with exclusion codes (sensitivity 23.89%, specificity 99.59%, PPV 74.14%, NPV 96.35%) and (2) 626.X (irregular menstruation), 704.1 (hirsutism) and ≥3 instances of code 256.4 with exclusion codes (sensitivity 2.78%, specificity 99.97%, PPV 83.33%, NPV 95.40%).
We identified several case definitions for PCOS of moderate validity with high PPV (>70%) for case ascertainment in PCOS research in jurisdictions with similar administrative health data. These case definitions are limited by low sensitivity, which should be considered when interpreting research findings.
Functional constipation (FC) is prevalent among children and often persists despite standard pharmacological treatment with oral laxatives. Many parents turn to complementary therapies, including acupuncture, which has been shown to relieve symptoms in adults with FC. However, studies in children with FC are scarce and have important limitations. This study will evaluate the feasibility, safety and potential efficacy of acupuncture for children with FC.
Prospective, non-randomised, open-label pilot study in children with FC (6–18 years). Participants will undergo eight acupuncture sessions over 10 weeks. Concurrent pharmacological treatment with polyethylene glycol (≥0.2 g/kg/day) will continue as initiated prior to enrolment. The primary endpoint is feasibility, defined by an attrition rate of ≥70%. Secondary feasibility endpoints include consent rate, patient/parent satisfaction and personnel requirements. Safety will be assessed by systematic monitoring of adverse events. Efficacy endpoints include treatment success, defined as no longer meeting the Rome IV criteria for FC at the end of the intervention period, as well as defecation frequency, stool consistency, painful defecation, faecal incontinence frequency, abdominal pain, medication use and quality of life, based on a previously published core outcome set.
Ethical approval was provided by the Medical Ethics Committee of Amsterdam UMC (Netherlands; NL87083.018.24). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented to scientific and consumer audiences.
NCT06836362 and NL-OMON57236.
To provide population-level insights into COVID-19 testing behaviour and test results among all pregnant women in the Netherlands and to assess the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal health outcomes.
Retrospective population-based cohort study.
Dutch registry data on maternal and neonatal health outcomes linked with COVID-19 testing and sociodemographic data for the study period 2020 and 2021.
To study testing behaviour, all pregnant women who gave birth in the Netherlands during 2020 and 2021 were included (N=322 720). To study the effects of maternal infection, women who gave birth between June 2020 and September 2021 and who were tested for COVID-19 were included (N=68 059).
For testing behaviour: number of COVID-19 tests performed and COVID-19 test results. For neonatal health outcomes: preterm birth, low birth weight for gestational age (small for gestational age (SGA)), BIG2 (preterm birth and/or SGA), Apgar score at 5 min below seven (low Apgar), Apgar score at 5 min below four (very low Apgar), neonatal intensive care unit admission, congenital anomalies and mortality. For maternal health outcomes: major postpartum haemorrhage (>1000 mL), severe ruptures (third or fourth degree), type of delivery and episiotomy.
Compared with the reference group (women aged 30–34), women under 20 had the lowest probability of being tested (16.5% vs 31.3%; OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.49), but when tested, they had significantly higher odds of testing positive (19.3% vs 12.9%; OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.21 to 2.14). Women originating from ‘other African’ countries were least likely to be tested (15.1%; OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.39), while women whose country of origin was ‘Morocco’ were most likely to test positive when tested (33.4%; OR 3.63, 95% CI 3.35 to 3.93). While over all trimesters a SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy did not show significant effects, an infection during the first trimester was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (5.2% vs 6.4%; OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.52) and a low 5-min Apgar score (1.9% vs 2.9%; OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.02). No significant adverse maternal health effects were observed.
There were significant differences in testing behaviour and the probability of testing positive for COVID-19 among pregnant women from different age groups, countries of origin and socioeconomic backgrounds. SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was not associated with significant effects on maternal health outcomes, and only limited effects on neonatal health were observed. Only infections occurring in the first trimester were linked to an increased risk of preterm births and low 5-min Apgar scores.
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are a prevalent group of musculoskeletal conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint, associated structures and masticatory muscles. The internet has become a primary source of health information for many patients; however, the readability, reliability, content and quality of online information on TMDs vary widely. A comprehensive synthesis of the characteristics and evaluation methods of such content is currently lacking.
This scoping review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. Peer-reviewed primary and secondary studies assessing online information on TMDs will be included if they report on readability, reliability, content or quality. Eligible information sources include publicly available websites, videos and social media; discussion forums and printed materials will be excluded. No language, date or geographical restrictions will be applied. A three-step search strategy will be implemented across PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL, followed by citation tracking. Screening will be conducted independently by two reviewers using Rayyan. Data will be extracted with a pilot-tested charting tool and synthesised narratively and descriptively in tabular and graphical formats.
As this study will only use data from publicly available sources, ethical approval is not required. Findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal, conference presentations and professional networks, with the aim of guiding the development of accessible and reliable digital resources for individuals seeking information on TMDs.
This protocol has been prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF): https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/TAH7K.
Child undernutrition is linked to substantial national economic and health losses in low- and middle-income countries, including Rwanda. Although the causal and contextual factors contributing to chronic malnutrition in children in Rwanda have been explored, the role of the mothers’ mental health has not been fully investigated. This study aims to determine the prevalence of major depressive disorders, generalised anxiety and suicide risk among mothers in Rwanda and to explore their association with child stunting.
This study used a cross-sectional, population-based design.
Participants included children aged 1–36 months (n=601) and their mothers (n=601) in Rwanda’s Northern Province. Mothers’ mental health was assessed using four modules from the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Child anthropometric measurements followed WHO guidelines.
The primary outcome of the study was child stunting that was defined as a height-for-age Z (HAZ) score
Among the 601 mothers assessed, generalised anxiety disorder had the highest prevalence (36.6%), followed by recurrent major depressive disorder (27.3%), current major depressive disorder (22.7%) and current suicide risk (18.2%). Among the children, 27.1% were stunted, with prevalence rising from 9.8% in infants (1–12 months) to 39.9% in toddlers (25–36 months). Current major depressive disorders in mothers were associated with child stunting (adjusted OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.61). Affected children had lower HAZ scores (–1.68±1.36 vs –1.30±1.09; p=0.004), and excess relative risk (ERR) analysis confirmed depression as a significant risk factor (ERR: 1.56; p=0.005).
Mental health disorders in mothers, especially depression, showed a significant association with child stunting. Addressing mental health disorders in mothers is essential for improving child nutritional outcomes.
Targeted biologic therapies have transformed outcomes for individuals with psoriasis, a common immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease. The widespread use of these highly effective treatments has led to a growing number of individuals with clear or nearly clear skin remaining on continuous, long-term treatment. Personalised strategies to minimise drug exposure may sustain long-term disease control while reducing treatment burden, associated risks and healthcare costs. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of a definitive pragmatic effectiveness trial of two personalised dose minimisation strategies compared with continuous treatment (standard care) in adults with well-controlled psoriasis receiving the exemplar biologic risankizumab.
This is a multicentre, assessor-blind, parallel group, open-label randomised controlled feasibility trial in the UK, evaluating two personalised biologic dose minimisation strategies for psoriasis. 90 adults with both physician-assessed and patient-assessed clear or nearly clear skin on risankizumab monotherapy for ≥12 months will be randomised in a 1:1:1 ratio to (1) patient-led ‘as-needed’ treatment, where risankizumab is administered at the first sign of self-assessed psoriasis recurrence, (2) therapeutic drug monitoring-guided treatment, with personalised dosing intervals determined using a pharmacokinetic model or (3) continuous treatment as per standard care, for 12 months. Participants will be invited to submit self-reported outcomes and self-taken photographs every 3 months using a bespoke remote monitoring system (mySkin app) and will attend an in-person assessment at 12 months. They may also request additional patient-initiated follow-up appointments during the trial if needed. The primary outcome is the practicality and acceptability of the two personalised biologic dose minimisation strategies, assessed as a composite measure including recruitment and retention rates, adherence to the assigned strategies and acceptability to both patients and clinicians. The feasibility of collecting healthcare cost and resource utilisation data will also be evaluated to inform a future cost-effectiveness analysis. A nested qualitative study, involving semistructured interviews with patients and clinicians, will explore perspectives on the personalised biologic dose minimisation strategies. These findings will inform the design of a future definitive trial.
This study received ethical approval from the Seasonal Research Ethics Committee (reference 24/LO/0089). Results will be disseminated through scientific conferences, peer-reviewed publications and patient/public engagement events. Lay summaries and infographics will be codeveloped with patient partners to ensure the findings are accessible for the wider public.
To evaluate temporal trends in the epidemiology of hip osteoarthritis (OA) in the USA from 1990 to 2019, with stratification by sex and geographic region.
Cross-sectional time-series analysis using secondary data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study.
US population-based analysis, stratified by the four US Census Bureau regions: Northeast, Midwest, South and West.
De-identified, aggregate population-level data representing all adults in the USA from 1990 to 2019, drawn from the GBD database.
Age-standardised rates per 100 000 population for years lived with disability (YLDs), prevalence and incidence of hip OA. Outcomes were stratified by sex and region. Statistical significance was defined as p
Between 1990 and 2019, hip OA in the USA increased by 23.91% in YLDs, 24.67% in prevalence and 25.22% in incidence. In 2019, the mean YLDs were 28.30 in women versus 25.48 in men; prevalence was 49.55 versus 41.08; and incidence was 919.29 versus 818.10 (all p
There has been a substantial rise in the burden of hip OA in the USA over the past three decades. Women and residents of the Northeastern USA are disproportionately affected. These findings underscore the need for targeted public health strategies that account for geographic and sex-based disparities in hip OA burden.
Little research has been done on post-COVID symptoms at 24 months postinfection and on the association these may have on health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
We assessed the prevalence and severity of post-COVID symptoms and quantified EuroQol 5 Dimension 5 Level (EQ-5D-5L), self-perceived health question (EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS)) and health utility scores (HUS) up to 24 months follow-up.
The longitudinal multiple cohort CORona Follow-Up (CORFU) study combines seven COVID-19 patient cohorts and a survey among the general public. The participants received questionnaires on several time points. Participants were stratified by: without a known SARS-CoV-2 infection (control group), proven SARS-CoV-2 infection but non-hospitalised, proven SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalised to the ward, and proven SARS-CoV-2 infection hospitalised to the intensive care unit (ICU).
In this study, data of seven COVID-19 patient cohorts and a survey among the general public are included.
Former COVID-19 patients and controls participated in this cohort study.
Former COVID-19 patients and non-COVID-19 controls were sent questionnaires on symptoms associated with post-COVID condition. The CORFU questionnaire included 14 symptom questions on post-COVID condition using a five-level Likert-scale format. Furthermore, HRQOL was quantified using the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L questionnaire: EQ-VAS and the EQ-5D-5L utility score. The EQ-5D-5L questionnaire includes five domains that are scored on a five-point Likert scale: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression.
A total of 901 participants (and 434 controls) responded at 24 months follow-up. In all former COVID-19 patients, the presence of post-COVID condition at 24 months was observed in 62 (42.5%, 95% CI 34.3% to 50.9%) of the non-hospitalised patients, 333 (65.0%, 95% CI 60.7% to 69.2%) of the hospitalised ward patients and 156 (63.2%, 95% CI 56.8% to 69.2%) of the ICU patients, respectively (p
Many former COVID-19 patients experience post-COVID symptoms at 24 months follow-up, with the highest prevalence in hospitalised participants. Also, former patients reported a lower HRQOL.
The CORFU study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (registration number NCT05240742).
To compare the quality and time efficiency of physician-written summaries with customised large language model (LLM)-generated medical summaries integrated into the electronic health record (EHR) in a non-English clinical environment.
Cross-sectional non-inferiority validation study.
Tertiary academic hospital.
52 physicians from 8 specialties at a large Dutch academic hospital participated, either in writing summaries (n=42) or evaluating them (n=10).
Physician writers wrote summaries of 50 patient records. LLM-generated summaries were created for the same records using an EHR-integrated LLM. An independent, blinded panel of physician evaluators compared physician-written summaries to LLM-generated summaries.
Primary outcome measures were completeness, correctness and conciseness (on a 5-point Likert scale). Secondary outcomes were preference and trust, and time to generate either the physician-written or LLM-generated summary.
The completeness and correctness of LLM-generated summaries did not differ significantly from physician-written summaries. However, LLM summaries were less concise (3.0 vs 3.5, p=0.001). Overall evaluation scores were similar (3.4 vs 3.3, p=0.373), with 57% of evaluators preferring LLM-generated summaries. Trust in both summary types was comparable, and interobserver variability showed excellent reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.975). Physicians took an average of 7 min per summary, while LLMs completed the same task in just 15.7 s.
LLM-generated summaries are comparable to physician-written summaries in completeness and correctness, although slightly less concise. With a clear time-saving benefit, LLMs could help reduce clinicians’ administrative burden without compromising summary quality.
Cohort studies of ageing and cognitive decline typically do not begin fielding comprehensive cognitive assessments until older adulthood. However, for identifying preventable dementia risk factors, there is strong value in beginning at earlier ages. The case is especially compelling in sub-Saharan Africa, where the number of older individuals is expected to triple in the next three decades, and where risk factors may operate more intensively at earlier ages. This study reports on the adaptation and validity of the Harmonised Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) approach in the Kenya Life Panel Survey (KLPS), collected among middle-aged respondents.
To evaluate the validity of the HCAP approach in Kenya, this study assesses model fit statistics from confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) and tests measurement invariance by respondent characteristics.
Both rural and urban areas in Kenya.
A sample of n=5878 individuals from the KLPS, who have been surveyed regularly since they were schoolchildren in the 1990s. The HCAP assessment was administered in 2023 at an average age of 37 years (10–90 range 34 to 41).
For each individual, the CFA generates a general cognitive performance score, and cognitive performance scores for five distinct domains, including memory, executive functioning, language, orientation to time and place, and visuospatial functioning.
Fit of the models to the data was adequate for general cognitive performance (root mean squared error of approximation (RMSEA)=0.03; comparative fit index (CFI)=0.94; standardised root mean residual (SRMR)=0.05), language (RMSEA=0.02; CFI=0.95; SRMR=0.05) and good for memory (RMSEA=0.05; CFI=0.99; SRMR=0.02) and executive functioning (RMSEA=0.03; CFI=0.98; SRMR=0.03). The CFA indicate that the factor structure is consistent with findings from other countries and that reliability for the general cognitive performance score was high. Statistical models also suggest invariance at the scalar level for leading demographic (gender, age) and socioeconomic (education, occupational complexity) characteristics.
This study demonstrates that the cognitive functioning of mid-age Kenyans appears to be well captured by the adapted protocol. While there is a moderate decline in cognitive performance among older individuals, this relationship appears to be mediated by education, indicating that this KLPS HCAP provides a valuable baseline for studying future cognitive decline.
Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa, exacerbated by the high prevalence of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) and its strong association with HIV. Bedaquiline (BDQ), approved by the WHO in 2013, offers a promising treatment for DR-TB, including multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) and extensively DR-TB (XDR-TB). However, BDQ has been associated with QT interval prolongation, a condition that can lead to serious cardiac arrhythmias such as torsades de pointes. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to quantify the incidence of QT interval prolongation in patients receiving BDQ for DR-TB in Sub-Saharan Africa and identify predictors of this adverse effect.
We will conduct a comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and African Journals Online using medical subject headings and keywords related to ‘BDQ’, ‘DR-TB’, ‘QT interval prolongation’ and ‘Sub-Saharan Africa’. Eligible studies will include randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, case-control studies and observational studies conducted in Sub-Saharan Africa. Study titles and abstracts will be initially screened, and full texts will be retrieved and reviewed against eligibility criteria. Relevant data will be extracted from the selected articles and assessed for risk of bias. The primary outcome will be the pooled incidence of QT interval prolongation. Data will be synthesised using a random-effects model meta-analysis if significant heterogeneity is present; otherwise, a fixed-effects model will be applied.
This study will use published data, requiring no ethical approval. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations to inform clinical guidelines and DR-TB treatment policies in Sub-Saharan Africa.
CRD42024560368.
To assess predictors of timely transition to adult diabetes care among individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during childhood and adolescence. We hypothesised that older age at the last paediatric visit and urban residency would be predictors of timely transition.
Retrospective cohort study using healthcare administrative data in a jurisdiction with a universal healthcare system.
2045 adolescents and young adults diagnosed with type 1 diabetes between the ages of 0.5 and 18 years.
We ascertained age at the last paediatric diabetes visit (LPDV), age at the first adult diabetes visit (FADV) and transition duration, defined as the time between LPDV and FADV. Timely transition was defined as a transition duration of
Only 31.3% of individuals saw an adult provider within 1 year of their LPDV. Each 1-year increase in the age at LPDV was associated with increased odds of timely transition (adjusted OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.71 to 1.93, p0.05).
Older age at the LPDV and urban residency are associated with increased odds of timely transition. Interventions should be developed to help keep adolescents engaged in paediatric care until an older age before referring them to adult diabetes care. Limitations of this study include unmeasured confounding and limited generalisability to non-universal healthcare systems.
The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the need for robust multisectoral coordination; yet the specific mechanisms, benefits and challenges of such collaboration particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain poorly synthesised. This review aims to delineate the key elements, benefits, challenges and improvement strategies of multisectoral coordination during COVID-19 and to compare patterns between LMICs and high-income countries (HICs).
Eligible studies will include empirical qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods research published in English between 1 January 2020 and 15 August 2024 that examines formal coordination mechanisms (eg, task forces, public-private partnerships, inter-agency committees) within the context of COVID-19. Searches will be conducted across PubMed, EBSCOhost, Emerald Insight, Google Scholar and selected grey-literature repositories. Citation chaining will be employed to identify additional sources.
Two reviewers will independently screen all records using Covidence, applying pre-piloted eligibility criteria to 5% of citations and proceeding only if inter-rater reliability achieves ≥0.70. Data will be extracted into a Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR)-informed template. Qualitative data will be analysed through framework synthesis, structured by the five CFIR domains. Quantitative data will be narratively summarised and, where outcomes are sufficiently similar across at least two studies, synthesised using a fixed-effect model.
Risk of bias will be assessed using Critical Appraisal Skills Programme for qualitative and Risk Of Bias In Non-randomised Studies of Interventions for non-randomised studies. Studies with serious or critical risk will be excluded from pooling. Subgroup analyses (LMIC vs HIC), sensitivity analyses (model and risk) and confidence grading using Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations will be conducted.
No primary data will be collected; thus additional Research Ethics Committee approval is unnecessary. The results will be disseminated via open-access publication, conference presentations and policy briefs for Nairobi County health stakeholders.
CRD42023466849.