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Health Technology Assessment... Jun 2024Health economic assessments are used to determine whether the resources needed to generate net benefit from an antenatal or newborn screening programme, driven by...
BACKGROUND
Health economic assessments are used to determine whether the resources needed to generate net benefit from an antenatal or newborn screening programme, driven by multiple benefits and harms, are justifiable. It is not known what benefits and harms have been adopted by economic evaluations assessing these programmes and whether they omit benefits and harms considered important to relevant stakeholders.
OBJECTIVES
(1) To identify the benefits and harms adopted by health economic assessments in this area, and to assess how they have been measured and valued; (2) to identify attributes or relevance to stakeholders that ought to be considered in future economic assessments; and (3) to make recommendations about the benefits and harms that should be considered by these studies.
DESIGN
Mixed methods combining systematic review and qualitative work.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW METHODS
We searched the published and grey literature from January 2000 to January 2021 using all major electronic databases. Economic evaluations of an antenatal or newborn screening programme in one or more Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries were considered eligible. Reporting quality was assessed using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards checklist. We identified benefits and harms using an integrative descriptive analysis and constructed a thematic framework.
QUALITATIVE METHODS
We conducted a meta-ethnography of the existing literature on newborn screening experiences, a secondary analysis of existing individual interviews related to antenatal or newborn screening or living with screened-for conditions, and a thematic analysis of primary data collected with stakeholders about their experiences with screening.
RESULTS
The literature searches identified 52,244 articles and reports, and 336 unique studies were included. Thematic framework resulted in seven themes: (1) diagnosis of screened for condition, (2) life-years and health status adjustments, (3) treatment, (4) long-term costs, (5) overdiagnosis, (6) pregnancy loss and (7) spillover effects on family members. Diagnosis of screened-for condition (115, 47.5%), life-years and health status adjustments (90, 37.2%) and treatment (88, 36.4%) accounted for most of the benefits and harms evaluating antenatal screening. The same themes accounted for most of the benefits and harms included in studies assessing newborn screening. Long-term costs, overdiagnosis and spillover effects tended to be ignored. The wide-reaching family implications of screening were considered important to stakeholders. We observed good overlap between the thematic framework and the qualitative evidence.
LIMITATIONS
Dual data extraction within the systematic literature review was not feasible due to the large number of studies included. It was difficult to recruit healthcare professionals in the stakeholder's interviews.
CONCLUSIONS
There is no consistency in the selection of benefits and harms used in health economic assessments in this area, suggesting that additional methods guidance is needed. Our proposed thematic framework can be used to guide the development of future health economic assessments evaluating antenatal and newborn screening programmes.
STUDY REGISTRATION
This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42020165236.
FUNDING
This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR127489) and is published in full in ; Vol. 28, No. 25. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.
Topics: Humans; Infant, Newborn; Neonatal Screening; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Female; Pregnancy; Qualitative Research; Technology Assessment, Biomedical; Prenatal Diagnosis; Quality-Adjusted Life Years
PubMed: 38938110
DOI: 10.3310/PYTK6591 -
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Current evidence suggests that airborne pollutants have a detrimental effect on fetal growth through the emergence of small for gestational age (SGA) or term low birth... (Review)
Review
Current evidence suggests that airborne pollutants have a detrimental effect on fetal growth through the emergence of small for gestational age (SGA) or term low birth weight (TLBW). The study's objective was to critically evaluate the available literature on the association between environmental pollution and the incidence of SGA or TLBW occurrence. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Pubmed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Google Scholar using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The methodology adhered to the PRISMA guidelines. The systematic review protocol was registered in PROSPERO with ID number: CRD42022329624. As a result, 69 selected papers described the influence of environmental pollutants on SGA and TLBW occurrence with an Odds Ratios (ORs) of 1.138 for particulate matter ≤ 10 μm (PM), 1.338 for particulate matter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM), 1.173 for ozone (O), 1.287 for sulfur dioxide (SO), and 1.226 for carbon monoxide (CO). All eight studies analyzed validated that exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a risk factor for SGA or TLBW. Pregnant women in the high-risk group of SGA occurrence, i.e., those living in urban areas or close to sources of pollution, are at an increased risk of complications. Understanding the exact exposure time of pregnant women could help improve prenatal care and timely intervention for fetuses with SGA. Nevertheless, the pervasive air pollution underscored in our findings suggests a pressing need for adaptive measures in everyday life to mitigate worldwide environmental pollution.
PubMed: 38921290
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12121176 -
African Journal of Reproductive Health Apr 2024While behavioural change interventions are utilized in low- and lower-middle-income countries and may be essential in reducing maternal and child mortality, evidence on...
Effectiveness of behavioural change interventions to influence maternal and child healthcare-seeking behaviour in low and lower-middle-income countries: A systematic review of literature.
While behavioural change interventions are utilized in low- and lower-middle-income countries and may be essential in reducing maternal and child mortality, evidence on the effectiveness of such interventions is lacking. This review provides evidence on the effectiveness of behavioural change interventions designed to improve maternal and child healthcare-seeking behaviour in low- and lower-middle-income countries. We searched three electronic databases (PUBMED, EMBASE, and PsycINFO) for articles published in English and French between January 2013 and December 2022. Studies that evaluated interventions to increase maternal and child healthcare utilization, including antenatal care, skilled birth care, postnatal care, immunization uptake, and medication or referral compliance, were included. We identified and included 17 articles in the review. Overall, 11 studies found significant effects of the behavioural change interventions on the desired healthcare outcomes, 3 found partially significant effects, and 3 did not observe any significant impact. A major gap identified in the literature was the lack of studies reporting the effect of behavioural change interventions on women's non-cognitive and personality characteristics, as recent evidence suggests the importance of these factors in maternal and child healthcare-seeking behaviour in low-resource settings. This review highlights some intervention areas that show encouraging trends in maternal and child healthcare-seeking behaviours, including social influence, health education, and nudging through text message reminders.
Topics: Humans; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Female; Developing Countries; Pregnancy; Maternal Health Services; Child; Behavior Therapy; Prenatal Care
PubMed: 38920413
DOI: 10.29063/ajrh2024/v28i4.12 -
Immunohematology Jun 2024This review aims to provide a better understanding of when and why red blood cell (RBC) genotyping is applicable in transfusion medicine. Articles published within the...
This review aims to provide a better understanding of when and why red blood cell (RBC) genotyping is applicable in transfusion medicine. Articles published within the last 8 years in peer-reviewed journals were reviewed in a systematic manner. RBC genotyping has many applications in transfusion medicine including predicting a patient's antigen profile when serologic methods cannot be used, such as in a recently transfused patient, in the presence of autoantibody, or when serologic reagents are not available. RBC genotyping is used in prenatal care to determine zygosity and guide the administration of Rh immune globulin in pregnant women to prevent hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. In donor testing, RBC genotyping is used for resolving ABO/D discrepancies for better donor retention or for identifying donors negative for high-prevalence antigens to increase blood availability and compatibility for patients requiring rare blood. RBC genotyping is helpful to immunohematology reference laboratory staff performing complex antibody workups and is recommended for determining the antigen profiles of patients and prospective donors for accurate matching for C, E, and K in multiply transfused patients. Such testing is also used to determine patients or donors with variant alleles in the Rh blood group system. Information from this testing aides in complex antibody identification as well as sourcing rare allele-matched RBC units. While RBC genotyping is useful in transfusion medicine, there are limitations to its implementation in transfusion services, including test availability, turn-around time, and cost.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Blood Group Antigens; Blood Grouping and Crossmatching; Erythrocytes; Genotype; Genotyping Techniques; Transfusion Medicine
PubMed: 38910442
DOI: 10.2478/immunohematology-2024-009 -
Midwifery Jun 2024Early identification of psychosocial vulnerability among expectant parents through psychosocial assessment is increasingly recommended within maternity care. For routine... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Early identification of psychosocial vulnerability among expectant parents through psychosocial assessment is increasingly recommended within maternity care. For routine antenatal assessment, a strong recognition exists regarding conversational assessment tools. However, the knowledge base of conversational tools is limited, inhibiting their clinical use.
OBJECTIVE
Synthesising existing knowledge pertaining to antenatal conversational psychosocial assessment tools, including identifying characteristics, acceptability, performance, effectiveness and unintended consequences.
DESIGN
Mixed-method systematic review based on searches in CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane and Scopus. 20 out of 5394 studies were included and synthesised with a convergent integrated approach using a thematic analysis strategy.
FINDINGS
We identified seven antenatal psychosocial assessment tools that partially or completely utilised a conversational approach. Women's acceptability was high, and tools were generally found to support person-centred communication and the parent-health care professional relationship. Evidence regarding effectiveness and performance of conversational tools was limited. Unintended consequences were found, including some women having negative experiences related to assessment of intimate partner violence, lack of preparation and lack of relevance. High acceptability was reported by health care professionals who considered the tools as valuable and enhancing of identification of vulnerability. Unintended consequences, including lack of time and competencies as well as discomfort when assessment is very sensitive, were reported.
CONCLUSIONS
Evidence regarding conversational tools' effectiveness and performance is limited. More is known about the acceptability of conversational tools, which is generally highly acceptable among women and health care professionals. Some unintended consequences of the use of included conversational tools were identified.
PubMed: 38905861
DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2024.104066 -
Birth (Berkeley, Calif.) Jun 2024The impact of midwifery, and especially Indigenous midwifery, care for Indigenous women and communities has not been comprehensively reviewed. To address this knowledge... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The impact of midwifery, and especially Indigenous midwifery, care for Indigenous women and communities has not been comprehensively reviewed. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a mixed-methods systematic review to understand Indigenous maternal and infant outcomes and women's' experiences with midwifery care.
METHODS
We searched nine databases to identify primary studies reporting on midwifery and Indigenous maternal and infant birth outcomes and experiences, published in English since 2000. We synthesized quantitative and qualitative outcome data using a convergent segregated mixed-methods approach and used a mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT) to assess the methodological quality of included studies. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Quality Appraisal Tool (ATSI QAT) was used to appraise the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in the evidence.
RESULTS
Out of 3044 records, we included 35 individual studies with 55% (19 studies) reporting on maternal and infant health outcomes. Comparative studies (n = 13) showed no significant differences in mortality rates but identified reduced preterm births, earlier prenatal care, and an increased number of prenatal visits for Indigenous women receiving midwifery care. Quality of care studies indicated a preference for midwifery care among Indigenous women. Sixteen qualitative studies highlighted three key findings - culturally safe care, holistic care, and improved access to care. The majority of studies were of high methodological quality (91% met ≥80% criteria), while only 14% of studies were considered to have appropriately included Indigenous perspectives.
CONCLUSION
This review demonstrates the value of midwifery care for Indigenous women, providing evidence to support policy recommendations promoting midwifery care as a physically and culturally safe model for Indigenous women and families.
PubMed: 38898696
DOI: 10.1111/birt.12841 -
Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) Jun 2024To ascertain whether maternal food insecurity was associated with low birth weight of their babies. (Review)
Review
AIM
To ascertain whether maternal food insecurity was associated with low birth weight of their babies.
METHODS
Systematic review conducted following the items of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews-PRISMA, and recorded in PROSPERO. The descriptors food security, low birth weight and infant low birth weight were combined in the electronic databases: Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature and Google Scholar, independently by two researchers, between October 2022 and September 2023. The meta-analysis of the association between food insecurity and low birth weight was conducted. The included studies underwent quality and risk of bias assessment.
RESULTS
The initial search resulted in 631 records, 12 of which met the inclusion criteria and were selected for this study. Mothers experiencing food insecurity presented 3.09 more risk of having low birth weight babies when compared to those in food security situations.
CONCLUSION
Evaluating and monitoring the food and nutritional situation of pregnant women is necessary, with emphasis on the importance of prenatal care, to direct public policies that ensure food security and strengthen adequate nutritional conditions for pregnant women and their babies.
PubMed: 38895876
DOI: 10.1111/apa.17327 -
Journal of Perinatal Medicine Jun 2024To report the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in identifying fetuses with macrosomia in pregnancies complicated by gestational or pregestational diabetes.
OBJECTIVES
To report the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in identifying fetuses with macrosomia in pregnancies complicated by gestational or pregestational diabetes.
METHODS
Medline, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched. Inclusion criteria were singleton pregnancies complicated by diabetes undergoing third-trimester ultrasound evaluation. The index test was represented by ultrasound estimation of fetal macrosomia (estimated fetal weight EFW or abdominal circumference AC >90th or 95th percentile). Subgroup analyses were also performed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and diagnostic odds ratio were computed using the hierarchical summary receiver-operating characteristics model.
RESULTS
Twenty studies were included in the systematic review including 8,530 pregnancies complicated by diabetes. Ultrasound showed an overall moderate accuracy in identifying fetuses with macrosomia with a sensitivity of 71.2 % (95 % CI 63.1-78.2), a specificity of 88.6 % (95 % CI 83.9-92.0). The interval between ultrasound and birth of two weeks showed the highest sensitivity and specificity (71.6 %, 95 % CI 47.9-87.3 and 91.7, 95 % CI 86.2-95.5). EFW sensitivity and specificity were 76.6 % (95 % CI 70.1-82.3) and 82.9 % (95 % CI 80.9-84.8), while AC 84.8 % (95 % CI 78.2-90.0) and 73.7 % (95 % CI 71.0-76.4).
CONCLUSIONS
Ultrasound demonstrates an overall good diagnostic accuracy in detecting fetal macrosomia in pregnancies with diabetes.
PubMed: 38860644
DOI: 10.1515/jpm-2024-0121 -
Maternal and Child Health Journal Jun 2024This is a systematic review on patient-provider satisfaction in U.S. prenatal care by addressing the following research question: What factors influence patient-provider... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
This is a systematic review on patient-provider satisfaction in U.S. prenatal care by addressing the following research question: What factors influence patient-provider satisfaction during prenatal care?
METHODS
Thirty six online databases were searched for peer-reviewed research from February to September of 2018 using 10 key terms published in English on U.S. populations between the years 1993-2018 on the topic of provider communication skills and patient satisfaction in the prenatal context. Searches yielded 2563 articles. After duplicates were reviewed and eligibility determined, 32 articles met criteria and were included in the final content analysis. All reported study variables were entered into EXCEL, data reported in each study were analyzed by two people for inter-rater reliability and included in the qualitative content analysis. Two researchers also utilized assessment tools to assess the quality of the articles.
RESULTS
Results indicate the importance of good patient-provider communication, that patients have a need for more information on a plethora of topics, and that Hispanic and African American women reported less satisfaction.
DISCUSSION
We recommend that future studies measure potentially significant themes not adequately present in the reviewed studies such as practitioner demographics (e.g. gender, years of experience, or race/ethnicity), mothers under 18 years of age, inclusion of religious minorities, patients with differing immigration statuses, and patients with disabilities.
PubMed: 38850378
DOI: 10.1007/s10995-024-03952-0 -
Heliyon Jun 2024Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common medical complication of pregnancy, and it can lead to complications for the mother and the infant/fetus. This was...
BACKGROUND
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the most common medical complication of pregnancy, and it can lead to complications for the mother and the infant/fetus. This was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the present systematic review aimed to describe the changes in screening, diagnosis, management, and outcomes of gestational diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS
The systematic review was conducted from December 2019 until January 1, 2022. To find articles related to the purpose of the study, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and WHO were searched using relevant and validated keywords using MeSH/Emtree.
RESULTS
In total, 675 entries were ascertained from the database inquiry, and 17 scholarly works were deemed suitable for inclusion in the final review. The salient conclusions derived from this review were as follows: (a) During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant decrease in the use of OGTTs and a rise in the use of HbA1c assays for both GDM screening and diagnosing. (b) A predominant number of physicians incorporated some variation of telemedicine to remotely supervise and conduct follow-up evaluations of patients with GDM. Various strategies are presented for the provision of prenatal care to women afflicted with GDM, such as concentrating on high-risk demographics, the initiation of lifestyle modifications at early stages, and the implementation of remote patient monitoring techniques. The 'single test procedure' is identified as the most suitable for the preliminary screening of GDM. The OGTT should be assigned clinical precedence in patients at high risk during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) was established as the primary management strategy, and the most influential determinant of the transition from dietary adjustments to pharmacotherapy was the Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) levels during the second trimester.
CONCLUSION
Suggested strategies for GDM screening and management during the pandemic integrated into routine antenatal care, emphasized the importance of remote diabetes education and technology utilization during health emergencies.
PubMed: 38845870
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31943