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Background The impact of delayed discharge on patients, health-care staff and hospital costs has been incompletely characterized. Aim To systematically review experiences of delay from the perspectives of patients, health professionals and hospitals, and its impact on patients' outcomes and costs. Methods Four of the main biomedical databases were searched for the period 2000-2016 (February). Quantitative, qualitative and health economic studies conducted in OECD countries were included. Results Thirty-seven papers reporting data on 35 studies were identified: 10 quantitative, 8 qualitative and 19 exploring costs. Seven of ten quantitative studies were at moderate/low methodological quality; 6 qualitative studies were deemed reliable; and the 19 studies on costs were of moderate quality. Delayed discharge was associated with mortality, infections, depression, reductions in patients' mobility and their daily activities. The qualitative studies highlighted the pressure to reduce discharge delays on staff stress and interprofessional relationships, with implications for patient care and well-being. Extra bed-days could account for up to 30.7% of total costs and cause cancellations of elective operations, treatment delay and repercussions for subsequent services, especially for elderly patients. Conclusions The poor quality of the majority of the research means that implications for practice should be cautiously made. However, the results suggest that the adverse effects of delayed discharge are both direct (through increased opportunities for patients to acquire avoidable ill health) and indirect, secondary to the pressures placed on staff. These findings provide impetus to take a more holistic perspective to addressing delayed discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Surveys in the United States and Europe have shown a plateau of new HIV cases, with certain regions and populations disproportionately affected by the disease. Ethnic minority women and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups are disproportionately affected by HIV. Previous reviews have focused on prevention interventions targeting ethnic minority men who have sex with men, have not accounted for socioeconomic status, or have included only interventions carried out in clinical settings. Objectives. To review and assess the effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions targeting socioeconomically disadvantaged ethnic minority women in member states of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Search Methods. On March 31, 2014, we executed a search using a strategy designed for the MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Knowledge databases. Additional searches were conducted through the Cochrane Library, CRD Databases, metaRegister of Controlled Trials, EURONHEED, CEA Registry, and the European Action Program for Health Inequities as well as in gray literature sources. No language or date restrictions were applied. Selection Criteria. We selected studies assessing the effectiveness of interventions to prevent HIV among ethnic minority women of low socioeconomic status in which at least 80% of participants were reported to belong to an ethnic minority group and to have a low income or be unemployed. We included only studies that were conducted in OECD member states and were randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental investigations with a comparison group. Data Collection and Analysis. A data extraction form was developed for the review and used to collect relevant information from each study. We summarized results both qualitatively and quantitatively. The main outcomes were categorized into 3 groups: improved knowledge regarding transmission of HIV, behavior changes related to HIV transmission, and reductions in the incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We then performed meta-analyses to assess the effectiveness of the prevention interventions in terms of the 3 outcome categories. Main Results. A total of 43 interventions were included, and 31 were judged to be effective, 7 were partially effective, and 5 were ineffective. The most frequently recurring characteristics of these interventions were cultural adaptation, a cognitive– behavioral approach, the use of small groups and trained facilitators, and a program duration of between 1 and 6 weeks. Our meta-analyses showed that the interventions improved knowledge of HIV transmission (odds ratio [OR] = 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.43, 0.75), increased the frequency of condom use (OR= 1.60; 95% CI = 1.16, 2.19), and significantly reduced the risk of STI transmission by 41% (relative risk = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.46, 0.75). Conclusions. Our study demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of HIV prevention interventions targeting socioeconomically deprived ethnic minority women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Public health decision-making structures in England have transformed since the implementation of reforms in 2013, with responsibility for public health services and planning having shifted from the "health" boundary to local authority (LA; local government) control. This transformation may have interrupted flows of research evidence use in decision-making and introduced a new political element to public health decision-making. For generators of research evidence, understanding and responding to this new landscape and decision-makers' evidence needs is essential.Methods: We conducted a systematic scoping review of the literature, drawing upon four databases and undertaking manual searching and citation tracking. Included studies were English-based, published in 2010 onwards, and were focused on public health decision-making, including the utilisation or underutilisation of research evidence use, in local (regional or sub-regional) areas. All studies presented empirical findings collected through primary research methods or through the reanalysis of existing primary data.Results: From a total of 903 records, 23 papers from 21 studies were deemed to be eligible and were included for further data extraction. Three clear trends in evidence use were identified: (i) the primacy of local evidence, (ii) the important role of local experts in providing evidence and knowledge, and (iii) the high value placed on local evaluation evidence despite the varying methodological rigour. Barriers to the use of research evidence included issues around access and availability of applicable research evidence, and indications that the use of evidence could be perceived as a bureaucratic process. Two new factors resulting from reforms to public health structures were identified that potentially changed existing patterns of research evidence use and decision-making requirements: (i) greater emphasis among public health practitioners on the perceived uniqueness of LA areas and structures following devolution of public health into LAs and (ii) challenges introduced in responding to higher levels of local political accountability.Conclusions: There is a need to better understand and respond to the evidence needs of decision-makers working in public health and to work more collaboratively in developing solutions to the underutilisation of research evidence in decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intersectionality theory suggests that multiple forms of inequality need to be considered simultaneously. The extent to which intersectionality has been used within interventional health research has not been systematically examined. This scoping review explores the use of intersectionality when designing and implementing interventions to reduce health inequalities, or when analysing the impact of these interventions.Methods: We did a systematic search of MEDLINE and Scopus for articles published from inception up to June 30, 2021, with the key search terms "intersectionality", "interventions", and "public health". References were screened and those including use of intersectionality and primary data from high-income countries were included and relevant data synthesised. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses reporting guidelines extension for scoping reviews.Findings: 2108 studies were screened, of which 12 met inclusion criteria Six (50%) of the 12 studies were qualitative and focused on alcohol and substance abuse (two studies), mental health (two studies), general health promotion (one study), and housing interventions (one study). The three quantitative studies (25%) examined mental health (two studies) and smoking cessation (one study), whereas the three mixed-methods studies (25%) examined mental health (two studies) and sexual exploitation (one study). Nine studies (75%) used intersectionality to analyse intervention effects, two studies (25%) used intersectionality for intervention design, and one study (8%) used intersectionality for both design and analysis of an intervention. Ethnicity and gender were the most commonly included axes of inequality (11 studies [92%]), followed by socioeconomic status (ten studies [83%]). Only four studies (33%) included consideration of LGBTQ+ individuals and only one (8%) considered physical disabilities.Interpretation: Intersectionality theories are not yet commonly used in either the design or the evaluation of interventional health research, and evidence on the implementation of some key elements of intersectionality is still scarce. Studies on some conditions, such as mental health, have more often used intersectionality, whereas studies considering the LGBTQ+ community and individuals with physical disabilities as axes of inequality are particularly scarce.Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research School for Public Health Research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The characteristics of Emergency Department (ED) attendances due to mental or behavioural health disorders need to be described to enable appropriate development of services. We aimed to describe the epidemiology of mental health-related ED attendances within health care systems free at the point of access, including clinical reason for presentation, previous service use, and patient sociodemographic characteristics. Method: Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies describing ED attendances by patients with common mental health conditions. Findings: 18 studies from seven countries met eligibility criteria. Patients attending due to mental or behavioural health disorders accounted for 4% of ED attendances; a third were due to self-harm or suicidal ideation. 58.1% of attendees had a history of psychiatric illness and up to 58% were admitted. The majority of studies were single site and of low quality so results must be interpreted cautiously. Conclusions: Prevalence studies of mental health-related ED attendances are required to enable the development of services to meet specific needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence and impact of depressive disorders in developed countries are associated with certain population characteristics, including socioeconomic status. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify, characterize and analyze the short- and long-term effectiveness of healthcare interventions for depressive disorders in low socioeconomic status populations. The main biomedical databases were searched and fifteen articles assessing seventeen interventions were included in the review. Most interventions were implemented in the US (n = 11) and culturally adapted (n = 11). We conducted two meta-analyses for assessing both the short- (n = 11) and long-term effectiveness (n = 12) of interventions. There was a statistically significant reduction in overall depressive symptoms (− 0.58, 95% CI [− 0.74, − 0.41]) at short-term (up to three months after the intervention), especially for combined and psychotherapeutic interventions. The overall effect slightly decreased at long-term (− 0.42, 95% CI [− 0.63, − 0.21]). Those interventions including culturally specific training for providers and booster sessions seemed to be more effective in reducing depressive disorders at short and long term, respectively. In conclusion, healthcare interventions are effective in decreasing clinically significant depressive disorders in low socioeconomic status populations. Future interventions should take into account the key characteristics identified in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims:Despite well documented disparities in health and healthcare in rural communities, evidence in relation to quality improvement (QI) interventions in those settings is still lacking. The main goals of this work were to assess the effectiveness of QI strategies designed to improve diabetes care in rural areas, and identify characteristics associated with greater success. Methods:We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic electronic searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and 12 additional bibliographic sources. Experimental studies carried out in the OECD member countries assessing the effectiveness of QI interventions aiming to improve diabetes care in rural areas were included. The effect of the interventions and their impact on glycated hemoglobin was pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. Results:Twenty-six studies assessing the effectiveness of twenty QI interventions were included. Interventions targeted patients (45%), clinicians (5%), the health system (15%), or several targets (35%), and consisted of the implementation of one or multiple QI strategies. Most of the interventions produced a positive impact on processes of care or diabetes self-management, but a lower effect on health outcomes was observed. Interventions with multiple strategies and targeting the health system and/or clinicians were more likely to be effective. Six QI interventions were included in the meta-analysis (1,496 patients), which showed a significant reduction in overall glycated hemoglobin of 0.41 points from baseline in those patients receiving the interventions (95% CI -0.75% to -0.07%). Conclusions:This work identified several characteristics associated with successful interventions to improve the quality of diabetes care in rural areas. Efforts to improve diabetes care in rural communities should focus on interventions with multiple strategies targeted at clinicians and/or the health system, rather than on traditional patient-oriented interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to analyse the scientific evidence published to date on the potential effects on neurodevelopment and behavioural disorders in children exposed to arsenic, cadmium and manganese and to quantify the magnitude of the effect on neurodevelopment by pooling the results of the different studies. We conducted a systematic review of original articles from January 2000 until March 2012, that evaluate the effects on neurodevelopment and behavioural disorders due to pre or post natal exposure to arsenic, cadmium and manganese in children up to 16years of age. We also conducted a meta-analysis assessing the effects of exposure to arsenic and manganese on neurodevelopment. Forty-one articles that evaluated the effects of metallic elements on neurodevelopment and behavioural disorders met the inclusion criteria: 18 examined arsenic, 6 cadmium and 17 manganese. Most studies evaluating exposure to arsenic (13 of 18) and manganese (14 of 17) reported a significant negative effect on neurodevelopment and behavioural disorders. Only two studies that evaluated exposure to cadmium found an association with neurodevelopmental or behavioural disorders. The results of our meta-analysis suggest that a 50% increase of arsenic levels in urine would be associated with a 0.4 decrease in the intelligence quotient (IQ) of children aged 5–15years. Moreover a 50% increase of manganese levels in hair would be associated with a decrease of 0.7 points in the IQ of children aged 6–13years. There is evidence that relates arsenic and manganese exposure with neurodevelopmental problems in children, but there is little information on cadmium exposure. Few studies have evaluated behavioural disorders due to exposure to these compounds, and manganese is the only one for which there is more evidence of the existence of association with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]