scholarly journals Core Competencies in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance: A Systematic Review

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Ripoll Gallardo ◽  
Ahmadreza Djalali ◽  
Marco Foletti ◽  
Luca Ragazzoni ◽  
Francesco Della Corte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
English Language ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Library Studies ◽  
Competency Domains

AbstractDisaster response demands a large workforce covering diverse professional sectors. Throughout this article, we illustrate the results of a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies to identify existing competency sets for disaster management and humanitarian assistance that would serve as guidance for the development of a common disaster curriculum. A systematic review of English-language articles was performed on PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ERIC, and Cochrane Library. Studies were included if reporting competency domains, abilities, knowledge, skills, or attitudes for professionals involved disaster relief or humanitarian assistance. Exclusion criteria included abstracts, citations, case studies, and studies not dealing with disasters or humanitarian assistance. Thirty-eight papers were analyzed. Target audience was defined in all articles. Five references (13%) reported cross-sectorial competencies. Most of the articles (81.6%) were specific to health care. Eighteen (47%) papers included competencies for at least 2 different disciplines and 18 (47%) for different professional groups. Nursing was the most widely represented cadre. Eighteen papers (47%) defined competency domains and 36 (94%) reported list of competencies. Nineteen articles (50%) adopted consensus-building to define competencies, and 12 (31%) included competencies adapted to different professional responsibility levels. This systematic review revealed that the largest number of papers were mainly focused on the health care sector and presented a lack of agreement on the terminology used for competency-based definition. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:430–439)

scholarly journals An Evaluation of the Self-Reported Knowledge Base of Disaster Management Core Competencies of Australian Paramedics

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (s1) ◽  
pp. s129-s130
Author(s):  
Peter Horrocks ◽  
Vivienne Tippett ◽  
Peter Aitken
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Ambulance Service ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Extensive Experience

Introduction:Evidence-based training and curriculum are seen as vital in order to be successful in preparing paramedics for an effective disaster response. The creation of broadly recognized standard core competencies to support the development of disaster response education and training courses for general health care providers and specific health care professionals will help to ensure that medical personnel are truly prepared to care for victims of mass casualty events.Aim:To identify current Australian operational paramedic’s specific disaster management education and knowledge as it relates to disaster management core competencies identified throughout the literature and the frequency of measures/techniques which these paramedics use to maintain competency and currency.Methods:Paramedics from all states of Australia were invited to complete an anonymous online survey. Two professional bodies distributed the survey via social media and a major ambulance service was surveyed via email.Results:The study population includes 130 respondents who self-identified as a currently practicing Australian paramedic. Paramedics from all states except South Australia responded, with the majority coming from Queensland Ambulance Service (N= 81%). In terms of experience, 81.54% of respondents report being qualified for greater than 5 years. Initial analysis shows that despite the extensive experience of the practitioners surveyed when asked to rate from high to low their level of knowledge of specific disaster management core competencies a number of gaps exist.Discussion:Core competencies are a defined level of expertise that is essential or fundamental to a particular job, and serve to form the foundation of education, training, and practice for operational service delivery. While more research is needed, these results may help inform industry, government, and education providers to better understand and to more efficiently provide education and ongoing training to paramedics who are responsible for the management of disaster within the Australian community.

scholarly journals Paramedic Disaster Health Management Competencies: A Scoping Review

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (03) ◽  
pp. 322-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Horrocks ◽  
Lisa Hobbs ◽  
Vivienne Tippett ◽  
Peter Aitken
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Management ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Major Incident ◽  
Prehospital Emergency Care ◽  
Clinical Competencies ◽  
Major Incidents ◽  
Competency Domains

AbstractIntroduction:Paramedics are tasked with providing 24/7 prehospital emergency care to the community. As part of this role, they are also responsible for providing emergency care in the event of a major incident or disaster. They play a major role in the response stage of such events, both domestic and international. Despite this, specific standardized training in disaster management appears to be variable and inconsistent throughout the profession. A suggested method of building disaster response capacities is through competency-based education (CBE). Core competencies can provide the fundamental basis of collective learning and help ensure consistent application and translation of knowledge into practice. These competencies are often organized into domains, or categories of learning outcomes, as defined by Blooms taxonomy of learning domains. It is these domains of competency, as they relate to paramedic disaster response, that are the subject of this review.Methods:The methodology for this paper to identify existing paramedic disaster response competency domains was adapted from the guidance for the development of systematic scoping reviews, using a methodology developed by members of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI; Adelaide, South Australia) and members of five Joanna Briggs Collaborating Centres.Results:The literature search identified six articles for review that reported on paramedic disaster response competency domains. The results were divided into two groups: (1) General Core Competency Domains, which are suitable for all paramedics (both Advanced Life Support [ALS] and Basic Life Support [BLS]) who respond to any disaster or major incident; and (2) Specialist Core Competencies, which are deemed necessary competencies to enable a response to certain types of disaster. Further review then showed that three separate and discrete types of competency domains exits in the literature: (1) Core Competencies, (2) Technical/Clinical Competencies, and (3) Specialist Technical/Clinical Competencies.Conclusions:The most common domains of core competencies for paramedic first responders to manage major incidents and disasters described in the literature were identified. If it’s accepted that training paramedics in disaster response is an essential part of preparedness within the disaster management cycle, then by including these competency domains into the curriculum development of localized disaster training programs, it will better prepare the paramedic workforce’s competence and ability to effectively respond to disasters and major incidents.

scholarly journals Ageing, limb-loss and military veterans: a systematic review of the literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (8) ◽  
pp. 1582-1610 ◽  
Author(s):  
NICK CADDICK ◽  
HELEN CULLEN ◽  
AMANDA CLARKE ◽  
MATT FOSSEY ◽  
MICHAEL HILL ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Limb Loss ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Long Term Impact ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTThe impact of losing a limb in military service extends well beyond initial recovery and rehabilitation, with long-term consequences and challenges requiring health-care commitments across the lifecourse. This paper presents a systematic review of the current state of knowledge regarding the long-term impact of ageing and limb-loss in military veterans. Key databases were systematically searched including: ASSIA, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Medline, Web of Science, PsycArticles/PsychInfo, ProQuest Psychology and ProQuest Sociology Journals, and SPORTSDiscus. Empirical studies which focused on the long-term impact of limb-loss and/or health-care requirements in veterans were included. The search process revealed 30 papers relevant for inclusion. These papers focused broadly on four themes: (a) long-term health outcomes, prosthetics use and quality of life; (b) long-term psycho-social adaptation and coping with limb-loss; (c) disability and identity; and (d) estimating the long-term costs of care and prosthetic provision. Findings present a compelling case for ensuring the long-term care needs and costs of rehabilitation for older limbless veterans are met. A dearth of information on the lived experience of limb-loss and the needs of veterans’ families calls for further research to address these important issues.

Infrared Thermography for the Evaluation of Inflammatory and Degenerative Joint Diseases: A Systematic Review

Cartilage ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1790S-1801S
Author(s):  
Guglielmo Schiavon ◽  
Gianluigi Capone ◽  
Monique Frize ◽  
Stefano Zaffagnini ◽  
Christian Candrian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Disease Progression ◽  
Infrared Thermography ◽  
Rheumatic Diseases ◽  
English Language ◽  
Response To Treatment ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Joint Diseases ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Post Evaluation

Objective Inflammation plays a central role in the pathophysiology of rheumatic diseases as well as in osteoarthritis. Temperature, which can be quantified using infrared thermography, provides information about the inflammatory component of joint diseases. This systematic review aims at assessing infrared thermography potential and limitations in these pathologies. Design A systematic review was performed on 3 major databases: PubMed, Cochrane library, and Web of Science, on clinical reports of any level of evidence in English language, published from 1990 to May 2021, with infrared thermography used for diagnosis of osteoarthritis and rheumatic diseases, monitoring disease progression, or response to treatment. Relevant data were extracted, collected in a database, and analyzed for the purpose of this systematic review. Results Of 718 screened articles 32 were found to be eligible for inclusion, for a total of 2094 patients. Nine studies reported the application to osteoarthritis, 21 to rheumatic diseases, 2 on both. The publication trend showed an increasing interest in the last decade. Seven studies investigated the correlation of temperature changes with osteoarthritis, 16 with rheumatic diseases, and 2 with both, whereas 2 focused on the pre-post evaluation to investigate treatment results in patients with osteoarthritis and 5 in patients with rheumatic diseases. A correlation was shown between thermal findings and disease presence and stage, as well as the clinical assessment of disease activity and response to treatment, supporting infrared thermography role in the study and management of rheumatic diseases and osteoarthritis. Conclusions The systematic literature review showed an increasing interest in this technology, with several applications in different joints affected by inflammatory and degenerative pathologies. Infrared thermography proved to be a simple, accurate, noninvasive, and radiation-free method, which could be used in addition to the currently available tools for screening, diagnosis, monitoring of disease progression, and response to medical treatment.

Randomized Controlled Trials of Headache Treatments in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisa T. Bushman ◽  
Gabriella Cozzi ◽  
Rachel G. Sinkey ◽  
Catherine H. Smith ◽  
Michael W. Varner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
At Risk ◽  
English Language ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Headache Diagnosis ◽  
Registration Number ◽  
In Pregnancy

Abstract Objective Headaches affect 88% of reproductive-aged women. Yet data are limited addressing treatment of headache in pregnancy. While many women experience improvement in pregnancy, primary and secondary headaches can develop. Consequently, pregnancy is a time when headache diagnosis can influence maternal and fetal interventions. This study was aimed to summarize existing randomized control trials (RCTs) addressing headache treatment in pregnancy. Study Design We searched PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and SCOPUS from January 1, 1970 through June 31, 2019. Studies were eligible if they were English-language RCTs addressing treatment of headache in pregnancy. Conference abstracts and studies investigating postpartum headache were excluded. Three authors reviewed English-language RCTs addressing treatment of antepartum headache. To be included, all authors agreed each article to meet the following criteria: predefined control group, participants underwent randomization, and treatment of headache occurred in the antepartum period. If inclusion criteria were met no exclusions were made. Our systematic review registration number was CRD42019135874. Results A total of 193 studies were reviewed. Of the three that met inclusion criteria all were small, with follow-up designed to measure pain reduction and showed statistical significance. Conclusion Our systematic review of RCTs evaluating treatment of headache in pregnancy revealed only three studies. This paucity of data limits treatment, puts women at risk for worsening headache disorders, and delays diagnosis placing both the mother and fetus at risk for complications.

scholarly journals Systematic Review of the Impact of Cancer Survivorship Care Plans on Health Outcomes and Health Care Delivery

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (20) ◽  
pp. 2088-2100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul B. Jacobsen ◽  
Antonio P. DeRosa ◽  
Tara O. Henderson ◽  
Deborah K. Mayer ◽  
Chaya S. Moskowitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Care Delivery ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Survivorship Care Plan ◽  
Satisfaction With Care ◽  
Survivorship Care ◽  
Care Plans

Purpose Numerous organizations recommend that patients with cancer receive a survivorship care plan (SCP) comprising a treatment summary and follow-up care plans. Among current barriers to implementation are providers’ concerns about the strength of evidence that SCPs improve outcomes. This systematic review evaluates whether delivery of SCPs has a positive impact on health outcomes and health care delivery for cancer survivors. Methods Randomized and nonrandomized studies evaluating patient-reported outcomes, health care use, and disease outcomes after delivery of SCPs were identified by searching MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane Library. Data extracted by independent raters were summarized on the basis of qualitative synthesis. Results Eleven nonrandomized and 13 randomized studies met inclusion criteria. Variability was evident across studies in cancer types, SCP delivery timing and method, SCP recipients and content, SCP-related counseling, and outcomes assessed. Nonrandomized study findings yielded descriptive information on satisfaction with care and reactions to SCPs. Randomized study findings were generally negative for the most commonly assessed outcomes (ie, physical, functional, and psychological well-being); findings were positive in single studies for other outcomes, including amount of information received, satisfaction with care, and physician implementation of recommended care. Conclusion Existing research provides little evidence that SCPs improve health outcomes and health care delivery. Possible explanations include heterogeneity in study designs and the low likelihood that SCP delivery alone would influence distal outcomes. Findings are limited but more positive for proximal outcomes (eg, information received) and for care delivery, particularly when SCPs are accompanied by counseling to prepare survivors for future clinical encounters. Recommendations for future research include focusing to a greater extent on evaluating ways to ensure SCP recommendations are subsequently acted on as part of ongoing care.

scholarly journals Duration of palliative care before death in international routine practice: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMC Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta I. Jordan ◽  
Matthew J. Allsop ◽  
Yousuf ElMokhallalati ◽  
Catriona E. Jackson ◽  
Helen L. Edwards ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
English Language ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Palliative Care Services

Abstract Background Early provision of palliative care, at least 3–4 months before death, can improve patient quality of life and reduce burdensome treatments and financial costs. However, there is wide variation in the duration of palliative care received before death reported across the research literature. This study aims to determine the duration of time from initiation of palliative care to death for adults receiving palliative care across the international literature. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis that was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42018094718). Six databases were searched for articles published between Jan 1, 2013, and Dec 31, 2018: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Global Health, Web of Science and The Cochrane Library, as well undertaking citation list searches. Following PRISMA guidelines, articles were screened using inclusion (any study design reporting duration from initiation to death in adults palliative care services) and exclusion (paediatric/non-English language studies, trials influencing the timing of palliative care) criteria. Quality appraisal was completed using Hawker’s criteria and the main outcome was the duration of palliative care (median/mean days from initiation to death). Results One hundred sixty-nine studies from 23 countries were included, involving 11,996,479 patients. Prior to death, the median duration from initiation of palliative care to death was 18.9 days (IQR 0.1), weighted by the number of participants. Significant differences between duration were found by disease type (15 days for cancer vs 6 days for non-cancer conditions), service type (19 days for specialist palliative care unit, 20 days for community/home care, and 6 days for general hospital ward) and development index of countries (18.91 days for very high development vs 34 days for all other levels of development). Forty-three per cent of studies were rated as ‘good’ quality. Limitations include a preponderance of data from high-income countries, with unclear implications for low- and middle-income countries. Conclusions Duration of palliative care is much shorter than the 3–4 months of input by a multidisciplinary team necessary in order for the full benefits of palliative care to be realised. Furthermore, the findings highlight inequity in access across patient, service and country characteristics. We welcome more consistent terminology and methodology in the assessment of duration of palliative care from all countries, alongside increased reporting from less-developed settings, to inform benchmarking, service evaluation and quality improvement.

Adverse effects of ADT on cognitive function and dementia for men with prostate cancer: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (6_suppl) ◽  
pp. 150-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxine Sun ◽  
Alexander Cole ◽  
Nawar Hanna ◽  
Adam S. Kibel ◽  
Toni K. Choueiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
English Language ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Pooled Analysis ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Significant Heterogeneity ◽  
The Impact

150 Background: Nearly 50% of men diagnosed with prostate cancer may receive treatment with some form of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). While some side effects of ADT are well acknowledged, the specific impact of ADT on cognitive function is uncertain. Our objective was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the impact of ADT on overall cognitive decline, and the risks of Alzheimers, Parkinson’s disease. Methods: Relevant studies were identified through search of English language articles indexed in PubMed Medline, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library and Web of Knowledge/Science. First, we assessed rates of cognitive decline in five cohorts from three studies. Second, we assessed rates of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson disease using three large retrospective studies. A pooled-analysis was conducted using a meta-analysis. Weighted averages were reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) using RevMan and a DerSimonian and Laird random-effects model. The heterogeneity test was measured using the Q-Mantel-Haenszel ( P< 0.10 was considered of significant heterogeneity). Results: With respect to overall cognitive decline (defined as scoring 1.5 standard deviations [SD] in two or more objective cognitive tests), patients receiving ADT had higher odds of overall cognitive decline than patients with prostate cancer not treated with ADT or health controls (OR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.42–2.90). Furthermore, men with a history of ADT for prostate cancer had higher odds of developing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson dementia compared to men with prostate cancer not treated with ADT (OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.27–1.37). Conclusions: Men receiving ADT for prostate cancer performed significantly worse on measures of overall cognitive function. Additionally, results from the three large observational trials included suggest men exposed to ADT for prostate cancer have higher rates of Parkinson/Alzheimer’s compared to men without ADT.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in Inpatient Hospital Settings: A Systematic Review

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (10) ◽  
pp. 1209-1228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittin Wagner ◽  
Gregory A. Filice ◽  
Dimitri Drekonja ◽  
Nancy Greer ◽  
Roderick MacDonald ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
English Language ◽  
Guideline Implementation ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
The United States ◽  
Prescribing Patterns ◽  
Audit And Feedback ◽  
Cochrane Library

ObjectiveEvaluate the evidence for effects of inpatient antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) on patient, prescribing, and microbial outcomes.DesignSystematic review.MethodsSearch of MEDLINE (2000 through November 2013), Cochrane Library, and reference lists of relevant studies. We included English language studies with patient populations relevant to the United States (ie, infectious conditions and prescriptions required for antimicrobials) that evaluated ASP interventions and reported outcomes of interest. Study characteristics and outcomes data were extracted and reviewed by investigators and trained research personnel.ResultsFew intervention types (eg, audit and feedback, guideline implementation, and decision support) substantially impacted patient outcomes, including mortality, length of stay, readmission, or incidence of Clostridium difficile infection. However, most interventions were not powered adequately to demonstrate impacts on patient outcomes. Most interventions were associated with improved prescribing patterns as measured by decreased antimicrobial use or increased appropriate use. Where reported, ASPs were generally associated with improvements in microbial outcomes, including institutional resistance patterns or resistance in the study population. Few data were provided on harms, sustainability, or key intervention components. Studies were typically of short duration, low in methodological quality, and varied in study design, populations enrolled, hospital setting, ASP intent, intervention composition and implementation, comparison group, and outcomes assessed.ConclusionsNumerous studies suggest that ASPs can improve prescribing and microbial outcomes. Strength of evidence was low, and most studies were not designed adequately to detect improvements in mortality or other patient outcomes, but obvious adverse effects on patient outcomes were not reported.

scholarly journals Reporting quality of systematic review abstracts in articles hand and wrist pathology: a review

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-57
Author(s):  
Amanda Yang Shen ◽  
Robert S Ware ◽  
Tom J O'Donohoe ◽  
Jason Wasiak
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
English Language ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Annual Basis ◽  
Cochrane Reviews ◽  
Abstract Reporting

Background: An increasing number of systematic reviews are published on an annual basis. Although perusal of the full text of articles is preferable, abstracts are sometimes relied upon to guide clinical decisions. Despite this, the abstracts of systematic reviews have historically been poorly reported. We evaluated the reporting quality of systematic review abstracts within hand and wrist pathology literature. Methods: We searched MEDLINE®, EMBASE and Cochrane Library from inception to December 2017 for systematic reviews in hand and wrist pathology using the 12-item PRISMA-A checklist to assess abstract reporting quality. Results: A total of 114 abstracts were included. Most related to fracture (38%) or arthritis (17%) management. Forty-seven systematic reviews (41%) included meta-analysis. Mean PRISMA-A score was 3.6/12 with Cochrane reviews having the highest mean score and hand-specific journals having the lowest. Abstracts longer than 300 words (mean difference [MD]: 1.43, 95% CI [0.74, 2.13]; p <0.001) and systematic reviews with meta-analysis (MD: 0.64, 95% CI [0.05, 1.22]; p = 0.034) were associated with higher scores. Unstructured abstracts were associated with lower scores (MD: –0.65, 95% CI [–1.28, –0.02]; p = 0.044). A limitation of this study is the possible exclusion of relevant studies that were not published in the English language. Conclusion: Abstracts of systematic reviews pertaining to hand and wrist pathology have been suboptimally reported as assessed by the PRISMA-A checklist. Improvements in reporting quality could be achieved by endorsement of PRISMA-A guidelines by authors and journals, and reducing constraints on abstract length.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document