Ameer Hohlfeld - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Ameer Hohlfeld

BackgroundCOVID-19 has proven to be more difficult to manage for many reasons including its high ... more BackgroundCOVID-19 has proven to be more difficult to manage for many reasons including its high infectivity rate. One of the potential ways to limit its spread is by controlling international travel. The objective of this systematic review is to identify, critically-appraise and summarize evidence on international travel-related control measures.MethodsThis review is based on the Cochrane review: International travel-related control measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and followed the same methods. In brief, we searched for clinical and modelling studies in general health and COVID-19-specific bibliographic databases. The primary outcome categories were (i) cases avoided, (ii) a shift in epidemic development and, (iii) cases detected. Secondary outcomes were other infectious disease transmission outcomes, healthcare utilisation, resource requirements and adverse effects if identified in studies assessing at least one primary outcome.ResultsWe assessed 66 full-text articles th...

JAIDS Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes

Additional file 2. MEDLINE/PubMed Search.

Additional file 1. PRISMA-P 2015 Checklist.

Every week we screen the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) to identify ... more Every week we screen the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) to identify and extract data from RCTs evaluating the effectiveness of interventions for preventing and treating COVID-19 as well as of all trials assessing vaccines. This dataset includes a detailed list of all the RCTs we have identified, including their characteristics (i.e. registration date, study design, study aim, funding, country, etc.). This data is being used to develop our two living data visualizations of treatments and vaccines. This is the first version of the database, dated 1st April 2020. Since then, the file has been updated once a week. The <strong>latest version of this database is available upon registration</strong> at https://covid-nma.com/datasharing/. In fact, we are willing to make our database freely available to people who request it but it is important for us to know who is downloading our data and for which scope. We will reference in our website every work ...

PRISMA-P 2015 Checklist. (DOCX 32 kb)

Search strategy developed in PubMed database. (DOCX 14 kb)

BMJ Open

BackgroundThe Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR) is a WHO International Clinical Trials... more BackgroundThe Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR) is a WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform primary register, which caters for clinical trials conducted in Africa. PACTR is the first and, at present, the only member of the Network of WHO Primary Registers in Africa. The aim is to describe and report on the trends of trial records registered in PACTR.MethodsPACTR was established in 2007 as the AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Clinical Trials Registry. The scope of the registry was then expanded in 2009 to include all diseases. This is a cross-sectional study of trials registered in PACTR from inception to 18 August 2021. A descriptive analysis of the use and trends of the following data fields: study intervention, disease condition, sex of the participants, sample size, ethics, funding and availability of results was conducted using Microsoft Excel.ResultsThe number of trials registered has increased year on year, reaching 606 trials registered in 2020. The tot...

Biological Psychology, 2008

PLoS ONE, 2021

Background Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (TB) poses a substantial burden in sub-Saharan Africa and i... more Background Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (TB) poses a substantial burden in sub-Saharan Africa and is the leading cause of death amongst infectious diseases. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are regarded as the gold standard for evaluating the effectiveness of interventions. We aimed to describe published TB treatment trials conducted in Africa. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of published TB trials conducted in at least one African country. In November 2019, we searched three databases using the validated Africa search filter and Cochrane’s sensitive trial string. Published RCTs conducted in at least one African country were included for analysis. Records were screened for eligibility. Co-reviewers assisted with duplicate data extraction. Extracted data included: the country where studies were conducted, publication dates, ethics statement, trial registration number, participant’s age range. We used Cochrane’s Risk of Bias criteria to assess methodological quality. Results ...

Systematic Reviews, 2021

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of years of life lost gl... more Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of years of life lost globally. Acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) drive disease progression, reduce quality of life and are a source of mortality in COPD. Approximately 50% of AECOPD are due to bacterial infections. Diagnosing bacterial infection as the aetiology of AECOPD however remains challenging as investigations are limited by practicality, accuracy and expense. Clinicians have traditionally used sputum colour as a marker of bacterial infection in AECOPD, despite the lack of high-quality evidence for this practice. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of sputum colour in the diagnosis of bacterial causes of AECOPD. Methods Articles will be searched for in electronic databases (MEDLINE, Google Scholar Scopus, Web of Science, Africa-Wide, CINAHL and Health Source Nursing Academy) and we will conduct a review of citation indexes and the grey literatur...

Systematic review protocol registration

Outcomes and complications of peripartum cardiomyopathy/ protocol for a systematic review and meta- analysis, 2021

Introduction Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) remains a major contributor to maternal morbidity a... more Introduction Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) remains a major contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. The disease is associated with various complications, which occur predominantly during the early stages of the disease. Adverse outcomes include decompensated heart failure, thromboembolic complications, arrhythmias and death. We present a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarise the available data on the complications and outcomes of women with PPCM. Methods and analysis A comprehensive search of all articles published between 2000 (the year in which the first universal definition of PPCM was used) and 1 June 2021 will be performed on PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus and EBSCO Host, including Academic Search Premier, Africa-Wide Information, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. All cohort and cross-sectional studies, as well as control arms of randomised control trials (RCTs) reporting on the complications and out...

BJU International

OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of device-based circumcisions compared with standard surgical te... more OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of device-based circumcisions compared with standard surgical techniques in adolescent and adult males (10 years old and above). METHODS We performed a comprehensive search with no restrictions to the language of publication or publication status. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of device-based circumcisions compared to standard surgical dissection-based circumcision conducted by health professionals in a medical setting. We reported study results as risk ratios (RR) or mean differences (MD) using 95% confidence intervals (CI) and a random-effects model. We used the GRADE approach to evaluate the overall certainty of the evidence for each outcome. RESULTS Eighteen trials met the inclusion criteria. These trials did not report severe adverse events (11 trials, 3472 participants). There may be a slight increase in moderate adverse events for devices compared to surgical techniques (RR 1.31, 95% CI 0.55 to 3.10; I2 = 68%; 10 trials, 3370 participants; low-certainty evidence); this corresponds to 8 more (ranging from 15 fewer to 84 more) moderate adverse events per 1000 participants. We are uncertain about the difference in mild adverse events between groups when devices are used compared to surgical techniques (RR 1.09, 95% CI 0.44 to 2.72; I2 = 91%; 10 trials, 3370 participants; very low-certainty evidence). CONCLUSIONS We found no serious adverse events using a circumcision device compared to surgical techniques. Still, they may slightly increase moderate adverse effects, and it is unclear whether there is a difference in mild adverse effects. High-quality trials evaluating this intervention are needed to provide further certainty regarding the rates of adverse events. Clinicians, patients and policymakers can use these results combined with their contextual factors to inform the best approach that suits their healthcare settings.

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

Go to publication entry in University of Southern Denmark's Research Portal Terms of use This wor... more Go to publication entry in University of Southern Denmark's Research Portal Terms of use This work is brought to you by the University of Southern Denmark. Unless otherwise specified it has been shared according to the terms for self-archiving. If no other license is stated, these terms apply: • You may download this work for personal use only. • You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain • You may freely distribute the URL identifying this open access version If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details and we will investigate your claim.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Background Data harmonisation (DH) has emerged amongst health managers, information technology sp... more Background Data harmonisation (DH) has emerged amongst health managers, information technology specialists and researchers as an important intervention for routine health information systems (RHISs). It is important to understand what DH is, how it is defined and conceptualised, and how it can lead to better health management decision-making. This scoping review identifies a range of definitions for DH, its characteristics (in terms of key components and processes), and common explanations of the relationship between DH and health management decision-making. Methods This scoping review identified relevant studies from 2000 onwards (date filter), written in English and published in PubMed, Web of Science and CINAHL. Two reviewers independently screened records for potential inclusion for the abstract and full-text screening stages. One reviewer did the data extraction, analysis and synthesis, with built-in reliability checks from the rest of the team. We developed a narrative synthes...

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Abstract Background A well‐functioning routine health information system (RHIS) can provide the i... more Abstract Background A well‐functioning routine health information system (RHIS) can provide the information needed for health system management, for governance, accountability, planning, policy making, surveillance and quality improvement, but poor information support has been identified as a major obstacle for improving health system management. Objectives To assess the effects of interventions to improve routine health information systems in terms of RHIS performance, and also, in terms of improved health system management performance, and improved patient and population health outcomes. Search methods We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE Ovid and Embase Ovid in May 2019. We searched Global Health, Ovid and PsycInfo in April 2016. In January 2020 we searched for grey literature in the Grey Literature Report and in OpenGrey, and for ongoing trials using the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) and ClinicalTrials.gov. In October 2019 we also did a cited reference search using Web of Science, and a ‘similar articles’ search in PubMed. Selection criteria Randomised and non‐randomised trials, controlled before‐after studies and time‐series studies comparing routine health information system interventions, with controls, in primary, hospital or community health care settings. Participants included clinical staff and management, district management and community health workers using routine information systems. Data collection and analysis Two authors independently reviewed records to identify studies for inclusion, extracted data from the included studies and assessed the risk of bias. Interventions and outcomes were too varied across studies to allow for pooled risk analysis. We present a 'Summary of findings' table for each intervention comparisons broadly categorised into Technical and Organisational (or a combination), and report outcomes on data quality and service quality. We used the GRADE approach to assess the certainty of the evidence. Main results We included six studies: four cluster randomised trials and two controlled before‐after studies, from Africa and South America. Three studies evaluated technical interventions, one study evaluated an organisational intervention, and two studies evaluated a combination of technical and organisational interventions. Four studies reported on data quality and six studies reported on service quality. In terms of data quality, a web‐based electronic TB laboratory information system probably reduces the length of time to reporting of TB test results, and probably reduces the overall rate of recording errors of TB test results, compared to a paper‐based system (moderate certainty evidence). We are uncertain about the effect of the electronic laboratory information system on the recording rate of serious (misidentification) errors for TB test results compared to a paper‐based system (very low certainty evidence). Misidentification errors are inaccuracies in transferring test results between an electronic register and patients' clinical charts. We are also uncertain about the effect of the intervention on service quality (timeliness of starting or changing a patient's TB treatment) (very low certainty evidence). A hand‐held electronic device probably improves the length of time to report TB test results, and probably reduces the total frequency of recording errors in TB test results between the laboratory notebook and the electronic information record system, compared to a paper‐based system (moderate‐certainty evidence). We are, however, uncertain about the effect of the intervention on the frequency of serious (misidentification) errors in recording between the laboratory notebook and the electronic information record, compared to a paper‐based system (very low certainty evidence). We are uncertain about the effect of a hospital electronic health information system on service quality (length of time outpatients spend at hospital, length of hospital stay, and hospital revenue collection), compared to a paper‐based system (very low certainty evidence). High‐intensity brief text messaging (SMS) may make little or no difference to data quality (in terms of completeness of documentation of pregnancy outcomes), compared to low‐intensity brief text messaging (low‐certainty evidence). We are uncertain about the effect of electronic drug stock notification (with either data management support or product transfer support) on service quality (in terms of transporting stock and stock levels), compared to paper‐based stock notification (very low certainty evidence). We are uncertain about the effect of health information strengthening (where it is part of comprehensive service quality improvement intervention) on service quality (health worker motivation, receipt of training by health workers, health information index scores, quality of clinical observation of children and adults) (very low…

Pan African Medical Journal

is a network of researchers and health stakeholders who aim to support the use of high quality Co... more is a network of researchers and health stakeholders who aim to support the use of high quality Cochrane evidence to improve health outcomes in Africa. It comprises a coordinating centre in South Africa, a Francophone hub directed from Cameroon, a Southern and Eastern Africa Hub directed from South Africa and a West Africa Hub directed from Nigeria. The network supports the engagement with healthcare decision makers to guide priorities, production of high quality context-relevant Cochrane systematic reviews, capacity building to conduct and use reviews, dissemination of evidence, knowledge translation, partnerships for evidence-informed healthcare and the creation of opportunities to expand the network.

African Journal of Disability

Background: An increasing body of empirical evidence suggests that early intervention has positiv... more Background: An increasing body of empirical evidence suggests that early intervention has positive outcomes for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Parental self-efficacy has been used as an outcome measure in some empirical studies; however, there is a lack of evidence of the impact of parent training programmes on parenting self-efficacy beliefs.Objectives: This systematic review sought to assess the effectiveness of parenting interventions to increase parental self-efficacy levels in parents of young children with neurodevelopmental disabilities.Method: We conducted a broad literature search, which included grey literature, such as dissertations and unpublished conference presentations, to identify all relevant prospective studies reporting on our study objective. Articles were selected for inclusion using predefined criteria and data were extracted onto a purposely designed data extraction form. Twenty-five articles met our search criteria. We extracted par...

Systematic Reviews

Background: Data harmonisation is an important intervention to strengthen health systems function... more Background: Data harmonisation is an important intervention to strengthen health systems functioning. It has the potential to enhance the production, accessibility and utilisation of routine health information for clinical and service management decision-making. It is important to understand the range of definitions and concepts of data harmonisation, as well as how its various social and technical components and processes are thought to lead to better health management decision-making. However, there is lack of agreement in the literature, and in practice, on definitions and conceptualisations of data harmonisation, making it difficult for health system decision-makers and researchers to design, implement, evaluate and compare data harmonisation interventions. This scoping review aims to synthesise (1) definitions and conceptualisations of data harmonisation as well as (2) explanations in the literature of the causal relationships between data harmonisation and health management decision-making. Methods: This review follows recommended methodological stages for scoping studies. We will identify relevant studies (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from 2000 onwards, in English only, and with no methodological restriction, in various electronic databases, such as CINAHL, MEDLINE via PubMed and Global Health. Two reviewers will independently screen records for potential inclusion for the abstract and full-text screening stages. One reviewer will do the data extraction, analysis and synthesis, with built-in reliability checks from the rest of the team. We will use a combination of sampling techniques, including two types of 'purposeful sampling', a methodological approach that is particularly suitable for a scoping review with our objectives. We will provide (a) a numerical synthesis of characteristics of the included studies and (b) a narrative synthesis of definitions and explanations in the literature of the relationship between data harmonisation and health management decision-making. Discussion: We list potential limitations of this scoping review. To our knowledge, this scoping review will be the first to synthesise definitions and conceptualisations of data harmonisation in the literature as well as the underlying explanations in the literature of the causal links between data harmonisation and health management decision-making.