Publications by authors named "Louise Falzon"
Article Synopsis
- Research culture in health and biomedical sciences is heavily shaped by academic pressures like the need to publish, impacting the quality of evidence produced.
- This rapid scoping review aims to identify various factors affecting research culture by analyzing empirical studies from PubMed and Web of Science published between 2012 and April 2024.
- The findings highlight the importance of inclusivity, transparency, rigor, and objectivity in research practices, suggesting that ongoing discussions about these principles are essential for improving research environments.
Background: In February 2023, the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology published 'The Problems with Systematic Reviews: A Living Systematic Review.' In updating this living review for the first time a new problem and several themes relating to research culture have emerged.
Methods: Literature searches were rerun to identify articles published or indexed between May 2022 and May 2023.
Background: Few eligible patients in the United States participate in lung cancer screening (LCS) with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT).
Objective: What is the efficacy of interventions to increase LCS participation?
Design: We performed a systematic review following a prespecified protocol registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021283984). In June/July of 2021, we searched Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.
Article Synopsis
- The objective of the study was to conduct a systematic literature review to gather definitions and measurement tools for remission, relapse, and disease activity in polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) to aid in an OMERACT project.
- The methods involved searching multiple databases for relevant English studies on isolated PMR, with findings analyzed by two independent investigators for data on definitions and instruments.
- The results revealed a lack of uniform definitions and measurement tools across the studies, with most instruments inadequately described; further qualitative research is needed to clarify the concepts of remission and relapse in PMR.
Objective: To perform a systematic literature review (SLR) aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and digital ulcers (DU) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and other connective tissue diseases (CTD), in order to inform the Portuguese recommendations for managing RP and DU in these patients.
Methods: A SLR was conducted until May 2022 to identify studies assessing the efficacy and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for RP and DU in SSc and other CTD. Eligible study designs included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled clinical trials, and their extensions for assessing efficacy and safety of interventions.
Objective: The Berlin algorithm was developed to help diagnose axial SpA (axSpA), but new studies suggest some features typical of SpA are less specific than previously assumed. Furthermore, evidence is lacking for other SpA subtypes (e.g.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To inform an international task force about current evidence on Treat to Target (T2T) strategies in PMR and GCA.
Methods: A systematic literature research (SLR) was conducted in Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, clinicaltrials.gov from their inception date to May 2022, and in the EULAR/ACR abstract database (2019-2021).
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to update evidence on imaging techniques for diagnosing and monitoring large vessel vasculitis (LVV) to inform 2023 guidelines by the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology.
- A systematic literature review analyzed 38 new studies (2017-2022) alongside data from a previous review, focusing on ultrasound, MRI, and FDG-PET for diagnosing giant cell arteritis (GCA).
- Results showed that ultrasound had the highest pooled sensitivity (88%) and specificity (96%), especially when both cranial and extracranial arteries were assessed, while no new diagnostic imaging studies were found for Takayasu arteritis (TAK), and the predictive value of imaging severity on clinical outcomes remains unclear.
Objectives: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are proliferating as they are an important building block to inform evidence-based guidelines and decision-making. Enforcement of best practice in clinical trials is firmly on the research agenda of good clinical practice, but there is less clarity as to how evidence syntheses that combine these studies can be influenced by bad practice. Our aim was to conduct a living systematic review of articles that highlight flaws in published systematic reviews to formally document and understand these problems.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To summarise the evidence on effectiveness of non-pharmacological (ie, non-drug, non-surgical) interventions on work participation (sick leave, work status and presenteeism) in people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).
Methods: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and longitudinal observational studies (LOS) was performed. Qualitative (RCTs/LOS) and quantitative (RCTs) evidence syntheses were conducted.
Objectives: Frailty is a common geriatric syndrome and is characterised by a decreased physiological reserve and increased vulnerability to stressors. Pre-frailty is a risk-state before frailty. A systematic literature review (SLR) and meta-analysis was conducted to: (1) estimate the prevalence of (pre-)frailty in RA patients; (2) explore whether variation in instruments influences (pre-)frailty prevalence.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To update the evidence on efficacy and safety of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) to inform the 2022 update of the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (ASAS-EULAR) recommendations for the management of axSpA.
Methods: Systematic literature review (2016-2021) on efficacy and safety of bDMARDs in axSpA (radiographic axSpA (r-axSpA)/non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA)). Eligible study designs included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), strategy trials and observational studies (the latter only for safety and extra-musculoskeletal manifestations).
Objective: To update the evidence of non-biological treatments for axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), as a basis for the 2022 Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society-European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (ASAS-EULAR) recommendations for the management of axSpA.
Methods: A systematic literature review (2016-2021) on efficacy and safety of non-pharmacological and non-biological pharmacological treatments was performed, up to 1 January 2022. The research question was formulated according to the PICO format: Population: adult patients with r-axSpA and nr-axSpA; Intervention: non-pharmacological and non-biological pharmacological treatments; Comparator: active comparator or placebo; Outcomes: all relevant efficacy and safety outcomes.
Objective: To summarize evidence on the relationship between early treatment (definition based on symptom/disease duration or radiographic damage) and treatment clinical response in patients with SpA.
Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted in studies on SpA patients treated with NSAIDs or biological/targeted synthetic DMARDs addressing the impact of symptom/disease duration or presence of radiographic damage on treatment response assessed by any disease activity outcome. For categorical outcomes, relative risk, relative risk ratio and number needed to treat were calculated, and for continuous outcomes, differences in differences, to compare groups stratified based on symptom/disease duration or the presence of radiographic damage.
Aim: To identify all possible definitions of "early SpA" employed in the literature, including "early axial SpA (axSpA)" and "early peripheral SpA (pSpA)".
Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted in Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library for studies that included any mention of "early SpA" or its subtypes. The proportion of studies including a definition was calculated, and the different definitions were assessed.
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to compare remote care and face-to-face (F2F) care in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, focusing on outcomes and the challenges of implementing remote care practices.
- A systematic literature review identified 2240 studies, with 47 meeting inclusion criteria; remote monitoring proved most popular, but only some studies showed remote care as superior to F2F care.
- Key benefits of remote care include time and cost savings, while technical issues were noted as drawbacks; however, significant variability in study methods and risk of bias were major limitations.
Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) affects 25% of U.S. adults and is associated with high costs due to physician visits and reduced productivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study aimed to summarize how imaging techniques can enhance interventional procedures for patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs), targeting a taskforce from the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology.
- Researchers conducted a systematic review of literature, analyzing 66 studies on various imaging methods, evaluating risk of bias, and assessing the effectiveness of these techniques in guiding interventions.
- The findings indicated that ultrasound was often more accurate than traditional palpation methods for procedures, although there was no consensus on the best imaging technique, and the overall data showed considerable variability and risk of bias.
Objectives: This systematic review assessed which variables are associated with or are predictors for work participation outcomes in patients with systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Methods: A literature search using MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, Embase and CINAHL was conducted to identify all studies published from inception (1947) to June 2021 on factors related to and/or predicting employment status, absenteeism and/or presenteeism in SLE patients aged ≥18 years. The quality of included articles was assessed using the QUIPS tool.
Objective: About half of the rheumatology trainees do not use a portfolio. This project was established to reach consensus about the content of a EULAR portfolio for Rheumatology training and subsequently develop portfolio assessment forms.
Methods: After establishing a portfolio working group (WG), including nine rheumatologists and one educationalist, a systematic literature review (SLR) on the content and structure of portfolios for postgraduate learning was conducted (November 2018).
Objective: To summarise the methodological aspects in studies with work participation (WP) as outcome domain in inflammatory arthritis (IA) and other chronic diseases.
Methods: Two systematic literature reviews (SLRs) were conducted in key electronic databases (2014-2019): search 1 focused on longitudinal prospective studies in IA and search 2 on SLRs in other chronic diseases. Two reviewers independently identified eligible studies and extracted data covering pre-defined methodological areas.
Objectives: Review of efficacy and safety of Janus kinase (JAK) inhibition in immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs).
Methods: A systematic literature research (SLR) of all publications on JAK inhibitors (JAKi) treatment published until March 2019 using MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library. Efficacy and safety were assessed in randomised controlled trials (RCTs), integrating long-term extension periods additionally for safety evaluation.
Objective: To summarise the literature on the assessment of competences in postgraduate medical training.
Methods: A systematic literature review was performed within a EULAR taskforce on the assessment of competences in rheumatology training and other related specialities (July 2019). Two searches were performed: one search for rheumatology and one for related medical specialities.
The sleep-wake and circadian cycles are influenced by light, particularly in the short-wavelength portion of the visible spectrum. Most personal light-emitting electronic devices are enriched in this so-called "blue" light. Exposure to these devices in the evening can disturb sleep.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To perform an update of a review of the efficacy and safety of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
Methods: This is a systematic literature research of 2015-2018 publications on all DMARDs in patients with PsA, searching Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library. Efficacy was assessed in randomised controlled trials.