Viremia and nasal shedding for the diagnosis of equine herpesvirus-1 infection in domesticated horses.

Background: Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection is associated with upper respiratory disease, EHM, abortions, and neonatal death.

Research Questions: Are nasal secretions a more sensitive biological sample compared to blood for the detection of EHV-1 infection? How long is EHV-1 detectable after primary infection by PCR?

Methods: MedLine and Web of Science searches identified original peer-reviewed reports evaluating nasal shedding and viremia using virus isolation methods or PCR published in English before October 9, 2023.

Results: Sixty experimental and 20 observational studies met inclusion criteria.

Comparability of family planning quality of care measurement tools in low-and-middle income country settings: a systematic review.

Background: In low-and-middle income countries (LMICs), accurate measures of the elements of quality care provided by a health worker through family planning services (also known as process quality) are required to ensure family's contraceptives needs are being met. There are many tools used to assess family planning process quality of care (QoC) but no one standardized method. Those measuring QoC in LMICs should select an appropriate tool based the program context and financial/logistical parameters, but they require data on how well each tool measures routine clinical care.

Effectiveness of hospital payment reforms in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Payment mechanisms have attracted substantial research interest because of their consequent effect on care outcomes, including treatment costs, admission and readmission rates and patient satisfaction. Those mechanisms create the incentive environment within which health workers operate and can influence provider behaviour in ways that can facilitate achievement of national health policy goals. This systematic review aims to understand the effects of changes in hospital payment mechanisms introduced in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) on hospital- and patient-level outcomes.

Eliciting Preferences for HIV Prevention Technologies: A Systematic Review.

Background: Many human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention technologies (pre-exposure prophylaxis, microbicides, vaccines) are available or in development. Preference elicitation methods provide insight into client preferences that may be used to optimize products and services. Given increased utilization of such methods in HIV prevention, this article identifies and reviews these methods and synthesizes their application to HIV prevention technologies.

Cost of Nine Pediatric Infectious Illnesses in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review of Cost-of-Illness Studies.

Background: Cost-of-illness data from empirical studies provide insights into the use of healthcare resources including both expenditures and the opportunity cost related to receiving treatment.

Objective: The objective of this systematic review was to gather cost data and relevant parameters for hepatitis B, pneumonia, meningitis, encephalitis caused by Japanese encephalitis, rubella, yellow fever, measles, influenza, and acute gastroenteritis in children in low- and middle-income countries.

Data Sources: Peer-reviewed studies published in public health, medical, and economic journals indexed in PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase, and EconLit.

What do we know about community-based health worker programs? A systematic review of existing reviews on community health workers.

Objective: To synthesize current understanding of how community-based health worker (CHW) programs can best be designed and operated in health systems.

Methods: We searched 11 databases for review articles published between 1 January 2005 and 15 June 2017. Review articles on CHWs, defined as non-professional paid or volunteer health workers based in communities, with less than 2 years of training, were included.

Sexual orientation and treatment-seeking for depression in a multilingual worldwide sample.

Background: Prior research has found higher rates of mental health problems among sexual minority individuals. We examine treatment-seeking for depression, as well as its relationship with sexual orientation, in a large, multilingual, international sample.

Method: Participants in an automated, quintilingual internet-based depression screening tool were screened for depression, and completed several background measures, including sexual orientation (with an option to decline to state) and past and current depression treatment seeking.

Lung ultrasound for the diagnosis of pneumonia in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Guidelines do not currently recommend the use of lung ultrasound (LUS) as an alternative to chest X-ray (CXR) or chest computerized tomography (CT) scan for the diagnosis of pneumonia. We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize existing evidence of the diagnostic accuracy of LUS for pneumonia in adults.

Methods: We conducted a systematic search of published studies comparing the diagnostic accuracy of LUS against a referent CXR or chest CT scan and/or clinical criteria for pneumonia in adults aged ≥18 years.

Using Google AdWords for international multilingual recruitment to health research websites.

Background: Google AdWords, the placement of sponsored links in Google search results, is a potent method of recruitment to Internet-based health studies and interventions. However, the performance of Google AdWords varies considerably depending on the language and the location of the target audience.

Objective: Our goal was to describe differences in AdWords performance when recruiting participants to the same study conducted in four languages and to determine whether AdWords campaigns can be optimized in order to increase recruitment while decreasing costs.

Central therapeutic effects of peripheral vagus nerve stimulation.

Despite the recent addition of more than ten new antiepileptic drugs on the market, epilepsy remains poorly controlled in almost 30% of patients. For this subgroup of patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has become a viable option. More recently, it has also shown promise in treatment-resistant depression.