An approach to identifying young children with developmental disabilities via primary care records.

Preschool aged children with developmental disabilities frequently receive a diagnosis of an indicator of disability, such as developmental delay, some time before receiving a definitive diagnosis at school age, such as autism spectrum disorder. The absence of a definitive diagnosis potentially underestimates the need for support by families with young disabled children, also delaying the access of families to condition-specific information and support. Our aim was to develop a strategy to identify children with probable and potential developmental disabilities before the age of five in primary care records for a UK birth cohort, considering how the identification of only probable or potential developmental disability might influence prevalence estimates.

Stakeholder engagement in the health policy process in a low income country: a qualitative study of stakeholder perceptions of the challenges to effective inclusion in Malawi.

Background: Inclusive engagement in healthcare policies and decision-making is essential to address the needs of patients and communities, reduce health inequities and increase the accountability of the government. In low income countries such as Malawi, with significant health challenges, stakeholder inclusion is particularly important to improve performance and service delivery. The 2017 National Health Plan II (NHP II) and accompanying Health Sector Strategic Plan II (HSSP II) aimed to improve the functioning of the healthcare system.

Challenges to effective governance in a low income healthcare system: a qualitative study of stakeholder perceptions in Malawi.

Background: All countries face challenging decisions about healthcare coverage. Malawi has committed to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030, the timeframe set out by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As in other low income countries, scarce resources stand in the way of more equitable health access and quality in Malawi.

Repurposing NGO data for better research outcomes: a scoping review of the use and secondary analysis of NGO data in health policy and systems research.

Background: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) collect and generate vast amounts of potentially rich data, most of which are not used for research purposes. Secondary analysis of NGO data (their use and analysis in a study for which they were not originally collected) presents an important but largely unrealised opportunity to provide new research insights in critical areas, including the evaluation of health policy and programmes.

Methods: A scoping review of the published literature was performed to identify the extent to which secondary analysis of NGO data has been used in health policy and systems research (HPSR).

The Caregiver Health Effects of Caring for Young Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Meta-analysis.

Objectives: Mothers of school age and older children with developmental disabilities experience poorer health than mothers of typically developing children. This review assesses the evidence for the effect on mothers' health of caring for young children with developmental disabilities, and the influence of different disability diagnoses and socioeconomic status.

Methods: Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched.