Experiences of cancer patients in a patient navigation program: a qualitative systematic review.

Background: A patient navigation program is a model of care which entails trained personnel providing individualized and assistive care to adult oncology patients to help the patients overcome barriers. A further aim of the program is to achieve continuity of care as patients experience the complex healthcare system. Patient navigation is a new model of care in many institutions, and as such the experiences of patients in the patient navigation program remains inconclusive.

The effectiveness of prehabilitation or preoperative exercise for surgical patients: a systematic review.

Background: Major surgery can induce functional decline and pain, which can also have negative implications on health care utilization and quality of life. Prehabilitation is the process of optimizing physical functionality preoperatively to enable the individual to maintain a normal level of function during and after surgery. Prehabilitation training can be a combination of aerobic exercises, strength training, and functional task training to suit individual needs.

The effectiveness of orthopedic patient education in improving patient outcomes: a systematic review protocol.

Review Objective: The objective of this review is to identify the effectiveness of patient education for orthopedic surgery patients. More specifically, the objectives are to identify the effectiveness of patient education on:length of staysatisfactionpain levelcost of carefunctional abilitiesknowledgeanxietyquality of life in orthopedic settings.

Background: Patient education is an essential part of practice for all healthcare professionals.

The effectiveness of neural mobilizations in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions: a systematic review protocol.

Review Question/objective: The objective of this review is to identify the effectiveness of neural mobilization techniques in various neuro-musculoskeletal conditions. Outcomes will be analyzed in terms of subgroups such as low back pain, cervico-brachial pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders were ranked as the second largest contributor to disability worldwide in a study on the global burden of disease.

The effectiveness of internet-based e-learning on clinician behavior and patient outcomes: a systematic review protocol.

Review Question/objective: The objective of this systematic review is to identify, appraise and synthesize the best available evidence for the effectiveness of internet-based e-learning programs on health care professional behavior and patient outcomes.

Background: Technological innovation has not only impacted social change in recent years but has been the prime driver of educational transformation.The newest consumers of post-secondary education, the so-called 'digital natives', have come to expect education to be delivered in a way that offers increased usability and convenience.

Extrinsic and intrinsic factors associated with non-contact injury in adult pace bowlers: a systematic review protocol.

Review Question/objective: Review question: which extrinsic and intrinsic factors are associated with non-contact injury in adult cricket pace bowlers?Review objective: the objective of this review is to determine the extrinsic and intrinsic factors associated with non-contact injury in adult pace bowlers.

Background: Cricket is generally considered to be a sport of low injury risk compared to other sports. In cricket, the pace bowler strives towards the adoption of a bowling technique with a relatively low injury threat that will, at the same time, allow for a fast (>120km/hr) and accurate delivery to the opposing batsman.

Conducting systematic reviews of economic evaluations.

Background: In 2012, a working group was established to review and enhance the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidance for conducting systematic review of evidence from economic evaluations addressing a question(s) about health intervention cost-effectiveness.

Objectives: The objective is to present the outcomes of the working group.

Methods: The group conducted three activities to inform the new guidance: review of literature on the utility/futility of systematic reviews of economic evaluations and consideration of its implications for updating the existing methodology; assessment of the critical appraisal tool in the existing guidance against criteria that promotes validity in economic evaluation research and two other commonly used tools; and a workshop.

Innovations in the systematic review of text and opinion.

Background: Evidence-based healthcare focuses on the need to use interventions that are supported by the best available and most up-to-date evidence or knowledge. Many clinical questions cannot be fully answered by evidence derived from quantitative or qualitative research designs alone, since many areas in healthcare are supported by clinicians' tacit knowledge derived from their clinical experiences. In this situation, evidence generated from a systematic review of text and opinion may be required as the best available evidence.

A systematic review of the effectiveness of strategies and interventions to improve the transition from student to newly qualified nurse.

Background: The transition from student to newly qualified nurse can be stressful for many newly qualified nurses who feel inadequately prepared. A variety of support strategies to improve the transition process have been reported across the international literature but the effectiveness of such strategies is unknown.

Objectives/aim: To determine the effectiveness of the main strategies used to support newly qualified nurses during the transition into the clinical workplace and, where identified, evaluate the impact of these on individual and organisational outcomes.

Evidence utilization project: implementation of kangaroo care at neonatal ICU.

Background: Kangaroo care is no longer performed for the initial purpose of maintaining a small baby's body temperature in the developed countries where there are now sufficient medical equipments to keep babies warm. The objectives of kangaroo care in advanced neonatal ICUs have changed to provide benefits such as bonding and attachment, physiologic stability of newborn babies, successful breastfeeding and positive effects on infant development. Kangaroo care is not new to many neonatal nurses, but not every neonatal center is routinely practicing kangaroo care in Singapore.

Effects of multidisciplinary models of care for adult pre-dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review.

Aim: To compare the effectiveness of multidisciplinary care with traditional medical care on the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adult pre-dialysis patients (stages 3-5).

Methods: Eleven databases were searched for articles published between January 1990 and July 2009. The Joanna Briggs Institute-Meta Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument was used to assess the methodological quality of retrieved articles and extract data.

Effectiveness of intravenous acetaminophen for pain management in orthopedic surgery patients: a systematic review.

Background: Fear of poor pain management has been listed by patients as a reason for delaying or refusing surgical procedures. Uncontrolled pain has been associated with increased time in the post anesthesia care unit, poor sleep, increased hospital length of stay and decreased patient satisfaction. Acetaminophen (paracetamol) has been used for more than a century to control pain and to treat fever in both adults and children.

Lifestyle factors of smoking, BMI and alcohol on the risk of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer in adults: a systematic review.

Background: Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common cancer in humans and the most important risk factors are thought to be age, skin type, and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Lifestyle factors may also play a part. To date no systematic review has been performed to collate evidence of the effects of smoking, alcohol or body mass index.

Prognostic factors for risk stratification of adult cancer patients with chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Increasing numbers of studies identify new prognostic factors for categorising chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia adult cancer patients into high- or low-risk groups for adverse outcomes. These groupings are used to tailor therapy according to level of risk. However many emerging factors with prognostic significance remain controversial, being based on single studies only.

The effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on fatigue in children and adolescents with cancer: a systematic review.

Background: Fatigue is one of the most distressing and prevalent symptoms reported by paediatric oncology patients. With the increase in cancer survival rate, how to control children's cancer-related fatigue during treatments or the coexisting period with the disease to further increase their quality of life has become the focus of medical teams who provide care to children with cancer.

Objectives: The objective of this systematic review was to synthesise the best available evidence concerning the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions on fatigue in children and adolescents with cancer.

The effectiveness of nurse-led care in general practice on clinical outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Background: In Australia, diabetes was identified as a national health priority area in 1996; nevertheless the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has increased dramatically since then. Nurses have been working within Australian general practices for several decades but only in recent years has the role of the practice nurse in primary health care increased.

Objectives: This review aims to identify the effectiveness of nurse-led care in general practice as compared to general practitioner care on clinical outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Family-centred care for hospitalised children aged 0-12 Years: A systematic review of quasi-experimental studies.

Background: Family-centred care is an approach to the planning, delivery, and evaluation of health care that is grounded in mutually beneficial partnerships among health care providers, patients, and families. It is a widely used model in paediatrics, and is felt instinctively to be the best way to provide care to children in hospital. However, its effectiveness has not been established.

Factors affecting registered nurses' use of medication administration technology in acute care settings: A systematic review.

Background: Information technology to aid reduction in medication errors has been encouraged over the years and one of them is the medication administration technology. It consists of the electronic Medication Administration Record, Bar-Code Medication Administration system and Automated Medication Dispensing system. Studies had examined the effectiveness and impact of this technology to reduce medication error.

The experiences of and meaning for women living and coping with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review of qualitative evidence.

Background: Effective management of diabetes not only relies on lifestyle modification and adherence to a treatment regime, but also the ability to cope with the impact of the disease on daily activities. Stress associated with the multi-caregiver role of women may affect the ability to manage the disease effectively.

Objectives: To explore the experience of women living and coping with type 2 diabetes.

Supporting trail-blazing: A systematic review of the factors that facilitate or inhibit the implementation of new nursing roles: the experiences of UK consultant nurses.

Background: If emerging 'trail-blazers', such as the consultant nurse, are to be successful in developing and sustaining new ways of working then factors that support or inhibit new role developments need identification. There is a growing body of evaluative and anecdotal evidence about the experience of consultant nurses since the introduction of the role in the UK thirteen years ago.

Objective: To synthesise the evidence on the experiences of UK consultant nurses in implementing a new role in order to identify inhibitors and facilitators of role development.

The psychometric properties, feasibility and utility of behavioural-observation methods in pain assessment of cognitively impaired elderly people in acute and long-term care: A systematic review.

Background: The key factor to improving pain management for cognitively impaired elderly patients is accurate pain assessment. Behavioural-observation methods are required for individuals who cannot communicate their pain verbally. A thorough understanding of the key components of behavioural pain assessment and the use of valid and reliable behavioural pain assessment tools would enhance the assessment of pain in this vulnerable population.

The effectiveness of cabbage leaf application (treatment) on pain and hardness in breast engorgement and its effect on the duration of breastfeeding.

Background: Breast engorgement is a condition that affects breastfeeding mothers early in the postpartum. The discomfort and tenderness as a result of the engorgement is a major contributing factor to the early cessation of breastfeeding. Many treatments for breast engorgement have been attempted and explored.

The effectiveness of group visits for patients with heart failure on knowledge, quality of life, self-care, and readmissions: a systematic review protocol.

Review Question/objective: The objective of this review is to identify the effectiveness of group visits for patients with heart failure (HF) on knowledge, quality of life, self-care behaviors, and hospital readmissions.

Research Questions: BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) continues to be a major health burden throughout the world. There are currently over 5.