Searching for research studies in children's social care: some techniques and tools

This report looks at five techniques that may help with a search for research studies in children’s social care

Adherence to exercise referral schemes by participants - what do providers and commissioners need to know? A systematic review of barriers and facilitators

Background Physical inactivity levels are rising worldwide with major implications for the health of the population and the prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Exercise referral schemes (ERS) continue to be a popular intervention utilised by healthcare practitioners to increase physical activity. We undertook a systematic review of views studies in order to inform guidance from the UK National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on exercise referral schemes to promote physical activity. This paper reports on the participant views identified, to inform those seeking to refine schemes to increase attendance and adherence. Methods Fifteen databases and a wide range of websites and grey literature sources were searched systematically for publications from 1995 to June 2013. In addition, a range of supplementary methods including, a call for evidence by NICE, contacting authors, reference list checking and citation tracking were utilised to identify additional research. Studies were included where they detailed schemes for adults aged 19 years or older who were ‘inactive’ (i.e. they are not currently meeting UK physical activity guidelines). Study selection was conducted independently in duplicate. Quality assessment was undertaken by one reviewer and checked by a second, with 20 % of papers being considered independently in duplicate. Papers were coded in qualitative data analysis software Atlas.ti. This review was reported in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement). Results Evidence from 33 UK-relevant studies identified that support from providers, other attendees and family was an important facilitator of adherence and ‘making exercise a habit’ post programme, as was the variety and personalised nature of sessions offered. Barriers to attendance included the inconvenient timing of sessions, their cost and location. An intimidating gym atmosphere, a dislike of the music and TV and a lack of confidence in operating gym equipment were frequently reported. Conclusions These findings provide valuable insights that commissioners and providers should consider. The main themes were consistent across a large number of studies and further research should concentrate on programmes that reflect these findings

Prognostic factors for a change in eye health or vision: A rapid review

The general public are advised to have regular routine eye examinations to check their vision and ocular health; however current UK guidance on how often to have eye examinations is not evidence-based and was issued in 2002.This Rapid Review aims to provide an evidence base that stakeholders can use to form updated guidance for Wales by asking the question ‘What are the prognostic factors for a change in ocular status in the general population attending routine eye examinations?’The review included evidence available from January 2009 up until August 2023. Evidence was included from 2011 up until 2023. 19 studies were included: two systematic reviews; nine prospective cohort studies; three retrospective cohort studies; two longitudinal studies; two case-control studies; and one cross-sectional study were included.<br/

A rapid review of physical health risks associated with special procedures (tattooing, body piercing, acupuncture, electrolysis)

Special procedures, such as tattooing (including semi-permanent make-up), body piercing, acupuncture and electrolysis involve piercing the skin and carry a potential risk of infection and other complications. This review provides an up-to-date evidence base on the main physical health risks associated with these special procedures. Searches were conducted for research published between 2015 and 2023. Where possible, existing reviews were used. For tattooing, one systematic review including 55 studies was identified. For semi-permanent make-up, 37 cases presented in 31 case reports were identified. For body piercing, four systematic reviews were identified, which covered 174 studies. For acupuncture, one evidence map of 535 systematic reviews without age limits and one overview of 24 systematic reviews focused on children were included. For electrolysis, one case report was identified. Complications and adverse events resulting from special procedures include fungal infections, bacterial infections, viral infections, blood-borne infections, allergic reactions, malignant growths, benign growths, sarcoidosis-related reactions, and a range of other skin and eye-related adverse reactions and dental issues. Research Implications and Evidence Gaps: Most of the primary evidence for the physical health risks associated with the special procedures came from case reports and case series, which do not allow causal inferences or provide information on the prevalence of adverse events. Future primary research should employ more robust designs to gather evidence about the causal links between special procedures and adverse physical health events as well as about the prevalence of such events in people receiving special procedures. More evidence is needed to identify physical health risks associated with electrolysis. Policy and Practice Implications: The evidence contained in this review will be used to inform the training of local authority enforcement officers and special procedures practitioners and to educate members of the public who seek to use these services. Due to the nature of the special procedures which involves piercing the skin and poses the risk of introducing infections to the body, high standards of hygiene may reduce the rate of infection

Mapping the evidence about what works to safely reduce the entry of children and young people into statutory care: a systematic scoping review protocol

Introduction The increasing number of children and young people entering statutory care in the UK is a significant social, health and educational priority. Development of effective approaches to safely reduce this number remains a complex but critical issue. Despite a proliferation in interventions, evidence summaries are limited. The present protocol outlines a scoping review of research evidence to identify what works in safely reducing the number of children and young people (aged ≤18 years) entering statutory social care. The mapping of evidence gaps, clusters and uncertainties will inform the research programme of the newly funded Department for Education’s What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care. Methods and analysis The review uses Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review methodology. Electronic database and website searches will identify studies targeting reduction of care entry, reduction of care re-entry and increase in post-care reunification. Supplementary searching techniques will include international expert consultation. Abstracts and full-text studies will be independently screened by two reviewers. Ten per cent of data abstraction will be independently conducted by two reviewers, with the remainder being extracted and then verified by a second reviewer. Descriptive numerical summaries and a thematic qualitative synthesis will be generated. Evidence will be synthesised according to primary outcome, intervention point (mapped across socioecological domains) and the realist EMMIE categorisation of evidence type (Effectiveness; Mechanisms of change; Moderators; Implementation; Economic evaluation). Ethics and dissemination Outputs will be a conceptual evidence map, a descriptive table quantitatively summarising evidence and a qualitative narrative summary. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations, the What Works Centre website, and knowledge translation events with policy-makers and practitioners. Findings will inform the primary research programme of the What Works Centre for Children’s Social Care and the subsequent suite of systematic reviews to be conducted by the Centre in this substantive area

PROTOCOL: Exploring the effect of case management in homelessness per components: A systematic review of effectiveness and implementation, with meta-analysis and thematic synthesis

This is the protocol for a Campbell review. The objectives are as follows: To carry out a mixed methods review to summarise current evidence relating to the components of case-management interventions for people experiencing homelessness