SynthesisInternational journal of public health2017
International short-term medical missions: a systematic review of recommended practices.
Synthesis in International journal of public health, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Economic value of international missions and domestic initiatives to strengthen surgical care in low- and middle-income countries: systematic review.The British journal of surgery · 2025Pooled it
- Development of a theoretical framework for assessment of quality of primary care medical service trips in Latin America.International journal of public health · 2019Pooled it
- Impact of short-term reconstructive surgical missions: a systematic review.BMJ global health · 2019Pooled it
- Exploring the Interface Between International Nongovernmental Organizations and Local Vietnamese Hospitals in Cleft Care.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2026Article
- Establishing a sustainable urology program in northern Guatemala: an implementation report from El Petén (2024-2025).International urology and nephrology · 2026Article
- "We will get to…assist the staff of the hospital": comparatively exploring the motivations of pre-medical and medical students from Global North countries for seeking to participate in Ghanaian medical missions.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Beyond Good Intentions: A Justice-Based Critique of Short-Term Medical Missions.Journal of religion and health · 2026Article
- Impact and Sustainability of Foreign Medical Aid: A Qualitative Study with Honduran Healthcare Providers.Annals of global health · 2023Article
- Guidelines for short-term medical missions: perspectives from host countries.Globalization and health · 2022Article
- Reliability of the Service Trip Audit Tool to assess the quality of short-term medical missions.International health · 2021Article
- Improving Short-Term Medical Engagements with Low-to-Middle-Income Countries.NAM perspectives · 2021Review
- Article
- Assessment of Local Health Worker Attitudes toward International Medical Volunteers in Low- and Middle-income Countries: A Global Survey.Journal of epidemiology and global health · 2020Article
- A Catholic Contribution to Global Public Health.Annals of global health · 2020Article
- Extent, nature and consequences of performing outside scope of training in global health.Globalization and health · 2019Article
- Ethics of Short-Term Experiences in Global Health: Engaging Skeptics of Change.Annals of global health · 2019Article
- Professionalisation of International Medical Volunteer Work to Maintain Ethical Standards: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Experience of Volunteer Doctors in Relation to UK Policy.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2019Article
- Guidelines for responsible short-term global health activities: developing common principles.Globalization and health · 2018Review
- Assessing the Short-Term Global Health Experience: A Cross-Sectional Study of Demographics, Socioeconomic Factors, and Disease Prevalence.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo identify practices for conducting international short-term medical missions (STMMs) recommended in the literature and examine how these link STMMs to recipient countries' existing health systems.
methodsSystematic review of PubMed-indexed articles on STMMs and their bibliographies using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. Recommendations were organized using the World Health Organization Health Systems Framework.
resultsIn 92 publications, 67 % offered at least one recommendation that would link STMMs to the recipient country's health system. Among these recommendations, most focused on service delivery and few on health financing and governance. There is a lack of consensus around a proper standard of care, patient selection, and trip duration.
conclusionsComprehensive global standards are needed for STMM work to ensure that services are beneficial both to patients and to the broader healthcare systems of recipient countries. By providing an overview of the current recommendations and important gaps where practice recommendations are needed, this study can provide relevant input into the development of global standards for STMMs.
Indexed as
Identifiers
27592359What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.