Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35149576›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2022

Regulatory standards and guidance for the use of health applications for self-management in Africa: scoping review protocol.

Benard Ayaka Bene, Sunny Ibeneme, Kayode Philip Fadahunsi, Bala Isa Harri, Nkiruka Ukor, Nikolaos Mastellos, Azeem Majeed, Josip Car

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Benard Ayaka BeneDepartment of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4545-1836
Sunny IbenemeOffice of the Assistant Regional Director, Research, Development & Innovations Division, WHO - African Regional Office, Brazzaville, Congo.
Kayode Philip FadahunsiDepartment of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1470-5493
Bala Isa HarriDepartment of Health Planning, Research and Statistics, Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.
Nkiruka UkorUniversal Health Coverage/Live course Cluster (UHC/LC), WHO - Nigeria Country Office, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.
Nikolaos MastellosSchool of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Azeem MajeedDepartment of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Josip CarDepartment of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK josip.car@imperial.ac.uk.

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionDespite health applications becoming ubiquitous and with enormous potential to facilitate self-management, regulatory challenges such as poor application quality, breach of data privacy and limited interoperability have impeded their full adoption. While many countries now have digital health-related policies/strategies, there is also a need for regulatory standards and guidance that address key regulatory challenges associated with the use of health applications. Currently, it is unclear the status of countries in Africa regarding regulatory standards and guidance that address the use of health applications.This protocol describes the process of conducting a scoping review which aims to investigate the extent to which regulatory standards and guidance address the use of health applications for self-management within the WHO African Region countries.

methodsThe review will follow the methodological framework for conducting a scoping study by Arksey and O'Malley (2005), and the updated methodological guidance for conducting a Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review. Given that regulatory standards and guidance are unlikely to be available in scientific databases, we will search Scopus, Google, OpenGrey, WHO Regional Office for Africa Library (AFROLIB), African Index Medicus (AIM), websites of WHO, ITU and Ministries of Health, repositories for digital health policies. We will also search the reference lists of included documents, and contact key stakeholders in the region. Results will be reported using descriptive qualitative content analysis based on the review objectives. The policy analysis framework by Walt and Gilson (1994) will be used to organise findings. A summary of the key findings will be presented using tables, charts and maps. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The collection of primary data is not anticipated in this study and hence ethical approval will not be required. The review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal while key findings will be shared with relevant organisations and/or presented at conferences.

Indexed as

Self-ManagementAfricaHealth PolicyHumansPeer ReviewResearch DesignScoping Reviews as Topicclinical governancehealth policyinformation technologyprotocols & guidelinesquality in health care

Identifiers

PMID35149576
PMCPMC8845322

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

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.