Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37311637›Full record

Observational studyBMJ open2023

Number and timing of primary cleft lip and palate repair surgeries in England: whole nation study of electronic health records before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

David Etoori, Min Hae Park, Ruth Marion Blackburn, Kate J Fitzsimons, Sophie Butterworth, Jibby Medina, Louise Mc Grath-Lone, Craig Russell, Jan van der Meulen

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

9 authors.

David EtooriInstitute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK.
Min Hae ParkDepartment of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Ruth Marion BlackburnInstitute of Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK r.blackburn@ucl.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-3491-7381
Kate J FitzsimonsClinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2385-3172
Sophie ButterworthClinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK.
Jibby MedinaClinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK.
Louise Mc Grath-LoneUniversity College London Institute of Education, London, UK.
Craig RussellClinical Effectiveness Unit, Royal College of Surgeons of England, London, UK.
Jan van der MeulenDepartment of Health Services Research and Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.

Funding

Department of HealthMedical Research Council MR/S003797/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo quantify differences in number and timing of first primary cleft lip and palate (CLP) repair procedures during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021; 2020/2021) compared with the preceding year (1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020; 2019/2021).

designNational observational study of administrative hospital data.

settingNational Health Service hospitals in England. STUDY POPULATION: Children <5 years undergoing primary repair for an orofacial cleft Population Consensus and Surveys Classification of Interventions and Procedures-fourth revisions (OPCS-4) codes F031, F291). MAIN EXPOSURE: Procedure date (2020/2021 vs 2019/2020). MAIN OUTCOMES: Numbers and timing (age in months) of first primary CLP procedures.

results1716 CLP primary repair procedures were included in the analysis. In 2020/2021, 774 CLP procedures were carried out compared with 942 in 2019/2020, a reduction of 17.8% (95% CI 9.5% to 25.4%). The reduction varied over time in 2020/2021, with no surgeries at all during the first 2 months (April and May 2020). Compared with 2019/2020, first primary lip repair procedures performed in 2020/2021 were delayed by 1.6 months on average (95% CI 0.9 to 2.2 months). Delays in primary palate repairs were smaller on average but varied across the nine geographical regions.

conclusionThere were significant reductions in the number and delays in timing of first primary CLP repair procedures in England during the first year of the pandemic, which may affect long-term outcomes.

Indexed as

Cleft LipCleft PalateCOVID-19ChildElectronic Health RecordsEnglandHumansPandemicsState MedicineCOVID-19EPIDEMIOLOGYPaediatric surgeryPAEDIATRIC SURGERY

Identifiers

PMID37311637
PMCPMC10276964

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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.