ArticleBMJ open2026
Cross-border healthcare system function, performance and cooperation in Europe: a scoping review protocol.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionCross-border collaboration in healthcare has become increasingly important in the context of European integration, particularly in border regions where institutional and health system interactions are most pronounced. These regions offer opportunities for joint healthcare provision, patient and workforce mobility and shared use of resources. However, healthcare governance largely remains a national responsibility, introducing administrative, legal and institutional barriers to coordinated care. This review will examine the structures and mechanisms in place for cooperation and will map the available evidence relevant to the functions of cross-border healthcare in Europe using the Health System Performance Assessment framework. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This scoping review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Eligibility will be determined using the Population-Concept-Context approach. A three-step search strategy will include an initial limited search, comprehensive searches across six databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Medline, Embase, Global Health, Scopus) and grey literature searching. Two reviewers will independently screen studies via Covidence. Data will be extracted using a standardised form and synthesised descriptively. AI tools can assist with specific steps in the Responsible AI in Evidence Synthesis framework, provided they are supplemented by manual verification. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required as this review uses publicly available literature. Findings will be disseminated through an open-access publication, conferences and policy briefs targeting cross-border healthcare stakeholders.
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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.