Developing a protocol for a systematic review David Mulcahy, Kerry Gray and Kristin Liabo.
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Transcript of Developing a protocol for a systematic review David Mulcahy, Kerry Gray and Kristin Liabo.
Developing a protocol for a systematic review
David Mulcahy, Kerry Gray and Kristin Liabo
• Decide on a research question• Look for studies that have already tried to answer
the question• Read the relevant studies that we find• Decide on whether the studies are of good quality• Write a report which sums up what the studies
conclude
What is a systematic review?
• Something relevant to looked after children’s health
• Two meetings to decide on the topic • In discussions the following topics were
identified as important:
Our systematic review:
What is the most important issue for looked after children’s health?
Mental health Bullying
Teenage pregnancies
Offending
Education Alcohol and drugs
Interventions to help looked after children stay
in school
Education:
What links education and health???????
Education helps with your mental
and physical development
Research has shown that you live a longer life if
you’ve got a good education
Education is important to health because it is likely to give you a better job, and
therefore more money
Education comes first. It prevents crime, drug use, alcohol use and therefore
improves your health.
The case against education:
There is no direct relationship between education and health
Education is useful but not essential
I disagree with the choice of topic but I still want to be part of the review, and to make a
contribution
• 44% of children looked after gained one GCSE or GNVQ (compared with 99.2%)
• 7% of children looked after gained at least 5 GCSEs at grade A* to C (compared with 69.7%)
• 63% of care leavers were in education, employment or training on their 19th birthday.
Source: Department for Children, Schools and Families. Statistical first release: Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March
2009. Released 13th of October 2009.
Background statistics:
• So, we had a research question, then what?
• We needed a protocol
• What’s a protocol?
• A guideline for how we will carry out the systematic review
Hard discussions and decisions:
–Which interventions?–What kinds of studies?–What kinds of outcomes?
Key questions for writing the protocol:
Mental health
Exclusion numbers
Number of GCSEs/final year
exams
University/college/further
education/trainingTeachers’ reports
Young people’s views/self report
Employment
Interventions to help looked after children stay in
schoolOn benefits
Attendance
Outcomes:
• Not always clear what we were doing• Compromises• Time consuming• Shifting membership was an issue
• A systematic review is in progress• Learning
Was it easy?