Reducing delay in patients with acute coronary syndrome and other time-critical conditions: a systematic review to identify the behaviour change techniques associated with effective interventions

Background Time to treatment in many conditions, particularly acute coronary syndrome, is critical to reducing mortality. Delay between onset of symptoms and treatment remains a worldwide problem. Reducing patient delay has been particularly challenging. Embedding behaviour change techniques (BCTs)...

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Main Authors: Shaun Treweek, Karen Smith, Barbara Farquharson, Purva Abhyankar, Stephan U Dombrowski, Nadine Dougall, Brian Williams, Marie Johnston
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2019-05-01
Series:Open Heart
Online Access:https://openheart.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000975.full
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author Shaun Treweek
Karen Smith
Barbara Farquharson
Purva Abhyankar
Stephan U Dombrowski
Nadine Dougall
Brian Williams
Marie Johnston
author_facet Shaun Treweek
Karen Smith
Barbara Farquharson
Purva Abhyankar
Stephan U Dombrowski
Nadine Dougall
Brian Williams
Marie Johnston
author_sort Shaun Treweek
collection DOAJ
description Background Time to treatment in many conditions, particularly acute coronary syndrome, is critical to reducing mortality. Delay between onset of symptoms and treatment remains a worldwide problem. Reducing patient delay has been particularly challenging. Embedding behaviour change techniques (BCTs) within interventions might lead to shorter delay.Objective To identify which BCTs are associated with reductions in patient delay among people with symptoms or conditions where time to treatment is critical.Methods The data sources were Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO. Study eligibility criteria include intervention evaluations (randomised controlled trials, controlled clinical trials and cohort studies) involving adults (aged >18 years) and including an outcome measure of patient delay up to August 2016. Study appraisal and synthesis methods include screening potential studies using a transparent, replicable process. Study characteristics, outcomes and BCTs were extracted from eligible studies.Results From 39 studies (200 538 participants), just over half (n=20) reported a significant reduction in delay. 19 BCTs were identified, plus 5 additional techniques, with a mean of 2 (SD=2.3) BCTs and 2 (SD=0.7) per intervention. No clear pattern between BCTs and effectiveness was found. In studies examining patient delay specifically, three of four studies that included two or more BCTs, in addition to the two most commonly used additional techniques, reported a significant reduction in delay.Conclusions Around half of the interventions to reduce prehospital delay with time-critical symptoms report a significant reduction in delay time. It is not clear what differentiates effective from non-effective interventions, although in relation to patient delay particularly additional use of BCTs might be helpful.Trial registration number CRD42014013106.
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spelling doaj-art-f8af4ef55ad0436e9abd99a803ee6cc82024-11-12T08:10:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupOpen Heart2053-36242019-05-016110.1136/openhrt-2018-000975Reducing delay in patients with acute coronary syndrome and other time-critical conditions: a systematic review to identify the behaviour change techniques associated with effective interventionsShaun Treweek0Karen Smith1Barbara Farquharson2Purva Abhyankar3Stephan U Dombrowski4Nadine Dougall5Brian Williams6Marie Johnston72 Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UKdirector1 School of Health & Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK2 School of Health Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK5 Faculty of Kinesiology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, CanadaSchool of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UKAnesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USAemeritus professor of health psychologyBackground Time to treatment in many conditions, particularly acute coronary syndrome, is critical to reducing mortality. Delay between onset of symptoms and treatment remains a worldwide problem. Reducing patient delay has been particularly challenging. Embedding behaviour change techniques (BCTs) within interventions might lead to shorter delay.Objective To identify which BCTs are associated with reductions in patient delay among people with symptoms or conditions where time to treatment is critical.Methods The data sources were Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PsycINFO. Study eligibility criteria include intervention evaluations (randomised controlled trials, controlled clinical trials and cohort studies) involving adults (aged >18 years) and including an outcome measure of patient delay up to August 2016. Study appraisal and synthesis methods include screening potential studies using a transparent, replicable process. Study characteristics, outcomes and BCTs were extracted from eligible studies.Results From 39 studies (200 538 participants), just over half (n=20) reported a significant reduction in delay. 19 BCTs were identified, plus 5 additional techniques, with a mean of 2 (SD=2.3) BCTs and 2 (SD=0.7) per intervention. No clear pattern between BCTs and effectiveness was found. In studies examining patient delay specifically, three of four studies that included two or more BCTs, in addition to the two most commonly used additional techniques, reported a significant reduction in delay.Conclusions Around half of the interventions to reduce prehospital delay with time-critical symptoms report a significant reduction in delay time. It is not clear what differentiates effective from non-effective interventions, although in relation to patient delay particularly additional use of BCTs might be helpful.Trial registration number CRD42014013106.https://openheart.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000975.full
spellingShingle Shaun Treweek
Karen Smith
Barbara Farquharson
Purva Abhyankar
Stephan U Dombrowski
Nadine Dougall
Brian Williams
Marie Johnston
Reducing delay in patients with acute coronary syndrome and other time-critical conditions: a systematic review to identify the behaviour change techniques associated with effective interventions
Open Heart
title Reducing delay in patients with acute coronary syndrome and other time-critical conditions: a systematic review to identify the behaviour change techniques associated with effective interventions
title_full Reducing delay in patients with acute coronary syndrome and other time-critical conditions: a systematic review to identify the behaviour change techniques associated with effective interventions
title_fullStr Reducing delay in patients with acute coronary syndrome and other time-critical conditions: a systematic review to identify the behaviour change techniques associated with effective interventions
title_full_unstemmed Reducing delay in patients with acute coronary syndrome and other time-critical conditions: a systematic review to identify the behaviour change techniques associated with effective interventions
title_short Reducing delay in patients with acute coronary syndrome and other time-critical conditions: a systematic review to identify the behaviour change techniques associated with effective interventions
title_sort reducing delay in patients with acute coronary syndrome and other time critical conditions a systematic review to identify the behaviour change techniques associated with effective interventions
url https://openheart.bmj.com/content/6/1/e000975.full
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