Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder resources for health professionals: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

IntroductionPeople with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) encounter a range of health and allied health providers and require specialised support to ensure health services are provided safely and effectively. Not all health professionals possess the knowledge or expertise required for the identification, assessment, referral and management of FASD. Accessible resources for understanding and managing FASD can help create awareness in health professionals and ensure patients receive the correct diagnosis and timely access to the necessary supports and services. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and analyse FASD resources for health professionals.Methods and analysisA comprehensive search of eight databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, PubMED, EMBASE, Web of Science and Trip Medical Database) and nine grey literature databases (FASD Hub, NOFASD Australia, National Organisation for FASD, FASD United, HealthInfoNet, Proof Alliance, Child Family Community Australia, Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education and the Australian Department of Health websites) will be conducted using three search engines including PubMed, Ovid and Google advanced search (search dates: October 2021 to May 2022). Consultations will also be carried out with international and national experts in the diagnosis/management of FASD to obtain any additional relevant published or unpublished resources. Inclusion criteria were developed to guide the selection of resources that are publicly available, primarily focused on FASD and curated for health professionals for the identification, management or referral of FASD. Critical appraisal process will be executed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch & Evaluation II (AGREE II) tool to assess the quality of selected resources.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required for the scoping review. Scoping review results will be presented at relevant national and international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. Search results will be made available to ensure reproducibility and transparency.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder resources for health professionals: a scoping review

“… 53 Details are outlined in the scoping review protocol. 54 An overview is described below, including changes to the published protocol.…”

“…and What is the key purpose of the resource, including screening, diagnosis, referral for treatment and other learning and psychosocial supports? After the publication of the study protocol, 54 an additional aim was added to explore the extent to which the resources are culturally appropriate for First Nations Australians.…”

“…Resources were defined as a product or output from a source, including guidelines, guides, factsheets, videos, podcasts, apps and online learning materials. The study protocol presents the inclusion criteria, 54 including the language requirement that resources must be published in English. Consequently, non-English resources, including those written in languages for some minority or marginalised groups, were excluded from this scoping review.…”

“…Consultations with FASD experts were then undertaken to identify other potential resources. Details are presented in tables 3 and 4 of the study protocol 54 and online supplemental table S1 . A concept table was developed for each database and website searched, consistent with the PRISMA-ScR checklist.…”