Protocol for scoping review to Identify and characterize Surgery, Obstetric, Trauma and Anesthesia care in Ugandan health policy databases

Abstract

Introduction: Diseases addressed by surgical, obstetrics, trauma, and anesthesia (SOTA) care are rising globally due to an anticipated rise in the burden on non-communicable diseases, and road traffic accidents. Low and middle-income countries (LMICs) disproportionately bear the brunt. Evidence-based policies and political commitment are required to reverse this trend. The Lancet Commission of Global Surgery proposed National Surgical and Obstetrics Plans (NSOAP) to alleviate the respective SOTA burdens in LMICs. NSOAP plans success leverages comprehensive stakeholder engagement and appropriate health policy analyses and recommendations. As Uganda embarks on its NSOAP development, policy prioritization in Uganda remains unexplored. Objectives: We seek to determine the importance given to Surgery, Obstetrics, Anesthesia, and Trauma care in Ugandas health care policy and decision-making documents. Methods: Arksey and OMalleys framework will guide this proposed review of Ugandas SOTA-related health policy and decision-making documents. The search will be conducted on the following health policy databases: Google Scholar, websites of relevant government institutions, international and national non-governmental organizations, professional associations and councils, and religious and medical bureaus. Data retrieved from the eligible policy and decision-making documents will include the year of publication, the global surgery specialty mentioned, the surgical system domain and stakeholders involved, and the funder of the policy. The data will be collected in a preformed extraction sheet. 2 independent reviewers will screen the collected data, and results will be presented as counts and their respective proportions. Ethics and dissemination: This study will generate evidence-based information on the state of SOTA care in Ugandas health policy, which will inform NSOAP development in this nation. The reviews findings will be presented to the Ministry of Health planning task force. The study will also be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, oral and poster presentations at local, regional, national, and international conferences, and over social media. Strengths and Limitations of the study: This will be the first scoping review to examine the prioritization of SOTA care in Ugandas health care policy documents. The search strategy includes several electronic databases, including governmental and non-governmental organizations, professional associations and councils, and religious and medical bureaus. However, this scoping review may not capture some sources from gray literature and other non-online sources. Keywords: Health policy analysis, SOTA care, Global surgery, NSOAP.