Systematic Review

BMJ Open

Racial and socioeconomic disparities in patient experience of clinician empathy: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Clinician empathy is a vital component of high-quality healthcare. Healthcare disparities may reflect a societal lack of empathy for disadvantaged persons in general, and recent research suggests that socioeconomic disparities exist in patient satisfaction with clinicians. However, it is currently unclear if there are disparities in patient experience of empathy from clinicians. The objective of this article is to systematically analyse the scientific literature to test the hypothesis that racial and socioeconomic status (SES) disparities exist in patient-reported experience of clinician empathy.

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Cochrane Review

Covid-19: Timing is critical for antibody tests, finds Cochrane review

A Cochrane systematic review has found that, when it comes to antibody testing for covid-19, timing is everything.

Cognitive behaviour therapy for health anxiety: systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical efficacy and health economic outcomes

This systematic review looked at CBT and internet-based CBT (ICBT) use in helping to reduce health anxiety. The review found that CBT is a highly efficacious and probably cost-effective treatment for health anxiety. The authore recommend that ICBT is implemented more widely, and that health economic outcomes and ways of increasing response and remission rates are explored further.