We will extract data on study characteristics (eg, first author, citation), population (inclusion criteria), setting, QI intervention and outcomes. QI interventions are complex (ie, multifaceted with multiple targets), so we will explore their elements to determine which aspects contribute to their impact. To do this, www.selleckchem.com/products/jq1.html we will extract information about each QI intervention overall, explore its elements and determine which aspects contribute to the intervention’s impact. To do this, we will extract information about the overall QI intervention, as

well as details about its components or elements (eg, a home-based intervention may include the components such as education, telemonitoring and follow-up with a physician). Data synthesis The analysis will involve collating and summarising all of the findings for each outcome. For RCTs and systematic reviews that do not conduct any statistical testing, results will be presented in a narrative synthesis. Conversely, for studies that include statistical analysis, we will present the statistical estimates (eg,

relative risks or HRs, with 95% CIs) in a tabular format, in addition to summarising them. Interventions determined to be effective by high-quality systematic reviews and/or RCTs will be highlighted. We will consider analysing systematic reviews that pool results, and present a summary of findings only for those that do not. We will also prepare descriptive tables to give an overview of the included study characteristics (ie, with the following data presented for all included

studies: author, year, target population, study design, intervention vs comparator, outcome(s) studied, follow-up period, etc). Given that we are conducting a scoping review and not a systematic review, we will not be carrying out a meta-analysis or assessing study quality, as this is not generally performed in scoping reviews.16 However, we will consider the synthesis of our data according to several conceptual frameworks such as the Donabedian’s structure-process-outcome framework17 as well as Wagner’s Chronic Care Model (CCM).18 19 The aim of CCM is to modify chronic disease care so it becomes patient-centred and high quality. The model provides a structure for organisational/practice change according to six elements for improvement: healthcare organisation, community resources, self-management support, delivery system design, decision support and clinical information Cilengitide system.18 We will also perform additional and more targeted syntheses on interventions (and their components) identified by our stakeholder team as having potential to inform practice (eg, interventions and their components that are identified as effective and feasible to implement). More specifically, we will use the CCM to map QI interventions and their components according to the six CCM elements to determine which has the most potential for improving the transition of care for patients with HF.