Evidence of integrated health service delivery during COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries: protocol for a scoping review

Neill, R.; Hasan, Z.; Das, P.; Venugopal, V.; Jain, N.; Arora, D.; Gupta, S.

Introduction The importance of integrated, people-centered health systems has been recognized as a central component of achieving Universal Health Coverage. Integration has also been highlighted as a critical element for building resilient health systems that can stand the shock of health emergencies. However, there is dearth of research and systematic synthesis of evidence on the synergistic relationship between integrated health services and pandemic preparedness in low- and low-middle income countries (LMICs). Thus, the authors are organizing a scoping review aiming to explore application of integrated health service delivery approaches during the emerging COVID-19 pandemic in LMICs. Methods and analysis This scoping review adheres to the six steps for scoping reviews from Arksey and OMalley (2005). Peer reviewed scientific literature will be systematically assembled utilizing a standardized and replicable search strategy from seven electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL Plus, the World Health Organization Global Research Database on COVID-19, and LitCovid. Initially, the title and abstract of the collected literature, published in English from December 2019 to June 2020, will be screened for inclusion which will be followed by a full text review by two independent reviewers. Data will be charted using a data extraction form and reported in narrative format with accompanying data matrices. Ethics and dissemination No ethical approval is required for the review. The study will be conducted from June to December 2020. Results from this study will provide a snapshot of the evidence currently being generated related to integrated health service delivery in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings will be developed into reports and a peer-reviewed articles and will assist policy makers in making pragmatic and evidence-based decisions for current and future pandemic response.