Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
An official website of the United States government
The following reports are currently under development. If you would like to provide comments about a particular topic, serve as a peer reviewer for the draft report, or know the timeline for completion, please contact the ESP Coordinating Center.
To review the most up-to-date protocols, please visit the PROSPERO or OSF websites. Protocol registration details for individual projects can be found along with the brief abstract for the project, below.
PROSPERO registration number: CRD420251145073
KQ1: Among adults who have undergone radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, what interventions are effective for management of chronic xerostomia?
KQ2: Among adults who have undergone radiation therapy for head and neck cancer, what interventions have been used for management of chronic xerostomia?
PROSPERO registration number: CRD420261306976
KQ1: What is the effectiveness of nutritional counseling/education* interventions for non-dialysis dependent CKD when delivered by a dietitian?
KQ1a: What is the comparative effectiveness of nutritional counseling/education* interventions for non-dialysis dependent CKD delivered by a dietitian compared to other professionals?
*Dietitians providing some sort of education, training, nutritional counseling, medical nutrition therapy, nutritional classes, precision nutrition, or similar interventions, to patient (individual or group).
PROSPERO registration number: CRD420261280788
KQ1: What are the benefits and harms of clinical hypnosis to treat adults with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, or substance use disorders?
KQ2: What are the benefits and harms of clinical hypnosis to treat adults with chronic pain?
The overarching aim is to develop and refine a causal logic model explaining how and why RN transition-to-practice programs work, for whom, and in what health system contexts, as well as how their components and functions influence organizational-, nurse-, and patient-level outcomes. Within the model, we will be specifically addressing 2 key questions:
KQ1: Are RNTTPs for entry-to-practice registered nurses (RNs) effective for improving patient-level outcomes (eg, clinical outcomes measured at the patient level, patient satisfaction)?
KQ2: What is the return on investment (ROI) for RNTTPs for entry-to-practice RNs?
Participants/population: Entry-to-practice RNs in the first 12 months of employment following graduation and/or licensure for entry to practice
Intervention(s)/exposure(s): Transition to practice or nurse residency programs specifically designed for entry-to-practice RNs to provide support or preceptorship during the first 12 months of employment following graduation and/or licensure for entry to practice
Comparator(s): Any comparator (eg, usual care, active comparator, historical controls)
Context: Any health care setting; programs implemented in countries listed on the 2022 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to approximate US health care delivery context.
Outcome(s):
Aim: Develop logic model
KQ1:
KQ2:
PROSPERO registration number: CRD420261326473
KQ1: What are the benefits and harms of the therapeutic use of psilocybin as a primary or adjunct treatment for depressive disorders?
KQ2: Do the benefits or harms of psilocybin for depression vary based on patient, intervention, or setting characteristics?
KQ3: What evidence is available to inform implementation of psilocybin treatment?
PROSPERO registration number: CRD420261399085
KQ1: What are the benefits and harms of low-dose radiation therapy for the treatment of osteoarthritis in adults?
KQ1: What assessment tools are effective for identifying the presence of chronic widespread pain or chronic overlapping pain conditions?
KQ2: What is the prognosis of adults with chronic widespread pain or chronic overlapping pain conditions compared to adults with chronic pain that is not widespread and does not include overlapping pain conditions?
KQ3: What is the effectiveness of interventions for chronic pain in adults with chronic widespread pain or chronic overlapping pain conditions compared to adults with chronic pain that is not widespread and does not include chronic overlapping pain conditions?
Participants/population: Adults with chronic (lasting ≥ 3 months) widespread pain or chronic overlapping pain conditions including:
Studies in patients with multisite/multifocal pain (discrete pain in 2 or more sites) that is not described as widespread or diffuse will be excluded.
Intervention(s)/exposure(s):
KQ1: Tools for assessing the presence of chronic widespread pain or chronic overlapping pain conditions in a clinical or research setting
KQ2: None
KQ3: Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for treating chronic pain
Comparator(s):
KQ1: Any
KQ2 & 3: Adults with chronic pain that is not widespread and does not include overlapping pain conditions
Outcome(s):
KQ1: Reliability, validity, accuracy
KQ2: Prognosis (eg, course and severity of chronic pain, number of medication trials, polypharmacy, health care utilization, other clinical outcomes)
KQ3: Pain, functioning, quality of life, health care utilization, other clinical outcomes.
aChronic overlapping pain conditions defined as a set of disorders that show high levels of cooccurrence and include 2 or more of the following chronic pain conditions: Vulvodynia, Temporomandibular Disorders, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Endometriosis, Chronic Tension-Type Headache, Chronic Migraine Headache, Chronic Low Back Pain.
PROSPERO registration number: CRD420261437123
KQ1: What is the effectiveness of interventions to improve retention in medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) for adults with opioid use disorder (OUD)?
KQ2: Does the effectiveness of interventions to improve MOUD retention vary based on patient and/or health care team characteristics?
KQ3: What are the harms or adverse events of interventions to improve MOUD retention?
KQ1: What are the risks of age-important adverse events of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and dual gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP)/GLP-1RAs among older adults?
Participants/population: Adults aged 65 and older prescribed GLP-1RAs or (GIP)/GLP-1RAs.
If a study includes mixed age groups or presents a subgroup by age, we will include if 80% or more of the individuals are aged 65 and over.
Intervention(s)/exposure(s):
FDA-approved GLP-1RAs or (GIP)/GLP-1RAs:
GLP-1RAs or (GIP)/GLP-1RAs under review at the FDA with approvals expected by 2026:
Comparator(s): Usual care, standard of care; non-GLP-1RA or non-GIP/GLP-1RA comparator (eg, basal insulin, metformin, lifestyle modification interventions)
Context: Any outpatient or inpatient health care setting
Outcome(s):
Age-important adverse events:
Secondary adverse events:
KQ1: What are the effects of integrated physical therapy (PT) in primary care on patient satisfaction, staff satisfaction, access to care, and health care utilization for adults with musculoskeletal disorders and/or mobility impairments?
KQ2: Do the effects of integrated PT in primary care vary by clinic, staff, or patient characteristics?
KQ3: For studies of integrated PT in primary care identified for KQ1 & 2:
Participants/population: Adults presenting to primary care clinics with following conditions for which outpatient PT is indicated:
Intervention(s)/exposure(s): Integrated primary care PT (ie, evaluation by a physical therapist integrated with the primary care team). We will exclude PT referral models that solely allow a patient to schedule a PT visit directly (without interaction with primary care).
Comparator(s): Any
Context: Outpatient primary care health care settings
Outcome(s):
KQ1 & 2:
KQ3:
KQ1: Among residents of nursing homes and VA Community Living Centers, are music exposure activities or therapeutic interventions effective for management of behavioral symptoms, stratifying by cognitive impairment?
Participants/population: Adult residents of nursing homes and VA Community Living Centers
Intervention(s)/exposure(s): Music exposure activities or therapeutic interventions (eg, listening to music, singing, playing instruments, “rhythmic exercise”, etc, in a group or individual setting). We will include music interventions regardless of the primary aim of the intervention. Interventions must be regular and structured (2 sessions and monthly)
Exclusions: Interventions where music is one of multiple components and the effect of the music component cannot be isolated, including music and movement intervention; studies where participants self-select or are selected into a music intervention from a menu of possible interventions based on patient characteristics/ preferences.
Comparator(s): Any
Context: Nursing homes and VA Community Living Centers
Excluded: Assisted living facilities
Outcome(s):
Required, measured using standardized tools or counts:
Additionally, if reported:
