EMERGENCY MEDICINE RESEARCH IN PAKISTAN: A SCOPING REVIEW ABOUT THE PUBLICATION TRENDS AND QUALITY ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE

Abstract

Background: This study examines trends in emergency medicine research published in Pakistan from 2012 to 2021. We
aimed to identify research gaps and areas needing further investigation.
Materials & Methods: We searched online databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, EBSCO) for studies related to emergen-
cy medicine in Pakistan published between January 2012 and December 2021. Studies were included if they were published
in English, peer-reviewed, and focused on emergency medicine in Pakistan. Two reviewers assessed eligibility and study
quality.
Results: One hundred fifty articles were included in the review out of 871 that met the eligibility criteria. A significant portion
of these articles was published in 2020, accounting for 22.7% of the total, followed by 2016 and 2017, which together con-
tributed 12%. Conversely, 2021 had the fewest publications, with only 1.3% of studies released. During this period, the most
common study design was the cross-sectional design, representing 40.7% of all studies, while mixed-methods and qualita-
tive studies were the least common, each accounting for 1.3%. Regarding risk of bias, 48% of the studies were assessed as
having a moderate level, and 50% were identified as having a high risk of confounding factors. Overall, approximately 80%
of the articles were classified as having predominantly moderate quality. The primary focus of the cross-sectional and cohort
studies, as well as case reports, was on Infectious Diseases. Notably, a mixed-methods study on Violence and Trauma was
published in 2021, and a qualitative study from 2015 examined ethical considerations.
Conclusion: This scoping review emphasizes the prevalence of cross-sectional study designs and themes related to infec-
tious diseases in Pakistani emergency medicine research, with most articles rated as moderate quality. Future research
should focus on understudied areas, including social determinants of health, resource-limited settings, and cost-effective-
ness analyses.
Keywords: Scoping, review, emergency medicine, Scoping Review