Department of Medical Informatics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Niedersachsen, Germany
Department of Medical Informatics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, University Medical Center, Göttingen, Niedersachsen, Germany.
BMJ Open. 2022 Apr 1;12(4):e059833. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059833.
Thermography offers a non-invasive radiation-free methodology for diagnostic imaging and temperature measurement, but the extent of the current application is unclear, as is the level of evidence for each use case. Moreover, population-based thermographic reference values for diagnostic purposes are nearly unknown. The aim of this scoping review is to identify patient populations and diseases in which thermography is applied, cataloguing of technical and environmental modalities, investigation of the existence of specific reference data and finally exploration of gaps and future tasks.
PubMed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and CENTRAL, Embase, Web of Science and OpenGrey are to be searched using pretested suitable search strategies, with no language restriction, but abstracts should be available in English or German and articles should not have been published before 2000. This limited time frame is due to the rapid technological progress, which makes it necessary to exclude reports based on outdated technology. The literature found will be selected on the basis of previously defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subsequently, relevant data will be extracted from the included references into a predesigned table. The selection and extraction process will be conducted by two researchers independently. The report of the results will be according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. The entire review process will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute approach. The scoping review protocol is registered at the Open Science Framework.
Ethical approval is not required for this work, but ethical medicine also obliges us to carefully consider diagnostic alternatives and compare them with current standards. The dissemination of the results will take place in a variety of ways. First and foremost through publication in an open access journal, but also through conference proceedings. In addition, this scoping review will serve to open up new research foci with regard to thermography.
热成像提供了一种非侵入性、无辐射的诊断成像和温度测量方法，但目前的应用范围尚不清楚，每个应用案例的证据水平也不清楚。此外，用于诊断目的的基于人群的热成像参考值几乎未知。本范围综述的目的是确定热成像应用于哪些患者人群和疾病，对技术和环境模式进行分类，调查是否存在特定的参考数据，并最终探索差距和未来的任务。
将使用预先测试的合适搜索策略在 PubMed、Cochrane 系统评价数据库和 CENTRAL、Embase、Web of Science 和 OpenGrey 中进行搜索，不限制语言，但摘要应提供英文或德文，并且文章不得早于 2000 年发表。这一有限的时间范围是由于技术的快速发展，这使得有必要排除基于过时技术的报告。根据先前定义的纳入和排除标准，从文献中选择相关文献。随后，将从纳入的参考文献中提取相关数据到预先设计的表格中。选择和提取过程将由两名研究人员独立进行。结果的报告将根据系统评价和荟萃分析扩展的首选报告项目清单进行。整个审查过程将遵循乔安娜·布里格斯研究所的方法。范围综述方案在开放科学框架中注册。
这项工作不需要伦理批准，但伦理医学也要求我们仔细考虑诊断替代方案，并将其与当前标准进行比较。研究结果将通过多种方式传播。首先是在开放获取期刊上发表，但也会在会议论文集中发表。此外，这项范围综述将有助于为热成像开辟新的研究重点。
