Record linkage studies of drug-related deaths among former adult prisoners who have been released to the community: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

IntroductionPrisoners often have a complex mix of health and care needs including needs relating to mental and physical ill-health conditions. In addition, substance use disorders are common in prisoners. The transition between prison and community poses risks in terms of a disruption to treatment and care and a deterioration in health. Studies have demonstrated an increased risk of drug-related deaths among former prisoners during the first weeks following release from custody. The aim of this scoping review is to provide an up-to-date account of evidence from record linkage studies about drug-related deaths among former adult prisoners.Methods and analysisThis is a protocol for a scoping review. The framework for conducting scoping reviews by Arksey and O’Malley, in addition to the methodology and guidance developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and the JBI Collaboration will be followed. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO and Web of Science will be searched for studies from 2011 to 2021 using search terms relating to ‘mortality’, ‘drugs’ and ‘ex-prisoner’. A preliminary search in MEDLINE identified at least 473 potentially eligible papers. Two authors will independently screen all titles and abstracts for eligibility using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. There will be no geographical restrictions but non-English language papers will be excluded. Data will be extracted using a piloted customised charting form and the findings will be mapped (guided by the population, concept and context inclusion criteria) and grouped by main conceptual categories (including methodology, key findings and gaps in the research).Discussion, ethics and disseminationThis scoping review will identify, map and summarise publicly available sources of research and therefore does not require ethical approval. The results will inform our empirical investigation of ex-prisoner mortality as well as being shared with key stakeholders, disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences.

Record linkage studies of drug-related deaths among adults who were released from prison to the community: a scoping review

“…This broader scope was informed largely by the results of previous systematic reviews/meta-analysis regarding reported high levels of heterogeneity [5][6][7]. The methods used to conduct this scoping review have been published previously as a protocol [9] and a summary of the methodology is provided here. This review followed the first five stages of the framework for conducting scoping reviews by Arksey and O'Malley [10] and adhered to the guidance developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and the JBI Collaboration.…”

“…The full list is found in appendices 1, 2, 3, and 4. The search strategy for MEDLINE was developed by JAC and MD with assistance from the Subject Librarian for the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences in Queen's University Belfast, and was published with the review protocol [9]. JAC and MD developed search strategies for EMBASE, PsychINFO and Web of Science, and all search strategies used in this review have been provided as supplementary material (appendices 1, 2, 3, and 4).…”

“…Inclusion and exclusion criteria defined in protocol [9] Modifications made to inclusion and exclusion criteria as part of review…”

“…Meta-analyses are not a usual feature of the methodology of scoping reviews [10,11], however, exploratory meta-analyses were conducted following this scoping review to deepen the level of critical analysis by, for example, assessing in a quantitative way, the consistency of effects. Meta-analyses were performed posteriori and were not planned in the study protocol [9].…”

Creating an 11-year longitudinal substance use harm cohort from linked health and census data to analyze social drivers of health

“…This makes the cohort population younger and healthier than the Canadian population. Substance use harm events occurring in correctional settings and following release are well documented and particularly prevalent immediately following release, [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] when many individuals are without an address or are residing in a group home so are not likely to be included with CanCHEC data. A recent scoping review also suggests that prescription misuse is a growing concern among older adults in Canada, 46 suggesting that harm events in nursing homes may also be missed in the CanCHEC data.…”