TY  - JOUR
AU  - Sapari, Hadita
AU  - Selamat, Mohamad Ikhsan
AU  - Isa, Mohamad Rodi
AU  - Ismail, Rohaida
AU  - Wan Mahiyuddin, Wan Rozita
PY  - 2023
DA  - 2023/10/16
TI  - The Impact of Heat Waves on Health Care Services in Low- or Middle-Income Countries: Protocol for a Systematic Review
JO  - JMIR Res Protoc
SP  - e44702
VL  - 12
KW  - heat wave
KW  - burden
KW  - health care service
KW  - morbidity
KW  - low- or middle-income countries
KW  - LMICs
KW  - mortality
AB  - Background: Heat waves significantly impact ecosystems and human health, especially that of vulnerable populations, and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Besides being directly related to climate-sensitive health outcomes, heat waves have indirectly increased the burden on our health care systems. Although the existing literature examines the impact of heat waves and morbidity, past research has mostly been conducted in high-income countries (HICs), and studies on the impact of heat waves on morbidity in low- or middle-income countries (LMICs) are still scarce. Objective: This paper presents the protocol for a systematic review that aims to provide evidence of the impact of heat waves on health care services in LMICs. Methods: We will identify peer-reviewed studies from 3 online databases, including the Web of Science, PubMed, and SCOPUS, published from January 2002 to April 2023, using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Quality assessment will be conducted using the Navigation Guide checklist. Key search terms include heatwaves, extreme heat, hospitalization, outpatient visit, burden, health services, and morbidity. Results: This systematic review will provide insight into the impact of heat waves on health care services in LMICs, especially on emergency department visits, ambulance call-outs, hospital admissions, outpatient department visits, in-hospital mortality, and health care operational costs. Conclusions: The results of this review are anticipated to help policymakers and key stakeholders obtain a better understanding of the impact of heat waves on health care services and prioritize investments to mitigate the effects of heat waves in LMICs. This entails creating a comprehensive heat wave plan and ensuring that adequate infrastructure, capacity, and human resources are allocated in the health care sector. These measures will undoubtedly contribute to the development of resilience in health care systems and hence protect the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42022365471; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=365471 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/44702 
SN  - 1929-0748
UR  - https://www.researchprotocols.org/2023/1/e44702
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/44702
UR  - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37843898
DO  - 10.2196/44702
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/44702
ER  -