Jun 12, 2025
Global Inequities in Health Services Quality Research: A Systematic Review with Bibliometric and Econometric Evidence (2014–2024)
- Mihail-Vasile Pruteanu1,
- Alina Morosanu1,
- Georgeta Zegan1,
- Elena-Mihaela Carausu1,
- Constantin Bogdan Mihaila1
- 1“Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, Romania
Protocol Citation: Mihail-Vasile Pruteanu, Alina Morosanu, Georgeta Zegan, Elena-Mihaela Carausu, Constantin Bogdan Mihaila 2025. Global Inequities in Health Services Quality Research: A Systematic Review with Bibliometric and Econometric Evidence (2014–2024). protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.261ge8ypyg47/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: In development
We are still developing and optimizing this protocol
Created: June 12, 2025
Last Modified: June 12, 2025
Protocol Integer ID: 220054
Keywords: global evidence on health services quality research, global inequities in health services quality research, health services quality research, systematic review with bibliometric, bibliometric, systematic review, citation behavior, econometric evidence, econometric method, health, research
Abstract
This systematic review synthesizes global evidence on health services quality research's distribution, visibility, and impact over the last decade. The study also uses bibliometric and econometric methods to evaluate production patterns, collaboration, thematic focus, and citation behavior.
Troubleshooting
Objectives
Assess the evolution of global research output on health services quality from 2014 to 2024.
Identify dominant research themes and geographic disparities.
Investigate the structural and content-related predictors of citation impact using panel regression models.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion: Peer-reviewed articles and reviews published between 2014 and 2024 in any language address the quality of health services.
Exclusion: Editorials, letters, conference abstracts, or non-peer-reviewed materials.
Information Sources and Search Strategy
Database used: Web of Science Core Collection
Date of final search: January 10, 2024
Search terms: ("health services quality" OR "quality of health services" OR "health policy" OR "health services standards" OR "service quality in health services" OR "patient satisfaction" OR "quality improvement in health systems")
Study Selection
Records were imported and deduplicated in Excel. Two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts. Full-text screening was conducted independently; disagreements were resolved via consensus or third-party adjudication.
Data Extraction and Variables
The variables extracted included publication year, language, title length, author count, number of references, keywords, abstract length, journal, region of affiliation, and citation count. The tools used were Microsoft Excel and R (Bibliometrix package).
Risk of Bias Assessment
Risk of bias was assessed using an adapted JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Bibliometric Reviews, which was applied to a sample of included studies for transparency.
Data Synthesis
Descriptive statistics, citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence, and collaboration network mapping were performed. Panel data regression was conducted using fixed and random effects models. Software used included R (Bibliometrix, plm) and VOSviewer.
Limitations
Only one database (WoS) was used, which may have excluded relevant literature. Language bias and citation lag may influence visibility metrics. This review does not evaluate direct health outcomes or interventions.
Funding and Conflicts of Interest
This study is part of a doctoral research project and received no external funding. No conflicts of interest declared.
Data Availability
Upon acceptance for publication, the dataset and R code will be made available on an open repository (OSF or Zenodo).