Background: Globally, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a major contributor to the burden of cardiovascular disease. Major gaps in RHD prevention and treatment have been documented at all levels of health systems in low- and middle-income countries. Task sharing is an approach that could prove effective in remediating bottlenecks in RHD-related care.

Objectives: This study conducted a systematic review to assess the state of the evidence for the use of task sharing in the diagnosis, prevention, and management of RHD.

Methods: Guided by a previously published protocol, we searched various databases using a systematic search strategy including MeSH and free-text terms for (1) group A streptococcus, acute rheumatic fever, and RHD and (2) strategies of task sharing in limited-resource settings. Two investigators independently screened the search outputs, selected the studies, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias, resolving discrepancies by discussion and consensus.

Results: The publications search yielded 212 records, of which 18 articles were deemed as potentially eligible for inclusion. None of the studies, however, met with the inclusion criteria.

Conclusions: There is a lack of evidence for the use of task-sharing approaches in scaling up RHD prevention and treatment services in limited-resource settings. Considering the persistent burden of group A streptococcus, acute rheumatic fever, and RHD in low- and middle-income countries, this work highlights the urgent need to develop and test models of RHD-related care utilizing an evidence-based approach to task sharing. [Task Sharing in the Diagnosis, Prevention, and Management of Rheumatic Heart Disease: A Systematic Review; CRD42017072989].

Highlights

• RHD is an important cause of cardiovascular disease.
• Major gaps in RHD prevention and treatment exist in developing countries.
• Task sharing could prove effective in remediating bottlenecks in RHD-related care.
• Our systematic review found no evidence that task sharing can improve RHD outcomes.
• We need to develop and test evidence-based models of RHD care using task sharing.