Skip to main content

Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care Evidence Reviews

Series Editor: Dr Ivan Florez

A thematic series published in Systematic Reviews.

The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (CTFPHC) was established and is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to develop clinical practice guidelines that support primary care providers in delivering preventive health care in Canada. Although funded by PHAC, the CTFPHC is an independent body that is comprised of Canadian primary care and prevention experts. The CTFPHC uses the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system to develop its guidelines, and all recommendations are based on rigorous evidence review. Launched in April 2018, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care Evidence Reviews Collection includes all evidence review protocols and evidence reviews conducted to support the development of CTFPHC guidelines. More information about the CTFPHC can be found on its website (https://canadiantaskforce.ca/). Evidence review protocols and evidence reviews for guidelines that were developed prior to the launch of the Collection can also be found on the CTFPHC website page for each guideline.

Publication of this article series was funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

  1. CRISPR-Cas13a is renowned for its precise and potent RNA editing capabilities in cancer therapy. While various material systems have demonstrated efficacy in supporting CRISPR-Cas13a to execute cellular functi...

    Authors: Mingkang Liang, Yongqiang Wang, Lisha Liu, Dashi Deng, Zeqin Yan, Lida Feng, Chenfan Kong, Chenchen Li, Yuqing Li and Guangzhi Li
    Citation: Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research 2024 43:223
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. This overview of reviews aims to identify evidence on the benefits (i.e. tobacco use abstinence and reduction in smoking frequency) and harms (i.e. possible adverse events/outcomes) of smoking cessation interv...

    Authors: Mona Hersi, Andrew Beck, Candyce Hamel, Leila Esmaeilisaraji, Kusala Pussegoda, Bradley Austin, Nadera Ahmadzai, Misty Pratt, Micere Thuku, Fatemeh Yazdi, Alexandria Bennett, Nicole Shaver, Niyati Vyas, Becky Skidmore, Brian Hutton, Douglas Manuel…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2024 13:179
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. This systematic review aims to identify the benefits and harms of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as a smoking cessation aid in adults (aged ≥ 18 years) and to inform the development of the Canadian Task ...

    Authors: Niyati Vyas, Alexandria Bennett, Candyce Hamel, Andrew Beck, Micere Thuku, Mona Hersi, Nicole Shaver, Becky Skidmore, Brian Hutton, Douglas Manuel, Matt Morrow, Smita Pakhale, Justin Presseau, Beverley J. Shea, Julian Little, David Moher…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2024 13:168
    Content type: Systematic review update Published on:

  4. Social prescribing link workers are non-health or social care professionals who connect people with psychosocial needs to non-clinical community supports. They are being implemented widely, but there is limite...

    Authors: Bridget Kiely, Anna Hobbins, Fiona Boland, Barbara Clyne, Emer Galvin, Vivienne Byers, Sonali Loomba, Patrick O’Donnell, Deirdre Connolly, Eamon O.’ Shea and Susan M. Smith
    Citation: BMC Primary Care 2024 25:233
    Content type: Research Published on:

  5. The sorghum aphid Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (Homoptera: Aphididae) is an important insect in the late growth phase of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.). However, the mechanisms of sorghum response to aphid infest...

    Authors: Xin-Rui Zhao, Dong-Ting Zhao, Ling-Yu Zhang, Jin-Hua Chang and Jiang-Hui Cui
    Citation: BMC Plant Biology 2024 24:529
    Content type: Research Published on:

  6. Different guideline panels, and individuals, may make different decisions based in part on their preferences. Preferences for or against an intervention are viewed as a consequence of the relative importance p...

    Authors: Jennifer Pillay, Samantha Guitard, Sholeh Rahman, Sabrina Saba, Ashiqur Rahman, Liza Bialy, Nicole Gehring, Maria Tan, Alex Melton and Lisa Hartling
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2024 13:140
    Content type: Research Published on:

  7. Saline-sodic stress can limit the absorption of available zinc in rice, subsequently impacting the normal photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism of rice plants. To investigate the impact of exogenous zinc ...

    Authors: Kun Dang, Jinmeng Mu, Hao Tian, Dapeng Gao, Hongxiang Zhou, Liying Guo, Xiwen Shao, Yanqiu Geng and Qiang Zhang
    Citation: BMC Plant Biology 2024 24:464
    Content type: Research Published on:

  8. Sexual dysfunction poses a significant challenge for patients with cardiac conditions. Concerning the prevalence of sexual disorders in cardiovascular patients, several seminal studies conducted in various reg...

    Authors: Arash Ziapour, Mohsen Kazeminia, Mohammad Rouzbahani, Saeedeh Bakhshi, Nafiseh Montazeri, Murat Yıldırım, Hani Tadbiri, Farideh Moradi and Parisa Janjani
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2024 13:136
    Content type: Systematic review update Published on:

  9. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in Canada, and because early cancers are often asymptomatic screening aims to prevent mortality by detecting cancer earlier when treatment is more likely to be...

    Authors: Jennifer Pillay, Sholeh Rahman, Scott Klarenbach, Donna L. Reynolds, Laure A. Tessier, Guylène Thériault, Nav Persaud, Christian Finley, Natasha Leighl, Matthew D. F. McInnes, Chantelle Garritty, Gregory Traversy, Maria Tan and Lisa Hartling
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2024 13:88
    Content type: Protocol Published on:

  10. The transition from childhood to adolescence is associated with an increase in rates of some psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder, a debilitating mood disorder. The aim of this systematic...

    Authors: Andrew Beck, Nicole Dryburgh, Alexandria Bennett, Nicole Shaver, Leila Esmaeilisaraji, Becky Skidmore, Scott Patten, Heather Bragg, Ian Colman, Gary S. Goldfield, Stuart Gordon Nicholls, Kathleen Pajer, Robert Meeder, Priya Vasa, Beverley J. Shea, Melissa Brouwers…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2024 13:48
    Content type: Systematic review update Published on:

  11. To inform updated recommendations by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care on screening in a primary care setting for hypertension in adults aged 18 years and older. This protocol outlines the scop...

    Authors: Nicole Shaver, Andrew Beck, Alexandria Bennett, Brenda J. Wilson, Chantelle Garritty, Melissa Subnath, Roland Grad, Navindra Persaud, Guylène Thériault, Jennifer Flemming, Brett D. Thombs, John LeBlanc, Janusz Kaczorowski, Peter Liu, Christopher E. Clark, Gregory Traversy…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2024 13:17
    Content type: Protocol Published on:

  12. To inform recommendations by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, we reviewed evidence on the benefits, harms, and acceptability of screening and treatment, and on the accuracy of risk prediction...

    Authors: Michelle Gates, Jennifer Pillay, Megan Nuspl, Aireen Wingert, Ben Vandermeer and Lisa Hartling
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2023 12:51
    Content type: Research Published on:

  13. To inform updated recommendations by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care on screening for prostate cancer in adults aged 18 years and older in primary care. This protocol outlines the planned sco...

    Authors: Alexandria Bennett, Andrew Beck, Nicole Shaver, Roland Grad, Allana LeBlanc, Heather Limburg, Casey Gray, Ahmed Abou-Setta, Scott Klarenbach, Navindra Persaud, Guylène Thériault, Brett D. Thombs, Keith J. Todd, Neil Bell, Philipp Dahm, Andrew Loblaw…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2022 11:230
    Content type: Protocol Published on:

  14. To inform recommendations by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care on potentially inappropriate prescribing and over-the-counter (OTC) medication use among adults aged 65 years and older in primary...

    Authors: Andrew Beck, Navindra Persaud, Laure A. Tessier, Roland Grad, Michael R. Kidd, Scott Klarenbach, Christina Korownyk, Ainsley Moore, Brett D. Thombs, Dee Mangin, Rita K. McCracken, Emily G. McDonald, Caroline Sirois, Salmaan Kanji, Frank Molnar, Stuart G. Nicholls…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2022 11:225
    Content type: Protocol Published on:

  15. Depression affects an individual’s physical health and mental well-being and, in pregnant and postpartum women, has specific adverse short- and long-term effects on maternal, child, and family health. The aim ...

    Authors: Andrew Beck, Candyce Hamel, Micere Thuku, Leila Esmaeilisaraji, Alexandria Bennett, Nicole Shaver, Becky Skidmore, Ian Colman, Sophie Grigoriadis, Stuart Gordon Nicholls, Beth K. Potter, Kerri Ritchie, Priya Vasa, Beverley J. Shea, David Moher, Julian Little…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2022 11:176
    Content type: Research Published on:

  16. Major depressive disorder is common, debilitating, and affects feelings, thoughts, mood, and behaviors. Childhood and adolescence are critical periods for the development of depression and adolescence is marke...

    Authors: Andrew Beck, John C. LeBlanc, Kate Morissette, Candyce Hamel, Becky Skidmore, Heather Colquhoun, Eddy Lang, Ainsley Moore, John J. Riva, Brett D. Thombs, Scott Patten, Heather Bragg, Ian Colman, Gary S. Goldfield, Stuart Gordon Nicholls, Kathleen Pajer…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2021 10:24
    Content type: Protocol Published on:

  17. An estimated 20–30% of community-dwelling Canadian adults aged 65 years or older experience one or more falls each year. Fall-related injuries are a leading cause of hospitalization and can lead to functional ...

    Authors: Jennifer Pillay, John J. Riva, Laure A. Tessier, Heather Colquhoun, Eddy Lang, Ainsley E. Moore, Brett D. Thombs, Brenda J. Wilson, Amanda Tzenov, Catherine Donnelly, Marcel Émond, Jayna Holroyd-Leduc, Jamie Milligan, Diana Keto-Lambert, Sholeh Rahman, Ben Vandermeer…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2021 10:18
    Content type: Protocol Published on:

  18. To inform recommendations by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care on screening in primary care for the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer by systematically reviewing evidence of (a)...

    Authors: Allison Gates, Jennifer Pillay, Donna Reynolds, Rob Stirling, Gregory Traversy, Christina Korownyk, Ainsley Moore, Guylène Thériault, Brett D. Thombs, Julian Little, Catherine Popadiuk, Dirk van Niekerk, Diana Keto-Lambert, Ben Vandermeer and Lisa Hartling
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2021 10:2
    Content type: Protocol Published on:

  19. Two reviews and an overview were produced for the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care guideline on screening for esophageal adenocarcinoma in patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GE...

    Authors: Candyce Hamel, Nadera Ahmadzai, Andrew Beck, Micere Thuku, Becky Skidmore, Kusala Pussegoda, Lise Bjerre, Avijit Chatterjee, Kristopher Dennis, Lorenzo Ferri, Donna E. Maziak, Beverley J. Shea, Brian Hutton, Julian Little, David Moher and Adrienne Stevens
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2020 9:20
    Content type: Research Published on:

  20. To inform recommendations by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care by systematically reviewing direct evidence on the effectiveness and acceptability of screening adults 40 years and older in prima...

    Authors: Michelle Gates, Jennifer Pillay, Guylène Thériault, Heather Limburg, Roland Grad, Scott Klarenbach, Christina Korownyk, Donna Reynolds, John J. Riva, Brett D. Thombs, Gregory A. Kline, William D. Leslie, Susan Courage, Ben Vandermeer, Robin Featherstone and Lisa Hartling
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2019 8:216
    Content type: Protocol Published on:

  21. Tobacco smoking is the leading cause of cancer, preventable death, and disability. Smoking cessation can increase life expectancy by nearly a decade if achieved in the third or fourth decades of life. Various ...

    Authors: Mona Hersi, Gregory Traversy, Brett D. Thombs, Andrew Beck, Becky Skidmore, Stéphane Groulx, Eddy Lang, Donna L. Reynolds, Brenda Wilson, Steven L. Bernstein, Peter Selby, Stephanie Johnson-Obaseki, Douglas Manuel, Smita Pakhale, Justin Presseau, Susan Courage…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2019 8:28
    Content type: Protocol Published on:

  22. In 2018, the World Health Organization reported that depression is the most common cause of disability worldwide, with over 300 million people currently living with depression. Depression affects an individual...

    Authors: Candyce Hamel, Eddy Lang, Kate Morissette, Andrew Beck, Adrienne Stevens, Becky Skidmore, Heather Colquhoun, John LeBlanc, Ainsley Moore, John J. Riva, Brett D. Thombs, Ian Colman, Sophie Grigoriadis, Stuart Gordon Nicholls, Beth K. Potter, Kerri Ritchie…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2019 8:27
    Content type: Protocol Published on:

  23. Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are the most commonly reported sexually transmitted infections in Canada. Existing national guidance on screening for these infections was not based on a systematic...

    Authors: Jennifer Pillay, Ainsley Moore, Prinon Rahman, Gabriel Lewin, Donna Reynolds, John Riva, Guyléne Thériault, Brett Thombs, Brenda Wilson, Joan Robinson, Amanda Ramdyal, Geneviéve Cadieux, Robin Featherstone, Anne N. Burchell, Jo-Anne Dillon, Ameeta Singh…
    Citation: Systematic Reviews 2018 7:248
    Content type: Protocol Published on: