Impact of digital health interventions on pain and symptom management in home hospice patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Thiago Oliveira Dos Santos; Fábila Fernanda Dos Passos Da Rosa; Kleyton Santos Medeiros; Francis Solange Vieira Tourinho

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0333513

Peer Review History

Original SubmissionMay 19, 2025
6 Aug 2025 Decision Letter - Giovanni Ottoboni, Editor PONE-D-25-27115Impact of Digital Health Interventions on Pain and Symptom Management in Home Hospice Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis ProtocolPLOS ONE Dear Dr. Tourinho, Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process. Please submit your revised manuscript by Sep 20 2025 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at plosone@plos.org . When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file. Please include the following items when submitting your revised manuscript: A rebuttal letter that responds to each point raised by the academic editor and reviewer(s). You should upload this letter as a separate file labeled 'Response to Reviewers'. A marked-up copy of your manuscript that highlights changes made to the original version. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Revised Manuscript with Track Changes'. An unmarked version of your revised paper without tracked changes. You should upload this as a separate file labeled 'Manuscript'. If you would like to make changes to your financial disclosure, please include your updated statement in your cover letter. Guidelines for resubmitting your figure files are available below the reviewer comments at the end of this letter. If applicable, we recommend that you deposit your laboratory protocols in protocols.io to enhance the reproducibility of your results. Protocols.io assigns your protocol its own identifier (DOI) so that it can be cited independently in the future. For instructions see: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/submission-guidelines#loc-laboratory-protocols . Additionally, PLOS ONE offers an option for publishing peer-reviewed Lab Protocol articles, which describe protocols hosted on protocols.io. Read more information on sharing protocols at https://plos.org/protocols?utm_medium=editorial-email&utm_source=authorletters&utm_campaign=protocols . We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript. Kind regards, Giovanni Ottoboni, Psy, PhD Academic Editor PLOS ONE Journal Requirements: When submitting your revision, we need you to address these additional requirements. 1. Please ensure that your manuscript meets PLOS ONE's style requirements, including those for file naming. The PLOS ONE style templates can be found at https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/file?id=wjVg/PLOSOne_formatting_sample_main_body.pdf and https://journals.plos.org/plosone/s/file?id=ba62/PLOSOne_formatting_sample_title_authors_affiliations.pdf . 2. Please include a caption for figure 1. 3. If the reviewer comments include a recommendation to cite specific previously published works, please review and evaluate these publications to determine whether they are relevant and should be cited. There is no requirement to cite these works unless the editor has indicated otherwise. Additional Editor Comments (if provided): The authors state that this protocol has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). Could the authors kindly clarify the rationale for presenting the same material here, and explain how this submission adds value beyond the registered protocol? [Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.] [NOTE: If reviewer comments were submitted as an attachment file, they will be attached to this email and accessible via the submission site. Please log into your account, locate the manuscript record, and check for the action link "View Attachments". If this link does not appear, there are no attachment files.] While revising your submission, please upload your figure files to the Preflight Analysis and Conversion Engine (PACE) digital diagnostic tool, https://pacev2.apexcovantage.com/ . PACE helps ensure that figures meet PLOS requirements. To use PACE, you must first register as a user. Registration is free. Then, login and navigate to the UPLOAD tab, where you will find detailed instructions on how to use the tool. If you encounter any issues or have any questions when using PACE, please email PLOS at figures@plos.org . Please note that Supporting Information files do not need this step. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333513.r001
Revision 1
13 Sep 2025 Author Response Manuscript ID: PONE-D-25-27115 Title: Impact of Digital Health Interventions on Pain and Symptom Management in Home Hospice Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol Corresponding Author: Dr. Tourinho ________________________________________ Response to Reviewers’ Comments We would like to thank the Editors and Reviewers for their thoughtful and constructive comments. We have addressed each point below. All changes are indicated in the tracked version of the revised manuscript and are described below in a point-by-point response.________________________________________ EDITORIAL COMMENTS 1. “Please ensure that your manuscript meets PLOS ONE's style requirements, including those for file naming. The PLOS ONE style templates can be found ... Response: Thank you for your clarification. We have revised the manuscript, including the abstract structure, in accordance with the journal’s guidelines and references. de Oliveira Monteiro AB, Honnef LR, Dias de Oliveira JM, Pauletto P, Massignan C, Stefani CM, Zimmermann GS, Canto GL. Prevalence of periodontitis in adolescents: A systematic review protocol. PLoS One. 2025 May 5;20(5):e0321993. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0321993. PMID: 40324012; PMCID: PMC12052176. Fosu PK, Hoor GT, Adjei CA, Atibila F, Ruiter RAC. Prevalence of Hepatitis C viral infection in Ghana: A systematic review and meta-analysis protocol. PLoS One. 2025 Apr 16;20(4):e0321483. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0321483. PMID: 40238759; PMCID: PMC12002434. 2. Please include a caption for figure 1. Response: The figure caption has been included. 3. If the reviewer comments include a recommendation to cite specific previously published works, please review and evaluate these publications to determine whether they are relevant and should be cited. There is no requirement to cite these works unless the editor has indicated otherwise. Response: Understood; however, no specific reference was recommended for citation. Additional Editor Comments (if provided): The authors state that this protocol has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). Could the authors kindly clarify the rationale for presenting the same material here, and explain how this submission adds value beyond the registered protocol? Response: We are grateful for the opportunity to clarify this important point. Indeed, as indicated, this protocol was previously registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), in accordance with international best practices for transparency and bias reduction in systematic reviews. The submission of the protocol to this journal aims to make it more widely accessible and provide a more detailed account than is possible through PROSPERO, as well as to enable peer review, which is not available on the PROSPERO platform. As emphasized in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (version 6.4, section 2), the publication of protocols in peer-reviewed journals is a key step toward promoting transparency, increasing the visibility of the study, and preventing unnecessary duplication of efforts. "Registering and publishing a protocol can help avoid unplanned duplication and enable readers to compare what was planned in the protocol with what was actually done in the review." (Cochrane Handbook, Section 2) While PROSPERO registration requires only a brief description of the planned methods, the manuscript submitted to the journal allows for a more comprehensive presentation of the rationale, inclusion and exclusion criteria, search strategies, methods of analysis, and assessment of the quality of evidence. Such detailed reporting is not possible within the PROSPERO registry, yet it is essential to ensure reproducibility and enable critical appraisal by the scientific community. Moreover, the formal publication of the protocol contributes to scientific integrity by providing a citable and indexed record, thereby strengthening the methodological traceability of the forthcoming systematic review. This process is widely recognized as good practice and is encouraged by initiatives such as PRISMA-P (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols), which emphasizes the importance of thoroughly describing methods prior to conducting the review. We hope this explanation meets the editorial request and remain at your disposal for any further clarification. Sincerely, Dr. Francis Tourinho, on behalf of all co-authors Attachments Attachment Submitted filename: Rebuttal Letter_Plos One.docx https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333513.r002
15 Sep 2025 Decision Letter - Giovanni Ottoboni, Editor Impact of Digital Health Interventions on Pain and Symptom Management in Home Hospice Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol PONE-D-25-27115R1 Dear Dr. Tourinho, We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements. Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication. An invoice will be generated when your article is formally accepted. Please note, if your institution has a publishing partnership with PLOS and your article meets the relevant criteria, all or part of your publication costs will be covered. Please make sure your user information is up-to-date by logging into Editorial Manager at Editorial Manager® and clicking the ‘Update My Information' link at the top of the page. For questions related to billing, please contact billing support . If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org. Kind regards, Giovanni Ottoboni, Psy, PhD Academic Editor PLOS ONE Additional Editor Comments (optional): Reviewers' comments: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333513.r003
Formally Accepted
Acceptance Letter - Giovanni Ottoboni, Editor PONE-D-25-27115R1 PLOS ONE Dear Dr. Tourinho, I'm pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS ONE. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now being handed over to our production team. At this stage, our production department will prepare your paper for publication. This includes ensuring the following: * All references, tables, and figures are properly cited * All relevant supporting information is included in the manuscript submission, * There are no issues that prevent the paper from being properly typeset You will receive further instructions from the production team, including instructions on how to review your proof when it is ready. Please keep in mind that we are working through a large volume of accepted articles, so please give us a few days to review your paper and let you know the next and final steps. Lastly, if your institution or institutions have a press office, please let them know about your upcoming paper now to help maximize its impact. If they'll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team within the next 48 hours. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org. You will receive an invoice from PLOS for your publication fee after your manuscript has reached the completed accept phase. If you receive an email requesting payment before acceptance or for any other service, this may be a phishing scheme. Learn how to identify phishing emails and protect your accounts at https://explore.plos.org/phishing. If we can help with anything else, please email us at customercare@plos.org. Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE and supporting open access. Kind regards, PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff on behalf of Professor Giovanni Ottoboni Academic Editor PLOS ONE https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0333513.r004

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