To efficiently map an extensive range of information on the existing practice of somatology in non-medical aesthetic treatments, a scoping review was selected. A phenomenological approach to systematically and rigorously map published literature, including identifying gaps on this topic from quantitative, qualitative and mixed-methods studies. The protocol is guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s first five stages of the methodological framework for conducting a scoping review(26). The framework was amplified by Levac et al.(27). This involved, the identification of the research question, identification of appropriate studies, the study selection, charting the data, including collating, summarizing and reporting of the search results. As per the appraisal tools of the Joanna Briggs Institute(28) the quality of the articles and records will also be appraised. This scoping review protocol was registered on OSF (Open Science Framework) apriori and it is accessible via this link: https://osf.io/4fk8g/
Identification and eligibility of the research question
Research question is as follows: What is known about the somatology practices in non-medical aesthetic treatments?
The Population, Context, Concept (PCC) framework will sufficiently explain the eligibility of the research question (Table 1).
Table 1 PCC: Population, Context, Concept framework for determining eligibility of the research question
Identifying relevant studies
We will conduct a systematic and comprehensive search of relevant records or articles, using the following electronic data bases and search engines for articles published between October 2021 and since inception: Google Scholar, PubMed, EBSCOhost, Scopus, CINAHL, Health Source - Consumer Edition; Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition and MEDLINE. Additionally, grey literature from university dissertations and theses from institutional repositories, government, and international organizations’ reports such as those of the WHO, will be included in the search.
The search strategy will be informed by key terms including: “medical aesthetics”, “non-medical aesthetic treatments/ procedures”, “non-invasive beauty treatment”, “aesthetic treatments”, ”beauty procedures”,“Intense pulse light (IPL)”, “photodynamic therapy”, “microdermabrasion”, “microplanning/ micro blading”, “radio frequency skin treatment”, “chemical skin peeling”, “skin care”, “Skin rejuvenation”, “wound healing”, “professional practice”, “professional guidelines” “patient complaints”, ”treatment damage”, “ethical issues”, “ethical practice”, “legal issues”, “scope of practice”, “somatologists”, “beauty therapists”, “esthetician”, ”cosmetologist” “medi-spas”, “spas” and “beauty salon”. Keywords will be separated with Boolean terms, AND and OR. For each database we will adapt the search strategy. Each search will be documented comprehensively displaying the keywords, date of search, search engine and the number of publications retrieved. In addition, the search strategy will be steered by the health librarian.
A pilot search with EBSCOhost using selected databases (Business Source Complete; Academic Search Complete; AHFS Consumer Medication Information; CINAHL Complete; Health Source - Consumer Edition; Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition; MasterFILE Premier; MEDLINE; OpenDissertations) was conducted to demonstrate feasibility of addressing the research question using a scoping review method. University of Pretoria (KG) and Durban University of Technology (AF) librarians assisted in optimizing the search strategy. Presented in Table 2 are the results of the pilot search.
Table 2 Results of pilot search
Keywords search
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Date of search
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Number of publications
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Data bases included in Pilot search using EBSCOhost
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(Somatology OR somatologist OR “beauty therapist” OR aesthetician OR cosmetologist OR spa OR “beauty salon” OR beautician OR "skin care therapist" OR "Beauty Technologist" OR “non- physician operator” ) AND ( “non-medical aesthetic treatments” OR “non-invasive beauty treatment” OR “aesthetic treatments” OR “beauty procedures” OR "skin resurfacing cosmetic treatment” OR “Intense pulse light (IPL)” OR “Photodynamic therapy” OR "Microdermabrasion" OR Microplaning OR Microblading OR “Radio Frequency skin treatment” OR “Chemical skin peels” OR “skin care” OR “Skin rejuvenation” Or “Wound healing” ) AND ( "practice guidelines" OR "ethical issues" OR “scope of practice” OR guideline OR policy OR complain OR “professional practice
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13/10/2021
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2,895
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Business Source Complete; Academic Search Complete; AHFS Consumer Medication Information; CINAHL Complete; Health Source - Consumer Edition; Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition; MasterFILE Premier; MEDLINE; OpenDissertations
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No restrictions on the publication period or geographical origin of the articles or records will be included as part of the research methodology as the introduction and concept of non-medical aesthetic treatments are relatively young. Thus, providing a broader overview of how the discipline has morphed into its current practice and the factors associated with such practice.
Study selection
To ensure that relevant studies were included on how non-medical aesthetics is currently practised, a selection criterion was developed. Two members of the research team independently screened against the predefined inclusion criteria to determine eligibility. Any discrepancies will be resolved through dialogue between the two reviewers; but if no consensus is reached then a third reviewer will be consulted.
Inclusion criteria
To be included, articles or records must meet the following criteria:
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Reporting evidence on medical aesthetic treatments currently being practised
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Reporting evidence on various non-medical aesthetic treatments
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Reporting evidence on who is performing the non-medical aesthetic treatments
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Reporting evidence on the ethical practice of the medical aesthetic industry
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Reporting evidence on scope of practice of somatologists/non-physician operators
Exclusion criteria
We will exclude articles guided by the following exclusion criteria:
The review will be conducted within a two-month time frame (October to November 2021). The quantity of publications reviewed including full-text studies retrieved, records and articles and records that have been excluded will be reported on using guidelines and criteria established in Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta–Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA ScR) (Figure 1).
Charting the data
A data charting template was constructed using the Google form software to extract and record relevant data characteristics from included articles and other sources of evidence (Table 3). The data will be independently charted and transferred from the articles and records onto the form. The charting form will be piloted by two of the screeners. An additional screener will independently endorse appropriateness for the article’s inclusion. After charting ten articles, all the screeners involved will meet to establish if the process is effective and all variables satisfy the requirements of the review. The data will be compared and any differences will be resolved either by consensus or third reviewer. The PRISMA ScR will be updated continuously throughout this process.
Table 3 Data charting form
Collating, summarizing, and reporting of the results
As a variety of study designs and records are included in the scoping review, the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT)- version 18 (30) will be used to evaluate the quality of the included evidence. The process comprises of a three stages approach. Stage 1 includes thematic content analysis for qualitative studies and numerical counts and tables for quantitative studies. Stage 2 involves a narrative report and summary of the results. Stage 3 will highlight the literature gaps identified pertaining to the practice of non-medical aesthetics. In addition, practicability of conducting further systematic review or studies will be suggested, which may contribute to addressing the literature gaps identified.
Therefore, the themes identified would be examined in relation to the objectives of the study to map evidence on the current somatology practice and regulations for non-medical aesthetic treatments. To develop relevant and current good practice guidelines that could be later integrated into a framework for somatologists performing non-medical aesthetics treatments in South Africa.