Exploring global access to healthcare and utilisation for neurocutaneous syndromes: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Both dermatological and neurological manifestations characterise neurocutaneous syndromes (NCSs). Although individually rare, collectively they impose a substantial clinical, humanitarian and economic burden, often contributing to barriers in healthcare access. This scoping review aims to map global evidence on healthcare access and service utilisation in NCSs and identify barriers, facilitators and gaps in care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This scoping review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Bibliographic databases and hand searches will be used to identify relevant studies. Published and grey literature addressing healthcare access will be included while non-English studies will be excluded. Two independent reviewers will perform study selection and data extraction. Quality assessment will be conducted for full-text studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute tools. Findings will be mapped to evidence on healthcare access, service utilisation, treatment patterns, barriers and facilitators and will be presented using tables and geographic mapping. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This scoping review will use publicly available data and therefore does not require ethical approval. The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.