Secondary research uses of residual newborn screening dried bloodspots: a scoping review

Residual newborn screening dried bloodspots (DBS) are a valuable resource for research but the extent, type, and nature of uses are unknown. The objective of this research was to systematically review the published literature about secondary research uses of residual DBS using a scoping review protocol.

A total of 654 publications meeting the inclusion criteria with a 94% interrater reliability were identified. A coding template was created with input from expert advisory board to summarize the data. Electronic literature search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase (via Embase.com), CINAHL (EBSCO),and Science and Social Sciences Citation Indices (via Web of Science) was conducted.

A large proportion of the secondary research with DBS was conducted within the United States (30%). The number of published studies utilizing DBS are increasing each year, primarily with observational or case-control designs. Only a small number of studies reported whether or not consent was obtained and if the DBS were identifiable or not.

Outcomes of this research indicate that residual DBS are well utilized worldwide for research addressing individual and public health issues. Future analyses will summarize outcomes of disease-specific research and provide evidence of the use of residual DBS in research on health outcomes.