Global mapping of oral health plans, programmes and policies in countries with universal health coverage: a scoping...

This review aims to map oral health plans, programmes and policies worldwide in countries with universal health coverage.

This protocol describes a scoping review that will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-Scoping Review checklist, guided by the PCC framework: Population-countries with universal health coverage (78 globally recognised); Concept-oral health plans, programmes and policies; Context-integration into health systems. Searches will be conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, Health System Evidence and Epistemonikos, with no restrictions on date, language or study type. Grey literature will be accessed through Google Scholar, OpenThesis and the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. Official documents from ministries of health and international bodies, including the WHO and the International Monetary Fund, will also be reviewed. Two independent reviewers will screen titles and abstracts; a third will resolve disagreements. Eligible records will undergo full-text review. Data will be extracted into predefined categories reflecting health system components: population, structure, services, governance and oral health indicators. Results will be presented using tables, charts and figures to illustrate strategies and innovations.

This review does not involve primary data collection and does not require ethical approval. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication and presentations at academic conferences and scientific events.

Open Science Framework (DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/RCP8N).