The authors gratefully acknowledge the members of the PPI stakeholder group who took part in consultations during the course of this review: Darren Cousins, Andrew Evans, Ellen Hill, Jeffrey Hirono, Monty Moncrieff, Erica Pool and Nathan Sparling. The authors are also grateful to the LGBTQ+ community and health organisations involved in developing the proposal for and approach to this review: London Friend, Stonewall and Terrence Higgins Trust.
Contributions of authors
Rebecca Meiksin (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5096-8576) (Research Fellow in Social Science) managed the study; led data extraction, quality assessment and synthesis of theory and process data; and was involved in data extraction and quality assessment of outcome data.
GJ Melendez-Torres (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9823-4790) (Professor of Clinical and Social Epidemiology) led quantitative analyses, data extraction, quality assessment and synthesis of evidence from outcome evaluations.
Alec Miners (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1850-1463) (Associate Professor in Health Economics) advised on the methods of quality appraisal and synthesis for cost-effectiveness evidence and led these components.
Jane Falconer (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7329-0577) (Professional Services User Support Librarian) planned and implemented the searches, managed and deduplicated the found references and wrote up the results of these.
T Charles Witzel (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4262-261X) (Assistant Professor) advised on the conduct and write-up of the research, in particular leading and contributing to drawing together the findings from each synthesis to determine the value of developing or optimising an e-health study among UK MSM. He also led the conduct and write-up of the PPI components.
Peter Weatherburn (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4950-6163) (Associate Professor of Health Promotion) advised on the conduct and write-up of the research, in particular leading and contributing to drawing together the findings from each synthesis to determine the value of developing or optimising an e-health study among UK MSM.
Chris Bonell (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6253-6498) (Professor of Public Health Sociology) was the principal investigator and directed the review, overseeing all stages and components. He was directly involved with other investigators in screening; data extraction; quality assessment; and synthesis of theory, qualitative and economic evaluation evidence. He oversaw searching, as well as the synthesis of statistical evidence.
All authors contributed to the review methods and all contributed to, read and approved the final manuscript.
Publications
Melendez-Torres GJ, Meiksin R, Witzel TC, Weatherburn P, Falconer J, Bonell C. E-health interventions to address HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, sexual risk behaviour, substance use and mental ill health in men who have sex with men: systematic review and meta-analysis. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2022; in press.
Meiksin R, Melendez-Torres FJ, Falconer J, Witzel TC, Weatherburn P, Bonell C. Systematic review of e-health interventions to address sexual health, substance use and mental health among men who have sex with men: synthesis of process evaluations. J Med Internet Res 2021;23:e22477.
Meiksin R, Melendez-Torres GJ, Falconer J, Witzel TC, Weatherburn P, Bonell C. Theories of change for e-health interventions targeting HIV/STIs and sexual risk, substance use and mental ill health amongst men who have sex with men: systematic review and synthesis. Syst Rev 2021;10:21.
Data-sharing statement
All available data underpinning this report can be obtained from the corresponding author.
Disclaimers
This report presents independent research funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The views and opinions expressed by authors in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NHS, the NIHR, NETSCC, the PHR programme or the Department of Health and Social Care. If there are verbatim quotations included in this publication the views and opinions expressed by the interviewees are those of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect those of the authors, those of the NHS, the NIHR, NETSCC, the PHR programme or the Department of Health and Social Care.