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A research and development agenda for systematic reviews that ask complex questions about complex interventions
Jane Noyes1, David Gough, Simon Lewin
1School of Healthcare Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK LL57 2EF.
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
|August 20, 2013
Summary
This study proposes a research agenda for systematic reviews addressing complex interventions. Further development and evaluation of methods are needed to understand complexity
Area of Science:
- Evidence synthesis methodology
- Complex intervention research
- Systematic review development
Background:
- Systematic reviews face challenges when addressing complex interventions.
- Existing methods for synthesizing evidence on complex interventions require further evaluation.
- A clear lexicon for describing intervention complexity is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To outline a research and development agenda for systematic reviews.
- To address complex questions about interventions with varying degrees of complexity.
- To improve the understanding and synthesis of evidence for complex interventions.
Main Methods:
- Consensus development among experts in systematic review methodology.
- Based on a 2-day workshop focused on methodological challenges.
- Informed by existing literature on systematic reviews of complex interventions.
Main Results:
- Identified an urgent need for a precise lexicon to define "complexity."
- Highlighted the potential of selected evidence synthesis methods for complex reviews.
- Revealed gaps in methods, knowledge, and practical application for complex interventions.
Conclusions:
- Understanding complexity's impact on systematic reviews is critical.
- Current experience with methods for complex interventions is limited.
- Future research should focus on methodological development and evaluating the impact of complexity.
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