Systematic Review Evidence Methodology: Providing Quality Family Planning Services

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Evidence-Based Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Collaboration between CDC and Office of Population Affairs (OPA) to develop family planning clinical recommendations.
• Emphasis on using existing scientific evidence for guideline development.
• Adherence to Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines for trustworthy clinical practice guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the methodology used for conducting systematic reviews.
• To ensure clinical practice guidelines are based on unbiased scientific evidence.
• To support the development of quality family planning services.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a series of systematic reviews.
• Employed a transparent and reproducible methodology.
• Systematic reviews were performed between mid-2011 and 2012.

Main Results:

• The methodology ensured that clinical practice guidelines were based on the most unbiased evidence possible.
• A transparent and reproducible approach was utilized for systematic reviews.
• The process facilitated the development of evidence-based recommendations.

Conclusions:

• The described methodology is crucial for developing trustworthy clinical practice guidelines.
• Systematic reviews are fundamental to evidence-based healthcare.
• This approach supports the delivery of high-quality family planning services.