Fit for purpose: perspectives on rapid reviews from end-user interviews.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Evidence Synthesis
• Systematic Reviews

Background:

• Increasing demand for rapid reviews and timely evidence synthesis.
• Understanding end-user perspectives on rapid evidence products is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand end-user perspectives on the utility and limitations of rapid evidence products.
• To identify critical features and acceptable streamlining methods for evidence reviews.

Main Methods:

• Conducted interviews with key informants from diverse stakeholder groups (guideline developers, healthcare providers, funders, payers).
• Elicited perspectives on systematic review characteristics, streamlining methods, and uses of rapid products.
• Analyzed interview transcripts to identify themes and subthemes.

Main Results:

• Credibility of the producer, clinical relevance of questions, and user-producer relationships are critical.
• Evidence tables, quality ratings, and summary tables are preferred review characteristics.
• Rapid products (evidence inventories, rapid responses, rapid reviews) are useful for specific decisions and contexts, particularly for guideline development on narrow topics and timely policy decisions.
• Rapid reviews are more relevant for specific clinical settings or health systems compared to broad/national guidelines.

Conclusions:

• Rapid evidence products like evidence inventories, rapid responses, and rapid reviews offer utility in specific decision-making contexts.
• Credibility, relevance, and strong end-user relationships are paramount for the successful implementation of rapid evidence products.
• Findings are limited by sample size, suggesting potential for further research to reach saturation.