Ten simple rules for conducting umbrella reviews
Paolo Fusar-Poli1,2,3, Joaquim Radua1,4,5
1Early Psychosis: Interventions and Clinical-detection (EPIC) Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Evidence-Based Mental Health
|July 15, 2018
Summary
This educational review outlines 10 key steps for conducting robust umbrella reviews, a high level of evidence synthesis in medicine. Following these practical recommendations ensures reliable and transparent results for researchers and clinicians.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical research
- Evidence synthesis
Background:
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are foundational for medical knowledge translation.
- Umbrella reviews, synthesizing existing systematic reviews, represent a high level of evidence but lack practical guidance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide practical guidance on conducting robust umbrella reviews in medicine.
- To address the limited existing literature on umbrella review methodology.
Main Methods:
- A critical educational review of published umbrella reviews was conducted.
- Focus on essential practical steps for producing high-quality umbrella reviews.
Main Results:
- Identified 10 key points for conducting robust umbrella reviews.
- Key points include: need assessment, protocol prespecification, variable definition, effect size estimation, heterogeneity and bias reporting, evidence stratification, sensitivity analyses, transparent reporting, software use, and limitation acknowledgment.
Conclusions:
- This manuscript offers practical guidance for conducting umbrella reviews in medical fields.
- Researchers, clinicians, and policymakers can use these points to inform planning, conduction, and reporting of umbrella reviews.
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