Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2025
08:36
Author Spotlight: Evaluating the Adjuvant Efficacy and Safety of Angong Niuhuang Pill in Viral Encephalitis Treatment
Published on: April 19, 2024
642
The problems with systematic reviews: a living systematic review.
Lesley Uttley1, Daniel S Quintana2, Paul Montgomery3
1School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
|February 16, 2023
Summary
Systematic reviews are crucial for evidence-based decisions, but flaws in their conduct and reporting can undermine reliability. This living systematic review identifies 67 discrete problems that threaten scientific credibility.
Area of Science:
- Medical research methodology
- Evidence synthesis
- Scientific integrity
Background:
- Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are foundational for evidence-based guidelines and decision-making.
- While best practices for clinical trials are emphasized, the impact of poor practices on evidence syntheses is less understood.
- Published systematic reviews are highly cited and influence medical decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a living systematic review of articles identifying flaws in published systematic reviews.
- To formally document and understand the problems that can jeopardize the reliability and validity of systematic reviews.
- To assess how bad practices in primary studies might influence evidence syntheses.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive assessment of existing literature examining problems related to published systematic reviews.
- Development of a living systematic review to continuously update findings.
- Categorization and documentation of discrete problems identified in the literature.
Main Results:
- The first iteration of the living systematic review identified 485 articles.
- A total of 67 discrete problems related to the conduct and reporting of systematic reviews were documented.
- These identified problems can potentially jeopardize the reliability or validity of systematic reviews.
Conclusions:
- Numerous articles highlight significant flaws in the conduct, methods, and reporting of systematic reviews, despite existing guidelines.
- The prevalence of these flaws poses a threat to credible science, given the pivotal role of systematic reviews in medical decision-making.
- There is a need to appreciate and regulate problems within systematic review methodologies to ensure scientific integrity.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Systematic Error: Methodological and Sampling Errors
1.7K
In the case of systematic errors, the sources can be identified, and the errors can be subsequently minimized by addressing these sources. According to the source, systematic errors can be divided into sampling, instrumental, methodological, and personal errors.
Sampling errors originate from improper sampling methods or the wrong sample population. These errors can be minimized by refining the sampling strategy. Defective instruments or faulty calibrations are the sources of instrumental...
Sampling errors originate from improper sampling methods or the wrong sample population. These errors can be minimized by refining the sampling strategy. Defective instruments or faulty calibrations are the sources of instrumental...
1.7K
01:20Random and Systematic Errors
11.5K
Scientists always try their best to record measurements with the utmost accuracy and precision. However, sometimes errors do occur. These errors can be random or systematic. Random errors are observed due to the inconsistency or fluctuation in the measurement process, or variations in the quantity itself that is being measured. Such errors fluctuate from being greater than or less than the true value in repeated measurements. Consider a scientist measuring the length of an earthworm using a...
11.5K
01:22Bias
4.5K
Bias refers to any tendency that prevents a question from being considered unprejudiced. In research, bias occurs when one outcome or answer is selected or encouraged over others in sampling or testing. Bias can occur during any research phase, including study design, data collection, analysis, and publication.
In statistics, a sampling bias is created when a sample is collected from a population, and some members of the population are not as likely to be chosen as others (remember, each member...
In statistics, a sampling bias is created when a sample is collected from a population, and some members of the population are not as likely to be chosen as others (remember, each member...
4.5K
01:29Bias in Epidemiological Studies
472
Biases can arise at various stages of research, from study design and data collection to analysis and interpretation. Recognizing and addressing these biases is essential to ensure the validity and reliability of epidemiological findings.Broadly speaking, biases in epidemiology fall into three main categories: selection bias, information bias, and confounding. A more detailed description of possible biases is:
472
01:21Methods of Documentation III: PIE
1.4K
Problem-intervention-evaluation (PIE) is a systematic approach to documentation used in healthcare settings for clinical decision-making and patient care planning. It is a structured approach to organizing patient data based on problems, interventions, and evaluations. Here's a breakdown of its key features and considerations:
1.4K
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
155
Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
155