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Guidance to best tools and practices for systematic reviews
Kat Kolaski1, Lynne Romeiser Logan2, John P A Ioannidis3
1Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery, Pediatrics, and Neurology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.
British Journal of Pharmacology
|June 7, 2023
Summary
Many systematic reviews contain flaws, leading to unreliable clinical practice guidelines. This guide clarifies best practices for developing and evaluating evidence syntheses to improve their quality and trustworthiness.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research Methodology
- Evidence-Based Practice
- Scientific Communication
Background:
- Numerous systematic reviews suffer from methodological flaws, bias, and lack of informativeness.
- Despite advancements in empirical methods and appraisal tools, consistent application by authors and adherence by editors remain suboptimal.
- Clinicians often lack awareness of these issues, leading to uncritical acceptance of evidence syntheses and guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To distill complex information on evidence synthesis methods and tools into an accessible format for authors, peer reviewers, and editors.
- To promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the science of evidence synthesis.
- To address well-documented deficiencies in key components of evidence syntheses and elucidate the rationale for current standards.
Main Methods:
- Distinguishing between tools for assessing reporting, risk of bias, and methodological quality versus those for determining overall evidence certainty.
- Differentiating tools used by authors during synthesis development versus those for external judgment.
- Describing exemplar methods, research practices, and pragmatic strategies, including preferred terminology and a scheme for characterizing research evidence types.
Main Results:
- A Concise Guide organizing best practice resources for evidence synthesis development and evaluation has been created.
- The guide distinguishes between the development and appraisal of evidence syntheses.
- Novel pragmatic strategies and preferred terminology are introduced to enhance clarity and consistency.
Conclusions:
- The developed guide aims for widespread adoption and adaptation by authors and journals to improve the quality of systematic reviews.
- Emphasizes the importance of informed, in-depth methodological training over superficial application of tools.
- Encourages the evolution of methods and tools to advance the field of evidence synthesis.
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