Author adherence and experiences with PRISMA-P 2015: a cross-sectional study.

Area of Science:

• Systematic reviews and meta-analysis protocols
• Scientific reporting guidelines

Background:

• Systematic reviews are crucial for evidence-based healthcare.
• Clear, detailed protocols ensure review reproducibility and trustworthiness.
• The PRISMA-P 2015 guideline aids authors in writing comprehensive systematic review protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess adherence of systematic review protocol authors to the PRISMA-P 2015 guideline.
• To explore authors' experiences and challenges with using PRISMA-P 2015.
• To gather suggestions for improving the PRISMA-P 2015 guideline.

Main Methods:

• Randomly sampled 100 systematic review protocols (50 PubMed, 50 OSF/PROSPERO).
• Independently assessed adherence to 26 PRISMA-P 2015 items.
• Conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 protocol authors using framework analysis.

Main Results:

• Lower adherence to PRISMA-P 2015 in OSF/PROSPERO protocols (45% fully reported) compared to PubMed (60%).
• Six items (e.g., protocol amendments, role of funder) were not reported in over 25% of protocols.
• Eleven items were partially reported in over 25% of protocols; authors suggested guideline updates.

Conclusions:

• Adherence to PRISMA-P 2015 is suboptimal, particularly for certain items and in specific protocol repositories.
• Author interviews revealed valuable insights and suggestions for enhancing the PRISMA-P guideline.
• Findings will inform the upcoming PRISMA-P 2015 update and improve protocol reporting quality.