Finding What Works in Health Care: Standards for Systematic Reviews (2011)

TITLE

Title

1

Identify the report as a systematic review, meta-analysis, or both.

ABSTRACT

Structured summary

2

Provide a structured summary including, as applicable: background; objectives; data sources; study eligibility criteria, participants, and interventions; study appraisal and synthesis methods; results; limitations; conclusions and implications of key findings; systematic review registration number.

INTRODUCTION

Rationale

3

Describe the rationale for the review in the context of what is already known.

Objectives

4

Provide an explicit statement of questions being addressed with reference to participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes, and study design (PICOS).

METHODS

Protocol and registration

5

Indicate if a review protocol exists, if and where it can be accessed (e.g., web address), and, if available, provide registration information, including registration number.

Eligibility criteria

6

Specify study characteristics (e.g., PICOS, length of follow-up) and report characteristics (e.g., years considered, language, publication status) used as criteria for eligibility, giving rationale.

Information sources

7

Describe all information sources (e.g., databases with dates of coverage, contact with study authors to identify additional studies) in the search and date last searched.

Search

8

Present full electronic search strategy for at least one database, including any limits used, such that it could be repeated.

Study selection

9

State the process for selecting studies (i.e., screening, eligibility, included in systematic reviews, and, if applicable, included in the meta-analysis).

Data collection process

10

Describe method of data extraction from reports (e.g., piloted forms, independently, in duplicate) and any processes for obtaining and confirming data from investigators.

Risk of bias in individual studies

12

Describe methods used for assessing risk of bias of individual studies (including specification of whether this was done at the study or outcome level), and how this information is to be used in any data synthesis.

Summary measures

13

State the principal summary measures (e.g., risk ratio, difference in means).

Synthesis of results

14

Describe the methods of handling data and combining results of studies, if done, including measures of consistency (e.g., I²) for each meta-analysis.

Risk of bias across studies

15

Specify any assessment of risk of bias that may affect the cumulative evidence (e.g., publication bias, selective reporting within studies).

Additional analyses

16

Describe methods of additional analyses (e.g., sensitivity or subgroup analyses, meta-regression), if done, indicating which were prespecified.

RESULTS

Study selection

17

Give numbers of studies screened, assessed for eligibility, and included in the review, with reasons for exclusions at each stage, ideally with a flow diagram.

Study characteristics

18

For each study, present characteristics for which data were extracted (e.g., study size, PICOS, follow-up period) and provide the citations.

Risk of bias within studies

19

Present data on risk of bias of each study and, if available, any outcome-level assessment (see Item 12).

Results of individual studies

20

For all outcomes considered (benefits or harms), present, for each study: (a) simple summary data for each intervention group; and (b) effect estimates and confidence intervals, ideally with a forest plot.

Synthesis of results

21

Present results of each meta-analysis done, including confidence intervals and measures of consistency.

Risk of bias across studies

22

Present results of any assessment of risk of bias across studies (see Item 15).

DISCUSSION

Summary of evidence

24

Summarize the main findings, including the strength of evidence for each main outcome; consider their relevance to key groups (e.g., healthcare providers, users, and policy makers).

Limitations

25

Discuss limitations at a study and outcome level (e.g., risk of bias) and at review level (e.g., incomplete retrieval of identified research, reporting bias).

Conclusions

26

Provide a general interpretation of the results in the context of other evidence and implications for future research.

FUNDING

Funding

27

Describe sources of funding for the systematic review and other support (e.g., supply of data) and the role of funders for the systematic review.