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Step 1: Framing Questions For A Review

The document outlines the 5 steps in a systematic review process: 1) framing clear review questions, 2) extensively searching multiple resources without language restrictions, 3) assessing study quality using checklists to explore heterogeneity and inform meta-analysis, 4) tabulating study characteristics, quality, and effects and using statistical methods to combine results, and 5) interpreting findings by exploring biases, determining trust in overall summaries, and grading recommendations based on evidence strengths.

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185 views2 pages

Step 1: Framing Questions For A Review

The document outlines the 5 steps in a systematic review process: 1) framing clear review questions, 2) extensively searching multiple resources without language restrictions, 3) assessing study quality using checklists to explore heterogeneity and inform meta-analysis, 4) tabulating study characteristics, quality, and effects and using statistical methods to combine results, and 5) interpreting findings by exploring biases, determining trust in overall summaries, and grading recommendations based on evidence strengths.

Uploaded by

ari andi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The steps in a systematic review

 Step 1: Framing questions for a review

The problems to be addressed by the review should be specified in the form


of clear, unambiguous and structured questions before beginning the review
work. Once the review questions have been set, modifications to the protocol
should be allowed only if alternative ways of defining the populations,
interventions, outcomes or study designs become apparent

 Step 2: Identifying relevant work

The search for studies should be extensive. Multiple resources (both


computerized and printed) should be searched without language restrictions.
The study selection criteria should flow directly from the review questions
and be specified a priori. Reasons for inclusion and exclusion should be
recorded

 Step 3: Assessing the quality of studies

Study quality assessment is relevant to every step of a review. Question


formulation (Step 1) and study selection criteria (Step 2) should describe the
minimum acceptable level of design. Selected studies should be subjected to
a more refined quality assessment by use of general critical appraisal guides
and design-based quality checklists (Step 3). These detailed quality
assessments will be used for exploring heterogeneity and informing decisions
regarding suitability of meta-analysis (Step 4). In addition they help in
assessing the strength of inferences and making recommendations for future
research (Step 5)

 Step 4: Summarizing the evidence

Data synthesis consists of tabulation of study characteristics, quality and


effects as well as use of statistical methods for exploring differences between
studies and combining their effects (meta-analysis). Exploration of
heterogeneity and its sources should be planned in advance (Step 3). If an
overall meta-analysis cannot be done, subgroup meta-analysis may be
feasible

 Step 5: Interpreting the findings

The issues highlighted in each of the four steps above should be met. The risk
of publication bias and related biases should be explored. Exploration for
heterogeneity should help determine whether the overall summary can be
trusted, and, if not, the effects observed in high-quality studies should be
used for generating inferences. Any recommendations should be graded by
reference to the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence

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