Top

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Commentary

Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group to play a leading role in guiding the production of informed high-quality, timely research evidence syntheses

Authors: Chantelle Garritty, Adrienne Stevens, Gerald Gartlehner, Valerie King, Chris Kamel, on behalf of the Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group

Published in: Systematic Reviews | Issue 1/2016

Abstract

Background

Policymakers and healthcare stakeholders are increasingly seeking evidence to inform the policymaking process, and often use existing or commissioned systematic reviews to inform decisions. However, the methodologies that make systematic reviews authoritative take time, typically 1 to 2 years to complete. Outside the traditional SR timeline, “rapid reviews” have emerged as an efficient tool to get evidence to decision-makers more quickly. However, the use of rapid reviews does present challenges. To date, there has been limited published empirical information about this approach to compiling evidence. Thus, it remains a poorly understood and ill-defined set of diverse methodologies with various labels. In recent years, the need to further explore rapid review methods, characteristics, and their use has been recognized by a growing network of healthcare researchers, policymakers, and organizations, several with ties to Cochrane, which is recognized as representing an international gold standard for high-quality, systematic reviews.

Purpose

In this commentary, we introduce the newly established Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group developed to play a leading role in guiding the production of rapid reviews given they are increasingly employed as a research synthesis tool to support timely evidence-informed decision-making. We discuss how the group was formed and outline the group’s structure and remit. We also discuss the need to establish a more robust evidence base for rapid reviews in the published literature, and the importance of promoting registration of rapid review protocols in an effort to promote efficiency and transparency in research.

Conclusion

As with standard systematic reviews, the core principles of evidence-based synthesis should apply to rapid reviews in order to minimize bias to the extent possible. The Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group will serve to establish a network of rapid review stakeholders and provide a forum for discussion and training. By facilitating exchange, the group will strive to conduct research to advance the methods of rapid reviews.

Ganann R, Ciliska D, Thomas H. Expediting systematic reviews: methods and implications of rapid reviews. Implement Sci. 2010;5:56. doi:10.1186/1748-5908-5-56.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Khangura S, Konnyu K, Cushman R, Grimshaw J, Moher D. Evidence summaries: the evolution of a rapid review approach. Syst Rev. 2012;1:10. doi:10.1186/2046-4053-1-10.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Tsafnat G, Glasziou P, Choong MK, Dunn A, Galgani F, Coiera E. Systematic review automation technologies. Syst Rev. 2014;3:74. doi:10.1186/2046-4053-3-74.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Moher D, Stewart L, Shekelle P. All in the family: systematic reviews, rapid reviews, scoping reviews, realist reviews, and more. Syst Rev. 2015;4:183. doi:10.1186/s13643-015-0163-7.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Hite J and Gluck ME. Rapid evidence reviews for health policy and practice. Academy Health; 2016. http://www.academyhealth.org/files/publications/files/publications/AH%255FRapid%2520Evidence%2520Reviews%2520Brief.pdf. [Accessed 6 Aug 2016].

Bambra C, Joyce KE, Bellis MA, Greatley A, Greengross S, Hughes S, et al. Reducing health inequalities in priority public health conditions: using rapid review to develop proposals for evidence-based policy. J Public Health (Oxf). 2010;32(4):496–505. doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdq028.CrossRef

Sprague AE, Dunn SI, Fell DB, Harrold J, Walker MC, Kelly S, et al. Measuring quality in maternal-newborn care: developing a clinical dashboard. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2013;35(1):29–38. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1701-2163(15)31045-8.CrossRefPubMed

Hailey D, Corabian P, Harstall C, Schneider W. The use and impact of rapid health technology assessments. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2000;16(2):651–6.CrossRefPubMed

Hailey D. A preliminary survey on the influence of rapid health technology assessments. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2009;25(3):415–8. doi:10.1017/S0266462309990067.CrossRefPubMed

10.

Hartling L, Guise J-M, Kato E, Anderson J, Arsonson N, Belinson S, et al. EPC methods: an exploration of methods and contexts for the production of rapid reviews. Research White Paper. AHRQ Publication No. 15-EHC008-EF. Rockville: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) - Scientific Resource Center under Contract No. 290-2012-00004-C; 2015.

11.

Harker J, Kleijnen J. What is a rapid review? A methodological exploration of rapid reviews in health technology assessments. Int J Evid Based Healthc. 2012;10(4):397–410. doi:10.1111/j.1744-1609.2012.00290.x.CrossRefPubMed

12.

Khangura S, Polisena J, Clifford TJ, Farrah K, Kamel C. Rapid review: an emerging approach to evidence synthesis in health technology assessment. Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2014;30(1):20–7. doi:10.1017/S0266462313000664.CrossRefPubMed

13.

Polisena J, Garritty C, Kamel C, Stevens A, Abou-Setta AM. Rapid review programs to support health care and policy decision making: a descriptive analysis of processes and methods. Syst Rev. 2015;4:26. doi:10.1186/s13643-015-0022-6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

14.

WHO. WHO handbook for guideline development. 2nd Edition. Chapter 11. In: Garritty C, Norris SL, Moher D, editors. Rapid advice guidelines in the setting of a public health emergency. Geneva: WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data; 2014. p. 133–56.

15.

Hersi M, Stevens A, Quach P, Hamel C, Thavorn K, Garritty C, Skidmore B, Vallenas C, Norris SL, Egger M, Eremin S, Ferri M, Shindo N, Moher D. Effectiveness of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers caring for patients with filovirus disease: a rapid review. PLoS. 2015. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.014029.

16.

Guidelines-International-Network. Accelerated Guideline Development working group. www.g-i-n.net/working-groups/accelerated-guideline-development/accelerated-guideline-development-overview [Accessed 6 May 2016]

17.

Grant MJ, Booth A. A typology of reviews: an analysis of 14 review types and associated methodologies. Health Info Libr J. 2009;26(2):91–108. doi:10.1111/j.1471-1842.2009.00848.x.CrossRefPubMed

18.

Merlin T, Tamblyn D, Ellery B, INAHTA Quality Assurance Group. What’s in a name? Developing definitions for common health technology assessment product types of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA). Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2014;30(4):430–7. doi:10.1017/S0266462314000543. Epub 2014 Nov 14.CrossRefPubMed

19.

Varker T, Forbes D, Dell L, Weston A, Merlin T, Hodson S, O’Donnell M. Rapid evidence assessment: increasing the transparency of an emerging methodology. J Eval Clin Pract. 2015;21(6):1199–204. doi:10.1111/jep.12405. Epub 2015 Jun 29.CrossRefPubMed

20.

Hartling L, Guise JM, Kato E, Anderson J, Berliner E, Dryden DM, Featherstone R, Mitchell MD, Motu’apuaka M, Noorani H, Paynter R, Robinson K, Schoelles K, Umscheid CA, Whitlock E. Taxonomy of rapid reviews links report types and methods to specific decision-making contexts. J Clin Epidemiol. 2015 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2015.05.036.

21.

Abrami PC, Borokhovski E, Bernard RM, Wade CA, Tamim R, Persson T, Bethel EC, Hanz K, Surkes MA. Issues in conducting and disseminating brief reviews of evidence. Evid Policy. 2010;6(3):371–89. doi:10.1332/174426410X524866.CrossRef

22.

Featherstone RM, Dryden DM, Foisy M, Guise JM, et al. Advancing knowledge of rapid reviews: an analysis of results, conclusions and recommendations from published review articles examining rapid reviews. Syst Rev. 2015;4(1):50. doi:10.1186/s13643-015-0040-4.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

23.

Tricco AC, Antony J, Zarin W, Strifler L, Ghassemi M, Ivory J, Perrier L, Hutton B, Moher D, Straus SE. A scoping review of rapid review methods. BMC Med. 2015;13:224. doi:10.1186/s12916-015-0465-6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

24.

Tricco AC, Zarin W, Antony J, Hutton B, Moher D, Sherifali D, et al. An international survey and modified Delphi approach revealed numerous rapid review methods. J Clin Epidemiol. 2015;pII-S0895-4256(15):00388–1. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2015.08.012.

25.

Kelly SE, Moher D, Clifford TJ. Quality of conduct and reporting in rapid reviews: an exploration of compliance with PRISMA and AMSTAR guidelines. Syst Rev. 2016;5:79. doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0258-9.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

26.

Polisena J, Garritty C, Umscheid CA, Kamel C, Samra K, Smith J, Vosilla A. Rapid review summit: an overview and initiation of a research agenda. Syst Rev. 2015;4:111. doi:10.1186/s13643-015-0111-6.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

27.

Schunemann HJ, Moja L. Reviews: rapid! rapid! rapid! …and systematic. Syst Rev. 2015;4:4. doi:10.1186/2046-4053-4-4.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

28.

Tsertsvadze A, Chen YF, Moher D, Sutcliffe P, McCarthy N. How to conduct systematic reviews more expeditiously? Syst Rev. 2015;4:160. doi:10.1186/s13643-015-0147-7.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

29.

Kiasuwa Mbengi R, Otter R, Mortelmans K, Arbyn M, Van Oyen H, Bouland C, de Brouwer C. Barriers and opportunities for return-to-work of cancer survivors: time for action-rapid review and expert consultation. Syst Rev. 2016;5(1):35. doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0210-z.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

30.

Lui M, Jones CA, Westby MD. Effect of non-surgical, non-pharmacological weight loss interventions in patients who are obese prior to hip and knee arthroplasty surgery: a rapid review. Syst Rev. 2015;4:121. doi:10.1186/s13643-015-0107-2.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

31.

Hayden JA, Killian L, Zygmunt A, Babineau J, Martin-Misener R, Jensen JL, Carter AJ. Methods of a multi-faceted rapid knowledge synthesis project to inform the implementation of a new health service model: collaborative emergency centres. Syst Rev. 2015;4:7. doi:10.1186/2046-4053-4-7.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

32.

Wilson MG, Lavis JN, Gauvin FP. Developing a rapid-response program for health system decision-makers in Canada: findings from an issue brief and stakeholder dialogue. Syst Rev. 2015;4:25. doi:10.1186/s13643-015-0009-3.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

33.

Peterson K, Floyd N, Ferguson L, Christensen V, Helfand M. User survey finds rapid evidence reviews increased uptake of evidence by Veterans Health Administration leadership to inform fast-paced health-system decision-making. Syst Rev. 2016;5:132. doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0306-5.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

34.

PROSPERO. http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO. [Accessed 6 Aug 2016]

Title: Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group to play a leading role in guiding the production of informed high-quality, timely research evidence syntheses
Authors: Chantelle Garritty
Adrienne Stevens
Gerald Gartlehner
Valerie King
Chris Kamel
on behalf of the Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group
Publication date: 01-12-2016
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: Systematic Reviews / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 2046-4053
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-016-0360-z

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group to play a leading role in guiding the production of informed high-quality, timely research evidence syntheses

Abstract

Background

Purpose

Conclusion

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Purpose

Conclusion

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2016

Protocol for the systematic review of the prevention, treatment and public health management of impetigo, scabies and fungal skin infections in resource-limited settings

Community-onset sepsis and its public health burden: a systematic review

Post-trial follow-up methodology in large randomized controlled trials: a systematic review protocol

Do Cochrane summaries help student midwives understand the findings of Cochrane systematic reviews: the BRIEF randomised trial

Sodium restriction in patients with cirrhotic ascites: a protocol for a systematic review

Time to consider sharing data extracted from trials included in systematic reviews