A systematic review identified few methods and strategies describing when and how to update systematic reviews

Moher, David; Tsertsvadze, Alexander; Tricco, Andrea C.; Eccles, Martin; Grimshaw, Jeremy; Sampson, Margaret; Barrowman, Nick

doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2007.03.008

« Previous Next »Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Volume 60, Issue 11 , Pages 1095.e1-1095.e11, November 2007

A systematic review identified few methods and strategies describing when and how to update systematic reviews

David Moher
- Chalmers Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Corresponding author. Chalmers Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Alexander Tsertsvadze
- Chalmers Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Andrea C. Tricco
- Chalmers Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Martin Eccles
- University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle, UK
Jeremy Grimshaw
- Ottawa Health Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Margaret Sampson
- Chalmers Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Information Studies, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, UK
Nick Barrowman
- Chalmers Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Accepted 14 March 2007. published online 07 August 2007.

Abstract

Objective

Systematic reviews (SRs) are convenient summaries of evidence for health care practitioners. They form a basis for clinical practice guidelines and suggest directions for new research. SRs are most helpful if they are current; however, most of them are not being updated. This SR summarizes strategies and methods describing when and how to update SRs.

Study Design and Setting

We searched MEDLINE (1966 to December 2005), PsycINFO, the Cochrane Methodology Register, and the 2005 Cochrane Colloquium proceedings to identify records describing when and how to update SRs in health care.

Results

Four updating strategies, one technique, and two statistical methods were identified. Three strategies addressed steps for updating, and one strategy presented a model for assessing the need to update. One technique discussed the use of the “entry date” field in bibliographic searching. The statistical methods were cumulative meta-analysis and a test for detecting outdated meta-analyses with statistically nonsignificant results.

Conclusion

Little research has been conducted on when and how to update SRs in contrast to other methodological areas of conducting SRs (e.g., publication bias, variance imputation). The feasibility and efficiency of the identified approaches is uncertain. More research is needed to develop pragmatic and efficient methodologies for updating SRs.

Keywords: Systematic reviews, Updating, Cumulative meta-analysis, Strategy, Methods, Techniques