Conducting a Methodologically Sound Systematic Review with Limited Resources: An Introduction

Slide Presentation from the AHRQ 2008 Annual Conference

On September 10, 2008, Stephanie Chang, made this presentation at the 2008 Annual Conference. Select to access the PowerPoint® presentation (576 KB; Plugin Software Help).

Slide 1

Conducting a Methodologically Sound Systematic Review with Limited Resources: An Introduction

AHRQ Annual Meeting
September 10, 2008
Stephanie Chang MD, MPH
Center for Outcomes and Evidence.

Slide 2

Objectives

• Understand breadth of methods issues in conducting systematic reviews.
• Identify available resources for methods guidance.
• Identify available resources for conducting a review.

Slide 3

Conducting systematic reviews

• No text—slide shows three pictures of food: a toaster popping up toast, a brown-bag lunch, a dinner table.

Slide 4

Elements of systematic review

• Clarify critical questions.
• Specify appropriate sources of information to address questions.
• Evaluate quality of individual studies.
  • Internal and external validity.
• Summarize evidence for each question.
  • Qualitative synthesis, Meta-analysis.
  • (Decision analysis, Cost-effectiveness).

Slide 5

Methodology of systematic reviews

• Relevant, but independent:
  • Engaging partners for Key Questions.
  • Engage partners for translation.
  • Technical expert panel.
• Comprehensive, rigorous, unbiased:
  • Complete literature review.
  • Assessment of study quality.
  • A priori definitions.
  • Peer review.
• Transparent:
  • Reporting of methods used.
  • Methods Guide.

Slide 6

AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Centers

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BC/BS) Association, Technology Evaluation Center (TEC)
• University of Connecticut
• Duke University
• ECRI
• Johns Hopkins University
• McMaster University
• University of Minnesota
• Oregon Health and Science University (HSU)
• University of Southern California-RAND
• RTI International-University of North Carolina (UNC)
• Tufts
• University of California San Francisco (UCSF)-Stanford University
• University of Alberta
• University of Ottawa

Slide 7

Methods Guide Resources

• Methods Guide for Conducting Comparative Effectiveness Reviews:
  • Topic Development.
  • Selecting Evidence.
  • Finding Evidence.
  • Assessing Quality of individual studies.
  • Assessing Applicability.
  • Assessing Harms.
  • Quantitative Synthesis.
  • Rating a body of evidence.
• http:/www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/
• http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/repFiles/2007_10DraftMethodsGuide.pdf

• Cochrane Handbook and Glossary.
  • http://www.cochrane.org/resources/handbook/

Slide 8

Software tools

• Data Management.
• Evidence Tables.
• Meta-analysis.

• RevMan:
  • http://www.cc-ims.net/RevMan
• GradePro:
  • http://www.cc-ims.net/gradepro
• Comprehensive Meta-analysis ($):
  • http://www.meta-analysis.com/
• Statistical software:
  • o STATA, SAS, SPSS ($)
• TrialStat! ($):
  • http://www.trialstat.com/

Slide 9

Questions?

• Stephanie Chang
  Stephanie.chang@ahrq.hhs.gov