Updating Systematic Reviews. Technical Review No. 16

摘要

Systematic reviews are being published with increasing frequency. One recent estimate is that 2500 new systematic reviews are published annually. This high volume reflects the several key roles played by systematic reviews: synthesizing for clinicians the evidence addressing a given topic; providing the foundation for the development of clinical practice guidelines; and informing cost-effectiveness analyses and policy decisions. In addition, some granting agencies now require that researchers include systematic reviews in grant applications to support the rationale for proposed new research. Fulfilling these important roles requires that systematic reviews be up to date. However, almost no empiric data indicate the extent to which systematic reviews require updating or the intervals at which updates should be performed. Given the paucity of data on this important topic, and with funding through the Evidence-based Practice Center, we set out to generate data to help inform optimal approaches to updating.