Systematic Reviews in the Health Sciences

After a brief introduction to systematic reviews, the book guides librarians in defining and marketing their services, covering topics such as when it is appropriate to ask for co-authorship and how to reach out to stakeholders. Next, it addresses developing documentation and conducting the reference interview. Standards specific to systematic reviews, including PRISMA, Institute of Medicine, and Cochrane Collaboration, are discussed. Search strategy techniques, including choosing databases, harvesting search terms, selecting filters, and searching for grey literature are detailed. Data management and critical appraisal are covered in detail. Finally, the best practices for reporting the findings of systematic reviews are highlighted.
The book is for any librarian interested in conducting reviews or assisting others with reviews. It has several applications: for training librarians new to systematic reviews, for those developing a new systematic review service, for those wanting to establish protocols for a current service, and as a reference for those conducting reviews or running a service.

The only volume specifically designed to meet the objectives of DNP courses, this textbook provides the knowledge and skills necessary for DNP students and faculty and advanced practice nurses to conduct a comprehensive systematic review (CSR). It sets forth a rigorous, step-by-step approach to the process of conducting a literature search including both quantitative and qualitative studies as well as "gray" literature; extracting and synthesizing the most relevant data; using CSR in practice, and disseminating the results. This book addresses the basic concepts of systematic reviews and their relationship to clinical practice and policy, and delineates the systematic steps of this process along with the development of a systematic review proposal and clinical question.

This Handbook focuses on systematic reviews of the effects of interventions. Most of the advice contained within it is oriented to the synthesis of clinical trials, and of randomized trials in particular because they provide more reliable evidence than other study designs on the relative effects of healthcare interventions (Kunz 2007). Some chapters, however, provide advice on including other types of evidence, particularly in forms of care where randomized trials may not be possible or appropriate and in considerations of safety or adverse effects.

This Handbook has 22 chapters organized into three parts.
Part 1 introduces Cochrane reviews, covering their planning and preparation, and their maintenance and updating, and ends with a guide to the contents of a Cochrane review or protocol.
Part 2 provides general methodological guidance relevant to all Cochrane reviews, covering question development, eligibility criteria, searching, collecting data, within-study bias, analysing data, reporting bias, presenting and interpreting results.
Part 3 addresses special topics that will be relevant to some, but not all, Cochrane reviews, including particular considerations in addressing adverse effects, meta-analysis with non-standard study designs and using individual patient data. This part has chapters on incorporating economic evaluations, non-randomized studies, qualitative research, patient-reported outcomes in reviews, prospective meta-analysis and reviews in health promotion and public health.
A final chapter describes the new review type, Overviews of reviews. (Free On-line)

If you are a Masters or a PhD student conducting a systematic review for your dissertation or thesis, then this is the book for you! Written by an expert team of authors with years of experience in conducting systematic reviews and supervising students doing systematic reviews, the book provides a roadmap to guide you through the process. The book addresses the following questions: - What's the best way to manage my review? - How do I formulate an appropriate review question? - How do I develop my search strategy? - How do I get started on data extraction? - How do I assess the quality of the studies I'm using? - How can I analyse and synthesise my data? - How should I write up the discussion and conclusion sections of my dissertation or thesis? - Where should I publish my data? Throughout the book, the authors make extensive use of questions posed by real students when carrying out reviews to help you through some of the challenges you may face. Like a team of supervisors in your pocket, this book will provide you with the tips and tools for a successful dissertation.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) promises to have a profound impact on social work practice, education, and scholarship, but adopting EBP depends on the availability and accessibility of evidence and on strategies to synthesize this information. Systematic reviews provide a comprehensive,unbiased method for retrieving and synthesizing relevant research. This pocket guide is a concise introduction that describes the steps required to complete a systematic review and the criteria that can be used to assess the quality of existing reviews. The authors provide straightforward information on how to define a search question that captures the problem's parameters, develop a search strategy that is transparent and comprehensive, assess the quality and credibility of existing research, and summarize the available research to support EBP insocial work. Providing coverage for both quantitative and qualitative synthesis methods, examples illustrate the steps and decisions associated with each approach to research synthesis. Key points and suggested readings and websites provide avenues for further study. This pocket guide is anexcellent introduction to EBP and systematic reviews that will be valued by social work students, practitioners, and scholars.

Healthcare decision makers in search of reliable information that compares health interventions increasingly turn to systematic reviews for the best summary of the evidence. Systematic reviews identify, select, assess, and synthesize the findings of similar but separate studies, and can help clarify what is known and not known about the potential benefits and harms of drugs, devices, and other healthcare services. Systematic reviews can be helpful for clinicians who want to integrate research findings into their daily practices, for patients to make well-informed choices about their own care, for professional medical societies and other organizations that develop clinical practice guidelines. Too often systematic reviews are of uncertain or poor quality. There are no universally accepted standards for developing systematic reviews leading to variability in how conflicts of interest and biases are handled, how evidence is appraised, and the overall scientific rigor of the process. In Finding What Works in Health Care the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends 21 standards for developing high-quality systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research. The standards address the entire systematic review process from the initial steps of formulating the topic and building the review team to producing a detailed final report that synthesizes what the evidence shows and where knowledge gaps remain. Finding What Works in Health Care also proposes a framework for improving the quality of the science underpinning systematic reviews. This book will serve as a vital resource for both sponsors and producers of systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research.

How to Read a Paper describes the different types of clinical research reporting, and explains how to critically appraise the publications. The book provides the tools to find and evaluate the literature, and implement the findings in an evidence-based, patient-centered way. Written for anyone in the health care professions who has little or no knowledge of evidence-based medicine, it provides a clear understanding of the concepts and how to put them into practice at the basic, clinical level. Changes for the 4th edition The fourth edition will include two new chapters on important developments in health care research and delivery, but otherwise retains its original style, size, and scope. New chapter on quality improvement ? describing papers on quality improvement projects using ebm methods;  this will extend the readership to non clinical health care professionals working in hospitals and family practice, and to nurse specialists and practice nurses working in this field New chapter on complex interventions - how to set up research projects involving both qualitative and quantitative methodology (known as mixed methods) Thorough revision and updating of existing chapters and references New illustrations ? diagrammatic representations of ebm concepts

Cut Through the Complexities of Medical Studies! A Doody's Core Title ESSENTIAL PURCHASE! Enhance your understanding and utilization of the information in medical journals with Stephen Gehlbach's Interpreting the Medical Literature. Written in a clear and entertaining style, this popular guide cuts through the complex language of research studies and makes reading medical publications a rewarding and pleasurable experience. IMPROVE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF VITAL RESEARCH Comprehend medical literature and evaluate the significance of any study Read research reports more quickly and easily Make sense of dense, scientific prose Learn about study design, measurement, statistical analysis, and interpretation Sharpen your analytical skills on current and classic medical studies Reinforce your knowledge of concepts with examples from actual medical literature New to the Fifth Edition: a chapter on how to interpret conflicting studies; expanded discussions of meta-analysis and developing consensus; updated figures and charts

Meta Analysis: A Guide to Calibrating and Combining Statistical Evidence acts as a source of basic methods for scientists wanting to combine evidence from different experiments. The authors aim to promote a deeper understanding of the notion of statistical evidence. The book is comprised of two parts - The Handbook, and The Theory. The Handbook is a guide for combining and interpreting experimental evidence to solve standard statistical problems. This section allows someone with a rudimentary knowledge in general statistics to apply the methods. The Theory provides the motivation, theory and results of simulation experiments to justify the methodology. This is a coherent introduction to the statistical concepts required to understand the authors' thesis that evidence in a test statistic can often be calibrated when transformed to the right scale.

This invaluable resource provides an overview of over 150 terms, theories and concepts associated with research methods which new researchers can find difficult to grasp. Each entry provides a critical definition of the term, and examines the advantages, disadvantages, applications and difficulties of the methodology of concept in the context of different social science disciplines. Concepts include: action research chaos theory actor network theory discourse analysis epistemology hegemony literature review interviewing perception social constructivism validity world view. With thematic further reading stretching across the social sciences, this book will help readers develop a firm understanding of the rationale and principles behind key research methods, and is a must-have for new researchers at all levels, from undergraduate to postgraduate and beyond.

Reviewing research evidence for nursing practice: systematic reviews highlights the key issues involved in conducting different types of systematic reviews - encompassing qualitative studies, quantitative studies and combining quantitative and qualitative studies. It enables nurses and researchers to understand the key principles involved in preparing systematic reviews and to critically appraise the reviews they read and evaluate their usefulness in developing their own practice. Each section starts with an overview of the methodology, followed by a selection of systematic reviews carried out in specialist areas of nursing practice. Part 1 explores systematic reviews and meta-analysis of quantitative research, part 2 explores meta-synthesis and meta-study of qualitative research and part 3 addresses integrative reviews that combine both qualitative and quantitative evidence. The final part explores the use of systematic reviews in service and practice development.

Searching Skills Toolkit is an expert guide to help you find the clinical evidence you need more easily and effectively. Clearly presented with useful tips and advice, flow charts, diagrams and real-life clinical scenarios, it shows the best methods for finding quality evidence. From deciding where to start, to building a search strategy, refining results and critical appraisal, it is a step-by-step guide to the process of finding healthcare evidence, and is designed for use by all health and social care professionals. This second edition has been expanded with new chapters on searching for sources to support evidence-based management decision making and how to better enable your patients to make informed choices. It has also been fully updated to include new web sources, open source reference management software, and new training resources and exercises. Searching Skills Toolkit is an ideal reference for doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, managers and decision makers, researchers and students.

What do we do if different studies appear to give different answers? When applying research to questions for individual patients or for health policy, one of the challenges is interpreting such apparently conflicting research. A systematic review is a method to systematically identify relevant research, appraise its quality, and synthesize the results. The last two decades have seen increasing interest and developments in methods for doing high quality systematic reviews. Part I of this book provides a clear introduction to the concepts of reviewing, and lucidly describes the difficulties and traps to avoid. A unique feature of the book is its description, in Part II, of the different methods needed for different types of health care questions: frequency of disease, prognosis, diagnosis, risk, and management. As well as illustrative examples, there are exercises for each of the sections. This is essential reading for those interested in synthesizing health care research.

The second edition of this best-selling book has been thoroughly revised and expanded to reflect the significant changes and advances made in systematic reviewing. New features include discussion on the rationale, meta-analyses of prognostic and diagnostic studies and software, and the use of systematic reviews in practice.

When used in tandem, systematic reviews and meta-analysis-- two distinct but highly compatible approaches to research synthesis-- form a powerful, scientific approach to analyzing previous studies. But to see their full potential, a social work researcher must be versed in the foundational processes underlying them. This pocket guide to Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis illuminates precisely that practical groundwork. In clear, step-by-step terms, the authors explain how to format topics, locate and screen studies, extract and assess data, pool effect sizes, determine bias, and interpret the results, showing readers how to combine reviewing and meta-analysis correctly and effectively. Each chapter contains vivid social work examples and concludes with a concise summary and notes on further reading, while the book's glossary and handy checklists and sample search and data extraction forms maximize the boo'ks usefulness. Highlighting the concepts necessary to understand, critique, and conduct research synthesis, this brief and highly readable introduction is a terrific resource for students and researchers alike.

University of Ottawa Evidence-based Practice Center, Ottawa, Canada September 2007. Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2007 Sep.
Report No.: 07-0087

A step-by-step guide to doing a literature review in nursing, or related healthcare professions, that takes you through every step of the process from start to finish.