Series: Living Systematic ReviewLiving systematic review: 1. Introduction—the why, what, when, and how
Section snippets
Keeping evidence up to date
Health research is a key driver of health and well-being, but health professionals often make decisions based on a patchy understanding of what the research says; consumers are confronted by disparate and often conflicting research findings; and society's return on investment in health research is eroded as research findings are lost in the deluge of new research [1]. Over the last 30 years, Cochrane and others have tackled these challenges by developing the science of evidence synthesis,
Continual updating
We have proposed a continual approach to review updating termed “living systematic review” (see Box 1) [10]. We hypothesize that this approach will achieve greater currency, and therefore accuracy and benefits to end users, with feasible resource requirements over time.
In this paper, we provide an introduction to LSRs, including a working definition and thoughts on when this approach to review currency may be appropriate. We give an overview of how to undertake an LSR and introduce key
What is a living systematic review?
We define an LSR as a systematic review that is continually updated, incorporating relevant new evidence as it becomes available. In practice, this means continual surveillance for new research evidence through ongoing or frequent searches and the inclusion of relevant new information into the review in a timely manner so that the findings of the systematic review remain current.
LSR is an approach to review updating, not a formal review methodology, and can be applied to any type of review. The
When is an LSR appropriate?
Not all systematic reviews require updating nor the use of an LSR approach. For a subset of reviews in which updating is appropriate, an LSR approach can be considered. Building on the recently published guidance on systematic review updating by Garner et al. [8], we suggest the following three criteria should guide the decision to initiate an LSR:
- 1.
The systematic review is a priority for decision-making. With current review production and publication systems, LSRs are only appropriate when the
How to perform an LSR?
LSR is a process of systematic review updating that uses standard systematic review methods. There are, however, several important implications of this approach for review production and publication, outlined below.
Conclusion
LSRs are a novel approach to systematic review updating that aims to break the current trade-off between methodological rigor and currency, and deliver evidence syntheses that are trustworthy and up to date. In pursuing the development and scale-up of an LSR approach to updating, we seek to dramatically reduce the time for new research to translate into health practice and impact, reduce the waste of society's investment in research, and help all involved in health make sense of the deluge of
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Cited by (0)
Funding: The Living Systematic Review Network is supported by funding from Cochrane and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (Partnership Project grant APP1114605).