Why Consider Publishing a Systematic Review

Publishing a systematic review offers an invaluable opportunity to gain in-depth training in the scientific method, while making meaningful contributions to medical literature¹. Not only are systematic reviews cost-effective to conduct, but they also equip residents with the essential skills to critically appraise existing research, deepen their expertise on a particular topic, and gain hands-on experience in the research and publishing process. With the help of Covidence, a powerful tool for streamlining the review process, teams can collaborate more efficiently, ensuring a smoother workflow from start to finish. The result? A comprehensive, well-organized review that reflects the highest standards of scientific research.

Challenges To Be Aware Of

Challenges when conducting a systematic review include biases, mythological errors, and the need for rigorous, standardized processes. Here is a description some specific challenges.

Risk of Bias

Systematic reviews can be susceptible to biases if data is inappropriately handled or if reviews are biased. Biases can occur at any stage of the review process, especially in the selection and publication stages. Eligibility criteria in a systematic review help to avoid selection bias².

Methodological Errors

Mistakes in conducting a study can occur if reviews do not report key aspects of systematic review methodology³. Poor study design and execution can also result in biased outcomes².

Redundancy

Due to their popularity, systematic reviews are sometimes overused, leading to redundancy. The growth rate of systematic reviews has outpaced the growth rate of studies overall².

Lack of Universal Standards

A lack of universal standards, especially when it comes to bias, conflicts of interest, and how authors evaluate evidence, can result in uncertain or poor-quality systematic reviews⁴.

Poor Reporting

Key information is often poorly reported in systematic reviews, which diminishes their potential usefulness³.

Selection Bias

Selection bias is an important pitfall, with multiple publications only including English-language studies. Cochrane recommends including all languages to lower this type of bias³.

Time and Expertise

Residents need more time and expertise in searching for information.

Information Overload and Inconsistencies

Decision-makers face difficulties practicing based on the current best knowledge due to information overload and inconsistencies among studies.

Ensuring Best Practices

Researchers must carry out reviews in a specific way to ensure the recommendations that follow will result in the best healthcare for patients⁴.

Establishing Clear Questions

A vital step in performing a systematic review is formulating clearly stated research questions that would be amenable to literature review. Key questions should be focused and explicitly stated because they define the scope of research the systematic review will address⁵.

Following Guidelines

Systematic reviews should adhere to guidelines such as those in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions⁶.