The overview reporting map: a visual tool for overviews of systematic reviews

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to present the Overview Reporting Map (ORMap), a structured approach for summarizing and visually representing results from overviews of Cochrane Systematic Reviews (CSRs). The goal is to address the difficulty in effectively reporting information from overviews of reviews. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: ORMap was developed progressively and applied through two projects with the World Health Organization (WHO): Best Evidence for Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation COVID-19 Evidence Response. ORMap was continually refined based on feedback from editors, journal reviewers, and the WHO, as well as discussions with the various groups authoring the overviews and presentations at global meetings with methodologists and experts of knowledge translation. RESULTS: ORMap summarizes evidence from CSRs using a mapping format to report intervention effects and certainty of evidence based on the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations system. It displays all considered interventions at a glance, using color-coded cells to indicate the effect of interventions and the certainty of the evidence, thereby allowing the rapid identification of key information. It provides a high-level view of the results, with references to retrieve further details as needed. ORMap demonstrated flexibility and adaptability, facilitating the interpretation of complex information to clinical end-users. CONCLUSION: ORMap provides a structured approach to summarizing evidence for overviews of systematic reviews, making complex information more accessible and actionable. It has the potential to enhance the integration of evidence into clinical practice. Further research is needed to assess its impact on decision-making and user experience.