This article provides guidance on conducting and reporting systematic reviews, including managing protocol violations, multiplicity, heterogeneity, and using the GRADE approach.
In Part I of this series, we provide guidance for preparing a systematic review protocol. In this article, we highlight important steps and supplement with exemplars on conducting and reporting the results of a systematic review. We suggest how authors can manage protocol violations, multiplicity of outcomes and analyses, and heterogeneity. The quality (certainty) of the evidence and strength of recommendations should follow the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. It is our goal that Part II of this series provides valid guidance to authors and peer reviewers who conduct systematic reviews to adhere to important constructs of transparency, structure, reproducibility, and accountability. This will likely result in more rigorous systematic reviews being submitted for publication to the journals like Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine and Anesthesia & Analgesia .
D’Souza et al. (Thu,) conducted a review in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Guidelines for performing systematic reviews was evaluated. This article provides guidance on conducting and reporting systematic reviews, including managing protocol violations, multiplicity, heterogeneity, and using the GRADE approach.