Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

A systematic review attempts to identify, appraise, and synthesize all relevant studies that fit pre-specified criteria to answer a research question in a transparent, objective, and reproducible way. Unlike a narrative review, a systematic review follows highly structured, rigorous, and reproducible methods established in a protocol to minimize bias and errors. The structure of a search strategy should be considered on a question-by-question basis. Depending on the study design, the most appropriate tool should be chosen for assessing the risk of bias of each included study. A systematic review should always include a qualitative synthesis regardless of whether a meta-analysis is feasible or sensible. A variety of stakeholders may use systematic reviews for a range of different purposes. Patients and doctors refer to systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines based on systematic reviews for healthcare decisions.