A scoping review approach for synthesizing and mapping research in anesthesia and pain medicine

A scoping review (ScR) is a widely used method of evidence synthesis for identifying and mapping the available evidence on a specific topic, field, concept, or issue. This article presents the guidelines for conducting a ScR using a systematic and rigorous methodology. The steps for conducting a ScR, illustrated with examples from anesthesia and pain medicine research, are as follows: (1) building a review team, (2) formulating broad research questions, (3) developing and registering a ScR protocol, (4) identifying relevant studies through a systematic search, (5) extracting data using predefined templates, (6) analyzing and presenting the evidence, (7) consulting with stakeholders and/or experts, and (8) reporting the results transparently. ScRs are valuable methods of evidence synthesis, enabling researchers in anesthesia and pain medicine to map and explore the breadth of existing evidence.