How to critically appraise a systematic review: an aide for the reader and reviewer
Frewen, John de Brito, Marianne Pathak, Anjali Barlow, Richard Williams, Hywel C
Frewen, John
de Brito, Marianne
Pathak, Anjali
Barlow, Richard
Williams, Hywel C
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Affiliation
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust; The Royal London Hospital; Watford General Hospital; Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust; et al
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Publication date
2023-07
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Collections
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Abstract
The number of published systematic reviews has soared rapidly in recent years. Sadly, the quality of most systematic reviews in dermatology is substandard. With the continued increase in exposure to systematic reviews, and their potential to influence clinical practice, we sought to describe a sequence of useful tips for the busy clinician reader to determine study quality and clinical utility. Important factors to consider when assessing systematic reviews include: determining the motivation to performing the study, establishing if the study protocol was prepublished, assessing quality of reporting using the PRISMA checklist, assessing study quality using the AMSTAR 2 critical appraisal checklist, assessing for evidence of spin, and summarizing the main strengths and limitations of the study to determine if it could change clinical practice. Having a set of heuristics to consider when reading systematic reviews serves to save time, enabling assessment of quality in a structured way, and come to a prompt conclusion of the merits of a review article in order to inform the care of dermatology patients.
Citation
Frewen J, de Brito M, Pathak A, Barlow R, Williams HC. How to critically appraise a systematic review: an aide for the reader and reviewer. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2023 Jul 21;48(8):854-859. doi: 10.1093/ced/llad141
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Article