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Iannizzi C, Dorando E, Burns J, Weibel S, Dooley C, Wakeford H, Estcourt LJ, Skoetz N, Piechotta V. Living systematic reviews in a context of rapidly emerging diseases: challenges and lessons learned. Eur J Public Health 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckab164.481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
In a context of a rapid emerging disease, like the COVID-19 pandemic, we are confronted with clinical uncertainty, evolving epidemiological setting and lacking evidence. Within the context of such a high-priority topic, living systematic reviews (LSRs) are an important systematic review type characterized through regular updating and permanent surveillance of continuously evolving evidence. However, with the new pandemic-related challenges, the standard LSR methodology had to be adapted.
Objectives
The objective is to discuss certain challenges that occurred when conducting LSRs in a rapidly emerging disease context. In particular, we give insights in the lessons we have learned from the conduct of two COVID-19 LSRs and highlight emerging methodological aspects.
Results
With the evolving knowledge around the virus and its caused disease, we learned that the initial plan for inclusion of study designs, publication types, interventions and comparators, outcomes and the search strategy had to be adapted. The author teams for example had to revise outcome measures or included observational data in addition to evidence from randomized controlled trials, as they provided substantial information on the safety of investigated interventions. For deciding when to update a LSR, additional aspects, such as policy relevance or waiting for important evidence dependent on the individual research question were considered. To avoid biases in the review process, we learned that transparent reporting of any methodological adaptations is highly relevant; between protocol and review, as well as between each review update.
Conclusions
Our experience showed that LSRs are highly suitable in a pandemic context, in particular when facing unexpected methodological and clinical challenges. The research question, study designs and the methodology, should be revisited and critically discussed before each update, to be flexible enough for addressing the pandemic context.
Key messages
Living systematic reviews are highly relevant in a pandemic context, but the methodology and decision when to update the review have to be adapted to respond purposeful to the emerging topic. To avoid biases in the review process, we learned that transparent reporting of any methodological adaptations is highly relevant; between protocol and review, as well as between each review update.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Iannizzi
- Evidence-based Oncology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - E Dorando
- Evidence-based Oncology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - J Burns
- Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | - S Weibel
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care, Emergency, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - C Dooley
- Editorial & Methods Department, Cochrane Central Executive, London, UK
| | - H Wakeford
- Editorial & Methods Department, Cochrane Central Executive, London, UK
| | - LJ Estcourt
- Haematology/Transfusion Medicine, NHS Blood and Transplant, Oxford, UK
| | - N Skoetz
- Evidence-based Oncology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - V Piechotta
- Evidence-based Oncology, Department I of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Piechotta V, Hirsch C, Ernst M, Goldkuhle M, Moja L, Skoetz N. COCHRANE HAEMATOLOGY REVIEWS TO INFORM WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION’S LIST OF ESSENTIAL MEDICINES ON CLINICAL VALUE OF HIGH‐PRIORITY CANCER MEDICINES. Hematol Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/hon.110_2881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Piechotta
- University of Cologne Cochrane Haematology Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne Germany
| | - C. Hirsch
- University of Cologne Cochrane Haematology Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne Germany
| | - M. Ernst
- University of Cologne Cochrane Haematology Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne Germany
| | - M. Goldkuhle
- University of Cologne Cochrane Haematology Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne Germany
| | - L. Moja
- World Health Organization Department of Essential Medicines and Health Products Geneva Switzerland
| | - N. Skoetz
- University of Cologne Cochrane Cancer Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne Germany
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Hirsch C, Jakob T, Tomlinson E, Estcourt L, Theurich S, Ocheni S, Skoetz N, Piechotta V. PRIORITISATION OF RELEVANT COCHRANE REVIEW TOPICS IN THE FIELD OF HAEMATOLOGY. Hematol Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/hon.111_2881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Hirsch
- Cochrane Haematology Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital University of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - T. Jakob
- Cochrane Haematology Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital University of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - E. Tomlinson
- Cochrane Cancer Network Royal United Hospital Bath UK
| | - L. Estcourt
- Cochrane Haematology Haematology/Transfusion Medicine NHS Blood and Transplant Oxford UK
| | - S. Theurich
- Department of Medicine III University Hospital LMU Ludwig‐Maximilians‐Universität München Munich Germany
| | - S. Ocheni
- Department of Haematology & Immunology University of Nigeria Ituku‐Ozalla Campus Enugu Nigeria
| | - N. Skoetz
- Cochrane Cancer Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital University of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - V. Piechotta
- Cochrane Haematology Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital University of Cologne Cologne Germany
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Hirsch C, Piechotta V, Langer P, Scheid C, John L, Skoetz N. EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF DARATUMUMAB FOR THE TREATMENT OF MULTIPLE MYELOMA: A SERIES OF COCHRANE REVIEWS. Hematol Oncol 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/hon.199_2880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Hirsch
- Cochrane Haematology Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital University of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - V. Piechotta
- Cochrane Haematology Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital University of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - P. Langer
- Cochrane Haematology Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital University of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - C. Scheid
- Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Stem Cell Transplantation Program Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital University of Cologne Cologne Germany
| | - L. John
- Department of Hematology Oncology and Rheumatology University Hospital Heidelberg Heidelberg Germany
| | - N. Skoetz
- Cochrane Cancer Department I of Internal Medicine Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital University of Cologne Cologne Germany
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