Improving systematic reviews for clinicians: a journal editor's view.
Evidence-based medicine implies that randomised controlled trials, meta-analyses and systematic reviews will be used by clinicians to determine the most appropriate therapy for patients. Cochrane reviews are the prototype of systematic reviews, but they are not optimally utilised by physicians in the United States. This may be related to lack of access, unfamiliarity with the format, and the perception that they are impractical for actual patient care. An opportunity exists to criticize and improve systematic reviews, and changes are suggested to make them more user-friendly.
Scott
James R
JR
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1242, USA. james.scott@hsc.utah.edu
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D006113:United Kingdom