title: The methodological quality assessment tools for preclinical and clinical studies, systematic review and meta-analysis, and clinical practice guideline: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To systematically review the methodological assessment tools for pre-clinical and clinical studies, systematic review and meta-analysis, and clinical practice guideline.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched PubMed, the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Reviewers Manual, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP), Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) up to May 20th, 2014. Two authors selected studies and extracted data; quantitative analysis was performed to summarize the characteristics of included tools.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included a total of 21 assessment tools for analysis. A number of tools were developed by academic organizations, and some were developed by only a small group of researchers. The JBI developed the highest number of methodological assessment tools, with CASP coming second. Tools for assessing the methodological quality of randomized controlled studies were most abundant. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias is the best available tool for assessing RCTs. For cohort and case-control studies, we recommend the use of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS) is an excellent tool for assessing non-randomized interventional studies, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (ARHQ) methodology checklist is applicable for cross-sectional studies. For diagnostic accuracy test studies, the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool is recommended; the SYstematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) risk of bias tool is available for assessing animal studies; Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) is a measurement tool for systematic reviews/meta-analyses; an 18-item tool has been developed for appraising case series studies, and the Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation (AGREE)-II instrument is widely used to evaluate clinical practice guidelines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have successfully identified a variety of methodological assessment tools for different types of study design. However, further efforts in the development of critical appraisal tools are warranted since there is currently a lack of such tools for other fields, e.g. genetic studies, and some existing tools (nested case-control studies and case reports, for example) are in need of updating to be in line with current research practice and rigor. In addition, it is very important that all critical appraisal tools remain subjective and performance bias is effectively avoided.
authors.affiliation: Center for Evidence-Based and Translational Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; Center for Evidence-based Medicine and Clinical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.
authors.forename: Xiantao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Yonggang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Joey S W
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kwong
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Yuming
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000592:standards*; D000068456:Clinical Studies as Topic / Q000592:standards; D000068598:Data Accuracy; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*; D012196:Review Literature as Topic
keywords: Clinical practice guideline; meta-analysis; methodological quality; primary study; risk of bias; systematic review