An international survey and modified Delphi approach revealed numerous rapid review methods.
OBJECTIVE
To solicit experiences with and perceptions of rapid reviews from stakeholders, including researchers, policy makers, industry, journal editors, and health care providers.


METHODS
An international survey of rapid review producers and modified Delphi.


RESULTS
Forty rapid review producers responded on our survey (63% response rate). Eighty-eight rapid reviews with 31 different names were reported. Rapid review commissioning organizations were predominantly government (78%) and health care (58%) organizations. Several rapid review approaches were identified, including updating the literature search of previous reviews (92%); limiting the search strategy by date of publication (88%); and having only one reviewer screen (85%), abstract data (84%), and assess the quality of studies (86%). The modified Delphi included input from 113 stakeholders on the rapid review approaches from the survey. Approach 1 (search limited by date and language; study selection by one reviewer only, and data abstraction and quality appraisal conducted by one reviewer and one verifier) was ranked the most feasible (72%, 81/113 responses), with the lowest perceived risk of bias (12%, 12/103); it also ranked second in timeliness (37%, 38/102) and fifth in comprehensiveness (5%, 5/100).


CONCLUSIONS
Rapid reviews have many names and approaches, and some methods might be more desirable than others.
Knowledge Translation Program, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada; Epidemiology Division, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 6th Floor, 155 College St., Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada.
Andrea C
AC
Tricco
Knowledge Translation Program, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada.
Wasifa
W
Zarin
Knowledge Translation Program, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada.
Jesmin
J
Antony
Ottawa Methods Centre, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, Centre for Practice Changing Research Building, 501 Smyth Road, PO BOX 201B, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L6, Canada.
Brian
B
Hutton
Ottawa Methods Centre, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, General Campus, Centre for Practice Changing Research Building, 501 Smyth Road, PO BOX 201B, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L6, Canada.
David
D
Moher
School of Nursing, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West-HSC 3N24E, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
Diana
D
Sherifali
Knowledge Translation Program, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 27 Kings College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A1, Canada. Electronic address: sharon.straus@utoronto.ca.
Sharon E
SE
Straus
D003697:Delphi Technique; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D038622:Internationality; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Consensus; Delphi; Knowledge synthesis; Rapid review; Survey; Systematic review