title: Exploration and practice of methods and processes of evidence-based rapid review on peer review of WHO EML application.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  After 38 years of development, the procedure of selection and evaluation of the World Health Organization Essential Medicine List (WHO EML) is increasingly scientific and formal. However, peer review for the applications of World Health Organization Essential Medicine List is always required in a short period. It is necessary to build up a set of methods and processes for rapid review.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified the process of evidenced-based rapid review on WHO EML application for peer reviews according to 11 items which were required during reporting of the peer review results of the proposals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most important items for the rapid review of World Health Organization Essential Medicine List peer reviewers are (1) to confirm the requirements and identify the purposes; (2) to establish the research questions and translate the questions into the 'Participants, Interventions, Comparators, Outcomes, Study design' (PICOS) format; (3) to search and screen available evidence, for which high-level evidence is preferred, such as systematic reviews or meta-analyses, health technology assessment, clinical guidelines; (4) to extract data, where we extract primary information based on the purposes; (5) to synthesize data by qualitative methods, assess the quality of evidence, and compare the results; (6) to provide the answers to the applications, quality of evidences and strength of recommendations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study established a set of methods and processes for the rapid review of World Health Organization Essential Medicine List peer review, and our findings were used to guide the reviewers to fulfill the 19(th) World Health Organization Essential Medicine List peer review. The methods and processes were feasible and met the necessary requirements in terms of time and quality. Continuous improvement and evaluation in practice are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Youping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Jiajie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Chinese Evidence-Based Medicine Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Joey S W
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kwong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Lingli
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D018954:Drugs, Essential; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D010380:Peer Review; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D018954:Drugs, Essential
keywords: Essential medicine list; World Health Organization; methods; peer reviewer; processes