title: Fit for purpose: perspectives on rapid reviews from end-user interviews.
abstract: There is increasing demand for rapid reviews and timely evidence synthesis. The goal of this project was to understand end-user perspectives on the utility and limitations of rapid products including evidence inventories, rapid responses, and rapid reviews.
  
  
  
  Interviews were conducted with key informants representing: guideline developers (n = 3), health care providers/health system organizations (n = 3), research funders (n = 1), and payers/health insurers (n = 1). We elicited perspectives on important characteristics of systematic reviews, acceptable methods to streamline reviews, and uses of rapid products. We analyzed content of the interview transcripts and identified themes and subthemes.
  
  
  
  Key informants identified the following as critical features of evidence reviews: (1) originating from a reliable source (i.e., conducted by experienced reviewers from an established research organization), (2) addressing clinically relevant questions, and (3) trusted relationship between the user and producer. Key informants expressed strong preference for the following review methods and characteristics: use of evidence tables, quality rating of studies, assessments of total evidence quality/strength, and use of summary tables for results and conclusions. Most acceptable trade-offs to increase efficiencies were limiting the literature search (e.g., limiting search dates or language) and performing single screening of citations and full texts for relevance. Key informants perceived rapid products (particularly evidence inventories and rapid responses) as useful interim products to inform downstream investigation (e.g., whether to proceed with a full review or guideline, direction for future research). Most key informants indicated that evidence analysis/synthesis and quality/strength of evidence assessments were important for decision-making. They reported that rapid reviews in particular were useful for guideline development on narrow topics, policy decisions when a quick turn-around is needed, decision-making for practicing clinicians in nuanced clinical settings, and decisions about coverage by payers/health insurers. Rapid reviews may be more relevant within specific clinical settings or health systems; whereas, broad/national guidelines often need a traditional systematic review.
  
  
  
  Key informants interviewed in our study indicated that evidence inventories, rapid responses, and rapid reviews have utility in specific decisions and contexts. They indicated that the credibility of the review producer, relevance of key questions, and close working relationship between the end-user and producer are critical for any rapid product. Our findings are limited by the sample size which may have been too small to reach saturation for the themes described.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, ECHA 4-472, 11405-87 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1C9, Canada. Hartling@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-8341-3991
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hartling
authors.affiliation: Scientific Resource Center for the AHRQ Effective Health Care Program, Portland VA Research Foundation, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Jeanne-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guise
authors.affiliation: Evidence-based Practice Center, RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90407, USA.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hempel
authors.affiliation: Alberta Research Center for Health Evidence, University of Alberta, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy 4-486D, 11405-87 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1C9, Canada.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Featherstone
authors.affiliation: ECRI-Penn AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Center, University of Pennsylvania Health System, 3535 Market St. Suite 50, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Scientific Resource Center for the AHRQ Effective Health Care Program, Portland VA Research Foundation, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Makalapua L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Motu'apuaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: ECRI Institute, 5200 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA, 19462, USA.
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schoelles
authors.affiliation: Pacific Northwest Evidence-based Practice Center, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Totten
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente Research Affiliates Evidence-based Practice Center, Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, 3800N. Interstate Ave, Portland, OR, 97227, USA.|Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, 1919 M Street, Washington, DC, 20036, USA.
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Whitlock
authors.affiliation: Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center, Minneapolis VA Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research and the University of Minnesota, 1 Veterans Drive, 111-0, Minneapolis, MN, 55417, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Wilt
authors.affiliation: Scientific Resource Center for the AHRQ Effective Health Care Program, Portland VA Research Foundation, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20857, USA.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Berliner
authors.affiliation: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20857, USA.
authors.forename: Aysegul
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gozu
authors.affiliation: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20857, USA.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Scientific Resource Center for the AHRQ Effective Health Care Program, Portland VA Research Foundation, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paynter
authors.affiliation: Center for Evidence-based Practice, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Mezzanine, Suite 50, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Umscheid
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Decision-makers; End-users; Interviews; Knowledge synthesis; Rapid reviews; Systematic reviews