The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate healthcare interventions: explanation and elaboration

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are essential to summarise evidence relating to efficacy and safety of healthcare interventions accurately and reliably. The clarity and transparency of these reports, however, are not optimal. Poor reporting of systematic reviews diminishes their value to clinicians, policy makers, and other users. Since the development of the QUOROM (quality of reporting of meta-analysis) statement-a reporting guideline published in 1999-there have been several conceptual, methodological, and practical advances regarding the conduct and reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Also, reviews of published systematic reviews have found that key information about these studies is…

• G
  GlaxoSmithKline
• HS
  Health Services Research and Development
• JH
  Johns Hopkins University
• UO
  University of Ottawa
• UO
  University of Bern
• OH
  Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
• MU
  McMaster University
• UO
  University of Ioannina
• JH
  Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• MR
  Medical Research Council
• CA
  Care and Public Health Research Institute, Universiteit Maastricht