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

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are essential to summarize evidence relating to efficacy and safetyof health care interventions accurately and reliably. The clarity and transparency of these reports, however,is not optimal. Poor reporting of systematic reviews diminishes their value to clinicians, policy makers, andother users. Since the development of the QUOROM (QUality Of Reporting Of Meta-analysis) Statement—areporting guideline published in 1999—there have been several conceptual, methodological, and practicaladvances regarding the conduct and reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Also, reviews ofpublished systematic reviews have found that key information about these studies is often…

• G
  GlaxoSmithKline
• UO
  University of Ottawa
• OH
  Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
• MU
  McMaster University
• UO
  University of Ioannina
• MR
  Medical Research Council
• CA
  Care and Public Health Research Institute, Universiteit Maastricht