Publishing protocols of systematic reviews: comparing what was done to what was planned

Ref ID 518
First Author C. A. Silagy
Journal JAMA
Year Of Publishing 2002
URL https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/articlepdf/194984/joc11902.pdf
Keywords Cochrane
Protocols
General medical
Problem(s) Undocumented or unjustified deviations to the review protocol
Number of systematic reviews included 47
Summary of Findings 91% of reviews had at least one section that had undergone a major change compared with the most recently published protocol. The greatest variation between protocols and reviews was in the methods section in which 68% of reviews had undergone a major change. The authors highlight that changes made to the protocol that could have been based on prior knowledge of the results are of most concern.
Did the article find that the problem(s) led to qualitative changes in interpretation of the results? Not Applicable
Are the methods of the article described in enough detail to replicate the study? Yes