Outcomes in Cochrane systematic reviews related to wound care: An investigation into prespecification

Ref ID 92
First Author Z. Liu
Journal WOUND REPAIR & REGENERATION
Year Of Publishing 2017
URL https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/wrr.12519?download=true
Keywords • Nursing
• Pre-specification
• Cochrane
• Multiplicity
Problem(s) • Multiplicity of outcomes and lack of pre-specification for outcome reporting
Article Type Empirical
Article Subtype Cross-sectional survey/Methodological systematic review
First Author Country United Kingdom
Aim To assess the adequacy and specification of outcomes used in Cochrane wounds systematic reviews that had provided a protocol up to 2014 using a five-element framework of key outcome components: outcome domain, specific measurement, specific metric, method of aggregation, and time points.
Level of Investigation Descriptive
Summary of Findings 106 protocols were included for systematic reviews with 126 outcome domains. Outcomes were frequently poorly prespecified. Method of aggregation was the most poorly specified element (76–100% unclear), and when specified, it was usually a “percentage/proportion.” Time points and metric were very poorly specified, except for the domain of wound healing. Primary outcomes tended to be more completely specified than secondary outcomes.
Number of systematic reviews included 106
Number of eligible systematic reviews assessed 106
Treatment impacted No
Treatment impacted description
Interpretation impacted Not Applicable
Interpretation impacted description