Quality of reporting among systematic reviews underpinning the ESC/ACC guidelines on ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death

Ref ID 940
First Author E. P. Garrett
Journal BMJ EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE
Year Of Publishing 2022
URL https://ebm.bmj.com/content/27/6/352.long
Keywords • Low reporting quality
• Non-Cochrane reviews
• Low methodological quality
• Cardiology
Problem(s) • Low methodological (AMSTAR) quality
• Low reporting (PRISMA) quality
• Cochrane reviews more rigorous/higher quality than non-Cochrane reviews
Article Type Empirical
Article Subtype Cross-sectional survey/Methodological systematic review
First Author Country United States
Checklists • PRISMA 2020
• AMSTAR 2
Aim To assess the methodological and reporting quality of the systematic reviews supporting the European Society of Cardiology and the American College of Cardiology clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) recommendations for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death published between 1989 and 2018.
Level of Investigation Descriptive
Summary of Findings From 55 included systematic reviews supporting the European Society of Cardiology and the American College of Cardiology clinical practice guidelines for the management of patients with ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death published between 1989 and 2018. The methodological (AMSTAR 2) and reporting quality (PRISMA) of systematic reviews used within the clinical practice guidelines was found to be insufficient. The reporting quality of over 40% of the included SRs were found to be ‘critically low’ using the AMSTAR-2 evaluation tool. Cochrane SRs were higher quality than non-Cochrane reviews. A key area of concern was the number of studies that did not disclose funding sources and conflicts of interest statements.
Number of systematic reviews included 55
Number of eligible systematic reviews assessed 1431
Treatment impacted No
Treatment impacted description
Interpretation impacted Not Applicable
Interpretation impacted description