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Abstract
Objectives: The Cochrane Stroke Group produces up-to-date systematic reviews of interventions for the prevention of stroke and the treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients. Our comprehensive Trials Register is central to the support of this review process and is expanding rapidly as a result of a complex programme of sensitive and overlapping search strategies. The Trials Search Coordinator works with individual reviewers to design additional intervention-specific search strategies to complement the Stroke Group general strategy and increase the likelihood of finding relevant trials.
Methods: Our systematic approach to trial identification includes regular prospective searches of seven electronic biomedical databases, an international programme of handsearching and translation and contact with pharmaceutical companies and researchers for unpublished material. In addition, using the Internet and other sources, we identify and regularly search international clinical trials and research registers. Recently a complete retrospective and simultaneous search of five bibliographic databases was completed, in which separate detailed search strategies were developed for MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, DERWENT Drug File and SCISEARCH. 79,420 references were retrieved and 22,496 duplicates removed. We screened the title, keywords and abstract (if available) of each citation and 5425 (9.5%) unique references met our predefined selection criteria. Cross checking of the 2143 reports of trials already in our Specialised Register revealed 1130 (52.7%) which were not identified by this multifile search, demonstrating the importance of handsearching and other trial identification methods. Full reports of the new references are currently being evaluated
Results: Results Our Specialised Register now contains 2615 reports of studies in all languages relating to 1450 individual trials. Each report is coded in detail from a copy of the original publication using a specially developed intervention coding system designed to link multiple reports of the same trial. This system enables search strategies to be developed for each review, facilitates tracking of individual trials, particularly trials in progress and has identified specific areas where new systematic reviews are needed. Although pharmacological agents account for the majority of trials, the Register includes studies of a wide range of non-drug interventions. Using data from our Register, 30 Cochrane systematic reviews have now been published and a further 20 are in preparation.
Discussion: The Stroke Group Specialised Trials Register is, to our knowledge, the world's most extensive database of stroke trials. This unique and powerful resource provides comprehensive and efficient support of the review process.
Methods: Our systematic approach to trial identification includes regular prospective searches of seven electronic biomedical databases, an international programme of handsearching and translation and contact with pharmaceutical companies and researchers for unpublished material. In addition, using the Internet and other sources, we identify and regularly search international clinical trials and research registers. Recently a complete retrospective and simultaneous search of five bibliographic databases was completed, in which separate detailed search strategies were developed for MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, DERWENT Drug File and SCISEARCH. 79,420 references were retrieved and 22,496 duplicates removed. We screened the title, keywords and abstract (if available) of each citation and 5425 (9.5%) unique references met our predefined selection criteria. Cross checking of the 2143 reports of trials already in our Specialised Register revealed 1130 (52.7%) which were not identified by this multifile search, demonstrating the importance of handsearching and other trial identification methods. Full reports of the new references are currently being evaluated
Results: Results Our Specialised Register now contains 2615 reports of studies in all languages relating to 1450 individual trials. Each report is coded in detail from a copy of the original publication using a specially developed intervention coding system designed to link multiple reports of the same trial. This system enables search strategies to be developed for each review, facilitates tracking of individual trials, particularly trials in progress and has identified specific areas where new systematic reviews are needed. Although pharmacological agents account for the majority of trials, the Register includes studies of a wide range of non-drug interventions. Using data from our Register, 30 Cochrane systematic reviews have now been published and a further 20 are in preparation.
Discussion: The Stroke Group Specialised Trials Register is, to our knowledge, the world's most extensive database of stroke trials. This unique and powerful resource provides comprehensive and efficient support of the review process.