Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: The objective was to develop a user-friendly tool to assess the methodological quality of systematic reviews, building upon previous tools and expert consensus.
Methods: A 37-item assessment tool to measure the quality of systematic reviews was formed by combining 1) the enhanced Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire (OQAQ) scale, 2) a checklist created by Sacks and 3) three additional items recently judged to be of methodological importance. This tool was applied to 99 paper-based and 52 electronic systematic reviews. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify underlying components. The results were considered by methodological experts using a nominal group process aimed at item reduction and design of an assessment tool with face and content validity.
Results: The 37 items were grouped in 11 components and 29 items by the factor analysis: From each component one item was selected by the expert panel. The resulting instrument was judged to have face and content validity.
Conclusions: A measurement tool to assess reviews (AMSTAR) was developed. The tool consists of 11 components and has good face and content validity for measuring the methodological quality of systematic reviews. Additional studies are needed with a focus on the reproducibility and construct validity of AMSTAR, before strong recommendations on its use can be made.
Methods: A 37-item assessment tool to measure the quality of systematic reviews was formed by combining 1) the enhanced Overview Quality Assessment Questionnaire (OQAQ) scale, 2) a checklist created by Sacks and 3) three additional items recently judged to be of methodological importance. This tool was applied to 99 paper-based and 52 electronic systematic reviews. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify underlying components. The results were considered by methodological experts using a nominal group process aimed at item reduction and design of an assessment tool with face and content validity.
Results: The 37 items were grouped in 11 components and 29 items by the factor analysis: From each component one item was selected by the expert panel. The resulting instrument was judged to have face and content validity.
Conclusions: A measurement tool to assess reviews (AMSTAR) was developed. The tool consists of 11 components and has good face and content validity for measuring the methodological quality of systematic reviews. Additional studies are needed with a focus on the reproducibility and construct validity of AMSTAR, before strong recommendations on its use can be made.