Introducing KSR Evidence: developing a database of critically appraised systematic reviews in the field of pain relief

Article type
Authors
Misso K1, Deshpande S1, Stirk L1, Westwood M1, Kleijnen J1, McLellan A1, Kleijnen J1
1Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd, United Kingdom
Abstract
Background: Publication of systematic reviews (SRs) has increased dramatically in recent years, from 232 in 1990 to 11,146 in 2014 (PubMed estimate). Assessing quality, risk of bias and applicability of review findings remains a challenge for clinicians and practitioners. KSR Evidence will include critical appraisals of systematic reviews from 2010 onwards. KSR Pain Evidence, as part of KSR Evidence, will enable quick and easy access to current critical appraisals of published SRs in pain management, and assist in interpretation and application of findings into clinical practice.
Objectives: To develop a database that comprehensively covers the best systematic review evidence in pain management, together with related randomised controlled trials (RCTs) from PubMed. The database includes critical appraisals for each SR, with a summary of SR results and a concise clinically-relevant bottom line.
Methods: Sensitive searches were conducted on a wide range of resources, including MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR), to retrieve systematic reviews on pain management from 2010 onwards (see Figure 1). For each included SR, a detailed critical appraisal and risk of bias was undertaken by an expert reviewer, culminating in a clinical bottom line. Appraisals were conducted using an adaptation of the ROBIS (Risk of Bias In Systematic reviews) tool, and are checked for quality by a second independent reviewer.
Results: To date, KSR Pain Evidence comprises over 2456 critical appraisals, and 2183 related RCTs from PubMed. We will present KSR Pain Evidence, describe the rationale behind its development and the appraisal process. Search functionality and example appraisals will be demonstrated.
Conclusions: Further work is ongoing to expand database coverage into other disease areas, and it is anticipated that KSR Evidence will extend to all published systematic reviews in the near future (www.ksrevidence.com).