Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: PROSPERO is an international open access electronic database of prospectively registered systematic reviews in health and social care. A unique registration number and key features from the review protocol are recorded permanently in order to avoid unplanned duplication and enable comparison of reported review methods with what was planned in the protocol.
Objectives: To assess the progress of PROSPERO registering systematic reviews, in absolute terms and in relative terms compared to systematic reviews published in MEDLINE.
Methods: First, we identified the monthly cumulative registrations and the status of these registrations on PROSPERO (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/) from inception date (22 February 2011). Second, we identified the annual publications of systematic reviews in PubMed using the most specific filter developed by Montori et al. (((MEDLINE [tiab]) OR systematic[tiab])) AND ((review[tiab]) OR meta-analysis[Publication Type]) and we also identified PROSPERO registrations (((prospero) AND ((registr* or crd)))).
Results: From inception to 28 February 2015 (four years) 6026 registrations were recorded in PROSPERO, most of them (87%) reporting an ongoing status (Table 1). We observed an increasing trend in the number of records (Figure 1). The proportion of systematic reviews published in MEDLINE that reported a CRD record number is also growing but, remains below 2% (Figure 2).
Conclusions: PROSPERO registration is growing but is still remarkably low. Hopefully the PRIMA-P 2015 statement will boost this trend further.
Objectives: To assess the progress of PROSPERO registering systematic reviews, in absolute terms and in relative terms compared to systematic reviews published in MEDLINE.
Methods: First, we identified the monthly cumulative registrations and the status of these registrations on PROSPERO (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/) from inception date (22 February 2011). Second, we identified the annual publications of systematic reviews in PubMed using the most specific filter developed by Montori et al. (((MEDLINE [tiab]) OR systematic[tiab])) AND ((review[tiab]) OR meta-analysis[Publication Type]) and we also identified PROSPERO registrations (((prospero) AND ((registr* or crd)))).
Results: From inception to 28 February 2015 (four years) 6026 registrations were recorded in PROSPERO, most of them (87%) reporting an ongoing status (Table 1). We observed an increasing trend in the number of records (Figure 1). The proportion of systematic reviews published in MEDLINE that reported a CRD record number is also growing but, remains below 2% (Figure 2).
Conclusions: PROSPERO registration is growing but is still remarkably low. Hopefully the PRIMA-P 2015 statement will boost this trend further.