Background: the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions was recently updated to include a new chapter on equity and specific populations. Equity is defined as the absence of avoidable differences in health outcomes. Average results may obscure differences in outcomes across specific populations, who may experience health inequity. Systematic reviews can explore the robustness of findings across specific populations, who may experience health inequity.

Objectives:
1) participants will understand how to incorporate equity considerations into their systematic reviews;
2) participants will understand how to report equity considerations completely and transparently.

Description: participants will be introduced to the mnemonic 'PROGRESS-Plus', and how it can be used to formulate questions and design methods to consider health equity (PROGRESS-Plus: Place of residence, Race/ethnicity/language/culture/language, Occupation, Gender/sex, Religion, Education, Socioeconomic status, Social capital). We will discuss how to consider specific populations such as older adults, migrants, and those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. We will introduce participants to guidance for reporting equity-focused reviews (PRISMA Equity 2012) and the 2017 GRADE Working Group guidance on considering health equity in guideline development. We will discuss how stakeholder engagement and inclusion of patients is congruent with health equity goals in reviews and guidelines. Participants will be divided into small groups to discuss hot topics in the consideration of health equity in systematic Cochrane Reviews.