Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Cochrane Multiple Sclerosis and Rare Diseases of the CNS Group (MSCRG) in collaboration with Cochrane Neurological Sciences Field (CNSF), Cochrane Knowledge Translation Group (KTG) and the Affiliate of Cochrane Italy Geographic Group decided to start an international consultation process aimed at identifying five new topics for upcoming Cochrane reviews on MS.
Material and methods:The consultation will be performed according to the Guidance Note by the KTG.
Stage 1. An Advisory Group (AG) will be established and will lead the priority setting process.
Five core areas of potential uncertainty (diagnosis, health communication and participation, pharmacological treatments, rehabilitation and social support interventions), identified through an appraisal of clinical pathways for MS, will be considered. Specific topics with potential uncertainty will be highlighted within each area, and a tentative list of 10 top research questions will be defined by the AG and ranked according to their answerability and importance.
Stage 2. We will use an international online survey to collect other questions on relevant aspects of MS care. Persons with MS and their carers, clinicians and researchers will be invited to participate to the survey through the help of international patient ‘advocacy associations”, Cochrane, MSCRG, CNSF and MS scientific societies. CNSF will refine the questions and group them together into the core areas. At the end of this process the AG will identify 10 new research questions.
Stage 3. We will run a second online survey submitting the 20 research questions and ask participants to rank them according to their relevance and expected impact of the review results on clinical practice and benefit to persons with MS.
Stage 4 CNSF will consider the top 10 research questions prioritized through the survey and compare them with the existing MSCRG review portfolio.
Stage 5. In order to rule out the already answered questions we will perform a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on the diagnosis and treatment of MS published since 2015 in English using AGREE II for quality assessment.
Stage 6. Up to five priority Cochrane reviews to be newly produced or updated will be identified.
Patient or healthcare consumer involvement: Persons with MS and their carers, clinicians and researchers will be involved in the international survey.
Material and methods:The consultation will be performed according to the Guidance Note by the KTG.
Stage 1. An Advisory Group (AG) will be established and will lead the priority setting process.
Five core areas of potential uncertainty (diagnosis, health communication and participation, pharmacological treatments, rehabilitation and social support interventions), identified through an appraisal of clinical pathways for MS, will be considered. Specific topics with potential uncertainty will be highlighted within each area, and a tentative list of 10 top research questions will be defined by the AG and ranked according to their answerability and importance.
Stage 2. We will use an international online survey to collect other questions on relevant aspects of MS care. Persons with MS and their carers, clinicians and researchers will be invited to participate to the survey through the help of international patient ‘advocacy associations”, Cochrane, MSCRG, CNSF and MS scientific societies. CNSF will refine the questions and group them together into the core areas. At the end of this process the AG will identify 10 new research questions.
Stage 3. We will run a second online survey submitting the 20 research questions and ask participants to rank them according to their relevance and expected impact of the review results on clinical practice and benefit to persons with MS.
Stage 4 CNSF will consider the top 10 research questions prioritized through the survey and compare them with the existing MSCRG review portfolio.
Stage 5. In order to rule out the already answered questions we will perform a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on the diagnosis and treatment of MS published since 2015 in English using AGREE II for quality assessment.
Stage 6. Up to five priority Cochrane reviews to be newly produced or updated will be identified.
Patient or healthcare consumer involvement: Persons with MS and their carers, clinicians and researchers will be involved in the international survey.