Background: Network meta-analysis (NMA) could address the comparative effectiveness of multiple interventions by way of combining direct and indirect estimates of effect, and thus is rapidly growing popularity and influence. But application of NMA’s results requires understanding the quality of the evidence. In 2014, the Grading of Recommendations Assessments, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) working group developed a framework to assess the certainty (quality) of the evidence from NMA. The application of the GRADE approach to NMA is widely used in recent years. But the detail application situation is still unknown.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the general characteristics and the usage of GRADE approach of NMA that use GRADE approach to rate the certainty of evidence.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed and Cochrane library to identified NMA that use GRADE approach to rate the certainty of evidence published from 2014 to 2020 in English. Two reviewers independently screened the title and abstract, and further screened the full-text to identify eligible studies. Data extracted from NMA included the first author, publication year, journal of publication, country, institution, article type, research topic. We summarized above characteristics using descriptive statistics.

Results: This study is ongoing and results will be presented at Colloquium as available.

Conclusions: This study is ongoing and results will be presented at Colloquium as available.

Patient or healthcare consumer involvement: Not Applicable