Article type
Abstract
Background:
Evidence summaries serve as crucial point-of-care resources, offering concise overviews of the latest evidence on health care interventions and practices to aid in evidence-based decision-making. However, the current practice of updating evidence summaries at JBI every 1.5 to 2 years may result in inefficiencies, such as a full update with no new evidence or delayed inclusion of new evidence. This study addresses the need for a more pragmatic and sustainable approach to literature surveillance and update strategies for evidence summaries.
Objectives:
To explore and examine optimal literature surveillance and update strategies to enhance the timeliness and sustainability of JBI Evidence Summaries by incorporating the latest high-level evidence, irrespective of its publication date, in a practical manner.
Methods:
We selected a random sample of Evidence Summaries (10% of the database) to assess the utility of Really Simple Syndication (RSS) for literature surveillance. Data were collected for this random sample on the number of times the Evidence Summary was triggered for update and whether the evidence that triggered the update was included in the updated version. Additionally, we investigated potential triggers for updates, establishing minimum criteria to ensure a sustainable process while consistently incorporating the latest high-level evidence. Data for the remaining 90% of the database, which continued to be updated chronologically (oldest first), were collected on whether new evidence was incorporated in the update.
Results:
Our findings demonstrated promising results for RSS as an efficient and dynamic method for literature surveillance. The identification of specific triggers for updates, coupled with literature surveillance using RSS, facilitated a more robust and continuous update process.
Conclusions:
This study contributes valuable insights into literature surveillance and update strategies for evidence summaries, addressing challenges posed by the "living evidence" framework. The findings have direct implications for evidence summary creators and living evidence more broadly. By exploring and implementing pragmatic and sustainable strategies, this research enhances the ongoing effort to maintain comprehensive, up-to-date evidence summaries in the face of growing databases and resources. Future research will focus on upscaling the literature surveillance to the entire database and establishing optimal triggers for update.
Evidence summaries serve as crucial point-of-care resources, offering concise overviews of the latest evidence on health care interventions and practices to aid in evidence-based decision-making. However, the current practice of updating evidence summaries at JBI every 1.5 to 2 years may result in inefficiencies, such as a full update with no new evidence or delayed inclusion of new evidence. This study addresses the need for a more pragmatic and sustainable approach to literature surveillance and update strategies for evidence summaries.
Objectives:
To explore and examine optimal literature surveillance and update strategies to enhance the timeliness and sustainability of JBI Evidence Summaries by incorporating the latest high-level evidence, irrespective of its publication date, in a practical manner.
Methods:
We selected a random sample of Evidence Summaries (10% of the database) to assess the utility of Really Simple Syndication (RSS) for literature surveillance. Data were collected for this random sample on the number of times the Evidence Summary was triggered for update and whether the evidence that triggered the update was included in the updated version. Additionally, we investigated potential triggers for updates, establishing minimum criteria to ensure a sustainable process while consistently incorporating the latest high-level evidence. Data for the remaining 90% of the database, which continued to be updated chronologically (oldest first), were collected on whether new evidence was incorporated in the update.
Results:
Our findings demonstrated promising results for RSS as an efficient and dynamic method for literature surveillance. The identification of specific triggers for updates, coupled with literature surveillance using RSS, facilitated a more robust and continuous update process.
Conclusions:
This study contributes valuable insights into literature surveillance and update strategies for evidence summaries, addressing challenges posed by the "living evidence" framework. The findings have direct implications for evidence summary creators and living evidence more broadly. By exploring and implementing pragmatic and sustainable strategies, this research enhances the ongoing effort to maintain comprehensive, up-to-date evidence summaries in the face of growing databases and resources. Future research will focus on upscaling the literature surveillance to the entire database and establishing optimal triggers for update.