Article type
Abstract
Background
With continuing legalization in the US and internationally, more patients are using or interested in using cannabis for health conditions. And while research on cannabis has been hampered in the past, primarily because of its legal status, researchers and funders are increasingly removing barriers to research and producing more information on the impact of cannabis on health.
Clinicians should be prepared to have evidence-informed discussions about cannabis use. However, this can be challenging, because of limited evidence regarding cannabis health effects and a rapidly changing research landscape.
The Systematically Testing the Evidence on Marijuana (STEM) project (www.cannabisevidence.org) uses living systematic reviews (LSRs) to synthesize what is known from research and what is left to learn about health effects of cannabis.
Objectives
To describe how STEM develops and maintains LSRs to support evidence-informed decision-making on the use of cannabis for health conditions.
Methods
We used well-established methods to comprehensively identify, select, critique, and summarize findings from different studies that answer a specific clinical question. We also developed methods to monitor emerging evidence and update the LSR, when appropriate.
Results
Before starting each systematic review, we develop and post a review protocol. Each review undergoes peer review by at least 2 experts in the field. Once the systematic review is completed, we implement the “living” phase of the review. We conduct surveillance on each topic and search for new eligible studies at predefined intervals. We then report the findings of the surveillance, along with an updated LSR as appropriate.
We will provide further details on the process of developing and maintaining LSRs, including challenges we have encountered and addressed.
Conclusions
LSRs use newer and evolving methods to keep evidence up to date using systematic and predefined surveillance strategies. This is of particular importance when there are significant levels of emerging evidence, like the impact of cannabis on health. We continue to update our LSRs to support clinicians in having evidence-based discussions about cannabis use with patients, to support shared decision-making, and to improve patient outcomes.
With continuing legalization in the US and internationally, more patients are using or interested in using cannabis for health conditions. And while research on cannabis has been hampered in the past, primarily because of its legal status, researchers and funders are increasingly removing barriers to research and producing more information on the impact of cannabis on health.
Clinicians should be prepared to have evidence-informed discussions about cannabis use. However, this can be challenging, because of limited evidence regarding cannabis health effects and a rapidly changing research landscape.
The Systematically Testing the Evidence on Marijuana (STEM) project (www.cannabisevidence.org) uses living systematic reviews (LSRs) to synthesize what is known from research and what is left to learn about health effects of cannabis.
Objectives
To describe how STEM develops and maintains LSRs to support evidence-informed decision-making on the use of cannabis for health conditions.
Methods
We used well-established methods to comprehensively identify, select, critique, and summarize findings from different studies that answer a specific clinical question. We also developed methods to monitor emerging evidence and update the LSR, when appropriate.
Results
Before starting each systematic review, we develop and post a review protocol. Each review undergoes peer review by at least 2 experts in the field. Once the systematic review is completed, we implement the “living” phase of the review. We conduct surveillance on each topic and search for new eligible studies at predefined intervals. We then report the findings of the surveillance, along with an updated LSR as appropriate.
We will provide further details on the process of developing and maintaining LSRs, including challenges we have encountered and addressed.
Conclusions
LSRs use newer and evolving methods to keep evidence up to date using systematic and predefined surveillance strategies. This is of particular importance when there are significant levels of emerging evidence, like the impact of cannabis on health. We continue to update our LSRs to support clinicians in having evidence-based discussions about cannabis use with patients, to support shared decision-making, and to improve patient outcomes.