RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Method guidelines for Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group systematic reviews.
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP 2304
OP 2311
VO 33
IS 11
A1 Lara Maxwell
A1 Nancy Santesso
A1 Peter S Tugwell
A1 George A Wells
A1 Maria Judd
A1 Rachelle Buchbinder
YR 2006
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/33/11/2304.abstract
AB The Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group (CMSG), one of 50 groups of the not-for-profit international Cochrane Collaboration, prepares, maintains, and disseminates systematic reviews of treatments for musculoskeletal diseases. To enhance the quality and usability of systematic reviews, the CMSG has developed tailored methodological guidelines for authors of CMSG systematic reviews. Recommendations specific to musculoskeletal disorders are provided for various aspects of undertaking a systematic review, including literature searching, inclusion criteria, quality assessment, grading of evidence, data collection, and data analysis. These guidelines will help researchers design, conduct, and report results of systematic reviews of trials in the following fields of musculoskeletal health: gout, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, pediatric rheumatology, rheumatoid arthritis, soft tissue rheumatism, spondyloarthropathy, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and vasculitis. Systematic reviews need to be conducted according to high methodological standards. These recommendations on developing and performing a systematic review will help improve consistency among CMSG reviews.