Dataset Information

Implications of applying methodological shortcuts to expedite systematic reviews: three case studies using systematic reviews from agri-food public health.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The rapid review is an approach to synthesizing research evidence when a shorter timeframe is required. The implications of what is lost in terms of rigour, increased bias and accuracy when conducting a rapid review have not yet been elucidated.

Methods

We assessed the potential implications of methodological shortcuts on the outcomes of three completed systematic reviews addressing agri-food public health topics. For each review, shortcuts were applied individually to assess the impact on the number of relevant studies included and whether omitted studies affected the direction, magnitude or precision of summary estimates from meta-analyses.

Results

In most instances, the shortcuts resulted in at least one relevant study being omitted from the review. The omission of studies affected 39 of 143 possible meta-analyses, of which 14 were no longer possible because of insufficient studies (<2). When meta-analysis was possible, the omission of studies generally resulted in less precise pooled estimates (i.e. wider confidence intervals) that did not differ in direction from the original estimate.

Conclusions

The three case studies demonstrated the risk of missing relevant literature and its impact on summary estimates when methodological shortcuts are applied in rapid reviews. © 2016 The Authors. Research Synthesis Methods Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

SUBMITTER: Pham MT

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5215373 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Implications of applying methodological shortcuts to expedite systematic reviews: three case studies using systematic reviews from agri-food public health.

Pham Mai T MT Waddell Lisa L Rajić Andrijana A Sargeant Jan M JM Papadopoulos Andrew A McEwen Scott A SA

Research synthesis methods 20160610 4

<h4>Background</h4>The rapid review is an approach to synthesizing research evidence when a shorter timeframe is required. The implications of what is lost in terms of rigour, increased bias and accuracy when conducting a rapid review have not yet been elucidated.<h4>Methods</h4>We assessed the potential implications of methodological shortcuts on the outcomes of three completed systematic reviews addressing agri-food public health topics. For each review, shortcuts were applied individually to ...[more]

PMID: 27285733

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Project description:BackgroundThe screening process for systematic reviews and meta-analyses in medical research is a labor-intensive and time-consuming task. While machine learning and deep learning have been applied to facilitate this process, these methods often require training data and user annotation. This study aims to assess the efficacy of ChatGPT, a large language model based on the Generative Pretrained Transformers (GPT) architecture, in automating the screening process for systematic reviews in radiology without the need for training data.MethodsA prospective simulation study was conducted between May 2nd and 24th, 2023, comparing ChatGPT's performance in screening abstracts against that of general physicians (GPs). A total of 1198 abstracts across three subfields of radiology were evaluated. Metrics such as sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), workload saving, and others were employed. Statistical analyses included the Kappa coefficient for inter-rater agreement, ROC curve plotting, AUC calculation, and bootstrapping for p-values and confidence intervals.ResultsChatGPT completed the screening process within an hour, while GPs took an average of 7-10 days. The AI model achieved a sensitivity of 95% and an NPV of 99%, slightly outperforming the GPs' sensitive consensus (i.e., including records if at least one person includes them). It also exhibited remarkably low false negative counts and high workload savings, ranging from 40 to 83%. However, ChatGPT had lower specificity and PPV compared to human raters. The average Kappa agreement between ChatGPT and other raters was 0.27.ConclusionsChatGPT shows promise in automating the article screening phase of systematic reviews, achieving high sensitivity and workload savings. While not entirely replacing human expertise, it could serve as an efficient first-line screening tool, particularly in reducing the burden on human resources. Further studies are needed to fine-tune its capabilities and validate its utility across different medical subfields.

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Dataset Information

Implications of applying methodological shortcuts to expedite systematic reviews: three case studies using systematic reviews from agri-food public health.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Implications of applying methodological shortcuts to expedite systematic reviews: three case studies using systematic reviews from agri-food public health.

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