Protocol for the development of a tool (INSPECT-SR) to identify problematic randomised controlled trials in systematic reviews of health interventions.
Jack WilkinsonCalvin HealGeorge A AntoniouElla FlemyngZarko AlfirevicAlison AvenellVirginia BarbourNicholas J L BrownJohn CarlisleMike ClarkePatrick DickerJo DumvilleAndrew GreyLyle C GurrinJill A HaydenJames HeathersKylie E HunterToby LassersonEmily LamSarah LensenTianjing LiWentao LiElizabeth LoderAndreas LundhGideon Meyerowitz-KatzBen W MolNeil E O'ConnellLisa ParkerBarbara K RedmanAnna Lene SeidlerKyle A SheldrickEmma SydenhamDavid J TorgersonMadelon van WelyRui WangLisa BeroJamie J KirkhamPublished in: medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences (2023)
The INSPECT-SR tool will be developed using expert consensus in combination with empirical evidence, over five stages: 1) a survey of experts to assemble a comprehensive list of checks for detecting problematic RCTs, 2) an evaluation of the feasibility and impact of applying the checks to systematic reviews, 3) a Delphi survey to determine which of the checks are supported by expert consensus, culminating in 4) a consensus meeting to select checks to be included in a draft tool and to determine its format, 5) prospective testing of the draft tool in the production of new health systematic reviews, to allow refinement based on user feedback. We anticipate that the INSPECT-SR tool will help researchers to identify problematic studies, and will help patients by protecting them from the influence of false data on their healthcare.