Best practices for MRI systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Abstract

As defined by the Cochrane Collaboration, a systematic review is a review of evidence with a clearly formulated question that uses systematic and explicit methods to identify, select, and critically appraise relevant primary research, and to extract and analyze data from the studies that are included in the review. Meta-analysis is a statistical method to combine the results from primary studies that accounts for sample size and variability to provide a summary measure of the studied outcome. Systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy present unique methodological and reporting challenges not present in systematic reviews of interventions. This review provides guidance and further resources highlighting current best practices in methodology and reporting of systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy, with a specific focus on challenges and opportunities for MRI imaging. Level of Evidence: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018.

Keywords: diagnostic test accuracy; meta-analysis; systematic review.