Social network analysis identified central outcomes for core outcome sets using systematic reviews of HIV/AIDS

Ian J Saldanha; Tianjing Li; Cui Yang; Cesar Ugarte-Gil; George W Rutherford; Kay Dickersin

doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2015.08.023

Social network analysis identified central outcomes for core outcome sets using systematic reviews of HIV/AIDS

J Clin Epidemiol. 2016 Feb:70:164-75. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2015.08.023. Epub 2015 Sep 25.

Authors

Ian J Saldanha¹, Tianjing Li², Cui Yang³, Cesar Ugarte-Gil⁴, George W Rutherford⁵, Kay Dickersin⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Room W6507-B, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. Electronic address: isaldan1@jhmi.edu.
² Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Room E6011, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
³ Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 2213 McElderry Street, 2nd Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
⁴ Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, SMP, Lima 31, Peru.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, 550 16th Street, Box 1224, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Room E6152, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Abstract

Objectives: Methods to develop core outcome sets, the minimum outcomes that should be measured in research in a topic area, vary. We applied social network analysis methods to understand outcome co-occurrence patterns in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS systematic reviews and identify outcomes central to the network of outcomes in HIV/AIDS.

Study design and setting: We examined all Cochrane reviews of HIV/AIDS as of June 2013. We defined a tie as two outcomes (nodes) co-occurring in ≥2 reviews. To identify central outcomes, we used normalized node betweenness centrality (nNBC) (the extent to which connections between other outcomes in a network rely on that outcome as an intermediary). We conducted a subgroup analysis by HIV/AIDS intervention type (i.e., clinical management, biomedical prevention, behavioral prevention, and health services).

Results: The 140 included reviews examined 1,140 outcomes, 294 of which were unique. The most central outcome overall was all-cause mortality (nNBC = 23.9). The most central and most frequent outcomes differed overall and within subgroups. For example, "adverse events (specified)" was among the most central but not among the most frequent outcomes, overall.

Conclusion: Social network analysis methods are a novel application to identify central outcomes, which provides additional information potentially useful for developing core outcome sets.

Keywords: Core outcome sets; HIV/AIDS; Outcomes; Randomized controlled trials; Social network analysis; Systematic reviews.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / epidemiology*
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / mortality
HIV Infections / epidemiology*
HIV Infections / mortality
Humans
Outcome Assessment, Health Care*
Review Literature as Topic*
Social Support*

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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