Delphi consensus reached to produce a decision tool for SelecTing Approaches for Rapid Reviews (STARR)

Abdullah Pandor; Eva Kaltenthaler; Marrissa Martyn-St James; Ruth Wong; Katy Cooper; Munya Dimairo; Alicia O'Cathain; Fiona Campbell; Andrew Booth

doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.06.005

Delphi consensus reached to produce a decision tool for SelecTing Approaches for Rapid Reviews (STARR)

J Clin Epidemiol. 2019 Oct:114:22-29. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.06.005. Epub 2019 Jun 8.

Authors

Abdullah Pandor¹, Eva Kaltenthaler², Marrissa Martyn-St James², Ruth Wong², Katy Cooper², Munya Dimairo², Alicia O'Cathain², Fiona Campbell², Andrew Booth²

Affiliations

¹ School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK. Electronic address: a.pandor@sheffield.ac.uk.
² School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DA, UK.

PMID: 31185276
DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.06.005

Abstract

Objectives: There are many rapid review methods; however, there is little pragmatic guidance on which methods to select. This study aimed to reach consensus among international rapid review experts outlining areas to consider when selecting approaches for rapid reviews.

Study design and setting: A two-round modified online Delphi survey was conducted between May and July 2018. Participants were asked to rank the importance of a predefined list of 19 items. A consensus definition of at least 70% agreement for each item was decided a priori.

Results: Thirty experts from ten countries participated in round 1 and 24 in round 2. During round 1, consensus was reached on all items. One additional item on quality assessment was suggested by respondents and comments suggested wording changes to improve clarity and understanding of the tool. Respondents in the second round indicated a high level of importance and all 20 items achieved consensus. These items addressed interaction with commissioners, scoping and searching the evidence-base, data extraction and synthesis methods, and reporting of rapid review methods.

Conclusion: International consensus was reached to produce the SelecTing Approaches for Rapid Reviews (STARR) decision tool for planning rapid reviews and will lead to improved shared understanding between review teams and review commissioners.

Keywords: Consensus; Decision making; Delphi; Rapid review; Survey; Systematic review.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Consensus*
Decision Making*
Delphi Technique*
Humans
International Cooperation
Systematic Reviews as Topic