Reviewing the literature

Rapid reviews are based on the systematic review process but are streamlined to provide a quicker response that will inform decision-making when an urgent response is required for policy changes or times of a public health crisis, for example, a major disease outbreak. However, there is a need to balance speed with rigor and transparency (Booth et al., 2022; Langlois et al., 2017; Polisena et al., 2015; Tricco et al., 2015, 2022).

Features include:

• Searching only two or three databases
• English language journal articles
• May not include grey literature depending on the topic
• Geographical region to enhance relevancy to the local situation
• Reduced date range
• Limiting to a study design or systematic reviews
• Data selection and extraction are conducted by one person with or without a second person to verify results so need to consider the risk of bias
• Time frame shortened
• Peer review of the final report is often conducted internally

Sources: (Harker & Kleijnen, 2012; King et al., 2017 ; Polisena et al., 2015, Tricco, et al., 2015, 2022)

Booth, A., Sutton, A., Clowes, M., & Martyn-St James, M. (2022). Systematic approaches to a successful literature review (3rd ed.). SAGE.

Garritty, C., Gartlehner, G., Kamel, C., King, V. J., Nussbaumer-Streit, B., Stevens, A., Hamel, C., & Affengruber, L. (2020, March 23). Cochrane rapid reviews: Interim guidance from the Cochrane Reviews Methods Group. https://methods.cochrane.org/sites/methods.cochrane.org.rapidreviews/files/uploads/cochrane_rr_-_guidance-23mar2020-v1.pdf

Harker, J., & Kleijnen, J. (2012). What is a rapid review? A methodological exploration of rapid reviews in health technology assessments. International Journal Evidence-Based Healthcare, 10(4), 397-410. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-1609.2012.00290.x

King, V. J., Garritty, C., Stevens, A., Nussbaumer-Streit, B., Hartling, L., Harrod, C. S., Guise, J.-M., & Kamel, C. (2017 ). Performing rapid reviews. In A. C. Tricco, E. V. Langlois, & S. E. Straus (Eds.), Rapid reviews to strengthen health policy and systems: A practical guide (pp. 21-38). World Health Organisation. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/258698

Langlois, E. V., Straus, S. E., Mijumbi-Deve, R., Lewin, S., & Tricco, A. C. (2017). The need for rapid reviews to inform health policy and systems. In A. C. Tricco, E. V. Langlois, & S. E. Straus (Eds.), Rapid reviews to strengthen health policy and systems: A practical guide (pp. 1-19). World Health Organisation. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/258698

Polisena, J., Garritty, C., Kamel, C., Stevens, A., & Abou-Setta, A. M. (2015). Rapid review programs to support health care and policy decision making: A descriptive analysis of processes and methods. Systematic reviews, 4(1), 26-26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-015-0022-6

Tricco, A. C., Antony, J., Zarin, W., Strifler, L., Ghassemi, M., Ivory, J., Perrier, L., Hutton, B., Moher, D., & Straus, S. E. (2015). A scoping review of rapid review methods. BMC Medicine, 13(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-015-0465-6

Tricco, A. C., Khalil, H., Holly, C., Feyissa, G., Godfrey, C., Evans, C., Sawchuck, D., Sudhakar, M., Asahngwa, C., Stannard, D., Abdulahi, M., Bonnano, L., Aromataris, E., McInerney, P., Wilson, R., Pang, D., Wang, Z., Cardoso, A. F., Peters, M. D. J., Marnie, C., Barker, T., Pollock, D., McArthur, A., & Munn, Z. (2022). Rapid reviews and the methodological rigor of evidence synthesis: a JBI position statement. JBI Evid Synth, 20(4), 944-949. https://doi.org/10.11124/JBIES-21-00371

Tricco, A. C., Langlois, E. V., & Straus, S. E. (2017). Rapid reviews to strengthen health policy and systems: A practical guide. World Health Organisation. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/258698