Joanne E Mckenzie

Monash University (Australia) · School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine

Background Interrupted time series (ITS) studies contribute importantly to systematic reviews of population‐level interventions. We aimed to develop and validate search filters to retrieve ITS studies in MEDLINE and PubMed. Methods A total of 1017 known ITS studies (published 2013–2017) were analysed using text mining to generate candidate terms....

Background Systematic reviews that aim to synthesize evidence on the effects of interventions targeted at populations often include interrupted time-series (ITS) studies. However, the suppression of ITS studies or results within these studies (known as reporting bias) has the potential to bias conclusions drawn in such systematic reviews, with pote...

Background The Interrupted Time Series (ITS) is a robust design for evaluating public health and policy interventions or exposures when randomisation may be infeasible. Several statistical methods are available for the analysis and meta-analysis of ITS studies. We sought to empirically compare available methods when applied to real-world ITS data....

We aimed to explore, in a sample of systematic reviews (SRs) with meta-analyses of the association between food/diet and health-related outcomes, whether systematic reviewers selectively included study effect estimates in meta-analyses when multiple effect estimates were available. We randomly selected SRs of food/diet and health-related outcomes p...

Introduction Methods guidance and appraisal tools for systematic reviews require specification of the question and eligibility criteria for the review (“PICO for the review”). Less emphasis has been given to specifying the question and criteria for each synthesis (“PICO for each synthesis”), yet decisions about which studies to include in each synt...

Objectives: The interrupted time series (ITS) design is commonly used to investigate the impact of an intervention or exposure in public health. There are many statistical methods that can be used to analyse ITS data and to meta-analyse their results. We undertook two empirical studies to investigate: i) how effect estimates (and associated statist...

Background Incomplete reporting about what systematic reviewers did and what they found prevents users of the report from being able to fully interpret the findings and understand the limitations of the underlying evidence. Reporting guidelines such as the PRISMA statement and its extensions are designed to improve reporting. However, there are imp...

Interrupted time series (ITS) are often meta-analysed to inform public health and policy decisions but examination of the statistical methods for ITS analysis and meta-analysis in this context is limited. We simulated meta-analyses of ITS studies with continuous outcome data, analysed the studies using segmented linear regression with two estimatio...

Introduction Methods guidance and appraisal tools for systematic reviews require specification of the question and eligibility criteria for the review (‘PICO for the review’). Less emphasis has been given to specifying the question and criteria for each synthesis (‘PICO for each synthesis’), yet decisions about which studies to include in each synt...

Interrupted time series (ITS) studies are frequently used to examine the impact of population-level interventions or exposures. Systematic reviews with meta-analyses including ITS designs may inform public health and policy decision-making. Re-analysis of ITS may be required for inclusion in meta-analysis. While publications of ITS rarely provide r...

Background: Acceptable, effective and feasible support strategies (interventions) for parents experiencing complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) symptoms or with a history of childhood maltreatment may offer an opportunity to support parental recovery, reduce the risk of intergenerational transmission of trauma and improve life-course tra...

Background Replication is essential to the scientific method. It is unclear what systematic reviewers think about the replication of systematic reviews (SRs). Therefore, we aimed to explore systematic reviewers' perspectives on (a) the definition and importance of SR replication; (b) incentives and barriers to conducting SR replication; and (c) a c...

Background There are many benefits of sharing data, analytic code, and other materials, yet these items are infrequently shared among systematic reviews (SRs). It is unclear which factors influence authors' decisions to share data, code, or materials when publishing their SRs. Therefore, we aimed to explore systematic reviewers' perspectives on the...

Objectives: As part of an effort to develop an extension of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement for living systematic reviews (LSRs), we discuss conceptual issues relevant to the reporting of LSRs and highlight a few challenges. Methods: Discussion of conceptual issues based on a scoping...

Objectives: To examine the specification and use of summary and statistical synthesis methods, focusing on synthesis methods other than meta-analysis. Study design and setting: We coded the specification and use of summary and synthesis methods in 100 randomly sampled systematic reviews (SRs) of public health and health systems interventions pub...

RESUMO A declaração dos Principais Itens para Relatar Revisões Sistemáticas e Meta-análises (PRISMA), publicada em 2009, foi desenvolvida para ajudar revisores sistemáticos a relatar de forma transparente por que a revisão foi feita, os métodos empregados e o que os autores encontraram. Na última década, os avanços na metodologia e terminologia de...

Objectives To examine changes in completeness of reporting and frequency of sharing data, analytical code, and other review materials in systematic reviews over time; and factors associated with these changes. Design Cross sectional meta-research study. Population Random sample of 300 systematic reviews with meta-analysis of aggregate data on the...

We aimed to explore, in a sample of systematic reviews with meta-analyses of the association between food/diet and health-related outcomes: (i) whether systematic reviewers selectively included study effect estimates in meta-analyses when multiple effect estimates were available, and, (ii) what impact selective inclusion of study effect estimates m...

Background Interrupted time series (ITS) are often meta-analysed to inform public health and policy decisions but examination of the statistical methods for ITS analysis and meta-analysis in this context is limited. Methods We simulated meta-analyses of ITS studies with continuous outcome data, analysed the studies using segmented linear regression...

Background Interrupted Time Series (ITS) studies are frequently used to examine the impact of population-level interventions or exposures. Systematic reviews with meta-analyses including ITS designs may inform public health and policy decision-making. Re-analysis of ITS may be required for inclusion in meta-analysis. While publications of ITS rarel...

Objective To develop a reporting guideline for overviews of reviews of healthcare interventions. Design Development of the preferred reporting items for overviews of reviews (PRIOR) statement. Participants Core team (seven individuals) led day-to-day operations, and an expert advisory group (three individuals) provided methodological advice. A pa...

Background Aromatherapy — the therapeutic use of essential oils from plants (flowers, herbs or trees) to treat ill health and promote physical, emotional and spiritual well-being — is one of the most widely used natural therapies reported by consumers in Western countries. The Australian Government Department of Health (via the National Health and...

Background : While the PRISMA 2020 statement is intended to guide the reporting of original systematic reviews, updated systematic reviews, and living systematic reviews (LSRs), its explanation and elaboration document notes that additional considerations for updated systematic reviews and LSRs may need to be addressed. This paper reports the proto...

Objectives: To examine changes in completeness of reporting and frequency of sharing data, analytic code and other review materials in systematic reviews (SRs) over time; and factors associated with these changes. Design: Cross-sectional meta-research study. Sample: A random sample of 300 SRs with meta-analysis of aggregate data on the effects of a...

Aims: Decision makers in public health practice and policy rely on access to trustworthy, relevant, synthesized evidence. The second edition of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions ('the Handbook') reflects a major revision in guidance for authors of systematic reviews, incorporating a decade of methodological development...

The publication of systematic reviews has rapidly increased making it challenging to remain apprised of and interpret evidence from their growing number. A newer form of evidence synthesis, overview of reviews, synthesizes evidence from multiple systematic reviews. Authors would benefit from evidence- and consensus-based guidance for the complete a...

The Preferred Reporting Items for Overviews of Reviews (PRIOR) statement provides an evidence-based reporting guideline developed using established, rigorous methods that involved a four-stage process (project launch, evidence reviews, modified Delphi exercise, development of the reporting guideline) and an international stakeholder group represent...

Objectives To estimate the frequency of data and code availability statements in a random sample of systematic reviews with meta-analysis of aggregate data, summarise the content of the statements and investigate how often data and code files were shared. Methods We searched for systematic reviews with meta-analysis of aggregate data on the effect...

Background Acute low back pain is a common condition, has high burden, and there are evidence-to-practice gaps in the chiropractic and physiotherapy setting for imaging and giving advice to stay active. The aim of this cluster randomised trial was to estimate the effects of a theory- and evidence-based implementation intervention to increase chirop...

Background : While the PRISMA 2020 statement is intended to guide the reporting of original systematic reviews, updated systematic reviews, and living systematic reviews (LSRs), its explanation and elaboration document notes that additional considerations for updated systematic reviews and LSRs may need to be addressed. This paper reports the proto...

Meta-research is the discipline of studying research itself. A core investigative tool in meta-research is the use of systematic or scoping reviews to study the characteristics, methods and reporting of primary research studies. In the context of identifying eligible publications for methodological reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), a...

Meta-research is the discipline of studying research itself. A core investigative tool in meta-research is the use of systematic or scoping reviews to study the characteristics, methods and reporting of primary research studies. In the context of identifying eligible publications for methodological reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), a...

Objectives Interrupted Time Series (ITS) are a type of non-randomised design commonly used to evaluate public health policy interventions, and the impact of exposures, at the population level. Meta-analysis may be used to combine results from ITS across studies (in the context of systematic reviews) or across sites within the same study. We aimed t...

Network meta-analysis is used to synthesize evidence from a network of treatments. The models used in a network meta-analysis are more complex than those used for pairwise meta-analysis. Two types of models are available to undertake a network meta-analysis: contrast-based and arm-based models. Contrast-based models have been used in most published...

Objectives: To estimate the frequency of data and code availability statements in a random sample of systematic reviews with meta-analysis of aggregate data, summarise the content of the statements and investigate how often data and code files were shared. Methods: We searched for systematic reviews with meta-analysis of aggregate data on the effec...

Uvod: Preporučene smjernice za izvještavanje u sustavnim pregledima i metaanalizama (engl. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses, PRISMA) prvi su put objavljene 2009. godine kako bi autorima sustavnih pregleda omogućile transparentno izvještavanje o predmetu istraživanja, korištenim metodama i dobivenim rezultatima. Tij...

Objectives : To investigate how often review authors encounter multiple results from included studies that are eligible for inclusion in a particular meta-analysis, and how often methods to select results are specified. Methods : MEDLINE and Epistemonikos were searched (January 2018 – June 2019) to identify systematic reviews with meta-analysis of...

Systematic reviews should be reported completely and accurately so that users can interpret and appraise the review findings appropriately. In this commentary, we describe key features of a major update of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement – PRISMA 2020 – and discuss its implications for research synth...

Background Interrupted time series (ITS) studies are frequently used to evaluate the effects of population-level interventions or exposures. However, examination of the performance of statistical methods for this design has received relatively little attention. Methods We simulated continuous data to compare the performance of a set of statistical...

Background: The living systematic review (LSR) approach is based on an ongoing surveillance of the literature and continual updating. A few guidance documents address the conduct, reporting, publishing and appraisal of systematic reviews (SRs), but the methodology described is either not up-to date or not suitable for LSRs and misses additional LSR...

Objectives: To investigate the extent of multiplicity of results in study reports of nutrition research, and the methods specified in systematic reviews to select results for inclusion in meta-analyses. Methods: MEDLINE and Epistemonikos were searched (January 2018 - June 2019) to identify systematic reviews with meta-analysis of the association be...

Overstating the impact of interventions through incomplete or inaccurate reporting can lead to inappropriate scale-up of interventions with low impact. Accurate reporting of the impact of interventions is of great importance in global health research to protect scarce resources. In global health, the cluster randomised trial design is commonly used...

Background: There are numerous guidelines developed for bone health. Yet, it is unclear whether the differences in guideline development methods explain the variability in the recommendations for vitamin D and calcium intake. The objective of this systematic review was to collate and compare recommendations for vitamin D and calcium across bone he...

Objectives: This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows:. To assess the effects of interventions provided to support parents experiencing complex trauma or who have experienced childhood maltreatment (or both) on parenting capacity and parental psychological or socio-emotional well-being. Copyright © 2021...

Background The Interrupted Time Series (ITS) is a quasi-experimental design commonly used in public health to evaluate the impact of interventions or exposures. Multiple statistical methods are available to analyse data from ITS studies, but no empirical investigation has examined how the different methods compare when applied to real-world dataset...

Background : Systematic reviews underpin clinical practice and policies that guide healthcare decisions. A core component of many systematic reviews is meta-analysis, which is a statistical synthesis of results across studies. Errors in the conduct and interpretation of meta-analysis can lead to incorrect conclusions regarding the benefits and harm...

Background: Major depressive disorders have a significant impact on children and adolescents, including on educational and vocational outcomes, interpersonal relationships, and physical and mental health and well-being. There is an association between major depressive disorder and suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide. Antidepressant me...

There are numerous guidelines developed for bone health. Yet it is unclear the differences in guideline development methods explain the variability in recommendations for vitamin D and calcium intakes. The objective of this systematic review was to collate and compare recommendations for vitamin D and calcium across bone health guidelines, assess m...

Background Investigations of transparency, reproducibility and replicability in science have been directed largely at individual studies. It is just as critical to explore these issues in syntheses of studies, such as systematic reviews, given their influence on decision-making and future research. We aim to explore various aspects relating to the...

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, published in 2009, was designed to help systematic reviewers transparently report why the review was done, what the authors did, and what they found. Over the past decade, advances in systematic review methodology and terminology have necessitated an update t...

The methods and results of systematic reviews should be reported in sufficient detail to allow users to assess the trustworthiness and applicability of the review findings. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was developed to facilitate transparent and complete reporting of systematic reviews an...

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, published in 2009, was designed to help systematic reviewers transparently report why the review was done, what the authors did, and what they found. Over the past decade, advances in systematic review methodology and terminology have necessitated an update t...

Objective We established a large database of trials to serve as a resource for future methodological and ethical analyses. Here, we use meta-data to describe the broad landscape of pragmatic trials including research areas, identification as pragmatic, quality of trial registry data and enrolment. Study Design and Setting Trials were identified by...

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, published in 2009, was designed to help systematic reviewers transparently report why the review was done, what the authors did, and what they found. Over the past decade, advances in systematic review methodology and terminology have necessitated an update t...

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, published in 2009, was designed to help systematic reviewers transparently report why the review was done, what the authors did, and what they found. Over the past decade, advances in systematic review methodology and terminology have necessitated an update t...

Objectives To describe the processes used to update the PRISMA 2009 statement for reporting systematic reviews, present results of a survey conducted to inform the update, summarise decisions made at the PRISMA update meeting, and describe and justify changes made to the guideline. Methods We reviewed 60 documents with reporting guidance for syste...

Introduction: Systematic reviews involve synthesis of research to inform decision making by clinicians, consumers, policy makers and researchers. While guidance for synthesis often focuses on meta-analysis, synthesis begins with specifying the ’PICO for each synthesis’ (i.e. the criteria for deciding which populations, interventions, comparators an...

Background: Investigations of transparency, reproducibility and replicability in science have been directed largely at individual studies. It is just as critical to explore these issues in syntheses of studies, such as systematic reviews, given their influence on decision making and future research. We aim to explore various aspects relating to the...

Background: Systematic reviews are used to inform healthcare decision making. In reviews that aim to examine the effects of organisational, policy change or public health interventions, or exposures, evidence from interrupted time series (ITS) studies may be included. A core component of many systematic reviews is meta-analysis, which is the statis...

Objective To determine if the association of dairy foods with cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes differs between studies with food industry ties versus those without industry ties. To determine whether studies with or without industry ties differ in their risk of bias. Eligibility criteria We included cohort and case–control studies that estima...

Background The Interrupted Time Series (ITS) is a quasi-experimental design commonly used in public health to evaluate the impact of interventions or exposures. Multiple statistical methods are available to analyse data from ITS studies, but no empirical investigation has examined how the different methods compare when applied to real-world dataset...

Interrupted time series (ITS) studies are frequently used to evaluate the effects of population-level interventions or exposures. To our knowledge, no studies have compared the performance of different statistical methods for this design. We simulated data to compare the performance of a set of statistical methods under a range of scenarios which i...

Treatment effect heterogeneity is commonly investigated in meta-analyses to identify if treatment effects vary across studies. When conducting an aggregate level data meta-analysis it is common to describe the magnitude of any treatment effect heterogeneity using the I-squared statistic, which is an intuitive and easily understood concept. The effe...

Background: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, published in 2009, was designed to help systematic reviewers transparently report why the review was done, what the authors did and what they found. Over the last decade, there have been many advances in systematic review methodology and terminolo...

The methods and results of systematic reviews should be reported in sufficient detail to allow users to assess the trustworthiness and applicability of the review findings. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was developed to facilitate transparent and complete reporting of systematic reviews an...

Objectives: To describe the processes used to update the PRISMA 2009 statement for reporting systematic reviews, present results of a survey conducted to inform the update, summarise decisions made at the PRISMA update meeting, and describe and justify changes made to the guideline.Methods: We reviewed 60 documents with reporting guidance for syste...

Background: Systematic reviews are used to inform healthcare decision making. In reviews that aim to examine the effects of organisational, policy change or public health interventions, or exposures, evidence from interrupted time series (ITS) studies may be included. A core component of many systematic reviews is meta-analysis, which is the statis...