Recommendations for assessing the risk of bias in systematic reviews of health-care interventions

摘要: Abstract Objectives Risk-of-bias assessment is a central component of systematic reviews, but little conclusive empirical evidence exists on the validity such assessments. In context uncertainty, we present pragmatic recommendations that promote transparency and reproducibility in processes, address methodological advances risk-of-bias assessment, can be applied consistently across review topics. Study Design Setting Epidemiological study design principles; available evidence, tools, guidance; workgroup consensus. Results We developed for assessing risk bias studies health-care interventions specific to framing focus scope assessment; selecting categories; choosing instruments; conducting, analyzing, presenting results Key include judgments, separating from other constructs as applicability precision, evaluating per outcome. recommend against certain past practices, focusing reporting quality, relying solely or numerical quality scores, automatically downgrading industry sponsorship. Conclusion remains challenging essential step reviews. presented standards judgments.