International Database

[glenp]

This is a great idea if it gets going. Researchers worldwide can post.

An international meeting to discuss registration of systematic review protocols took place in Vancouver, Canada on 18 February. At the meeting, Professor Lesley Stewart said:

"We are now accepting registrations for PROSPERO. Registration is completely free, and open to all researchers planning to conduct a systematic review."

"We have been delighted by the enthusiastic response worldwide to the development of PROSPERO; this initiative is truly an international collaborative effort."


http://www.metaxis.com/PROSPERO/

 

[Enid]

Sounds a great idea in principle - international - benefit to patients (if I read correctly) - suggest made compulsory to educate Medics (we are already ahead of most here).

 

[Dolphin]

I just read this brief (1 page) editorial on it:

Free full text: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001009

Best practice in systematic reviews: the importance of protocols and registration.

PLoS Med. 2011 Feb;8(2):e1001009. Epub 2011 Feb 22.

PLoS Medicine Editors.

PMID:21364968

When I initially heard about it, I thought it was just about whether one was doing one or not i.e. some people might decide not to publish a systematic review if the results didn't suit them. However, the paper talks about also registering what protocol is planned so deviations from it would be noted.

I could imagine that some preliminary systematic reviews could have been shelved in the ME/CFS world if at that particular time, it didn't suit them e.g. those from the CBT/GET school of thought.