School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
Int J Technol Assess Health Care. 2013 Jul;29(3):315-22. doi: 10.1017/S0266462313000330. Epub 2013 Jun 17.
No guidelines exist in the approach that Evidence Review Groups (ERGs) should take to appraise search methodologies in the manufacturer's submission (MS) in Single Technology Appraisals (STA). As a result, ERGs are left to appraise searches using their own approach. This study investigates the limitations of manufacturers' search methodologies as critiqued by ergs in published sta reports and to provide a recommended checklist.
Limitations from search critiques in 83 ERG reports published in the NIHR Web site between 2006 and May 2011 were extracted. The limitations were grouped into themes. Comparisons were made between limitations reported in the clinical effectiveness versus cost-effectiveness searches.
Twelve themes were identified, six relating to the search strategy, source, limits, filters, translation, reporting, and missing studies. The search strategy theme contained the most limitations. Missing studies were frequently found by the ERG group in the clinical effectiveness searches. The omission of searches by manufacturers for unpublished and ongoing trials was frequently reported by the ERG. By contrast, failure of the manufacturer to report strategies was the most common limitation in the cost-effectiveness searches. Themes with the most frequent limitations in both types of searches are search strategy, reporting and source.
It is recommended that a checklist that has reporting, source and search strategy elements be used in the appraisal of manufacturer's searches during the STA process.
在单技术评估（STA）中，证据审查小组（ERG）在评估制造商提交的（MS）中搜索方法时，没有指南可循。因此，ERG 只能自行评估搜索。本研究调查了在已发表的 STA 报告中，ERG 批评的制造商搜索方法的局限性，并提供了一份推荐的检查表。
从 2006 年至 2011 年 5 月期间在 NIHR 网站上发表的 83 份 ERG 报告中提取了搜索批评的局限性。将这些局限性分为主题。比较了临床有效性和成本效益搜索中报告的局限性。
确定了 12 个主题，其中 6 个与搜索策略、来源、限制、过滤器、翻译、报告和缺失研究有关。搜索策略主题包含最多的局限性。在临床有效性搜索中，ERG 经常发现缺失的研究。制造商未对未发表和正在进行的试验进行搜索的情况经常被 ERG 报告。相比之下，制造商未报告策略是成本效益搜索中最常见的局限性。在这两种类型的搜索中，最常见的局限性的主题是搜索策略、报告和来源。
建议在 STA 过程中评估制造商搜索时，使用包含报告、来源和搜索策略要素的检查表。
