Getting the Most Out of Systematic Literature Reviews With DistillerSR

Chris Waters-Banker, Research Lead for Medlior Health Outcomes Research Ltd., outlines five ways to utilize the filter feature to optimize systematic literature reviews (SLR):

1. Utilize labels during reference upload.

When performing multiple SLRs across a single disease or therapeutic area it is vital to know which citations are associated with each SLR.

2. Assign screening batches to multiple reviewers using filters.

Assigning batches for screening across multiple reviewers is always required when working with a large volume of citations. Filters can be used to direct a specific batch of citations by specifying a reference identification (REFID) range to a set of reviewers for duplicate screening.

3. Assign labels during the screening process.

As nuances of the evidence are discovered, it is not uncommon for selection criteria to start rather broad in scope and then become increasingly refined.

4. Use filters and labels to mitigate risk for missed citations

Before the use of labels and filters, citations could not be effectively moved from one SLR to another requiring the very time and resource intensive process of checking citations manually.

5. Use labels and filters to prioritize review and improve resource allocation.

The filtering feature in DistillerSR offers great flexibility providing the opportunity to filter by REFID range, label, % of references, and by the answer provided to a specific form question. These options ultimately allow you to customize your filters to meet the needs of your project. Read more here.

(Source: Chris Waters-Banker, Evidence Partners, August 25, 2020)