Need to make decisions rapidly

Decision makers often need evidence synthesis in a shorter time frame than systematic reviews can be provided. Rapid reviews are knowledge syntheses that abbreviate certain methodological aspects of systematic reviews to produce information quicker. For this reason, Rapid Reviews have become a pragmatic alternative to Systematic Reviews. A potential drawback, however, is less reliable results from Rapid Reviews compared with those from Systematic Reviews. Gerald Gartlehner, Director of Cochrane Austria, co-founded with Chantelle Garritty, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and Valerie King, Oregon Health & Science University, the Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group. The aim of the RRMG is to better inform ‘rapid review’ methodology.