Deconstructing Rapid Reviews: An Exploration of Knowledge, Traits and Attitudes

Abstract

‘Rapid review’ is an accelerated evidence synthesis approach that has emerged to meet the needs of knowledge users in healthcare settings who require timely input to support evidence-informed policy and practice questions. Although use of rapid reviews continues to expand, there is a paucity of research on this topic. This thesis addresses three identified knowledge gaps: 1) To address the lack of an established definition for rapid reviews, a modified Delphi process was used to pursue expert consensus on the defining characteristics of rapid reviews and an operational definition; 2) To further our understanding of the prevalent opinions and perceptions towards rapid reviews, a Q methodology was used to characterize the viewpoints of research producers and knowledge users; and, 3) To extend our knowledge on the characteristics, conduct and reporting quality of rapid reviews, compliance with currently accepted checklists (AMSTAR, PRISMA) was explored in a sample of recent rapid reviews.