ArticleResearch synthesis methods2026
Data analysis and presentation methods in umbrella reviews/overviews of reviews in health care: A cross-sectional study.
Article in Research synthesis methods, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Guidance for Grading the Evidence in Quantitative Umbrella Reviews.Journal of evidence-based medicine · 2026Article
- Umbrella Reviews: Concepts, Methodological Frameworks, and Step-by-Step Implementation.Journal of evidence-based medicine · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Umbrella reviews (URs) synthesize findings from multiple systematic reviews on a specific topic. Methodological approaches for analyzing and presenting UR results vary, and reviewers often adapt methods to align with research objectives. This study examined the characteristics of analysis and presentation methods used in healthcare-related URs. A systematic PubMed search identified URs published between 2023 and 2024. Inclusion criteria focused on healthcare URs using systematic reviews as the unit of analysis. A random sample of 100 eligible URs was included. A customized, piloted data extraction form was used to collect bibliographic, conduct, and reporting data independently. Descriptive analysis and narrative synthesis summarized findings. The most common terminology for eligible studies was "umbrella reviews" (65%) or "overviews" (30%). Question frameworks included PICO (43%) and PICOS (14%), with quantitative systematic reviews included in most URs (98%), and 68% including randomized controlled trials. The most frequent methodological guidance source was Cochrane (32%). Data analysis commonly used narrative synthesis and meta-analysis, with Stata, RevMan, and GRADEPro GDT employed for presentation. Information about study overlap and certainty assessment was rarely reported.Variation exists in how data are analyzed and presented in URs, with key elements often omitted. These findings highlight the need for clearer methodological guidance to enhance consistency and reporting in future URs.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.