Preparing and Writing the Review

Having formulated a search strategy, retrieved papers, evaluated the evidence and tabulated key results, the final stage is to bring this together into the WHO report.

Though this process has much in common with Cochrane Reviews, there is a very clearly defined scope in terms of topic and target settings. The WHO reports will be short but clear summaries rather than extensive reviews.

The basic template should be as follows:

TITLE

INTRODUCTION

This should be short and snappy. The people using the reviews will understand the background to the topic, though a brief explanation of any controversy is welcome. It should conclude with: ‘This review intends to answer the question: e.g. Should zinc be used in the treatment of acute gastroenteritis?’

METHODS

This will be very similar between reviews. Explain the search strategy, e.g. zinc AND (acute diarrhoea OR gastroenteritis OR infectious diarrhoea OR acute gastroenteritis OR diarrhea) and that the PubMed Clinical Queries framework was used. Mention if other databases were searched, how articles were selected and graded. Also state the number of papers identified.

RESULTS

It is helpful to consider the results in terms of outcomes and include the relevant data. P values, confidence intervals and other statistical tests are valued. Systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials should really be the source of your data. Discuss any methodological points, and dosage information if relevant.

Ideally, only good data should be included. Aim to transmit the information in as clear a form as possible.

DISCUSSION

This should briefly put into context the findings. The main conclusions should be stated. Disclaimers on the quality of the relevant literature may be mentioned, and options for future work discussed.

SUMMARY

A concise statement of the evidence.

REFERENCES

The final report should be no more than a few pages long. These should be sent to A/Prof Trevor Duke: trevor.duke@rch.org.au or Dr Julian Kelly: julian.kelly@rch.org.au . From here they will be sent to secondary reviewers, and returned to you in order to make any requested changes.

Eventually, these reviews will be published on the WHO website. These reports will be updated every few years to reflect the changing evidence base.

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