Reviewing existing research evidence

The Health and Care Research Wales Evidence Centre team and collaborating partners review and report on evidence from research studies which have already taken place, making sure decision makers are provided with information which is accessible, up-to-date and relevant to Wales.

The Centre covers a wide range of topic areas and review questions. Each review question is approached differently, depending on need, urgency, and topic complexity.

The type of reports produced by the Centre include:

Rapid Evidence Summaries | These reports provide a quick summary of the available research evidence addressing a specific question. (Timescale: 1 – 2 weeks)

Research Evidence Maps | These reports provide a detailed description, or inventory, of the available research evidence (but no analysis of results is conducted). They are suitable for broad or complex research questions and can be used to select a focus for a further detailed review or to identify gaps in the research evidence. (Timescale: 1 – 2 months)

Rapid Review | These reports provide an examination of the available evidence within a short time frame. They are based on systematic review methods, but parts of the process are streamlined or left out. (Timescale: 3 – 4 months)

Systematic Reviews | These reports provide a comprehensive, rigorous, and transparent examination of the evidence using standardised methods to minimise bias and error. (Timescale: 6 – 18 months).

Review of Reviews (‘Umbrella’ reviews) | This is a review of existing evidence reviews; all our reviews utilise existing reviews, where possible, to avoid duplication.
 

Wales COVID-19 Evidence Centre

The evidence review process and methods employed by the Evidence Centre were initially developed for the Wales COVID-19 Evidence Centre (WCEC). The pandemic required the review process to deliver robust reviews within four to eight weeks but with flexibility to provide decision-makers with a credible summary of the available evidence within days or weeks when needed, whilst maintaining stakeholders engagement throughout. As a result, a bespoke review process was developed, and this way of working has been transferred across to the Evidence Centre.

Ruth Lewis, leads on the evidence synthesis work, and has written a paper reflecting on the process and lessons learned: A bespoke rapid evidence review process engaging stakeholders for supporting evolving and time-sensitive policy and clinical decision-making: reflection and lessons learned from the Wales Covid-19 Evidence Centre 2021-23