Epistemonikos: a comprehensive database of systematic reviews for health decision-making

• Main Authors: Gabriel Rada, Daniel Pérez, Felipe Araya-Quintanilla, Camila Ávila, Gonzalo Bravo-Soto, Rocío Bravo-Jeria, Aldo Cánepa, Daniel Capurro, Victoria Castro-Gutiérrez, Valeria Contreras, Javiera Edwards, Jorge Faúndez, Damián Garrido, Magdalena Jiménez, Valentina Llovet, Diego Lobos, Francisco Madrid, Macarena Morel-Marambio, Antonia Mendoza, Ignacio Neumann, Luis Ortiz-Muñoz, José Peña, Marcelo Pérez, Franco Pesce, Carmen Rain, Solange Rivera, Javiera Sepúlveda, Mauricio Soto, Felipe Valverde, Juan Vásquez, Francisca Verdugo-Paiva, Camilo Vergara, Cynthia Zavala, Ricardo Zilleruelo-Ramos, on behalf of Epistemonikos project
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2020-11-01
• Series: BMC Medical Research Methodology
• Subjects: Bibliographic database; Systematic reviews; Epistemonikos; Evidence-based practice
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-020-01157-x

Abstract Background Systematic reviews allow health decisions to be informed by the best available research evidence. However, their number is proliferating quickly, and many skills are required to identify all the relevant reviews for a specific question. Methods and findings We screen 10 bibliographic databases on a daily or weekly basis, to identify systematic reviews relevant for health decision-making. Using a machine-based approach developed for this project we select reviews, which are then validated by a network of more than 1000 collaborators. After screening over 1,400,000 records we have identified more than 300,000 systematic reviews, which are now stored in a single place and accessible through an easy-to-use search engine. This makes Epistemonikos the largest database of its kind. Conclusions Using a systematic approach, recruiting a broad network of collaborators and implementing automated methods, we developed a one-stop shop for systematic reviews relevant for health decision making.