“Science is meant to be cumulative, but many scientists are not cumulating scientifically”.

The research emphasizes the importance of conducting and utilizing systematic reviews in veterinary medicine to ensure scientific knowledge accumulation. Systematic reviews—a detailed, structured analysis of existing studies—help in deriving comprehensive conclusions, enhancing the reliability of the findings, and preventing unnecessary repetitive research. With the publication of a systematic review in the Equine Veterinary Journal, the authors highlight the progress veterinary sciences have made in this regard, taking a leaf from human medical studies.

Importance of Systematic Reviews

• Systematic reviews are critical for building upon previous scientific knowledge. They help answer the question whether new research is necessary or if existing studies can be leveraged to derive comprehensive findings.
• Such reviews involve an extensive process. They locate, assess, and consolidate data derived from primary studies, irrespective of whether the results were published or remained unpublished.
• Systematic reviews separate well-conducted studies from those performed using poor methodologies, ensuring accurate and reliable results.

Systematic Reviews for Interventions (Treatments) and More

• These reviews are especially prevalent in assessing treatments and diagnoses. However, they can also be used for assessing prognosis, economic evaluation, and other areas.
• Systematic reviews often address a specific clinical question detailing the effects of a particular treatment on a certain outcome in specific patients.
• The process of preparing systematic reviews is a scientific discipline in itself. The review initiators are expected to precisely outline their review approach and register the review on an international registry—PROSPERO.

Cochrane Collaboration and its Role

• Various individuals and organizations conduct systematic reviews. One of the well-recognized entities in this field is the Cochrane Collaboration, which carries out a significant chunk of the reviews.
• The Cochrane Collaboration is the largest global organization dedicated to providing accurate and updated information about healthcare effects. Through systematic reviews of research studies, it ensures that the most recent information is accessible worldwide.
• Cochrane reviews are widely used in formulating clinical practice guidelines and health policy decisions. They form the basis for a substantial amount of healthcare decisions worldwide.
• The Cochrane Collaboration has a sister organization—the Campbell Collaboration—that publishes systematic reviews in education, crime and justice, and social welfare. The veterinary field might soon follow suit embracing similar methodology.