Review articles have traditionally taken the form of a narrative review, whereby a content expert writes about a particular field, condition, or treatment ( 5 – 7). Narrative Review, Systematic Review, and Meta-analysis Because it is often impractical for readers to track down and review all of the primary studies ( 3), review articles are an important source of summarized evidence on a particular topic ( 4).
Both clinicians and researchers can also benefit from a summary of where uncertainty remains. Because even highly cited trials may be challenged or refuted over time ( 2), clinical decision-making requires ongoing reconciliation of studies that provide different answers to the same question. These studies often vary in their design methodologic quality population studied and the intervention, test, or condition considered. Multiple relevant studies usually guide most clinical decisions. In the biomedical literature, the number of published studies has dramatically increased: There are now more than 15 million citations in MEDLINE, with 10,000 to 20,000 new citations added each week ( 1). We live in the information age, and the practice of medicine is becoming increasingly specialized.
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