Data source heterogeneity in multi-database pharmacoepidemiologic studies: a scoping review (DIVERSE)

Study type

• Study type:
  Not applicable
• If ‘Not applicable’, further details on the study type:
  Scoping review

Population studied

• Age groups:
  Preterm newborn infants (0 – 27 days)

  Term newborn infants (0 – 27 days)

  Infants and toddlers (28 days – 23 months)

  Children (2 to < 12 years)

  Adolescents (12 to < 18 years)

  Adults (18 to < 46 years)

  Adults (46 to < 65 years)

  Adults (65 to < 75 years)

  Adults (75 to < 85 years)

  Adults (85 years and over)
• Estimated number of subjects:
  0

Study design details

• Main study objective:
  To list and summarize existing tools and recommendations for the collection and reporting of heterogeneity in data sources used in MDS, in particular listing and classifying existing descriptors of such heterogeneity. A secondary objective is to describe how heterogeneity is leveraged to improve the quality of the evidence generated in a MDS and to assist its interpretation.
• Data analysis plan:
  Articles will be identified through searches in PubMed and Embase and by expert knowledge of relevant literature. The sensitivity of the search will be validated against a set of relevant papers identified by experts in the working group. Articles will be screened on title and abstract in duplicate using a standard screening tool and will be included if they contain recommendations or guidelines for the collection and reporting of (heterogeneity of) data sources, report tools to describe data sources or provide descriptions of multiple data sources within a network. Information will be collected from the selected articles using a data extraction tool, applied in duplicated by two independent researchers. Extracted information will be analysed in accordance with recommendations in the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis, and will follow the Arksey and O’Malley framework for collating and summarizing results in a narrative review. Counts of different types of articles will be provided.

Documents

Study, other information

DIVERSE_selection_tool_fulltext_final_pdf

DIVERSE_selection_tool_TIAB_final_pdf

poster_DIVERSE_rev

Report on DIVERSE Task 1a2_v1.1

Report on DIVERSE Task 1a4_v1.11