Does the sensitivity- and precision-maximizing RCT filter find all 'included' records retrieved by the sensitivity-maximizing filter on Ovid MEDLINE? An investigation using 14 Cochrane reviews

ObjectivesTo inform users about the impact of two updated study filters for limiting database search results to randomized controlled trials on Ovid MEDLINE: a sensitivity-maximizing version (SM) and a sensitivity-and-precision-maximizing version (SaPM). To provide an updated understanding of how they compare to each other. MethodsUsing the final included records of 14 Cochrane reviews that had used the SM filter, we determined how many available records on Ovid MEDLINE would have been retrieved with each filter; investigated why records were missed; the unique yield; precision; and number-needed-to-read (NNR) for each filter. We also performed forwards and backwards citation searching on missed records (to determine if this could mitigate the risk of missing includes) and calculated the percentage change in the overall number-needed-to-screen (ONNS) when applying each filter to reproduction strategies. ResultsOn average, the SaPM filter reduced ONNS by 83% and retrieved 95.9% of includes compared with 98.2% retrieved by the SM filter. The SaPM filter offered a further 28.2% mean reduction in ONNS over the SM filter. The SM filter had a unique yield of 12 and a precision of 1.5%, versus a unique yield of three and precision of 4.4% for the SaPM filter. NNR was 68 for the SaPM filter versus 189 for the SM filter. ConclusionThe SaPM filter reduced the screening burden with minimal risk of missing eligible records (which could be mitigated by citation searching). Decisions about which filter to use should consider both the needs and resources of the review.