The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews

Abstract

Background: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement, published in 2009, was designed to help systematic reviewers transparently report why the review was done, what the authors did and what they found. Over the last decade, there have been many advances in systematic review methodology and terminology, which have necessitated an update to the guideline.Objectives: To develop the PRISMA 2020 statement for reporting systematic reviews.Methods: We reviewed 60 documents with reporting guidance for systematic reviews to generate suggested modifications to the PRISMA 2009 statement. We sought feedback on the suggested modifications through an online survey of 110 systematic review methodologists and journal editors. The results of the review and survey were discussed at a 21-member in-person meeting. Following the meeting, drafts of the PRISMA 2020 checklist, abstract checklist, explanation and elaboration and flow diagram were generated and refined iteratively based on feedback from co-authors and a convenience sample of 15 systematic reviewers.Results: In this statement paper, we present the PRISMA 2020 27-item checklist, an expanded checklist that details reporting recommendations for each item, the PRISMA 2020 abstract checklist, and the revised flow diagrams for original and updated reviews. The checklist includes new reporting guidance that reflects advances in methods to identify, select, appraise and synthesise studies. The structure and presentation of the items have been modified to facilitate implementation. The PRISMA 2020 statement replaces the 2009 statement.Conclusions: The PRISMA 2020 statement is intended to facilitate transparent, complete and accurate reporting of systematic reviews. Improved reporting should benefit users of reviews, including guideline developers, policy makers, health care providers, patients and other stakeholders. In order to achieve this, we encourage authors, editors and peer-reviewers to adopt the guideline.

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Affiliated Institutions

• Odense University Hospital DK
• Brigham and Women's Hospital US
• Public Health Ontario CA
• St. Michael's Hospital CA
• Université Paris Cité FR
• University of Southern Denmark DK
• Harvard University US
• Kleijnen Systematic Reviews (United Kingdom) GB
• The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio US
• Monash University AU
• Ottawa Hospital CA
• Unity Health Toronto
• University College London GB
• University of Toronto CA
• American University of Beirut LB
• Bruyère CA
• University of Amsterdam NL
• University of Bristol GB
• Indiana University Bloomington US
• Inserm FR
• University of York GB
• Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust GB
• University of Colorado Denver US
• Bond University AU
• Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
• Academy of Medicine SG
• Queen's University CA
• McMaster University CA
• Johns Hopkins University US
• University of Ottawa CA
• Oregon Health & Science University US
• Centre de Recherche Épidémiologie et Statistique

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