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Systematic Review The status quo of systematic reviews published in high-impact journals in Korea: a study focused on protocol registration and GRADE use
Mi Ah Han1orcid , Seong Jung Kim2orcid , Eu Chang Hwang3orcid , Jae Hung Jung4,5orcid
Epidemiol Health 2022;44e2022108-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2022108
Published online: November 15, 2022
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1Department of Preventive Medicine, Chosun University College of Medicine, Gwangju, Korea
2Department of Internal Medicine, Chosun University College of Medicine, Gwangju, Korea
3Department of Urology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Korea
4Department of Urology, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea
5Center of Evidence Based Medicine, Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
Corresponding author:  Mi Ah Han,
Email: mahan@chosun.ac.kr
Received: 17 August 2022   • Accepted: 15 November 2022
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Abstract

RegOBJECTIVES: This study investigated the status quo of systematic reviews published in major journals in Korea from the perspective of protocol registration and adopting the grading of recommendation, assessment, development and evaluation (GRADE) system.
METHODS
We examined systematic reviews published in Korea’s top 15 medical journals from 2018 to 2021. Teams of 2 reviewers assessed the studies’ eligibility criteria and extracted data independently and in duplicate. We collected information on study characteristics, protocol registration, and GRADE use of the included reviews, and reviewed the “Instructions for Authors” of the selected journals to assess any guidance related to systematic reviews.
RESULTS
Out of the 126 identified reviews, 18 (14.3%) reported that they registered or published their protocol. Only 5 (4.0%) rated the certainty of evidence; and all 5 used the GRADE system. Only 6 of 15 journals mentioned systematic reviews in their “Instructions for Authors.” Six journals endorsed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework for systematic review reporting (2 mandatory, 3 recommended, and 1 unclear). None of the journals included mentioned protocol registration or certainty of evidence in their authors’ guidelines.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the proportion of systematic reviews that had prior protocol registration or used the GRADE approach to rate the certainty of evidence was very low. Our study highlights the need for adherence to systematic review standards in medical journals in Korea, including prior protocol registration and certainty of evidence assessment. Our review will help improve the quality of systematic reviews in Korea.

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