Deciding Whether to Include Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions in Systematic Reviews: A Tutorial.

Authors

Nicola Lindson, Hugh Sharma Waddington, Ella Flemyng, Peter Tugwell, David B Wilson, Jamie Hartmann-Boyce

Published in

Cochrane evidence synthesis and methods. Volume 4. Issue 6. Pages e70109. Epub Nov 06, 2026.

Abstract

This tutorial provides practical guidance on deciding whether to include non-randomized studies of interventions (NRSI) in systematic reviews. Drawing on existing Cochrane and GRADE guidance, it outlines circumstances in which NRSI may provide valuable evidence alongside or in the absence of randomized controlled trials. A practical checklist supports review authors in making decisions about study eligibility for each PICO at the protocol stage, considering the availability and limitations of randomized evidence, the outcomes of interest, equity, and generalizability.

PMID:
42997812
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 08 Nov 2026.

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