Provide a brief background to clinical issues/questions being addressed by the systematic review ideally by using a brief clinical scenario (preferably about a genuine, current clinical quandary) Cover the specific aim/s of the review, and methodology (What study types? Inclusions and exclusions?) Discuss key issues regarding critical appraisal: How comprehensive was the search (e.g. which databases were searched)? What was the quality of the primary studies (e.g. randomised controlled trials)? Was heterogeneity (i.e. inconsistency between studies) a substantial issue? What are the key results (spend more time on this)? Discuss limitations of the review (e.g. risk of publication bias; high risk of bias/poor quality of primary data; and excessive between-study heterogeneity) Ensure the article is critically appraised using an appropriate checklist Is the study valid? Are the results important? Are the results applicable to other group members patients? Ideally, finish by returning to your clinical scenario with the answer, and a brief take?home message
