Page 29 - Screening for Cervical Cancer: Systematic Evidence Review

Chapter II. Methods

II. Methods

This chapter documents procedures that the RTI-UNC Evidence-based Practice Center

(EPC) used to develop this systematic evidence review (SER) on cervical cancer screening. We

document the general search strategy and criteria, specify the final search terms, describe

procedures for further review of abstracts and publications, explain methods used to extract

information from included articles, introduce approach to summarizing findings, and detail the

peer review process.

During preparation of the evidence report, EPC staff collaborated with two current

members of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Our collaboration took place by

conference call, electronic mail, traditional mail, and fax. We presented steps of the

development of this SER at USPSTF meetings in February, May, and September 2000. A key

consideration for the September 2000 meeting was the timing of the report with respect to the

anticipated publication in the near future of results from the first randomized trial comparing

cervical cancer screening tools.

Literature Search Strategy

Our key questions guided the preliminary review of the literature. We have emphasized

the identification of new research, existing syntheses of the literature, and opinions of leading

medical and policy organizations, especially those reported since the completion of the second

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Guide to Clinical Preventive Services. As part of the preliminary search, we took four steps:

(1) reviewed prior USPSTF findings; (2) obtained current recommendations and/or guidelines

for cervical cancer screening from the American Academy of Family Physicians, American

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