Systematic reviews in five steps: V. Interpreting the findings

The last step in a systematic review is the interpretation of the findings. The impor-tant findings need to be explicitly identified. A level of strength of evidence should be assigned to support each key finding, based on factors such as study design, methodological quality and risk of publication bias. Variations in the magnitude of associations observed also need to be explored. The aim of this analysis is to determine in which clinical groups the intervention is more or less effective, the impact of exposure is greater or lesser, or a diagnostic test is more useful. At this stage, for better interpretation of the findings, the magnitude of the association can be estimated either globally or stratified according to the characteristics of the participants. All this is helpful in formulating recommendations for clinical practice and policy.(c) 2022 Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. on behalf of Sociedad Espanola de Medicos de Atencion Primaria (SEMERGEN).

Automated summary

The last step of a systematic review is to interpret the findings. Important findings should be clearly identified and supported with a level of evidence based on factors such as study design, quality, and publication bias risk. Variations in observed associations should also be explored. The aim is to determine the effectiveness of intervention in different clinical groups, the impact of exposure, and the usefulness of diagnostic tests. This helps in formulating recommendations for clinical practice and policy.