Original Title: Actualización del Sistema de Trabajo Compartido para Revisiones Sistemáticas de la Evidencia y Lectura Crítica (Plataforma FLC 3.0)

Authors' objectives: • To ensure a common methodological framework to evaluate and prepare work of the RedETS of the National Health System by developing and applying common tools to facilitate in depth analysis of the quality of the studies. • To promote improvements in the quality of healthcare technology product evaluation carried out by the RedETS by applying commonly agreed and explicit criteria. • To provide useful tools to prepare high quality healthcare technology evaluation products.

Authors' results and conclusions: Seven version 3.0 Critical Appraisal Tools were developed, based on the updating, validation and external review of the FLC 2.0 version, by modifying the drafting of criteria, the response categories and the glossary terms and the help menus, as well as the criteria that should appear in each of the seven Critical Appraisal Tools. If the FLC 2.0 tool for critical reading and synthesising evidence was widely accepted by users throughout its 10 year career, the development of the new 3.0 version provides an even more practical, useful and reliable tool for professionals carrying out Systematic Reviews. • The new FLC 3.0 Platform for Critical Appraisal has created more flexible and complete instruments than the ones in the previous version. The reliability, ease of use and utility have been endorsed by 13 professional experts in healthcare technology evaluation. • The FLC 3.0 allows the analysis and synthesis of seven types of designs in one single web application. • The «help menus» and «glossaries» that accompany the quality evaluation criteria have been updated and include more examples as per users’ suggestions. • The instruments are available in Spanish, English and German, which facilitates understanding of the criteria and the epidemiological concepts. • The creation of data summary tables and study characteristics (evidence tables) allows the synthesis of the information quickly and compare the main characteristics and results of the studies. • The application enables the creation of subject-based bibliographical reference lists. • FLC 3.0 provides new graphic elements that aid a global assessment of the quality of the studies. • The information about the systematic review (critical Appraisal Tools, evidence tables, bibliographical reference lists, glossaries) can be accessed from any device or equipment with Internet access. • The platform permits work sharing of critical appraisal and synthesis of the evidence carried out with other selected reviewers and generates a public base of systematic reviews carried out by different professionals. • FLC 3.0 platform is designed as an interactive platform that enables communication between users and readers, which in turn, enables possible technical problem solving and channeling suggestions that allows the tools to be adapted to professionals’ needs.

Authors' methods: The working methodology consisted of the following phases: • Systematic search of articles and instruments that provide criteria to evaluate the quality of scientific studies. • Development of briefer instruments in the FLC 3.0. version without losing analytical rigour of previous versions. Work on establishing criteria that responded to both requirements was carried out by the coordinating group and contrasted with the advisory group and the external review group. • Creation of a User’s Manual in Spanish, English and German drawn up by the coordinating group. • Inclusion of graphic tools to facilitate global evaluation of the evidence agreed by the coordinating group. • External review of the FLC 3.0 version with the participation of expert professionals in systematic reviews and/or economic evaluation of the RedETS. Each external reviewer analysed between 1 and 4 instruments of the FLC and provided proposals for improvement with regard to the structure, content and drafting of the assistance and glossaries contained in the FLC. An online questionnaire was designed for each instrument to carry out the external review. An example of the questionnaire designed to evaluate the Case Series FLC is included in Annex VIII.2. • Translation from Spanish into English of the FLC 3.0 version was carried out by a professional team of translators (NOVA-Trasnet). • Translation of the version from English to German was carried out the by the team of professionals at DIMDI/DAHTA. • Implementation of the changes in the FLC 3.0. web platform was carried out by the IT company, DISTINTIVA S.L

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2017

URL for published report: https://www.ogasun.ejgv.euskadi.eus/r51-catpub/es/k75aWebPublicacionesWar/k75aObtenerPublicacionDigitalServlet?R01HNoPortal=true&N_LIBR=052035&N_EDIC=0001&C_IDIOM=es&FORMATO=.pdf

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Other

Country: Spain

Organisation Name: Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment

Contact Address: C/ Donostia – San Sebastián, 1 (Edificio Lakua II, 4ª planta) 01010 Vitoria - Gasteiz

Contact Name: Lorea Galnares-Cordero

Contact Email: lgalnares@bioef.eus

Copyright: Osteba (Basque Office for Health Technology Assessment) Health Department of the Basque Government