Family Medicine

Living systematic review protocol comparing tools to share trial results with participants

This living systematic review will evaluate RCTs comparing communication tools given to study participants and others with lived experience. Primary outcomes are satisfaction, understanding, and ease of use across formats like plain-language summaries, infographics, videos, and websites. Searches and automated monthly updates are planned, with two independent reviewers and meta-analysis if comparable RCTs permit. Results aim to guide which dissemination tools best meet participants' needs but no trial results are yet presented. 1

Methodological guidance for developing mental health prediction models in pregnancy

This methodological paper provides practical steps for building and validating mental-health prediction models using prenatal depression data (n=5,372). It emphasizes addressing population heterogeneity, overfitting, and the need for external validation to ensure generalizability. The authors contrast regression and machine-learning methods, noting trade-offs between interpretability and predictive accuracy. Recommendations focus on interdisciplinary development, transparent reporting, and validating models before clinical deployment. 2

Participatory validation framework for methodological appraisal in umbrella reviews

This commentary proposes inviting included systematic review authors to review and comment on independent methodological appraisals. The approach documents agreement and disagreement transparently without forcing consensus, improving interpretability of overview judgments. Feasibility appears reasonable within current workflows, but adoption may be limited by selective participation and administrative burden. The framework is designed to reduce hidden bias and make appraisal uncertainty visible to guideline developers and clinicians. 3