Social network analysis identified central outcomes for core outcome sets using systematic reviews of HIV/AIDS

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• 作者：Ian J. Saldanha^a ; ^{isaldan1@jhmi.edu" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; Tianjing Li^b ; Cui Yang^c ; Cesar Ugarte-Gil^d ; ^e ; George W. Rutherford^f ; Kay Dickersin^g
• 关键词：Outcomes ; Core outcome sets ; Social network analysis ; Systematic reviews ; Randomized controlled trials ; HIV/AIDS
• 刊名：Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：February 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：70
• 期：Complete
• 页码：164-175
• 全文大小：1697 K

文摘

Methods to develop core outcome sets, the minimum outcomes that should be measured in research in a topic area, vary. We applied social network analysis methods to understand outcome co-occurrence patterns in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS systematic reviews and identify outcomes central to the network of outcomes in HIV/AIDS.

Study Design and Setting

We examined all Cochrane reviews of HIV/AIDS as of June 2013. We defined a tie as two outcomes (nodes) co-occurring in ≥2 reviews. To identify central outcomes, we used normalized node betweenness centrality (nNBC) (the extent to which connections between other outcomes in a network rely on that outcome as an intermediary). We conducted a subgroup analysis by HIV/AIDS intervention type (i.e., clinical management, biomedical prevention, behavioral prevention, and health services).

Results

The 140 included reviews examined 1,140 outcomes, 294 of which were unique. The most central outcome overall was all-cause mortality (nNBC = 23.9). The most central and most frequent outcomes differed overall and within subgroups. For example, “adverse events (specified)” was among the most central but not among the most frequent outcomes, overall.

Conclusion

Social network analysis methods are a novel application to identify central outcomes, which provides additional information potentially useful for developing core outcome sets.