Commissioned Evidence Syntheses

The CHRM produces evidence syntheses commissioned by the World Health Organization. These projects incorporate capacity building, involving junior and senior healthcare professionals and academics from the island of Ireland, as well as ESI Fellows.

• Saif-Ur-Rahman KM, Nurdin N, Movsisyan A, Kothari K, Gleeson C, Conway T, Tierney M, Taneri PE, Mulholland D, Tricco AC, Dinnes J, Devane D. Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 testing strategies in reducing COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations, and deaths. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Oct 2;10(10):CD016192. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD016192.pub2
• Saif-Ur-Rahman KM, Nurdin N, Movsisyan A, Kothari K, Conway T, Tierney M, Taneri PE, Mulholland D, Tricco AC, Dinnes J, Devane D. Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 testing strategies. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Feb 24;2(2):CD016192. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD016192
• Saif-Ur-Rahman KM, Movsisyan A, Kothari K, Conway T, Tierney M, Madden C, Taneri PE, O'Halloran JA, Nurdin N, Murphy L, Mulholland D, Tricco AC, Devane D. Effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 testing strategies: a scoping review. Cochrane Evid Synth Methods. 2023 Nov 21;1(9):e12030. DOI: 10.1002/cesm.12030
• Saif-Ur-Rahman KM, Kothari K, Sadlier C, Moriarty F, Movsisyan A, Whelan S, Taneri PE, Blair M, Guyatt G, Devane D. Effect of pharmacological interventions for the treatment of people with post-COVID-19 condition: a rapid review. Cochrane Evid Synth Methods. 2023 Mar 20;1(1):e12001. DOI: 10.1002/cesm.12001
• Smith V, Devane D, Nichol A, Roche D. Care bundles for improving outcomes in patients with COVID-19 or related conditions in intensive care – a rapid scoping review. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020, Issue 12. Art. No.: CD013819. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013819
• Noone C, McSharry J, Smalle M, Burns A, Dwan K, Devane D, Morrissey EC. Video calls for reducing social isolation and loneliness in older people: a rapid review. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020, Issue 5. Art. No.: CD013632. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013632
• Houghton C, Meskell P, Delaney H, Smalle M, Glenton C, Booth A, Chan XHS, Devane D, Biesty LM. Barriers and facilitators to healthcare workers' adherence with infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines for respiratory infectious diseases: a rapid qualitative evidence synthesis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD013582. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013582

This funded project supports the activities of EU/EEA National Immunisation Technical Advisory Groups (NITAGs) in their decision-making on national vaccination programmes, including RSV vaccines.

The consortium comprises Cochrane Germany, Cochrane Austria, Cochrane Ireland, the Robert Koch Institute, and PwC. Cochrane Ireland, through the University of Galway, leads two key workstreams: (a) evidence syntheses on vaccines and EU/EEA vaccination programmes, and (b) development and delivery of an online training programme on methodologies for assessing evidence, conducting reviews and syntheses, and producing technical guidance documents.

• Saif-Ur-Rahman KM, King C, Whelan SO, Blair M, Donohue S, Madden C, Kothari K, Sommer I, Harder T, Dauby N, Moustsen-Helms IR, Ruta S, Frère J, Schönfeld V, Poukka E, Lutsar I, Olsson K, Melidou A, Adel Ali K, Dwan K, Devane D. Efficacy and safety of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Sep 29;9(9):CD016131. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD016131
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. A living systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy and safety of respiratory syncytial virus vaccines – first update. Stockholm: ECDC; 2025.
• Wagner G, Gartlehner G, Thaler K, Ledinger D, Feyertag J, Klerings I, Saif-Ur-Rahman KM, Devane D, Olsson K, Adel Ali K, Vygen-Bonnet S, Salo H, Zavadska D, Grgič Vitek M, Oona M, Cunney R, Tuerlinckx D, Kristensen Lomholt F, Sommer I. Immunogenicity and safety of the 15-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine: a systematic review and meta-analysis. NPJ Vaccines. 2024 Dec 30;9(1):257. DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-01048-y

The CHRM applied a jurisdictional scan methodology to synthesise public health preparedness mechanisms across multiple countries. The team also developed methodological guidance for conducting jurisdictional scans, establishing systematic approaches for policy comparison that complement conventional evidence synthesis methods.

• Saif-Ur-Rahman KM, Waddell K, Lavis JN, Burke NN, Tierney M, Whelan B, Devane D. Jurisdictional scans: methodological considerations for systematically analyzing and comparing policy approaches across different jurisdictions. J Clin Epidemiol. 2025 Oct 18;189:112025. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2025.112025
• Saif-Ur-Rahman KM, Burke NN, Murphy L, Parlour R, Boland M, Taneri PE, Reynolds B, Horgan M, Lavis JN, Devane D. Synthesizing public health preparedness mechanisms for high-impact infectious disease threats: a jurisdictional scan. J Evid Based Med. 2025 Jun;18(2):e70019. DOI: 10.1111/jebm.70019