Rapid Review Methodologies in Health Technology Assessment
Summary
Rapid review methodologies have emerged to address the growing demand for timely evidence synthesis within health technology assessment (HTA). These approaches adapt traditional systematic review processes through calibrated streamlining of literature searches, study selection, data extraction and critical appraisal. By prioritising high-yield information and employing a leaner methodological framework, rapid reviews can deliver actionable insights within weeks to a few months. The principal trade-off lies between speed and comprehensiveness: while rapid reviews may forgo exhaustive database coverage or dual-reviewer screening, they preserve methodological transparency through explicit reporting of shortcuts. Global HTA agencies and payer organisations increasingly leverage rapid reviews to inform coverage decisions, guideline development and policy responses to emergent technologies, such as digital health interventions and medical devices. Recent guidance frameworks have formalised workflows, recommending targeted database searches, single-reviewer screening with secondary verification and narrative synthesis supplemented by risk of bias assessment. Practical applications include rapid horizon scanning for novel therapies, expedited assessment of diagnostic accuracy and interim updates to living reviews. As methodological standardisation advances, emphasis is shifting to quantifying the impact of abbreviated steps on validity and exploring hybrid models that integrate automation and stakeholder engagement to maintain rigour while enhancing responsiveness.
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Rapid Review Methodologies in Health Technology Assessment publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in rapid review methodologies in health technology assessment across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Health Technology Assessment: A systematic evaluation of the properties, effects and impacts of health technologies to inform decision-making.
Rapid review: An accelerated evidence synthesis that simplifies or omits standard systematic review steps to produce timely results.
Evidence synthesis: The process of collating and analysing data from multiple studies to arrive at consolidated conclusions.
Risk of bias assessment: The appraisal of methodological limitations in primary studies that may affect the validity of their findings.
Streamlined methodology: A set of predefined shortcuts or modifications to standard procedures intended to expedite the review process.
References
- Key concepts in rapid reviews: an overview. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology (2024).
- Rapid review programs to support health care and policy decision making: a descriptive analysis of processes and methods. Systematic Reviews (2015).
- Rigorous and rapid evidence assessment in digital health with the evidence DEFINED framework. npj Digital Medicine (2023).
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