Following PRISMA in a Systematic Review: Obligation or Authority?

Properly reporting of systematic reviews can improve evidence‑based medicine, evidence‑based management, and evidence‑informed policymaking in the health care system.[1‑3] Various checklists have been developed to improve the reporting of these studies.[4‑6] One of the most important guide in this field is Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‑analyses (PRISMA) statement consisting of seven topic sections and 27 items designed by the PRISMA Group.[7] Although the use of this checklist is not mandatory in systematic review and meta‑analysis reports, researchers should adhere to its components if used.