QUOROM flow charts in medical publications
A number of medical and life science journals require authors submitting papers on reviews, meta-analyses and systematic reviews to include a QUOROM flow chart. QUOROM is the acronym used for the Quality of Reporting of Meta-analyses standards developed by QUOROM group. This is a flow chart that graphically describes the sequence of steps defined for exclusion of studies under review. The rationale behind the inclusion of such a diagram is to increase the transparency of decisions made by the researcher for including or excluding certain studies, which may subsequently introduce biases in the overall measure of effect.
The inclusion of a QUOROM flow chart is usually required in addition to adherence to quality guidelines known as the QUOROM statement, which describes a methodology for the consistent reporting of meta-analyses of randomised control trials (RCTs).
In 2009, the QUOROM was updated to address several conceptual and practical advances in the science of systematic reviews, and was renamed to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses).