We have developed a tool to operationalise the assessment of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in systematic reviews. This will inform both applicability judgements and highlight EDI evidence gaps and uncertainties. Our starting points was a) PROGRESS-PLUS (https://methods.cochrane.org/equity/projects/evidence-equity/progress-plus), which maps out EDI topics reviewers should consider; and b) the INCLUDE Ethnicity Framework (https://www.trialforge.org/trial-forge- centre/include/), which has operationalised consideration of ethnicity for trial design.
Our approach followed the seven development phases used for the INCLUDE Ethnicity Framework: https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-021-05276-8
The team includes the lead of the INCLUDE Ethnicity Framework (Shaun Treweek) and PROGRESS-Plus (Vivian Welch and Peter Tugwell) teams, meaning we are well placed to produce an operationalised EDI tool for Cochrane. From 1st January 2026, the journal Trials, a major publisher of protocols and outcomes of clinical trials which is open access and peer-reviewed, will mandate the use of PRO EDI (Trials Editorial link: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-025-08938-z )
PRO-EDI is a significant step forward in ensuring that evidence synthesis pays more attention - not only to what works, but who it works for.
If you are interested in using and/or testing the PRO EDI tool, you will find the tool, guidance and a very simple feedback form on the Trial Forge website: https://www.trialforge.org/trial-diversity/pro-edi-improving-how-equity-diversity-and-inclusion-is-handled-in-evidence-synthesis/.
Click the link to watch a 2.5 minute video on What is PRO EDI?
Contacts
- Hanne Bruhn; hanne.bruhn@abdn.ac.uk
- Shaun Treweek; streweek@mac.com
Status
OngoingPublications
Shaun Treweek, Declan Devane, Vivian Welch, et al. PRO EDI -- a tool to help systematic reviewers make equity, diversity and inclusion assessments. Authorea. July 27, 2025
Treweek, S., Dawson, S., Khunti, K. et al. Who is in your trial? Improving the reporting of participant characteristics in trial protocols and results. Trials 26, 338 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-025-08938-z