Cochrane Vascular provides support, resources and training for those members wishing to prepare a systematic review.

A systematic review draws together all the available information on a subject for evaluation and synopsis, using predetermined criteria and explicit methods designed to limit bias. This process may include a statistical meta-analysis, a technique which summarises the results of several studies into a single estimate. This may produce a statistically significant finding where none was present in the individual studies. Approximately 500 members of the PVD group are currently involved in preparing systematic reviews in the hope of answering a clinically relevant question.

Reviews are usually conducted by teams of co-authors, and are produced in three distinct stages:

Review proposal and title registration

Protocol development

Review development and updating