Systematic reviews and protocols
In 2018, the Task Force launched a thematic series, the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care Evidence Reviews Collection, in the journal Systematic Reviews. This series brings together systematic review protocols and evidence reviews on which guideline development is based.
These reviews include citations of the available literature and provide a summary of the findings based on the evidence, along with informative sections on the benefits and harms of screening. The publications are available in English only.
Breast cancer (update) — Draft recommendations
- Comparative effects of different breast cancer screening strategies: systematic review and adaptation of the 2023 USPSTF draft review (research question No. 2) — PDF, English.
- Patient preferences regarding breast cancer screening: update of a systematic review to inform the CTFPHC recommendations (research question No. 3) — PDF, English.
- Breast cancer screening: update of a systematic review to inform the CTFPHC guideline (research question No. 1) — PDF, English.
- Breast cancer screening: update of a systematic review to inform the CTFPHC guideline (research question No. 4) — PDF, English.
Prostate cancer (update)
- Prostate cancer screening: protocol for an updated systematic review to inform an update of the CTFPHC guideline — Systematic Reviews 2022; 11:230.
Potentially inappropriate prescribing and over-the-counter medication use
- Systematic review protocol in primary care settings — Systematic Reviews 2022; 11:225.
Fall prevention
- Fall prevention in community-dwelling older adults: systematic reviews of benefits, harms and patient values and preferences — Systematic Reviews 2021; 10:18.
Depression in children and adolescents
- Screening for depression in children and adolescents: protocol for an update of the systematic review — Systematic Reviews 2021; 10:24.
Tobacco smoking in adults
- Effectiveness of stop smoking interventions among adults: protocol for an overview of systematic reviews and an updated systematic review — Systematic Reviews 2019; 8:28.
Depression during pregnancy, postnatal depression and depression in adults
- Screening for depression in women during pregnancy or the first year postpartum and in the general adult population: a protocol for two systematic reviews to update a guideline.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea
- Screening for chlamydia and/or gonorrhea in primary health care: protocol for a systematic review — Systematic Reviews 2018; 7:248.
Fragility fractures
- Screening to prevent fragility fractures among adults 40 years and older in primary care: protocol for a systematic review — Systematic Reviews 2019; 8:216.
- Screening for the primary prevention of fragility fractures in adults aged 40 years and older in primary care: systematic reviews of the effects, acceptability of screening and treatment, and reliability of risk prediction tools — Systematic Reviews 2023; 12:51.
Thyroid dysfunction
- Screening for thyroid dysfunction and treatment of screen-detected thyroid dysfunction in asymptomatic, community-dwelling adults: a systematic review — Systematic Reviews 2019; 8:260.
Cervical cancer
- Screening for the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer: protocol for systematic reviews to inform Canadian recommendations — Systematic Reviews 2021; 10:2.
In addition to the articles above, the protocols and systematic reviews specific to each guideline developed before the launch of the collection can be consulted on each topic page, under the "Published guidelines" section of the Task Force website.