Rapid review
Focused, transparent synthesis with selected efficiencies for time-sensitive policy or service decisions.
Evidence synthesis
Find the signal in a complex literature.
MCRC Health conducts transparent evidence reviews and turns the findings into clear, decision-ready conclusions.
Review approaches
Match the method to the question and timeline.
Scoping review
Map concepts, methods, evidence types, and knowledge gaps across a broad or emerging field.
Systematic review
Comprehensive methods for focused questions requiring formal appraisal and structured synthesis.
Evidence summary
A concise, accessible synthesis of the evidence most relevant to a defined audience or decision.
Direct answer
What is a rapid evidence review?
A rapid evidence review uses systematic and transparent methods while streamlining selected steps to answer a focused question within a shorter decision timeline.
The trade-offs should be explicit. Depending on the question, efficiencies may include narrower eligibility criteria, fewer databases, date or language limits, staged screening, or a targeted form of synthesis.
Deliverables
Rigour that remains usable.
Review protocol
Question, eligibility criteria, sources, search approach, screening, extraction, and synthesis plan.
Evidence tables
Structured study characteristics, findings, limitations, and quality or certainty assessments.
Technical report
Methods, results, interpretation, gaps, limitations, and implications.
Decision product
Evidence summary, briefing note, slide deck, or facilitated discussion for the intended audience.
Questions
Choosing the right review.
What is the difference between a scoping review and a systematic review?
A scoping review maps the breadth, characteristics, and gaps in a body of literature. A systematic review answers a focused question through comprehensive searching, explicit selection criteria, critical appraisal, and structured synthesis.
How long does an evidence review take?
Timing depends on the question, volume of literature, review type, team, and deliverables. A rapid review may fit a decision timeline of several weeks, while a full systematic review often requires several months.
Can you update an existing review?
Yes. We can assess the prior methods, run an updated search, screen new records, and revise the synthesis while clearly documenting what changed.
Need a reliable answer from the literature?
Share the decision, audience, and timeline. We will recommend a proportionate review approach.
Discuss the question