What does a PRISMA flow diagram document?

What does a PRISMA flow diagram document?

• A. The exact statistical model used in meta-analysis.
• B. The risk of bias assessment details.
• C. Screening, eligibility, and reasons for exclusions in study selection.
• D. The full data dictionary.

Answer: (C)

The flow diagram tracks how studies move through the review process, showing how many were identified, screened, assessed for eligibility, and finally included, along with the reasons why some were excluded. This makes the study selection transparent and easy to follow, so readers can see how the final set of studies was arrived at. It isn’t about the statistical methods used in the meta-analysis, risk of bias details, or documenting a data dictionary—those belong in separate sections or figures. The diagram focuses specifically on screening, eligibility, and exclusions in study selection.

The flow diagram tracks how studies move through the review process, showing how many were identified, screened, assessed for eligibility, and finally included, along with the reasons why some were excluded. This makes the study selection transparent and easy to follow, so readers can see how the final set of studies was arrived at. It isn’t about the statistical methods used in the meta-analysis, risk of bias details, or documenting a data dictionary—those belong in separate sections or figures. The diagram focuses specifically on screening, eligibility, and exclusions in study selection.