Placebo response rate in patients with chronic constipation: A protocol for systematic review

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to calculate the pooled placebo response rate in patients with chronic constipation (CC) in randomized controlled trial (RCT) and its related factors. METHOD: This systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted under the guidance of Cochrane Handbook. The inclusive and exclusive criteria and search strategies for PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase will be introduced in this protocol. Data collection, extraction, and assessment of risk of bias will be conducted independently by 2 reviewers. The pooled placebo response rate and its 95% confidence interval (95%CI) will be calculated and the heterogeneity assessment, publication bias assessment, and subgroup analysis will be performed using R 3.6.0. This study has been registered on the PROSPERO platform (CRD42019121287). RESULT: The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.