Smell and Taste Disorder PSP Question Verification form

The purpose of this Question Verification Form is to enable Priority Setting Partnerships (PSPs) to describe clearly how they checked that their questions were unanswered, before starting the interim prioritisation stage of the process.

The JLA requires PSPs to be transparent and accountable in defining their own scope and evidence checking process. This will enable researchers and other stakeholders to understand how individual PSPs decided that their questions were unanswered, and any limitations of their evidence checking.

Name of the PSP

Smell and Taste Disorders

Please describe the scope of the PSP

The Scope for the PSP was discussed and decided upon by the steering group. Questions raised by respondents of the initial survey that ask about diagnosis (of underlying cause), understanding physiology, treatment (new drug trials/devices) and access to care will be regarded as in scope.

Uncertainties raised by respondents about care/treatment, not in the UK and normal variations of smell and taste will be regarded as out of scope.

Please provide a brief overview of your approach to checking whether the questions were unanswered

We used all available literature related to smell and taste disorders, this included grey literature, systematic reviews. We first looked for systematic reviews directly related to the research questions, and if none were identified, we then looked for any published research available. We also looked at current and previous clinical trial registry to identify any research that’s currently being conducted.

Please list the type(s) of evidence you used to verify your questions as unanswered

Systematic Reviews, clinical guidelines, clinical trials,

Please list the sources that you searched in order to identify that evidence

Google, google scholar, PubMed, Medline, Embase, Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Trials register

What search terms did you use?

Olfaction disorders,
Olfaction or olfactory or Dysosmia* or Parosmia* or Anosmia* or hyposmia* or phantosmia* or Cacosmia* or microsmia
smell* adj6 (disorder* or loss or distort* or alter* or dysfunction or impair* or abscen* or reduce* or different* or sensation* or abnormal* or perception* or change* or expected or decreas* or deficit*)).
(smell* adj6 (prevent* or rehab* or recover* or therap* or train* or retrain*)).

Please describe the parameters of the search (eg time limits, excluded sources, country/language) and the rationale for any limitations

No restrictions were used for time and country of origin of the study. Only studies/guidelines in English were used.

Names of individuals who undertook the evidence checking

Professor Caril Philpott
Andreas Espehana
Mairenn Garden
Nishita Gadi

On what date was the question verification process completed?

5/10/21

Any other relevant information

N/A