The Protocol Review is a smart tool that analyses your protocol and helps you improve it for AI screening. It focuses on strengthening two critical areas:

A. PICOS Refinement

The optimiser reviews your defined Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes, and Study Design and provides suggestions to:

• Clarify vague or ambiguous terms (e.g., what constitutes “elderly” or “high PD-L1 expression”)

• Resolve conflicting inclusion/exclusion rules

• Structure criteria more precisely so the AI can apply them accurately

• Recommend standardised language and examples to improve reproducibility

B. Hierarchy of Selection Criteria

This section ensures that your inclusion and exclusion reasons are logically ordered and clearly described, which is crucial for:

• Ensuring transparent reviewer decisions

• Helping the AI apply criteria consistently

• Avoiding confusion when multiple exclusion criteria overlap

The tool will:

• Highlight missing or overlapping decision rules

• Suggest reordering criteria (e.g., excluding animal studies before design-based exclusions)

• Recommend more specific exclusion labels for edge cases (e.g., single-arm studies, subpopulation-only data)

How to use it:

1. Go to the Tools section

2. Select 'Protocol Text Review'

3. Click on 'New Text Review'

4. Select the Stage: Title/Abstract or Full Text

5. Click Analyze Protocol

6. Review suggestions for:
   Refining PICOS definitions
   Adjusting or reordering hierarchy of selection criteria

7. Apply recommended changes manually.
   
   Tip: Use the Protocol Optimiser before launching large-scale screening or rerunning AI to ensure optimal AI performance.