PRISMA 2020 introduced major changes to the flow diagram and checklist. Learn what changed and how Verflux auto-generates a compliant diagram.
PRISMA 2020 (Page et al., BMJ 2021) is the most significant update to PRISMA since the original 2009 statement. Key changes include: a revised flow diagram structure, 27-item checklist (expanded from 27 to cover updated reporting expectations), and new guidance on protocol registration, search strategies, and certainty of evidence.
PRISMA 2020 splits the identification phase into two streams: database and register searching, and other sources (citation searching, grey literature, contact with experts). Both feed into a combined deduplication and screening phase.
The four main boxes are: Identification (records identified), Screening (records screened, excluded), Eligibility (full-text assessed, excluded with reasons), and Included (studies in synthesis).
The checklist covers: Title (1 item), Abstract (1), Introduction (2), Methods (13), Results (6), Discussion (3), Other (1). Every item must be reported and the page number provided when submitting to most journals.
Verflux auto-populates the PRISMA 2020 flow diagram from your project data — records per database, duplicates removed, screened, excluded at each stage, and final included studies. Downloads as a 300 DPI PNG ready for journal submission.
The diagram is editable: you can override any count to match your actual study flow.
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