382,215 papers found

The enthusiasm for meta-analyses (or overviews) expressed by their proponents is not always shared by the broader medical community. To encourage constructive debate, we adopt a critical perspective on the conduct and interpretation of meta-analysis. We focus particularly on some of the statistical issues, especially h…

OBJECTIVES: Meta-analysis of economic evaluations (MAEEs), using the incremental net benefit approach, enables quantitative synthesis of cost-effectiveness evidence and may support policy decisions. However, little is known about users' perceptions or utility of MAEEs. This study examined end users' perceptions and app…

INTRODUCTION: Leptospirosis is a significant public health concern worldwide, as it imposes a substantial economic burden on the global economy. Despite a comprehensive search of the relevant literature, few studies evaluating the economic burden experienced by leptospirosis patients were identified. In particular, ver…

BACKGROUND: Standard random-effects meta-analysis models for rare events exhibit significant limitations, particularly when synthesizing studies with double-zero events. While methodological advances in both frequentist and Bayesian frameworks now offer robust alternatives that bypass continuity corrections, the compar…

INTRODUCTION: Many people experience lifelong impacts after losing a loved one. Bereavement adaptation, which refers to how people adapt to changes after a death, is crucial for their subsequent life stages. Bereavement experienced during one's childhood or teenage years can be even more challenging, considering the du…

BACKGROUND: Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT showed great potential in aiding medical research. A heavy workload in filtering records is needed during the research process of evidence-based medicine, especially meta-analysis. However, few studies tried to use LLMs to help screen records in meta-analysis. OBJE…

INTRODUCTION: Dengue fever is a major global public health challenge caused by the Arbovirus and transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. The increasing incidence of dengue, particularly in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region, including Malaysia, highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of dengue molecular epid…

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary complications frequently occur as comorbidities in individuals with transfusion-dependent thalassaemia (TDT). Despite their clinical significance, the existing literature lacks a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the prevalence and risk factors for pulmonary dysfunction in this patie…

BACKGROUND: Systematic reviews are critical for evidence-based healthcare decisions, but their validity depends on the quality of conduct and reporting. AMSTAR-2, a widely used tool for assessing the quality of systematic reviews, identifies seven critical domains influencing review validity, although its developers re…

INTRODUCTION: Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) experience various metabolic, endocrine, reproductive and psychosocial manifestations. Lifestyle modification is crucial for the management of PCOS to reduce long-term complications. Nonetheless, the efficacy and acceptability of lifestyle interventions differs,…

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer has become the most common cancer worldwide. Various types of mindfulness-based interventions (e.g., mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction) have been conducted in different delivery methods (including face to face and internet delivered) to help patients wit…

BACKGROUND: Health inequities persist among First Nations people living in developed countries. Surgical care is pivotal in addressing a significant portion of the global disease burden. Evidence regarding surgical outcomes among First Nations people in Australia is limited. The perioperative mortality rate (POMR) indi…

INTRODUCTION: HIV infection is one of the complex aetiologies of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). However, the contribution of HIV to burden of NHL across time and region has not yet been comprehensively reported and quantified. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the relative risk of NHL in individuals with HIV infection c…

The rise of cutting-edge precision cancer treatments has led to a growing significance of the optimal biological dose (OBD) in modern oncology trials. These trials now prioritize the consideration of both toxicity and efficacy simultaneously when determining the most desirable dosage for treatment. Traditional approach…

BACKGROUND: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare form of extranodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with poor prognosis. 18F-flourodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) combines the advantages of PET and MR. The aim of this study is to evaluate the validity of PET/MR for th…