392,010 papers found

Network meta-analysis is a statistical method combining information from randomised trials that compare two or more treatments for a given medical condition. Consistent treatment effects are estimated for all possible treatment comparisons. For estimation, weighted least squares regression that in a natural way general…

RATIONALE: Meta-analysis, a powerful technique for combining effect estimates from multiple studies, enhances statistical power and precision. However, its adoption can be hindered by challenges in statistical interpretation and the complexity of specialized software. MetaXL, a freely available Microsoft Excel add-in,…

There are often multiple potential interventions to treat a disease; therefore, we need a method for simultaneously comparing and ranking all of these available interventions. In contrast to pairwise meta-analysis, which allows for the comparison of one intervention to another based on head-to-head data from randomized…

Meta-analysis offers a way to assess the clinical efficacy of a treatment by combining the results of randomized clinical trials while maintaining randomization; the combined effects, with their confidence intervals, can be represented with a forest plot. The efficacy of several different treatment options can be asses…

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Meta-analyses of diagnostic test accuracy are important elements in evidence-based medicine. However, currently there is no overview of related quantitative findings that were obtained in a large number of real meta-analyses. This study aimed at providing such empirical summary. METHODS…

We congratulate the authors for the new meta-analysis model that accounts for different outcomes. We discuss the modeling choice and the Bayesian setting, specifically, we point out the connection between the Bayesian hierarchical model and a mixed-effect model formulation to subsequently discuss possible future method…

The meta-analysis of coefficient alpha across many studies is becoming more common in psychology by a methodology labeled reliability generalization. Existing reliability generalization studies have not used the sampling distribution of coefficient alpha for precision weighting and other common meta-analytic procedures…

Intervention studies represent webs of interrelated substantive and methodological characteristics that take on different patterns in different studies and different intervention areas. All too often, meta-analysts do not give close attention to the possibility that these interrelated differences among studies are rela…

The term meta-analysis refers to the quantitative combination of data from independent trials. Where the result of such combination is a descriptive summary of the weight of the available evidence, the exercise is of undoubted value. Attempts to apply inferential methods, however, are subject to considerable methodolog…

Meta-analysis refers to methodologies that are used to integrate related empirical research to arrive at conclusions not possible by reviewing individual studies, or to improve generalizations of individual studies. It is distinguished from the traditional narrative review in that statistical methodologies are applied…

In this correspondence, we raised concerns about methodological issues in a recent network meta-analysis by Wang et al. As meta-analysis forms the basis of most guidelines and clinical decisions, a sound methodology with a correct conclusion is paramount.

In the present work the general characteristics, aims and applications of meta-analysis in public health are described. The general rules and the relevant steps for the development of this type of studies are considered. These points are illustrated with a number of real examples and the advantages and limitations of t…

The authors present some basic concepts of meta-analysis, a process to evaluate and combine the results of conflicting studies. Authors illustrate the process by presenting a practical example in rheumatology.

Recently Papola et al. (2023) published a network meta-analysis (NMA) on psychotherapy of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and concluded that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) should be considered the first-line treatment for GAD. However, there are several concerns with regard to the procedures and the conclusions…

I am writing this comment regarding the review article by Patsaki et al. titled "Benefits from Incorporating Virtual Reality in Pulmonary Rehabilitation of COPD Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" [...].

Meta-analysis of rare events requires special considerations regarding which statistical method to use. This is because standard meta-analytical models are not well suited for the task, especially when some of the identified studies have reported zero events in one or more treatment groups.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have recently emerged as key sources of evidence to inform clinical care, from bedside individualized decisions to policy making. This article discusses the principles behind statistical methods for quantitative evidence synthesis, including meta-analysis and meta-regression. The au…

This special issue is an introduction to meta-analytic approaches, methods, and findings in neuropsychology. The six articles that comprise this issue include a review article, one article examining the statistical power of a specific research literature, and four new meta-analyses on neuropsychological topics. Togethe…

It has been 20 years since Gene Glass reinvigorated research integration through the formalization of meta-analysis. This article explores the nature of meta-analysis by placing it within the context of research synthesis. The methods of meta-analysis are described briefly and compared and contrasted with other forms o…