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Research and scholarly methods: Meta‐analysis
Author(s) -
Baker William L.,
Sobieraj Diana M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of the american college of clinical pharmacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2574-9870
DOI - 10.1002/jac5.1439
Subject(s) - meta analysis , computer science , systematic review , psychological intervention , quality (philosophy) , data science , management science , psychology , medline , medicine , engineering , epistemology , psychiatry , political science , law , philosophy
Meta‐analysis refers to the statistical combination of findings from individual studies and is a component of many published systematic reviews. Several considerations are critically important to ensure researchers conduct a high‐quality study. These include appropriate choice of analytic model, consideration of the presence and sources of heterogeneity, sensitivity/subgroup analyses or meta‐regression where appropriate, and evaluation of small‐study effects, amongst others. Advanced applications such as network meta‐analysis and individual participant data meta‐analysis allow for the comparison of a broad number of potential interventions and evaluating effect modifiers. Various free and subscription‐based software packages are available depending on the needs of the analyst and their familiarity with programming language and contemporary methods. While not an exhaustive review of these methods, we present a general overview of key concepts for those interested in performing or evaluating a meta‐analysis.