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How to read a nephrology systematic review
Author(s) -
PALMER SUETONIA C,
NAVANEETHAN SANKAR D,
STRIPPOLI GIOVANNI FM
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
nephrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1440-1797
pISSN - 1320-5358
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1797.2010.01284.x
Subject(s) - medicine , systematic review , meta analysis , medline , intervention (counseling) , medical physics , intensive care medicine , nursing , political science , law
A systematic review provides the best summary of evidence for clinical decision‐making in nephrology by summarizing all the primary studies that evaluate a specific clinical question. By using rigorous and pre‐specified methods, conclusions about the overall effect of an intervention can be more reliable, precise and comprehensive in a systematic review than those derived from individual studies. In this article, we describe the key components of a systematic review and meta‐analysis. We summarize the features of a systematic review that should be looked for when considering the accuracy and validity of its results – particularly when applying the outcomes of a systematic review to a clinical question.