Premium
How to read and understand and use systematic reviews and meta‐analyses
Author(s) -
Leucht S.,
Kissling W.,
Davis J. M.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.01388.x
Subject(s) - systematic review , funnel plot , meta analysis , data extraction , publication bias , medline , computer science , data science , systematic error , medical literature , management science , psychology , medicine , statistics , pathology , mathematics , engineering , biology , biochemistry
Objective : Systematic reviews and meta‐analyses are increasingly frequently used in the evaluation of medical treatments. This review explains the principles of the methodology, significance and limitations of systematic reviews. Method: Short review article. Results: In contrast to conventional reviews, systematic reviews use a structured approach in retrieving, analyzing and interpreting the evidence. A comprehensive search strategy is applied to identify all relevant trials. Study selection and data extraction is performed independently by at least two reviewers. The data are usually synthesized in a meta‐analysis applying statistical methods to examine homogeneity. Funnel plots and other statistical methods are applied to detect publication bias. Conclusion: Due to the enormous amount of scientific information published every year, systematic reviews and meta‐analyses have become indispensable methods for the evaluation of medical treatments.