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Meta-analysis, collaborative overview, systematic review: what does it all mean?
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Short Description:
Mike Clarke’s 9-minute read on meta-analysis, collaborative overview, systematic review.
Key Concepts addressed:- 1-7 Beware of conflicting interests
- 2-4 Comparison groups should be treated equally
- 2-10 Peer-review and publication does not guarantee reliable information
- 2-11 All fair comparisons and outcomes should be reported
Details
Summary
Bringing together the evidence from randomised controlled trials is increasingly common. Depending on the techniques used, the process might be called a systematic review, meta-analysis or collaborative overview. All relevant trials are identified and those of a satisfactory standard are reviewed. In a meta-analysis, each trial is assessed separately and the summary statistics are then combined to give an overall result. Neither meta-analyses nor systematic reviews are a substitute for prospective clinical trials, rather, they are a complement to them.