Meta-analysis is defined as "a quantitative method of combining the results of independent studies (usually drawn from the published literature) and synthesizing summaries and conclusions which may be used to evaluate therapeutic effectiveness, plan new studies, etc., with application chiefly in the areas of research and medicine."[1]
A meta-analyses is a subset of systematic reviews in which the results of the studies are numerically pooled.
Standards for the reporting of meta-analyses exist.[2]
Meta-analyses vary in the extent of their searches for underlying studies. [8] No individual database contains all the existing randomized controlled trials; however, the Cochrane database may be the most comprehensive.[8]
Machine learning and text categorization has been use for searching.[9][10]
There is not a consensus on what details of searching should be reported in a meta-analysis.[11]
There is debate on how extensive should be the search for studies as there is are diminishing returns with extensive searching. Some studies suggest limiting searches[12][13][14] while other studies advocate exhaustive searches[15][16][17][18][19][20] including unpublished studies[21][22]. The role of databases other than MEDLINE is not clear.[23]
Various methods have been proposed for when to stop searchers.[24][25][26]
The Jadad score may be used to assess quality and contains three items:[34]
Was the study described as randomized (this includes the use of words such as randomly, random, and randomization)?
Was the study described as double blind?
Was there a description of withdrawals and dropouts?
Each question is scored one point for a yes answer. In addition, for questions and 2, a point is added if the method was appropriate and a point is deducted if the method is not appropriate (e.g. not effectively randomized or not effectively double-blinded).
Consistency can be statistically tested using either the Cochran's Q or I2.[35][36] The I2 is the "percentage of total variation across studies that is due to heterogeneity rather than chance."[35] These numbers are usually displayed for each group of studies on a Forest plot.
In interpreting of the Cochran's Q, heterogeneity exists if its p-value is < 0.05 or possibly if < 0.10[37][38].
The following has been proposed for interpreting I2:[35]
Studies are usually statistically combined by a method such as the DerSimonian and Laird.[43] The DerSimonian and Laird weight for pooling studies is a type of inverse variance weight and creates a random effect model. Determining prediction intervals for random effects may help apply results to clinical practice.[44]
Excluding studies with zero events total events (zero-total-event trials) or zero events in one treatment group (zero-event trials) may exaggerate effect sizes.[45][46] An alternative is to use a continuity correction.[47] Rather than using a constant continuity correction, less bias may occur by correcting with either[48]
"empirical estimate of the pooled effect size from the remaining studies in the meta-analysis."
"a function of the reciprocal of the opposite group arm size"
For an example of continuity correction using the second method above:[45]
S is the sum of corrections for event and no event cells (usually S=1 in a zero-event trial and S=2 in a zero-total-event trial)
R is the ratio of group sizes (R=1 if both groups are the same)
For a zero-event trial with equal group sizes
The correction in the larger experimental group is R/S*(R + 1). This becomes 1/1*(1 + 1) = 1
The correction in the smaller experimental group is 1/S*(R + 1). This becomes 1/1*(1 + 1) = 1
For a zero-event-total trial with equal group sizes
The correction in the larger experimental group is R/S*(R + 1). This becomes 1/2*(1 + 1) = 0.5
The correction in the smaller experimental group is 1/S*(R + 1). This becomes 1/2*(1 + 1) = 0.5
Qualitative interaction interaction exists if the direction of effect is reversed in subgroups.
Quantitative interaction is when the size of the effect varies but not the direction.
If the subgrouping accounts for all heterogeneity, interaction can be sought using an inverse-variance method for a fixed-effect model.[54]
If the subgrouping does not account for all heterogeneity, interaction can be tested with meta-regression to avoid false-positive results.[54][55] Metagression is detailed in a section below.
bamdit. "Bayesian meta-analysis of diagnostic test data based on a scale mixtures bivariate random-effects model. Summary statistics are based on pooled and predictive sensitivities and specificities."
HSROC. " implements a model for joint meta-analysis of sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic test under evaluation, while taking into account the possibly imperfect sensitivity and specificity of the reference test. This hierarchical model accounts for both within and between study variability. Estimation is carried out using a Bayesian approach, implemented via a Gibbs sampler."
Cumulative meta-analysis has been used to show that 25 off 33 randomized controlled trials of streptokinase not necessary[62] and have shown the delay in adoption of evidence by experts[63].
Cumulative meta-analyses may be prone to false positive results due to repeated tests of statistical significance.[64] This may be avoided by use of trial sequential analysis.[64][65][66]
An individual patient data meta-analysis is "where analyses are done using original data and outcomes for each person enrolled in relevant studies; these results are then pooled in one analysis as if patients were in a single large study."[67]
Meta-regression allows simultaneous comparison of multiple sources of heterogeneity.[72][73][74][75]
Meta-regression can examine relationships between predictor and outcome variables including non-linear relationships.[76]
Meta-regression can analyze subgroups.[54]A permutation test may reduce the chance of a false positive subgroup analysis.[55]
When analyzing a meta-regression of dichotomous independent variables, the "results of meta-regression analyses are most usefully expressed as ratios of odds ratios (or risk ratios)."[7]
Meta-regression is not as powerful as individual patient data meta-analysis[80], especially when the distributions of covariates are heterogeneous across studies[81].
Standards exists for the meta-analysis of diagnostic tests.[93][94] The traditional summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC curve) should be replaced by either the hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curve(HSROC curve).[94][95] or bivariate random-effects model.[96] Discussions of HSROC and bivariate random-effects meta-analysis are available.[97][96] An example of a meta-analysis using bivariate mixed-effects binomial regression model is available.[98] Examples of using the HSROC and diagnostic odds ratio are available.[99]
A systematic review may review other systematic reviews. The reviews may address different treatments of the same disease or different diseases that can be treated with an intervention.[101]
Individual data meta-analyses, in which the records from individual patients are pooled together into one dataset, tend to have more stable conclusions.[69]
Factors associated with lower quality meta-analyses[edit]
About a third of meta-analyses that happen to precede large randomized controlled trials will conflict with the results of the trial.[3]
The small study effect is the observation that small studies tend to report more positive results.[106][107][108] This is especially a threat when the original studies in a meta-analysis are less than 50 patients in size.[109]
Publication bias against negative studies is part of the small study effect and may threaten the validity of meta-analyses that are positive and all the studies included within the meta-analysis are small.[110][111]
In performing a meta-analysis, a file drawer[112]or a funnel plot analysis[113][111][114] may help detect underlying publication bias among the studies in the meta-analysis.
Meta-analyses in which a smaller proportion of included trials provide raw data for inclusion in the meta-analysis are more likely to be positive.[115] This may be due a bias against reporting negative results.[116]
Meta-analyses may not agree with major clinical trials.[3][5][4][117] Some of the disagreement may be due to the methods used in selecting and comparing meta-analyses and trials.[6]Publication bias may be a factor.[118]
The disagreements lead to debate as to whether truth is the meta-analysis or a dominant, large trial.[119]
The conclusions of meta-analyses may be mitigated by research published after the search date of the meta-analysis. This may occur by the time the meta-analysis has been published.[121][122] Strategies have been developed for identifying potentially outdated analyses[123] and their updating[124].
Small meta-analyses more be prone to obsolescence and disagreement with larger, subsequent trials.[125][111]
↑Spoor P, Airey M, Bennett C, Greensill J, Williams R (1996). "Use of the capture-recapture technique to evaluate the completeness of systematic literature searches.". BMJ313 (7053): 342-3. PMID 8760743. PMC PMC2351754. [e]
↑Higgins JPT, Green S (editors). 9.6.2 What are subgroup analyses? in Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.0.2 [updated September 2009]. The Cochrane Collaboration, 2009. Available from http:// www.cochrane-handbook.org.
↑ 54.054.154.2Higgins JPT, Green S (editors). 9.6.3.1 Is the effect different in different subgroups? in Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 5.0.2 [updated September 2009]. The Cochrane Collaboration, 2009. Available from http:// www.cochrane-handbook.org.
↑Lau J, Antman EM, Jimenez-Silva J, Kupelnick B, Mosteller F, Chalmers TC (July 1992). "Cumulative meta-analysis of therapeutic trials for myocardial infarction". N. Engl. J. Med.327 (4): 248–54. PMID 1614465. [e]
↑Antman EM, Lau J, Kupelnick B, Mosteller F, Chalmers TC (July 1992). "A comparison of results of meta-analyses of randomized control trials and recommendations of clinical experts. Treatments for myocardial infarction". JAMA268 (2): 240–8. PMID 1535110. [e]
↑Thijs V, Lemmens R, Fieuws S. Network meta-analysis: simultaneous meta-analysis of common antiplatelet regimens after transient ischaemic attack or stroke. ur Heart J. 2008 May;29(9):1086-92. Epub 2008 Mar 17. PMID 18349026
↑Becker LA, Oxman AD. Chapter 22: Overviews of reviews In: Higgins JPT, Green S (editors), Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Inervenstions. Version 5.0.1 (updated September, 2008). Available from www.cochrane-handbook.org
↑Sterne, JAC, et al. Recommendations for examining and interpreting funnel plot asymmetry in meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials BMJ 2011; 343:d4002 DOI:10.1136/bmj.d4002
↑Shojania KG, Sampson M, Ansari MT, Ji J, Doucette S, Moher D (August 2007). "How quickly do systematic reviews go out of date? A survival analysis". Ann. Intern. Med.147 (4): 224–33. PMID 17638714. [e]