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Evidence-Based Mental Health 1998;1:102-104; doi:10.1136/ebmh.1.4.102
Copyright © 1998 by BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, Royal College of Psychiatrists, & British Psychological Society.
Evidence-Based Mental Health 1998; 1:102-104
© 1998 Evidence-Based Mental Health

Understanding and interpreting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Part 2: meta-analyses

Nick Freemantle, MA1, John Geddes, MD2

1 Medicines Evaluation Group, Centre for Health Economics, University of York, UK
2 Editor, Evidence-Based Mental Health

In part 1 (August 1998 issue) we introduced the rationale for the systematic review and described the first part of how to appraise critically such articles before using them clinically. The user would want to know: did the review focus on a specific question? Was a comprehensive and clearly described search strategy used? Were the appropriate studies selected? And did the raters agree about which articles should be included?

In part 2, we focus on the statistical combination of the results of a series of studies (meta-analysis). Our objective is to suggest questions that a reader should ask of an article describing a meta-analysis. We will also outline the main methods used in meta-analyses.

Were the results of the individual studies combined and was this appropriate?

Meta-analyses seek to provide the best estimates of treatment effect based upon all the available valid evidence. The simplest type of meta-analysis involves simply counting up the number of statistically significant studies (vote counting). . . . [Full text of this article]


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This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Geddes, J. (2000). Answering clinical questions about prognosis. Evid. Based Ment. Health 3: 100-101 [Full Text]  

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