systematic reviews and meta-analysis Flashcards
what is a systematic review
concise summary of all the best evidence on a specific question; they synthesise the results of multiple primary investigations by using strategies that limit bias and random error
what does a systematic review involve?
a comprehensive search of all potentially relevant articles and the use of explicit, reproducible criteria in selection of articles
what can a systematic review tell us
pinpoint crucial areas and questions that need further research; increase the power and precision of estimate of effectiveness; help determine causality
what is a met-analysis
the statistical analysis of the data from a collection of studies in order to synthesise the results
when is a meta-analysis useful?
as part of a systematic review
what is I^2
measure of heterogeneity between studies used
how is a met-analysis commonly presented?
on a forest plot
steps in a systematic review process (6)
- define the question
- search and review the literature
- select the relevant studies
- assess the quality of the studies
- assess outcomes (met-analysis)
- interpret the results
what is PICO
Participants; Intervention; Comparison; Outcomes
what are 2 types of data
dichotomous (risk ratio, odds ratio, risk difference); continuous (mean difference, standardised mean difference)
what does the mean difference measure
absolute difference between the mean value in two groups - used when studies use the same measure/rating scales
what does standardises mean difference measure
absolute difference between the mean value in two groups - used when studies assess the same outcome but measure it in different ways
