Abstract
A meta-analysis is a systematic review with pooled outcome data. The current chapter gives a summary of methods for the purpose. Four scientific rules and three pitfalls are reviewed. The main benefit of meta-analysis is that it provides a pooled outcome with increased precision. The main criticisms are that so far they were not good at predicting subsequent large trials, and at predicting serious adverse effects of medicines.
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Reference
More background, theoretical and mathematical information of meta-analyses is given in Statistics applied to clinical studies 5th edition, Chaps. 32–34 and 48, Springer Heidelberg Germany, 2012, from the same authors.
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Cleophas, T.J., Zwinderman, A.H. (2017). Meta-analysis in a Nutshell. In: Modern Meta-Analysis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55895-0_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55895-0_1
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