How to Write a Systematic Review with Meta-analysis?
Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses are considered to be the highest level of evidence. They attempt to synthesize the existing original research and provide a structured and comprehensive approach to evaluate the existing evidence on any given research question. This article attempts to prov...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2024-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Advanced Medical and Health Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/ijamr.ijamr_263_24 |
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| Summary: | Systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses are considered to be the highest level of evidence. They attempt to synthesize the existing original research and provide a structured and comprehensive approach to evaluate the existing evidence on any given research question. This article attempts to provide an overview of how a SR differs from other types of reviews and provides information on how to do a SR and meta-analysis. SRs differ from other types of reviews in terms of having a well-defined research question, systematic literature search, predefined eligibility criteria and outcomes, assessment of study quality, synthesis of findings, and, if possible, a meta-analysis. The different steps involved in carrying out a SR include defining the research question (by using the PICOT framework, i.e. population, intervention, comparison, outcome, and timeframe), developing a protocol and registering the same, carrying out a comprehensive literature search, carefully selecting the studies, extracting the data, assessing the quality of the included studies, data synthesis, and interpretation of results. For meta-analysis, additional steps involve the calculation of effect sizes, choosing the appropriate model for analysis (fixed vs. random effects), preparation of forest plots, assessment of publication bias, and doing subgroup/sensitivity analyses. |
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| ISSN: | 2349-4220 2350-0298 |