Abstract
Systematic reviews provide a method for collating and synthesizing research, and are used to inform healthcare decision making by clinicians, consumers and policy makers. A core component of many systematic reviews is a meta-analysis, which is a statistical synthesis of results across studies. In this review article, we introduce meta-analysis, focusing on the different meta-analysis models, their interpretation, how a model should be selected and discuss potential threats to the validity of meta-analyses. We illustrate the application of meta-analysis using data from a review examining the effects of early use of inhaled corticosteroids in the emergency department treatment of acute asthma.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 626-637 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Respirology |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 May 2016 |