The presence of heterogeneity affects the extent to which generalizable conclusions can be formed. However, authors must be clear about the underlying question that all studies are addressing.Ĭochrane Training resources: intro to meta-analysis and exploring heterogeneityĪssess the presence and extent of between-study variation when undertaking a meta-analysis. Clinical diversity does not indicate necessarily that a meta-analysis should not be performed. Meta-analyses of very diverse studies can be misleading, for example where studies use different forms of control. Undertake (or display) a meta-analysis only if participants, interventions, comparisons and outcomes are judged to be sufficiently similar to ensure an answer that is clinically meaningful. Meaningless (and misleading) results arise when effect estimates with opposite clinical meanings are combined.Ĭochrane Training resource: analysing continuous outcomes Sometimes scales have higher scores that reflect a ‘better’ outcome and sometimes lower scores reflect ‘better’ outcome. If studies are combined with different scales, ensure that higher scores for continuous outcomes all have the same meaning for any particular outcome explain the direction of interpretation and report when directions are reversed. Synthesizing the results of included studiesĬochrane Interactive Learning (CIL): module 6 - analysing the data
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