Meta-analysis.
- Author:
Young Ho LEE
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Meta-Analysis ; Review
- Keywords: Statistical analysis
- MeSH: Bias (Epidemiology); Meta-Analysis as Topic; Population Characteristics; Publication Bias; Sample Size
- From:Journal of Rheumatic Diseases 2015;22(1):4-9
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
- Abstract: Meta-analysis is a statistical tool for combining the results of different studies on the same topic, providing a precise estimate of the effect size and increasing statistical strength, which is particularly important when the strength of the primary study is limited because of a small sample size. Properly conducted meta-analysis provides an invaluable link between past and future studies by quantitatively synthesizing evidence while minimizing bias. Recently, because studies on meta-analysis have been published increasingly, there is a need for rheumatologists to understand meta-analysis. In order to help rheumatologists in use of a meta-analysis, the author describes the basic steps in statistical analysis of a meta-analysis: 1) search for presence of between-study heterogeneity, 2) performing statistical analysis of meta-analysis, 3) checking publication bias, 4) search for causes of heterogeneity, and 5) interpreting and presenting meta-analysis results.
