Understanding the Basics of Meta-Analysis and How to Read a Forest Plot: As Simple as It Gets.

This article explains why meta-analysis may be necessary, how a systematic review is conducted to identify studies for meta-analysis, and how to interpret the various elements in a forest plot. Brief discussions are provided about important concepts relevant to meta-analysis, including heterogeneity, subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, fixed effect and random effects meta-analyses, and the detection of publication bias. Other procedures briefly explained include meta-regression analysis, pooled analysis, individual participant data meta-analysis, and network meta-analysis. The limitations of meta-analysis are also discussed.
PMID: 33027562 [PubMed - in process]

Source: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry - October 9, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: J Clin Psychiatry Source Type: research