A meta-analysis may not be appropriate if the designs of the studies are too different, if there are concerns about the quality of studies, if the outcomes measured are not sufficiently similar for the result across the studies to be meaningful.Ĭenters for Disease Control and Prevention.
The use of standardized, systematic methods and pre-selected eligibility criteria reduce the risk of bias in identifying, selecting and analyzing relevant studies. Meta-analyses can be performed when there are multiple. Not every systematic review contains a meta-analysis. A systematic review is guided filtering and synthesis of all available evidence addressing a specific, focused research question, generally about a specific intervention or exposure. A meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies. A meta-analysis is the use of statistical methods to summarize the results of a systematic review. Check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Cochrane Reviews links to learn more about Systematic Reviews.Ī systematic review can be combined with a meta-analysis.
The reason why a systematic review is conducted is to provide a current evidence-based answer to a specific question that in turn helps to inform decision making. This is followed by an extensive search of the literature and a critical analysis of the search results. In general, specific and systematic methods selected are intended to minimize bias. Meta-analysis is the statistical method used to combine results from the relevant studies, and the resultant larger sample size provides greater reliability (. The researchers combine the data from studies with similar data types and. In a systematic review, a question needs to be clearly defined and have inclusion and exclusion criteria. A systematic method that uses statistics to analyze the data from numerous studies. A systematic review collects and analyzes all evidence that answers a specific research question.