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Are Clinically Heterogeneous Studies Synthesized in Systematic Reviews?

Johann Steurer, Sarah Scharer, Maria Wertli, Olli Miettinen

Abstract


Background To assess whether in systematic reviews there occurs synthesis of the results of original studies when these studies involve prognostically dissimilar patient groups.

 

Methods Review of meta-analyses in systematic reviews on topics relevant to rheumatology or cardiology. In a survey panels of clinical experts assessed whether the distributions of prognostic indicators were sufficiently similar for the synthesis of results to be justified.

 

Results Generally, half of the experts judged the information about the prognostic indicators to be insufficient for judgment about the justifiability of the synthesis. When the panel members deemed the information to be sufficient, about half of the time they judged the synthesis to be unjustifiable due to prognostically dissimilar patient groups.

 

Conclusion It appears that expert consumers of the meta-analysis results from systematic reviews are quite commonly unsettled about the justifiability of those syntheses.


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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5750/ejpch.v2i4.835

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