The methodology for developing a prospective meta-analysis in the family planning community.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Prospective meta-analysis (PMA) is a collaborative research design in which individual sites perform randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and pool the data for meta-analysis. Members of the PMA collaboration agree upon specific research interventions and outcome measures, ideally before initiation but at least prior to any individual trial publishing results. This allows for uniform reporting of primary and secondary outcomes. With this approach, heterogeneity among trials contributing data for the final meta-analysis is minimized while each site maintains the freedom to design a specific trial. This paper describes the process of creating a PMA collaboration to evaluate the impact of misoprostol on ease of intrauterine device (IUD) insertion in nulliparous women.

Meth

SUBMITTER: Turok DK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3103448 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature