Thresholds for statistical and clinical significance in systematic reviews with meta-analytic methods.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Thresholds for statistical significance when assessing meta-analysis results are being insufficiently demonstrated by traditional 95% confidence intervals and P-values. Assessment of intervention effects in systematic reviews with meta-analysis deserves greater rigour.

Methods

Methodologies for assessing statistical and clinical significance of intervention effects in systematic reviews were considered. Balancing simplicity and comprehensiveness, an operational procedure was developed, based mainly on The Cochrane Collaboration methodology and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines.

Results

We propose an eight-step procedure for better validation of meta-analytic results in systematic reviews (1) Obtain the

SUBMITTER: Jakobsen JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4251848 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature