Interval estimation of the overall treatment effect in a meta-analysis of a few small studies with zero events.

ABSTRACT: When a meta-analysis consists of a few small trials that report zero events, accounting for heterogeneity in the (interval) estimation of the overall effect is challenging. Typically, we predefine meta-analytical methods to be employed. In practice, data poses restrictions that lead to deviations from the pre-planned analysis, such as the presence of zero events in at least one study arm. We aim to explore heterogeneity estimators behaviour in estimating the overall effect across different levels of sparsity of events. We performed a simulation study that consists of two evaluations. We considered an overall comparison of estimators unconditional on the number of observed zero cells and an additional one by conditioning on the number of observed zero cells. Estimators that performed modest

SUBMITTER: Pateras K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5898531 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature