A comparison of the statistical performance of different meta-analysis models for the synthesis of subgroup effects from randomized clinical trials.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:When investigating subgroup effects in meta-analysis, it is unclear whether accounting in meta-regression for between-trial variation in treatment effects, but not between-trial variation in treatment interaction effects when such effects are present, leads to biased estimates, coverage problems, or wrong standard errors, and whether the use of aggregate data (AD) or individual-patient-data (IPD) influences this assessment. METHODS:Seven different models were compared in a simulation study. Models differed regarding the use of AD or IPD, whether they accounted for between-trial variation in interaction effects, and whether they minimized the risk of ecological fallacy. RESULTS:Models that used IPD and that allowed for between-trial variation of the interaction effect had less bi

SUBMITTER: da Costa BR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6815379 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature