Meta-Analysis in Medical Research

Meta-analysis is a quantitative approach for systematically combining the results of previous researches in order to arrive at useful conclusions from a body of research. Meta-analyses offer a systematic and quantitative approach to synthesising evidence to answer important therapeutic questions. Nevertheless, pitfalls abound in the execution of meta-analyses and they are fundamentally limited by the quality of the underlying studies. For healthcare managers and clinicians, careful reviewing of published meta-analyses and a balanced assessment of their deficiencies is likely to become an increasingly important in resolving therapeutic uncertainty. It is most useful in summarizing prior research findings…