Systematic reviews as a tool for planning and interpreting trials
Background Systematic reviews followed by ameta-analysis are carried out in medical research to combine the results of two or more related studies. Stroke trials have struggled to show beneficial effects and meta-analysis should be used more widely throughout the research process to either speed up...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
2009
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/1077/ |
| _version_ | 1848790535307788288 |
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| author | Bath, Philip M.W. Gray, Laura J. |
| author_facet | Bath, Philip M.W. Gray, Laura J. |
| author_sort | Bath, Philip M.W. |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Background Systematic reviews followed by ameta-analysis
are carried out in medical research to combine the results of two or more related studies. Stroke trials have struggled to show beneficial effects and meta-analysis should be used more widely throughout the research process to either speed up the development of useful interventions, or halt more quickly research with hazardous or ineffective interventions.
Summary of review. This review summarises the clinical research process and illustrates how and when systematic
reviews may be used throughout the development programme.
Meta-analyses should be performed after observational
studies, preclinical studies in experimental stroke, and
after phase I, II, and III clinical trials and phase IV clinical surveillance studies. Although meta-analyses most commonly work with summary data, they may be performed to assess relationships between variables (meta-regression) and, ideally, should utilise individual patient data. Meta-analysis techniques may alsoworkwith ordered categorical outcome data (ordinal meta-analysis) and be used to perform indirect comparisons where original trial data do not exist.
Conclusion Systematic review/meta-analyses are powerful
tools in medical research and should be used throughout
the development of all stroke and other interventions |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:14:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-1077 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:14:09Z |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-10772020-05-04T20:26:36Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/1077/ Systematic reviews as a tool for planning and interpreting trials Bath, Philip M.W. Gray, Laura J. Background Systematic reviews followed by ameta-analysis are carried out in medical research to combine the results of two or more related studies. Stroke trials have struggled to show beneficial effects and meta-analysis should be used more widely throughout the research process to either speed up the development of useful interventions, or halt more quickly research with hazardous or ineffective interventions. Summary of review. This review summarises the clinical research process and illustrates how and when systematic reviews may be used throughout the development programme. Meta-analyses should be performed after observational studies, preclinical studies in experimental stroke, and after phase I, II, and III clinical trials and phase IV clinical surveillance studies. Although meta-analyses most commonly work with summary data, they may be performed to assess relationships between variables (meta-regression) and, ideally, should utilise individual patient data. Meta-analysis techniques may alsoworkwith ordered categorical outcome data (ordinal meta-analysis) and be used to perform indirect comparisons where original trial data do not exist. Conclusion Systematic review/meta-analyses are powerful tools in medical research and should be used throughout the development of all stroke and other interventions 2009 Article PeerReviewed Bath, Philip M.W. and Gray, Laura J. (2009) Systematic reviews as a tool for planning and interpreting trials. International Journal of Stroke, 4 (1). pp. 23-27. ISSN 1747-4949 http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/122196712/HTMLSTART |
| spellingShingle | Bath, Philip M.W. Gray, Laura J. Systematic reviews as a tool for planning and interpreting trials |
| title | Systematic reviews as a tool for planning and
interpreting trials |
| title_full | Systematic reviews as a tool for planning and
interpreting trials |
| title_fullStr | Systematic reviews as a tool for planning and
interpreting trials |
| title_full_unstemmed | Systematic reviews as a tool for planning and
interpreting trials |
| title_short | Systematic reviews as a tool for planning and
interpreting trials |
| title_sort | systematic reviews as a tool for planning and
interpreting trials |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/1077/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/1077/ |