Cited by 515Meta-analysis and systematic reviewsStatistical Methods in EpidemiologyClinical practice guidelines implementation

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Guidelines for reporting meta-epidemiological methodology research

Open access

Murad, Mohammad Hassan, Wang, Zhen·2017·Evidence Based Medicine

DOI 10.1136/ebmed-2017-110713PMC PMC5537553

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Abstract

Published research should be reported to evidence users with clarity and transparency that facilitate optimal appraisal and use of evidence and allow replication by other researchers. Guidelines for such reporting are available for several types of studies but not for meta-epidemiological methodology studies. Meta-epidemiological studies adopt a systematic review or meta-analysis approach to examine the impact of certain characteristics of clinical studies on the observed effect and provide empirical evidence for hypothesised associations. The unit of analysis in meta-epidemiological studies is a study, not a patient. The outcomes of meta-epidemiological studies are usually not clinical outcomes. In this guideline, we adapt items from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) to fit the context of meta-epidemiological studies.

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The PRISMA Statement for Reporting Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Studies That Evaluate Health Care Interventions: Explanation and Elaboration
Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Clarke, M., Devereaux, P. J., Kleijnen, J., & Moher, D. (2009) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000100 · Cited by 28,164 · cited 1×
“6–8 In this guide, we adapt the items used in the PRISMA statement 9 for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analysis to fit the setting of meta-epidemiological studies.”
Method
Evaluation of the endorsement of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement on the quality of published systematic review and meta-analyses
Panic, N., Leoncini, E., de Belvis, G., Ricciardi, W., & Boccia, S. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0083138 · Cited by 883 · cited 1×
“Evaluation of the instructions given to authors shows that PRISMA guidance was referenced only in 13% of gastroenterology and hepatology journals.(20) Here, we have proposed a reporting guideline to be used when publishing meta-epidemiological research.”
Method
Enhancing the quality and transparency of health research
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Rating the certainty in evidence in the absence of a single estimate of effect
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“Investigators should, however, inform readers of their certainty in the results, even if this was determined narratively 16 because formal approaches 15 are intended to rate the certainty of evidence about interventions.”
Background
Influence of reported study design characteristics on intervention effect estimates from randomised controlled trials: combined analysis of meta-epidemiological studies
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“41) compared with blinded trials.(11) A third example is a study that explored the effect of trials stopped early for benefit on future research.”
Background
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Murad, M. H., Montori, V. M., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Jaeschke, R., Devereaux, P. J., Prasad, K., Neumann, I., Carrasco-Labra, A., Agoritsas, T., Hatala, R., et al. (2014) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.2014.5559 · Cited by 454 · cited 2×
“The quality of evidence is a highly important step in a systematic review reporting on a treatment effect 15 and is critical for decision making but also may not be relevant to a meta-epidemiological study.”
Background
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“For example, the meta-epidemiological study showing that trials with inadequate allocation concealment yielded larger estimates of effects (relative to trials with adequate allocation concealment) does not necessarily have to describe patients’ characteristics or comorbidities in each individual trial.(10) Publication…”
MethodResult
Statistical methods for assessing the influence of study characteristics on treatment effects in 'meta-epidemiological' research
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Result
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Method
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“[16] M.H. Murad, Z. Wang, Guidelines for reporting meta-epidemiological methodology research, Evid.”
MethodInfluential
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“Following the reporting guidelines for meta-epidemiological studies [10], our study was conducted over published RCTs concerning”
Method
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Additional file 12 of Trial-level characteristics associate with treatment effect estimates: a systematic review of meta-epidemiological studies
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Additional file 11 of Trial-level characteristics associate with treatment effect estimates: a systematic review of meta-epidemiological studies
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“16”
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Authors: Murad, M. H., & Wang, Z.
Affiliations: Mayo Clinic (US)
Corresponding author: Murad, Mohammad Hassan
ORCID: Murad, Mohammad Hassan
Wang, Zhen
Venue: Evidence Based Medicine
Publisher: BMJ
Published: 2017-07-12
Volume: 22
Issue: 4
Pages: 139-142
ISSN: 1356-5524 (ISSN-L)
1473-6810
DOI: 10.1136/ebmed-2017-110713
PMC: PMC5537553
OpenAlex: W2735796955
Cited by: 515
References: 24
Citations by year: 2026: 61 · 2025: 67 · 2024: 92 · 2023: 62 · 2022: 103 · 2021: 54 · 2020: 43 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 2
FWCI: 18.58
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: hybrid
doi.org
Licence: cc-by-nc
Locations: BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty › Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Statistical Methods in Epidemiology
Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Clinical practice guidelines implementation
Keywords: meta-epidemiology, reporting guidelines, PRISMA, study characteristics, research transparency, reproducibility, systematic reviews
MeSH terms: Systematic Reviews as Topic, Humans, Publishing, Quality Control, Meta-Analysis as Topic, Research Report

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