What are meta-analyses and systematic reviews and why are they important?

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Key Points

• Systematic reviews and meta-analysis are tools used to provide up-to-date information comparing medical or scientific interventions, standards of practice, and more, to provide higher levels of evidence tailored for clinical use.
• Cochrane Library and Campbell Collaboration are the recognized bodies who are involved in training, synthesis and database of systematic review and meta-analysis.
• Before writing systematic review and meta-analysis, one should understand the prerequisites, should be adequately trained, and work as a team. 

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Helpful Links, Videos and Online Courses

Overview

• What are systematic reviews?
  • Cochrane Library guide to understanding systematic reviews, including videos.
• Chapter 1: Starting a review
  • This lesson from Cochrane Training explains what systematic reviews are, why researchers should create one, and prerequisites for clinicians who write them.
• Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews: all issues
  • This database from Cochrane contains lists all systematic reviews and meta-analysis by year, intervention, protocol, and more.
• PROSPERO: International prospective register for systematic reviews
  • This webpage by the National Institute for Health Research provides protocols for submitting systematic reviews to PROSPERO.
• Authoring tools – The Campbell Collaboration
  • This website from  the Campbell Collaboration provides numerous tools for online systematic reviews.

Videos

• What are systematic reviews?
  • A short, 3-minute video from Cochrane explaining the basics of systematic reviews, and how interventions are compared to determine efficacy.

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Relevant Publications

• Ahn, E. & Kang, H. (2018). Introduction to systematic review and meta-analysis. Korean Journal of Anesthesiology, 71(2), 103-112.

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