Resources
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Glossary
- Mean difference: the mean difference is used for continuous outcomes, and is estimated as the difference in the means of the outcome between the two groups i.e. the mean of the outcome in the intervention group (or exposed group) minus the mean of the outcome in the control group (or unexposed group).
- Risk difference: the risk difference is the estimated by subtracting the risks of the outcome in the two groups, i.e. risk of outcome in the intervention group (or exposed group) minus risk of outcome in the control group (or unexposed group).
- Risk ratio: the risk ratio determines the strength of the association between the intervention group (or risk factor) and a binary outcome. It can be estimated by dividing the risk of the outcome in the intervention group (or exposed group) by the risk of the outcome in the control group (or unexposed group). The risk of the outcome is the proportion or percentage of people with the outcome.
- Standardised mean difference: this is similar to the mean difference but used when the units of the continuous outcome are not the same across the studies. This is estimated as: [mean of the outcome in the intervention group (or exposed group) minus the mean of the outcome in the control group (or unexposed group)] all divided by the pooled standard deviation for the two groups.
Resources
| Title/link | Description |
|---|---|
| RLO: Meta-analysis | This RLO provides an introduction to the basic concepts of meta-analysis, which is an important and valuable tool for summarising data from multiple studies. |
| RLO: Steps in conducting a systematic review | This RLO outlines the five fundamental steps to conducting a systematic review of health care research so as identify, select and critically appraise relevant research. |
| The Cochrane Library | The Cochrane Library contains high-quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making. It includes reliable evidence from Cochrane and other systematic reviews. |
| Centre for Reviews and Dissemination | The CRD undertakes reviews of research about the effects of interventions used In health and social care. |
| The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme | The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme funds research about the clinical and cost effectiveness and broader impact of healthcare treatments and tests. |
Books and Journals
| Egger M, Davey Smith G, Phillips AN.Meta-analysis: Principles and Procedures. . BMJ 1997;315:1533-1537. |
RLO: Presenting and interpreting meta-analyses - Print summary
This RLO looks at presenting and interpreting meta-analyses.
Learning outcomes
By completing this resource you will have learned:
- the purpose of a meta analysis
- how to present the results
- what methods to use.
Learning outcomes
By completing this resource you will have learned:
- the purpose of a meta analysis
- how to present the results
- what methods to use.
This resource was developed by:
RLO author: Jo Leonardi-Bee
Mentor: Heather Wharrad
Developer: Viv Rolfe
HTML5 conversion: Liz Hilton
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