A 7-Step Guideline for Qualitative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Health Sciences
Objectives: To provide a step-by-step, easy-to-understand, practical guide for systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.Methods: A multidisciplinary team of researchers with extensive experience in observational studies and systematic review and meta-analysis was established. Pre...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Public Health Reviews |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/phrs.2023.1605454/full |
| _version_ | 1797826167728766976 |
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| author | Marija Glisic Marija Glisic Peter Francis Raguindin Peter Francis Raguindin Peter Francis Raguindin Peter Francis Raguindin Armin Gemperli Armin Gemperli Petek Eylul Taneri Dante Jr. Salvador Dante Jr. Salvador Trudy Voortman Trudy Voortman Pedro Marques Vidal Stefania I. Papatheodorou Setor K. Kunutsor Setor K. Kunutsor Arjola Bano Arjola Bano John P. A. Ioannidis John P. A. Ioannidis John P. A. Ioannidis John P. A. Ioannidis Taulant Muka Taulant Muka Taulant Muka |
| author_facet | Marija Glisic Marija Glisic Peter Francis Raguindin Peter Francis Raguindin Peter Francis Raguindin Peter Francis Raguindin Armin Gemperli Armin Gemperli Petek Eylul Taneri Dante Jr. Salvador Dante Jr. Salvador Trudy Voortman Trudy Voortman Pedro Marques Vidal Stefania I. Papatheodorou Setor K. Kunutsor Setor K. Kunutsor Arjola Bano Arjola Bano John P. A. Ioannidis John P. A. Ioannidis John P. A. Ioannidis John P. A. Ioannidis Taulant Muka Taulant Muka Taulant Muka |
| author_sort | Marija Glisic |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: To provide a step-by-step, easy-to-understand, practical guide for systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.Methods: A multidisciplinary team of researchers with extensive experience in observational studies and systematic review and meta-analysis was established. Previous guidelines in evidence synthesis were considered.Results: There is inherent variability in observational study design, population, and analysis, making evidence synthesis challenging. We provided a framework and discussed basic meta-analysis concepts to assist reviewers in making informed decisions. We also explained several statistical tools for dealing with heterogeneity, probing for bias, and interpreting findings. Finally, we briefly discussed issues and caveats for translating results into clinical and public health recommendations. Our guideline complements “A 24-step guide on how to design, conduct, and successfully publish a systematic review and meta-analysis in medical research” and addresses peculiarities for observational studies previously unexplored.Conclusion: We provided 7 steps to synthesize evidence from observational studies. We encourage medical and public health practitioners who answer important questions to systematically integrate evidence from observational studies and contribute evidence-based decision-making in health sciences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T11:04:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b4ce1a6ef86f4fc6b375d5827435e8a9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2107-6952 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T11:04:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Health Reviews |
| spelling | doaj.art-b4ce1a6ef86f4fc6b375d5827435e8a92023-05-16T08:55:04ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Public Health Reviews2107-69522023-05-014410.3389/phrs.2023.16054541605454A 7-Step Guideline for Qualitative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Health SciencesMarija Glisic0Marija Glisic1Peter Francis Raguindin2Peter Francis Raguindin3Peter Francis Raguindin4Peter Francis Raguindin5Armin Gemperli6Armin Gemperli7Petek Eylul Taneri8Dante Jr. Salvador9Dante Jr. Salvador10Trudy Voortman11Trudy Voortman12Pedro Marques Vidal13Stefania I. Papatheodorou14Setor K. Kunutsor15Setor K. Kunutsor16Arjola Bano17Arjola Bano18John P. A. Ioannidis19John P. A. Ioannidis20John P. A. Ioannidis21John P. A. Ioannidis22Taulant Muka23Taulant Muka24Taulant Muka25Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandSwiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, SwitzerlandInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandSwiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, SwitzerlandGraduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandFaculty of Health Science and Medicine, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, SwitzerlandSwiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, SwitzerlandInstitute of Primary and Community Care, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, SwitzerlandHRB-Trials Methodology Research Network, National University of Ireland, Galway, IrelandInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandGraduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsDivision of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, NetherlandsDepartment of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland0Department of Epidemiology, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States1Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester General Hospital, Leicester, United Kingdom2Translational Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Southmead Hospital, Bristol, United KingdomInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland3Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland4Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States5Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States6Department of Statistics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States7Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United StatesInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland7Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States8Epistudia, Bern, SwitzerlandObjectives: To provide a step-by-step, easy-to-understand, practical guide for systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.Methods: A multidisciplinary team of researchers with extensive experience in observational studies and systematic review and meta-analysis was established. Previous guidelines in evidence synthesis were considered.Results: There is inherent variability in observational study design, population, and analysis, making evidence synthesis challenging. We provided a framework and discussed basic meta-analysis concepts to assist reviewers in making informed decisions. We also explained several statistical tools for dealing with heterogeneity, probing for bias, and interpreting findings. Finally, we briefly discussed issues and caveats for translating results into clinical and public health recommendations. Our guideline complements “A 24-step guide on how to design, conduct, and successfully publish a systematic review and meta-analysis in medical research” and addresses peculiarities for observational studies previously unexplored.Conclusion: We provided 7 steps to synthesize evidence from observational studies. We encourage medical and public health practitioners who answer important questions to systematically integrate evidence from observational studies and contribute evidence-based decision-making in health sciences.https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/phrs.2023.1605454/fullcross-sectional studiesobservational studyevidence-based approachcohort studiessystematic review and meta-analysis |
| spellingShingle | Marija Glisic Marija Glisic Peter Francis Raguindin Peter Francis Raguindin Peter Francis Raguindin Peter Francis Raguindin Armin Gemperli Armin Gemperli Petek Eylul Taneri Dante Jr. Salvador Dante Jr. Salvador Trudy Voortman Trudy Voortman Pedro Marques Vidal Stefania I. Papatheodorou Setor K. Kunutsor Setor K. Kunutsor Arjola Bano Arjola Bano John P. A. Ioannidis John P. A. Ioannidis John P. A. Ioannidis John P. A. Ioannidis Taulant Muka Taulant Muka Taulant Muka A 7-Step Guideline for Qualitative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Health Sciences Public Health Reviews cross-sectional studies observational study evidence-based approach cohort studies systematic review and meta-analysis |
| title | A 7-Step Guideline for Qualitative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Health Sciences |
| title_full | A 7-Step Guideline for Qualitative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Health Sciences |
| title_fullStr | A 7-Step Guideline for Qualitative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Health Sciences |
| title_full_unstemmed | A 7-Step Guideline for Qualitative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Health Sciences |
| title_short | A 7-Step Guideline for Qualitative Synthesis and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Health Sciences |
| title_sort | 7 step guideline for qualitative synthesis and meta analysis of observational studies in health sciences |
| topic | cross-sectional studies observational study evidence-based approach cohort studies systematic review and meta-analysis |
| url | https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/phrs.2023.1605454/full |
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