Principles and Practice of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis

Evidence-based medicine is at the core of modern medicine, integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available clinical evidence from systematic research and patient values and expectations. Systematic reviews offer a summary of the best available evidence and are the most reliable and comprehensive statement about what works. This book introduces the principles and practice of systematic reviews and meta-analysis, covering the various steps involved in conducting them, such as developing a focused question, conducting a comprehensive literature search, assessing heterogeneity and risk of bias, data extraction, and meta-analysis. It also covers crucial issues such as selecting the model for meta-analysis, generating and interpreting forest plots, assessing the risk of publication bias, interpreting subgroup and sensitivity analyses, rating certainty of the evidence using GRADE guidelines, and standardized reporting of meta-analysis (PRISMA). Readers from all faculties of medicine will benefit from this comprehensive and reader-friendly book to understand the principles and practice of systematic reviews and meta-analysis for guiding their clinical practice and research.

Format: Hardback
Length: 188 pages
Publication date: 27 June 2021
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is a fundamental principle of modern medicine that combines individual clinical expertise with the most reliable and comprehensive clinical evidence available. It involves a rigorous process of integrating scientific research with patient values and expectations to guide healthcare decisions. Systematic reviews, conducted by clinical academics from around the world, play a crucial role in EBM by summarizing the best available evidence from rigorous scientific studies.

These reviews are considered the gold standard in clinical research, providing a comprehensive and unbiased assessment of the effectiveness and safety of medical interventions. The process of conducting a systematic review involves several key steps, including developing a focused research question, conducting a comprehensive literature search, evaluating the quality and relevance of included studies, and conducting meta-analysis to combine the results of multiple studies.

Selecting the appropriate model for meta-analysis, generating and interpreting forest plots, assessing the risk of publication bias, and interpreting subgroup and sensitivity analyses are all critical aspects of systematic reviews. The GRADE system, a widely used tool for grading the certainty of evidence, is also discussed in detail.

While the focus of this book is on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), which are considered the gold standard of clinical research, the principles and practices of systematic reviews apply to a wide range of study types, including non-RCTs, diagnostic test accuracy studies, animal studies, individual participant data meta-analysis, and network meta-analysis.

This comprehensive and reader-friendly book is intended for readers from all faculties of medicine, providing them with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct systematic reviews and apply evidence-based medicine to their practice. By integrating clinical expertise with the best available evidence, healthcare professionals can make informed decisions that improve patient outcomes and promote the highest standards of care.

Weight: 440g
Dimension: 163 x 244 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030719203
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021