16 Meta Analysis
Learning outcomes
On watching this video students should be able to:
- State the information that is needed to perform a meta-analysis
- Describe the key conceptual differences behind a fixed effects and random effects meta-analysis and explain when one may be preferred over the other.
- Describe what is meant by study heterogeneity & interpret an I-squared statistic.
- Interpret a forest plot.
- State how heterogeneity can be explored within a meta-analysis.
- List the limitations of systematic reviews and meta-analysis (eg; “rubbish in, rubbish out” -if all original studies are biased then you’ll just get a more precise biased estimate)
- Understand what publication bias is and how to interpret a funnel plot