HOW TO PERFORM A META-ANALYSIS: A PRACTICAL STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE USING R SOFTWARE AND RSTUDIO

Abstract

Meta-analysis is an adequate statistical technique to combine results from different studies, and its use has been growing in the medical field. Thus, not only knowing how to interpret metaanalysis, but also knowing how to perform one, is fundamental today. Therefore, the objective of this article is to present the basic concepts and serve as a guide for conducting a meta-analysis using R and RStudio software. For this, the reader has access to the basic commands in the R and RStudio software, necessary for conducting a meta-analysis. The advantage of R is that it is a free software. For a better understanding of the commands, two examples were presented in a practical way, in addition to revising some basic concepts of this statistical technique. It is assumed that the data necessary for the meta-analysis has already been collected, that is, the description of methodologies for systematic review is not a discussed subject. Finally, it is worth remembering that there are many other techniques used in meta-analyses that were not addressed in this work. However, with the two examples used, the article already enables the reader to proceed with good and robust meta-analyses. Level of Evidence V, Expert Opinion.