Systematic reviews and meta-analysis of published studies: An overview and best practices

Abstract

Systematic reviews and meta-analytic approaches are widely used in the clinical arena to integrate outcome data from published studies in a patient population that address a set of related research hypotheses. The credibility of this line of research is dependent on how the studies are chosen, how the data are assembled, and how the results are reported. In this brief report, we provide an overview of the minimum set of reporting requirements for systematic reviews and meta-analyses based on the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. As with any research, following a set of established guidelines is essential for quality and consistency of the findings across studies and for assessment of clinical utility. Copyright © 2011 by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.