Investigation of bias in meta-analyses due to selective inclusion of trial effect estimates: empirical study

Ref ID 131
First Author M. J. Page
Journal BMJ OPEN
Year Of Publishing 2016
URL https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4853995/pdf/bmjopen-2016-011863.pdf
Keywords • Rheumatology
• Multiplicity
• Pre-specification
Problem(s) • Multiplicity of outcomes and lack of pre-specification for outcome reporting
Article Type Empirical
Article Subtype Meta-epidemiological analysis
First Author Country Australia
Aim To assess the presence and impact of multiplicity of effect estimates to systematic reviews with meta-analyses of rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis published between January 2010 and 2012.
Level of Investigation Analytical
Summary of Findings From analysis of 31 included systematic review with meta-analyses. The estimated Potential Bias Index was 0.57 (95% CI 0.50 to 0.63), suggesting that trial effect estimates that were more favourable to the intervention were included in meta-analyses slightly more often than expected under a process consistent with random selection; however, the 95% confidence interval included the null hypothesis of no selective inclusion. Any potential selective inclusion did not have an important impact on the meta-analytic effects.
Number of systematic reviews included 31
Number of eligible systematic reviews assessed 2590
Treatment impacted Yes
Treatment impacted description
Interpretation impacted No
Interpretation impacted description