Age-treatment subgroup analyses in Cochrane intervention reviews: a meta-epidemiological study

Ref ID 530
First Author P. Liu
Journal BMC MEDICINE
Year Of Publishing 2019
URL https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6805640/pdf/12916_2019_Article_1420.pdf
Keywords • Cochrane
• General medical
• Subgroup
• Pre-specification
• Multiplicity
Problem(s) • Unplanned or unjustified subgroup or sensitivity analyses
• Multiplicity of outcomes and lack of pre-specification for outcome reporting
Article Type Empirical
Article Subtype Cross-sectional survey/Methodological systematic review
First Author Country United States
Aim To assess how often subgroup analyses of age are reported in Cochrane reviews, how often these analyses use formal interaction testing, and other characteristics of the subgroup analyses.
Level of Investigation Descriptive
Summary of Findings 20.4% of the 928 included Cochrane reviews outlined plans to conduct age treatment subgroup analyses. However, 2.7% reviews actually reported age-treatment subgroup analyses. Three reviews performed unplanned age-treatment subgroup analyses.
Number of systematic reviews included 928
Number of eligible systematic reviews assessed 9073
Treatment impacted No
Treatment impacted description
Interpretation impacted Not Applicable
Interpretation impacted description