Characteristics of networks of interventions: a description of a database of 186 published networks.
Characteristics of networks of interventions: a description of a database of 186 published networks.
复制标题
DOI：
10.1371/journal.pone.0086754
复制
发表时间：
2014
期刊：
影响因子：
3.7
通讯作者：
Salanti G
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Nikolakopoulou A;Chaimani A;Veroniki AA;Vasiliadis HS;Schmid CH;Salanti G
在相关统计方法不断发展的同时，采用网络荟萃分析的系统审查也越来越频繁地进行和发表。为了解决实际问题而不是理论问题，可以根据迄今公布的干预网络的特点，推动今后统计发展和对现有方法的评价。基于最近形成的网络荟萃分析文献，我们的目标是提供对网络在医疗研究中的特征的洞察。我们在PubMed上搜索，直到2012年底，寻找使用任何形式的间接比较的荟萃分析。我们收集了来自网络的数据，这些网络比较了至少四种处理的结构特征以及分析特征。然后，我们对各种网络特征进行了描述性分析。我们纳入了186个网络，其中35个(19%)是星形的(将治疗与普通的比较器进行比较，但不是它们之间的比较)。每个网络的研究中位数为21个，比较的治疗中位数为6个。大多数(85%)非星形网络包括至少一个多臂研究。数据的合成主要通过符合贝叶斯框架的网络荟萃分析完成(113(61%)个网络)。我们无法确定在相当数量的网络中执行间接比较的确切方法(18(9%))。在32%的网络中，研究人员使用了适当的统计方法来评估一致性假设；在最近发表的文章中，这一比例更大。我们的描述性分析提供了有关过去16年出版的干预网络的特点及其分析方法的有用信息。尽管网络Meta分析结果的有效性在很大程度上依赖于一些基本假设，但大多数作者没有对其进行充分的报道和评估。审稿人和编辑需要意识到这些假设，并坚持其报道和准确性。
Systematic reviews that employ network meta-analysis are undertaken and published with increasing frequency while related statistical methodology is evolving. Future statistical developments and evaluation of the existing methodologies could be motivated by the characteristics of the networks of interventions published so far in order to tackle real rather than theoretical problems. Based on the recently formed network meta-analysis literature we aim to provide an insight into the characteristics of networks in healthcare research. We searched PubMed until end of 2012 for meta-analyses that used any form of indirect comparison. We collected data from networks that compared at least four treatments regarding their structural characteristics as well as characteristics of their analysis. We then conducted a descriptive analysis of the various network characteristics. We included 186 networks of which 35 (19%) were star-shaped (treatments were compared to a common comparator but not between themselves). The median number of studies per network was 21 and the median number of treatments compared was 6. The majority (85%) of the non-star shaped networks included at least one multi-arm study. Synthesis of data was primarily done via network meta-analysis fitted within a Bayesian framework (113 (61%) networks). We were unable to identify the exact method used to perform indirect comparison in a sizeable number of networks (18 (9%)). In 32% of the networks the investigators employed appropriate statistical methods to evaluate the consistency assumption; this percentage is larger among recently published articles. Our descriptive analysis provides useful information about the characteristics of networks of interventions published the last 16 years and the methods for their analysis. Although the validity of network meta-analysis results highly depends on some basic assumptions, most authors did not report and evaluate them adequately. Reviewers and editors need to be aware of these assumptions and insist on their reporting and accuracy.
登录
查看更多内容
影响因子：
3.7
作者：
Donegan S;Williamson P;Gamble C;Tudur-Smith C
通讯作者：
Tudur-Smith C
DOI：
10.1111/j.1742-1241.2009.02072.x
发表时间：
2009-06-01
影响因子：
2.6
作者：
Edwards, S. J.;Clarke, M. J.;Borrill, J.
通讯作者：
Borrill, J.
影响因子：
4.5
作者：
Jansen, Jeroen P.;Fleurence, Rachael;Cappelleri, Joseph C.
通讯作者：
Cappelleri, Joseph C.
仿真评估间接和混合治疗比较方法的统计特性。
影响因子：
4
作者：
Song F;Clark A;Bachmann MO;Maas J
通讯作者：
Maas J
影响因子：
105.7
作者：
Song, F;Altman, DG;Deeks, JJ
通讯作者：
Deeks, JJ