Critical Review of Meta Analysis - 6412 Words

A Critical Review of Meta-Analysis Abstract Meta-analysis has been much debated and criticized since its creation, and it has been argued that systematic reviews are superior. The present study examined the reverse idea – that meta-analysis is the superior method. A literature search was conducted of meta-analysis studies for psychotherapy within the PsycINFO database. The resulting studies were further examined and classified as either primary articles or secondary articles. Primary articles were further examined for secondary articles associated with them. It was found that there was some criticism within the literature. The results were compared to a study of systematic review literature conducted at the same time. The†¦show more content†¦As with any other process, meta-analysis has several disadvantages or weaknesses. It’s been argued, for example, that one of the weaknesses of meta-analysis is associated with the fact that it requires a great amount of effort and expertise, and that current ly there is a major drawback in the research community of those who conduct them (Berkeljon Baldwin, 2009). Lipsey Wilson (2001) also argued that meta-analysis often ‘loses’ a lot of valuable qualitative data (for example, the social context of the study) because it aggregates only quantitative data. It is further argued that the exclusion of such data may sometimes interfere with the process of arriving at the right conclusion (Lipsey Wilson, 2001). Other authors also argue that meta-analysis includes a mix of different studies in a single review which could be very problematic (Berkeljon Baldwin, 2009). For example, Glass, McGraw Smith (1981) referred to this as the â€Å"apples and oranges† problem, arguing that different treatments and measures are given the same weight, when, in fact, they are not always the same. This, Glass, McGraw, and Smith claimed, can result in a misrepresentation of the measures used in each study, as well as their level of contribution to the review, which would skew the results. Lastly, the weaknesses of meta-analysis have been noted by others to stem from the fact that if poor quality studies orShow MoreRelatedLink Between Rheumatoid Arthritis And Periodontal Disease Essay1734 Words   |  7 Pages Literature review The purpose of this review is to assess the links between rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease. Past narrative reviews have identified relationships such as cytokine profiles and inflammatory mediators, supporting the association that inflammation may be central to rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease. Studies to date provided evidence that the pathological process in rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease are similar. However the relationship between theRead MorePrognostic Effect Of Rectal Cancer1017 Words   |  5 Pagesdeclared that reliable statistics on deaths from colon and rectal cancers separately are not available due to almost 40% of deaths from rectal cancer being misclassified as colon cancer on death certificates.2. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis on prognostic specific miRNA expression in CRC is a crucial step in highlighting patient clinical outcome patterns which will inform clinical decision makers on CRC treatment and admi nistration with regards to deregulated miRNA expressionRead MoreHealth Promotion Model : A Meta Synthesis1303 Words   |  6 Pages Critical Analysis of a Published Research Article Ho, A.Y.K., Berggren, I., Dahlborg-Lyckhage, E. (2010). Diabetes empowerment related to Pender’s Health Promotion Model: A meta-synthesis. Nursing and Health Sciences (2010), 12, 259–267 Title Evaluation The title of this article â€Å"Diabetes empowerment related to Pender’s Health Promotion Model: A meta-synthesis† has been to-the-point and has been definite. The title has hinted at the way the research would be conducted withoutRead MoreEfficacy And Psychological Interventions For Psychosis And Adolescents And Young Adults : A Systematic Review And Meta Analysis951 Words   |  4 Pages, James, A., Hollis, C., Birchwood, M., Kendall, T. (2015). Efficacy and safety of pharmacological and psychological interventions for the treatment of psychosis and schizophrenia in children, adolescents and young adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 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Studies that involved both kids and adults I avoided, as my population being studied was strictly adults. Of the final 11 articles in PubMed, I utilized three RCT’s, and one systematic review/meta-analyses. Two of those eleven were studying babies/children in conjunction with adults, so I excluded them. Another study focused only on the prevention of CDI, and there was no mention of AAD, so that was eliminate d in order to stick to my dependentRead MoreSelection Criteria And Search Process And Research804 Words   |  4 Pagesadults (ages 18-70), AAD as an outcome, systematic reviews (SR), meta-analysis (MA), randomized controlled trials (RCT’s), studies conducted within the past 10 years, and of English language. Exclusion criteria were studies that exclusively treated the elderly, pediatrics, or children. Studies conducted to treat a specific diagnosis were also excluded. My PICO is an intervention question, so the best hierarchy levels of evidence to do research analysis on would be level I to III (Melynk Fineout-OverholtRead MoreThe Efficacy Of Sodium Fluoride1401 Words   |  6 Pagesconducted at a very busy orthodontic practice. A total of 186 participants were included in the study. Inclusion criteria for children to be part of study was: Patient fitted with fixed brace in last 2 month, no active carious lesion present, dietary analysis shows high cariogenic diet, committed to attend every six months. Children excluded from the study: children who already have restorations, with medical and behaviour problems affecting oral health; also children living in areas with fluoridatedRead MoreA Research Study On Ivf890 Words   |  4 PagesBefore this systematic review published, only two reviews were available of outcomes for singletons after IVF techniques. In comparison with natural conception, it has been proposed that the obstetric results of pregnancies are poorer with IVF/ICSI. Today, it is reported that the number of women that undergo IVF/ICSI process is increasing around the world. With this, I am curious about the risks for women having IVF/ICSI and how perilous it is to them since the process is not natural. I would alsoRead MoreGeriatric Populations And Dimendations Between Children And Adults1154 Words   |  5 Pagescorrelate with the population of adults. RCT studies done by Song et al., (2010) and Hickson et al., (2007) were eliminated as they were included in the SR/ MA done by Pattani, et al., (2013). Using RCT’s that are already included in a meta-analysis or systematic review is not considered best evidence (Melnyk Fineout-Overholt, 2015). Two of the three articles in CINAHL were targeted at specific diagnosis’, and the other (Xie et al., 2015) had a population of over 65 years of age, and therefore were