Introduction to systematic review and meta-analysis

• Published in: Korean journal of anesthesiology Vol. 71; no. 2; pp. 103 - 112
• Main Authors: Ahn, EunJin, Kang, Hyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Society of Anesthesiologists 01.04.2018; 대한마취통증의학회
• Subjects: anesthesiology; meta-analysis; randomized controlled trial; Statistical Round; systematic review; 마취과학; Systematic review; Anesthesiology; Randomized controlled trial; Meta-analysis
• ISSN: 2005-6419; 2005-7563; 2005-7563
• DOI: 10.4097/kjae.2018.71.2.103

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses present results by combining and analyzing data from different studies conducted on similar research topics. In recent years, systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been actively performed in various fields including anesthesiology. These research methods are powerful tools that can overcome the difficulties in performing large-scale randomized controlled trials. However, the inclusion of studies with any biases or improperly assessed quality of evidence in systematic reviews and meta-analyses could yield misleading results. Therefore, various guidelines have been suggested for conducting systematic reviews and meta-analyses to help standardize them and improve their quality. Nonetheless, accepting the conclusions of many studies without understanding the meta-analysis can be dangerous. Therefore, this article provides an easy introduction to clinicians on performing and understanding meta-analyses.