Meta-analysis

Question 1

What is network meta-analysis?

Answer 1

• Allows head-to-head comparisons between all treatments in the network
• Uses all evidence (direct and indirect) from whole network = greater power & precision
• Ranking of treatments from best to worst
• Because we get an effect size for every treatment vs every other treatment =
  more clinically useful than simple pairwise meta-analysis

Question 2

What can meta-analysis compare?

Answer 2

I can tell how sth compares vs placebo or TAU

Can’t really compare interventions directly

Do not take into account between subject heterogeneity = treatments might be effective in some sub-populations but not the others

Evaluate effect of risk factor or treatment between two groups

Question 3

What treatment is the best for psychosis? (network meta-analysis finding)

Answer 3

Davies et al., 2018

No superiority of any intervention = i.e. there were no statistically significant differences between any 2 treatments (across the whole network)