Issues in the meta-analysis of cluster randomized trials.
Meta-analyses involving the synthesis of evidence from cluster randomization trials are being increasingly reported. These analyses raise challenging methodologic issues beyond those raised by meta-analyses which include only individually randomized trials. In this paper we review and comment on a selected number of these issues, including problems of study heterogeneity, difficulties in estimating design effects from individual trials and the choice of statistical methods.
D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012107:Research Design; D018401:Sample Size