title: A practical guide to meta-analysis.
abstract: The wealth of medical research published on a yearly basis demands methods to summarize the literature. Narrative or expert reviews were the traditional method to provide this summary; however, biases associated with narrative reviews raise questions regarding whether this process provides sufficient evidence to guide practice. Meta-analysis is becoming increasingly popular because it can combine results from similar studies to calculate an overall estimate of a treatment effect. Although meta-analysis has its limitations, a thoughtful and well-planned analysis is a valuable tool in providing a high level of evidence. We discuss the steps needed to perform a meta-analysis as a guideline for those interested in pursuing this type of research.
authors.affiliation: Section of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0340, USA. kecchung@umich.edu
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Patricia B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: H Myra
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D012196:Review Literature as Topic