title: Reporting 'number needed to treat' in meta-analyses: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In translating clinical research into practice, the summarization of data from randomized trials in terms of measures of effect to be readily appreciated by the point-of-care clinicians is important. In this context, the body of literature highlighted the 'number needed to treat' as a useful measure. The objectives of our study were to assess how meta-analyses described number needed to treat and corresponding 95% CI, and to explore issues related to reporting number needed to treat in the selected meta-analyses.
  
  
  METHODS
  For an illustration, we searched for the Cochrane systematic reviews and non-Cochrane systematic reviews. Two-stage selection was done to identify eligible studies. First, we fixed a date and then, we searched meta-analyses in PUBMED available on the date fixed. Secondly, we purposively selected five Cochrane systematic reviews and three non-Cochrane systematic reviews, according to our inclusion criteria. The critical appraisal of meta-analyses identified for the current study was done with the 5-item quality checklist introduced to the current analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 8 systematic reviews, 5 Cochrane systematic reviews and 3 non-Cochrane systematic reviews/meta-analyses, were identified for the present study. Of these 8 meta-analyses, some (50%; 4/8) described number needed to treat in the method session of the study. However, the majority (87.5%; 7/8) reported number needed to treat in the results. For the details, 80% in Cochrane reviews and 66.5% in non-Cochrane reviews reported number needed to treat in the results. Only two studies (25%; 2/8) reported susceptibility to publication bias, provided simplified interpretation or discussed number needed to treat.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions suggests the reviewers to include number needed to treat in reporting effect estimations, there still is a need to improve.
authors.affiliation: School of Postgraduate Studies and Research, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia. cho_naing@imu.edu.my
authors.forename: Cho
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naing
authors.forename: Kyan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aung
authors.forename: Joon Wah
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mak
mesh_terms: D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D061366:Numbers Needed To Treat; D058028:Research Report