title: Foundation of evidence-based decision making for health care managers-part II: meta-analysis and applying the evidence.
abstract: This article is a continuation of a 2-part series that seeks to build the skills of health care managers and supervisors in critically reading and interpreting systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The first article, part I, defined the types of systematic reviews and outlined the process of conducting them. This article, part II, focuses on meta-analysis, a type of systematic review. This article explains the additional procedures associated with meta-analyses and describes the potential shortcomings of both systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Finally, this article provides a way for health care managers and supervisors to appraise systematic reviews and meta-analyses and to determine whether the evidence applies to their problems and settings.
authors: Author Affiliation: Health Services and Information Management, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina.
authors: Elizabeth J
authors: EJ
authors: Forrestal
mesh_terms: D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000379:methods*; D058016:Health Facility Administration; D006801:Humans; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D012196:Review Literature as Topic