Challenges In Performing An Individual Participant-level Data Meta-analysis

Henk van der Worp; Gea A Holtman; Marco H Blanker

doi:10.1016/j.euf.2023.10.012

Challenges In Performing An Individual Participant-level Data Meta-analysis

Eur Urol Focus. 2023 Sep;9(5):705-707. doi: 10.1016/j.euf.2023.10.012. Epub 2023 Oct 21.

Authors

Henk van der Worp¹, Gea A Holtman², Marco H Blanker²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Primary and Long-term Care, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: h.van.der.worp@umcg.nl.
² Department of Primary and Long-term Care, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.

PMID: 37872078
DOI: 10.1016/j.euf.2023.10.012

Abstract

Individual participant-data meta-analysis (IPDMA) uses data at the participant level to synthesize evidence on clinical decision-making. We discuss the differences from aggregate-data meta-analysis and the advantages and challenges of IPDMA. IPDMA provides an opportunity to study effect modifiers at the participant level and can reduce bias in comparison to aggregate-data meta-analysis. A challenge with IPDMA is that it often requires considerable effort to obtain all the data, and an inability to obtain data for all the studies can lead to availability bias. PATIENT SUMMARY: Systematic reviews of the literature are performed to summarize available evidence regarding clinical decisions. Here we explain the differences between reviews that use aggregated data from published studies and reviews that use the participant-level data from those studies.

Keywords: Individual participant data; Meta-analysis; Methodology.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Review

MeSH terms

Bias
Clinical Decision-Making*
Humans