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Open Access 01-12-2017 | Commentary

Approaches to interpreting and choosing the best treatments in network meta-analyses

Authors: L. Mbuagbaw, B. Rochwerg, R. Jaeschke, D. Heels-Andsell, W. Alhazzani, L. Thabane, Gordon H. Guyatt

Published in: Systematic Reviews | Issue 1/2017

Abstract

When randomized trials have addressed multiple interventions for the same health problem, network meta-analyses (NMAs) permit researchers to statistically pool data from individual studies including evidence from both direct and indirect comparisons. Grasping the significance of the results of NMAs may be very challenging. Authors may present the findings from such analyses in several numerical and graphical ways. In this paper, we discuss ranking strategies and visual depictions of rank, including the surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) curve method. We present ranking approaches’ merits and limitations and provide an example of how to apply the results of a NMA to clinical practice.

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Title: Approaches to interpreting and choosing the best treatments in network meta-analyses
Authors: L. Mbuagbaw
B. Rochwerg
R. Jaeschke
D. Heels-Andsell
W. Alhazzani
L. Thabane
Gordon H. Guyatt
Publication date: 01-12-2017
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: Systematic Reviews / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 2046-4053
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-017-0473-z

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Approaches to interpreting and choosing the best treatments in network meta-analyses

Abstract

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Abstract

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