Network meta-analyses in reproductive medicine: challenges and opportunities

Rui Wang, Anna Lene Seidler, Lisa Askie, Robert J. Norman, Siladitya Bhattacharya, Madelon van Wely, Ben Willem Mol

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articleAcademicpeer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Network meta-analysis allows researchers to synthesise both direct and indirect evidence, thus enabling simultaneous comparisons of multiple treatments. A relatively recent addition to evidence synthesis in reproductive medicine, this approach has become increasingly popular. Yet, the underlying assumptions of network meta-analyses, which drive the validity of their findings, have been frequently ignored. In this article, we discuss the strengths and limitations of network meta-analyses. In addition, we present an overview of published network meta-analyses in reproductive medicine, summarize their challenges and provide insights into future research opportunities.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1723-1731
Number of pages9
JournalHuman reproduction (Oxford, England)
Volume35
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2020

Keywords

  • Certainty of evidence
  • Evidence synthesis
  • Infertility
  • Meta-analysis
  • Network meta-analysis
  • Reporting
  • Reproductive medicine
  • Systematic review
  • Transitivity

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