Meta-analysis: a tool for medical and scientific discoveries. |
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| Authors: | C L Schell R J Rathe |
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| Institution: | University of Florida, College of Medicine, Gainesville 32610. |
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| Abstract: | Medicine has made increasing use of meta-analysis, largely as a quantitative procedure for combining results of clinical trials. Meta-analysis begins with a comprehensive review of the literature. The next step is a systematic analysis of the quality and content of each study. Finally, results are combined statistically and conclusions are drawn from this new overview of the data. This paper presents a brief historical perspective on the use of meta-analysis in medicine with emphasis on the medical library. The authors conclude that in the future, medical librarians will play a significant role in the application of this useful technique. |
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