Quantifying displaying and accounting for heterogeneity in the meta-analysis of RCTs using standard and generalised Q statistics

摘要

BackgroundClinical researchers have often preferred to use a fixed effects model for the primary interpretation of a meta-analysis. Heterogeneity is usually assessed via the well known Q and I² statistics, along with the random effects estimate they imply. In recent years, alternative methods for quantifying heterogeneity have been proposed, that are based on a 'generalised' Q statistic.