Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis: A Comprehensive Handbook for Healthcare Researchers

Authored by renowned researchers Richard D. Riley, Jayne F. Tierney, and Lesley A. Stewart, this handbook provides a thorough introduction to the fundamental principles and methods of individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis in healthcare research.

Comprehensive Guidance for IPD Meta-Analysis Projects

The book is divided into five parts, taking readers on a journey from initiating and planning IPD projects to obtaining, checking, and meta-analyzing IPD, and appraising and reporting findings. It initially focuses on synthesizing IPD from randomized trials to evaluate treatment effects, including the evaluation of participant-level effect modifiers (treatment-covariate interactions).

Detailed extensions are made to specialist topics such as:

• diagnostic test accuracy
• prognostic factors
• risk prediction models
• advanced statistical topics like multivariate and network meta-analysis, power calculations, and missing data

This handbook is designed for a broad audience, enabling readers to:

• understand the advantages of the IPD approach and decide when it is needed over a conventional systematic review
• recognize the scope, resources, and challenges of IPD meta-analysis projects
• appreciate the importance of a multi-disciplinary project team and close collaboration with original study investigators
• understand how to obtain, check, manage, and harmonize IPD from multiple studies
• examine risk of bias (quality) of IPD and minimize potential biases throughout the project
• understand fundamental statistical methods for IPD meta-analysis, including two-stage and one-stage approaches (and their differences), and statistical software to implement them
• clearly report and disseminate IPD meta-analyses to inform policy, practice, and future research
• critically appraise existing IPD meta-analysis projects

Detailed examples and case studies are provided throughout the handbook, making it an invaluable resource for healthcare researchers, policymakers, and practitioners.

Published by Wiley, this first edition was released on May 24, 2021.

Language: English