©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Meta-Anal. Dec 18, 2023; 11(7): 313-316
Published online Dec 18, 2023. doi: 10.13105/wjma.v11.i7.313
Published online Dec 18, 2023. doi: 10.13105/wjma.v11.i7.313
Importance of well-designed meta-analyses in assessing medical and surgical treatments
Sunny Chi Lik Au, Department of Ophthalmology, Tung Wah Eastern Hospital, Hong Kong, China
Author contributions: Au SCL designed the research study; performed the research; analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; All authors have read and approve the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest.
Corresponding author: Sunny Chi Lik Au, MBChB, Chief Doctor, Surgeon, Department of Ophthalmology, Tung Wah Eastern Hospital, 9/F, MO Office, Lo Ka Chow Memorial Ophtha
Received: September 28, 2023
Peer-review started: September 28, 2023
First decision: November 2, 2023
Revised: November 10, 2023
Accepted: November 29, 2023
Article in press: November 29, 2023
Published online: December 18, 2023
Processing time: 76 Days and 19.1 Hours
Peer-review started: September 28, 2023
First decision: November 2, 2023
Revised: November 10, 2023
Accepted: November 29, 2023
Article in press: November 29, 2023
Published online: December 18, 2023
Processing time: 76 Days and 19.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: It is crucial to differentiate between well-designed and poorly designed meta-analyses. Not all meta-analyses are conducted equally, and identifying their quality is vital to avoid misleading conclusions that can potentially harm patients. Meta-analyses concerning medical or surgical treatment outcomes should ideally include only randomized, controlled trials or high-quality prospective studies as source material. While reputable journals adhere to this research ethics, caution must be exercised when exploring studies that pool data without maintaining strict criteria.