Can systematic reviews and meta-analyses be used to determine and confirm the best (or optimal) technique / device of treatment?
HI!
First of all, I'm still a medicine student.
What we have learn is that systematic reviews and meta analyses are used by professional from consensus conference to create rules for healing people, so yes indeed when it's possible and to costly meta analyses are used to determine the best treatment, including determining the best device for a treatment if meta analyse has been done about that treatment using this device.
Hi, it is a very general statement and answer to say that Sys Reviews can determine best treatment modality for an individual patient. Sys Reviews and meta analysis are a scientific way (one of the rigorous methods , at that) of looking at available evidence (treatments). in an individual patient, the best / optimal treatment decision is still an "informed" clinical decision . Most sys reviews are trying to answer a specific clinical question and summating the global experience in trying to answer the Q. it is a "high" quality information and yet not "the best" . the way to understand it would be to try out an example ! very often , when you set out on the process, you realise that where there are straightforward answers, there are no systematic reviews and where there are systematic reviews, it just ends up saying there is not enough "quality" evidence in attempting to answer the question….need more rigorous studies!……
Try a systematic review on effective therapy for common cold …..:)
From my point of view, making a decision towards selecting a treatment option is a matter of complex factors interacting together. Whatever the situation, decision need to be made as soon as possible. Because of the diversity of research on every single problem, the need for collective cross sectional reviews that sums evidence to guide decision making has evolved (Systematic Reviews). This type of research projects (when done properly) is ideal for guiding professional to make decisions, but I do not think that they can confirm the best decision. One of the important problems which may affect the value of meta analysis and systematic reviews is publication bias. In conclusion, systematic reviews and meta analysis may produce the best level of evidence to guide decision making.
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