Một bộ sưu tập của các kỹ thuật mà trong đó các kết quả của hai hay nhiều nghiên cứu độc lập thống kê kết hợp để mang lại một câu trả lời chung một câu hỏi quan tâm. Về cơ bản các thành phần định lượng của một tổng quan hệ thống của các tài liệu có liên quan. | MEDLINE Medical Literature Analysis Retrieval System on line. Now available on the PubMed database . Mega-trial Essentially synonymous with large simple trial. Mesokurtic See kurtosis. Meta-analysis A collection of techniques whereby the results of two or more independent studies are statistically combined to yield an overall answer to a question of interest. Essentially the quantitative component of a systematic review of the relevant literature. The rationale behind this approach is to provide a test with more power than is provided by the separate studies themselves. Either a fixed-effects or random-effects model is used in reaching an overall estimate of effect size. The procedure has become increasingly popular in the last decade or so but it is not without its critics particularly because of the difficulties of knowing which studies should be included and to which population final results actually apply. See also forest plot. British Medical Journal 1994 309 597-9. Meta-analysis Perhaps the greatest growth area in medical research. Although the combination of the results from the studies selected is often seen as the main objective of a meta-analysis it may be more sensible and productive to see the approach as giving an opportunity to explore heterogeneity between the studies. Meta-regression analysis A procedure for investigating sources of heterogeneity amongst the studies included in a meta-analysis. Techniques such as logistic regression or multiple linear regression are used to explore the relationship between study characteristics for example timing of the intervention country in which a study was performed etc. and study results . the magnitude of the effect observed in each study. Statistics in Medicine 2002 21 1559-73. MetaWin Software for meta-analysis able to create both forest plots and funnel plots. Michaelis-Menten equation An equation that describes the theoretical relationship between the initial velocity of a
