For many clinical conditions there may be more than two competing interventions. In a systematic review, network meta-analysis is a statistical option for comparing three or more interventions by combining direct and indirect estimates in a single analysis. This approach is more complex than standard meta-analysis and requires additional assumptions. This webinar presented network meta-analysis and discussed what it is, how they are often presented, what to look for and how to understand them. Exemplar systematic reviews including network meta-analyses were included in order to provide suitable examples.
Dr Kerry Dwan leads the Methods Support Unit (MSU) in the Editorial and Methods Department in Cochrane. She has a statistical background and has worked as a trial statistician and undertaken systematic reviews with Cochrane and the Liverpool Reviews and Implementation group. Her methodological work and PhD focussed on selective outcome reporting and has expanded to improving methods and reporting in trials and systematic reviews. The MSU provides methodological and statistical advice on Cochrane protocols, reviews and updates. Kerry also delivers training on common statistical errors and works with the Statistical Methods Group on developing guidance relating to the implementation of statistical methods in Cochrane Reviews. She works part-time and is based in Liverpool, UK.
