Han Zhang1, Jun Han1, Ying-Bo Zhu2, Wan-Yee Lau3, Myron E Schwartz4, Guo-Qiang Xie1, Shu-Yang Dai1, Yi-Nan Shen1, Meng-Chao Wu1, Feng Shen1, Tian Yang5. 1. Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, No. 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China. 2. Department of Psychiatry, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, No. 301 Middle Yanchang Road, Shanghai 200072, China. 3. Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, No. 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China; Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China. 4. Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 5 East 98th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10029, USA. 5. Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, No. 225 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, China; Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 5 East 98th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10029, USA. Electronic address: ehbh2015@126.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To assess the overall qualities of published surgical meta-analysis and predictive factors for high qualities. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: All meta-analyses pertinent to surgical procedures published in year 2013 were selected from PubMed and EMBASE. The characteristics of the included meta-analyses were collected, and their reporting and methodologic qualities were assessed by the PRISMA (27 items) and AMSTAR (11 items) checklists, respectively. Independent predictive factors associated with these two qualities were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Hundred ninety-seven meta-analyses representing 10 surgical subspecialties were included. The mean PRISMA and AMSTAR adherences (by items) were 22.2 ± 2.4 and 7.8 ± 1.2, respectively, and a positive linear correlation was found between them with an R(2) of 0.793. Those meta-analyses conducted by the first authors having meta-analysis publication previously had significantly higher reporting and methodologic qualities than those who did not (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001). Meanwhile, there were also significant differences in these two qualities between studies published in Q1-ranked and (Q2 + Q3)-ranked journals as rated by the SCImago indicator (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). On multivariate analyses, region of origin (non-Asia vs. Asia), publishing experience of first authors (ever vs. never), rank of publishing journals (Q1 vs. Q2 + Q3), and preregistration (presence vs. absence) were independently associated with superior reporting and methodologic qualities. CONCLUSIONS: The reporting and methodologic qualities of current surgical meta-analyses remained suboptimal, and first authors' experience and ranking of publishing journals were independently associated with both qualities. Preregistration might be an effective measure to improve the quality of meta-analyses, which deserves more attention from future study conductors.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the overall qualities of published surgical meta-analysis and predictive factors for high qualities. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: All meta-analyses pertinent to surgical procedures published in year 2013 were selected from PubMed and EMBASE. The characteristics of the included meta-analyses were collected, and their reporting and methodologic qualities were assessed by the PRISMA (27 items) and AMSTAR (11 items) checklists, respectively. Independent predictive factors associated with these two qualities were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Hundred ninety-seven meta-analyses representing 10 surgical subspecialties were included. The mean PRISMA and AMSTAR adherences (by items) were 22.2 ± 2.4 and 7.8 ± 1.2, respectively, and a positive linear correlation was found between them with an R(2) of 0.793. Those meta-analyses conducted by the first authors having meta-analysis publication previously had significantly higher reporting and methodologic qualities than those who did not (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001). Meanwhile, there were also significant differences in these two qualities between studies published in Q1-ranked and (Q2 + Q3)-ranked journals as rated by the SCImago indicator (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). On multivariate analyses, region of origin (non-Asia vs. Asia), publishing experience of first authors (ever vs. never), rank of publishing journals (Q1 vs. Q2 + Q3), and preregistration (presence vs. absence) were independently associated with superior reporting and methodologic qualities. CONCLUSIONS: The reporting and methodologic qualities of current surgical meta-analyses remained suboptimal, and first authors' experience and ranking of publishing journals were independently associated with both qualities. Preregistration might be an effective measure to improve the quality of meta-analyses, which deserves more attention from future study conductors.
Authors: Audrey Wise; Deepika Mannem; Wade Arthur; Ryan Ottwell; Benjamin Greiner; Derek Srouji; Daniel Wildes; Micah Hartwell; Drew N Wright; Jam Khojasteh; Matthew Vassar Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2022-08-02 Impact factor: 3.006