Different meta-analysis methods can change judgements about imprecision of effect estimates: a meta-epidemiological study

OBJECTIVES: To empirically evaluate five commonly used meta-analysis methods and their impact on imprecision judgements about effect estimates. The two fixed-effect model methods were the inverse variance method based on normal distribution and the Mantel-Haenszel method. The three random-effects model methods were the DerSimonian and Laird, the Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman and the profile likelihood approaches. DESIGN: Meta-epidemiological …