scholarly journals A Methodological Quality Evaluation of Meta-Analyses on Nursing Home Research: Overview and Suggestions for Future Directions

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 505
Author(s):  
In-Soo Shin ◽  
Juh-Hyun Shin ◽  
Dong-Eun Jang ◽  
Jiyeon Lee
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Home ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Quality Evaluation ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Quality Reporting ◽  
Randomized Control ◽  
Statistical Issues ◽  
Meta Analyses

(1) Background: The nursing home (NH) research field lacks quality reporting about meta-analyses (MAs), and most gradings of MA evidence are biased on analyzing the effectiveness of independent variables in randomized control trials. (2) Objectives: This study aimed to perform a critical methodological review of MAs in the NH research field. (3) Methods: We searched the articles from four databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO) until 15th January 2021. We reviewed a total of 41 published review articles in the NH research field. (4) Results: The studies primarily fell into the following categories: medicine (17/41), nursing (7/41), and psychiatry or psychology (6/41); 36.6% of the reviewed studies did not use any validated MA guidelines. The lowest correctly reported PRISMA 2000 guideline item was protocol and registration (14.6%), and more than 50% of articles did not report risk of bias. Moreover, 78.0% of studies did not describe missing reports of effect size formula. (5) Discussion: NH researchers must follow appropriate and updated guidelines for their MAs in order to provide validated reviews, as well as consider statistical issues such as the complexity of interventions, proper grouping, and scientific effect-size calculations to improve the quality of their study. Future quality review studies should investigate more diverse studies.

scholarly journals Predictability of rotational tooth movement with orthodontic aligners comparing software-based and achieved data: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

2021 ◽  
pp. 146531252110272
Author(s):  
Despina Koletsi ◽  
Anna Iliadi ◽  
Theodore Eliades
Keyword(s):  
Effect Size ◽  
Tooth Movement ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Patient Treatment ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Enamel Reduction

Objective: To evaluate all available evidence on the prediction of rotational tooth movements with aligners. Data sources: Seven databases of published and unpublished literature were searched up to 4 August 2020 for eligible studies. Data selection: Studies were deemed eligible if they included evaluation of rotational tooth movement with any type of aligner, through the comparison of software-based and actually achieved data after patient treatment. Data extraction and data synthesis: Data extraction was done independently and in duplicate and risk of bias assessment was performed with the use of the QUADAS-2 tool. Random effects meta-analyses with effect sizes and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were performed and the quality of the evidence was assessed through GRADE. Results: Seven articles were included in the qualitative synthesis, of which three contributed to meta-analyses. Overall results revealed a non-accurate prediction of the outcome for the software-based data, irrespective of the use of attachments or interproximal enamel reduction (IPR). Maxillary canines demonstrated the lowest percentage accuracy for rotational tooth movement (three studies: effect size = 47.9%; 95% CI = 27.2–69.5; P < 0.001), although high levels of heterogeneity were identified (I2: 86.9%; P < 0.001). Contrary, mandibular incisors presented the highest percentage accuracy for predicted rotational movement (two studies: effect size = 70.7%; 95% CI = 58.9–82.5; P < 0.001; I2: 0.0%; P = 0.48). Risk of bias was unclear to low overall, while quality of the evidence ranged from low to moderate. Conclusion: Allowing for all identified caveats, prediction of rotational tooth movements with aligner treatment does not appear accurate, especially for canines. Careful selection of patients and malocclusions for aligner treatment decisions remain challenging.

Problem-Solving Therapy

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy P. Kropf ◽  
Sherry M. Cummings
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Randomized Control Trials ◽  
Problem Solving Therapy ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Randomized Control ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
And Coping

Chapter 6, “Problem-Solving Therapy: Evidence-Based Practice,” details the research evidence concerning the effectiveness of problem-solving therapy (PST) for use with older adults. Only meta-analyses or randomized control trials (RCT) were included in this review. One meta-analysis and fifteen randomized control trials were identified that investigated PST outcomes on older adult depression, health-related quality of life, and coping. Outcomes of these studies determined that this therapy is effective in reducing anxiety and depression, and increasing problem-solving abilities in both community-based and in-home settings. Additionally, consistent support was found for the efficacy of telephone and video-phone PST, suggesting that these alternate means of administration may help overcome barriers to the receipt of mental health services experienced by homebound elders.

scholarly journals Machine Learning Interpretability: A Survey on Methods and Metrics

Electronics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo V. Carvalho ◽  
Eduardo M. Pereira ◽  
Jaime S. Cardoso
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Learning Systems ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Current State ◽  
Black Boxes ◽  
Interpretable Models

Machine learning systems are becoming increasingly ubiquitous. These systems’s adoption has been expanding, accelerating the shift towards a more algorithmic society, meaning that algorithmically informed decisions have greater potential for significant social impact. However, most of these accurate decision support systems remain complex black boxes, meaning their internal logic and inner workings are hidden to the user and even experts cannot fully understand the rationale behind their predictions. Moreover, new regulations and highly regulated domains have made the audit and verifiability of decisions mandatory, increasing the demand for the ability to question, understand, and trust machine learning systems, for which interpretability is indispensable. The research community has recognized this interpretability problem and focused on developing both interpretable models and explanation methods over the past few years. However, the emergence of these methods shows there is no consensus on how to assess the explanation quality. Which are the most suitable metrics to assess the quality of an explanation? The aim of this article is to provide a review of the current state of the research field on machine learning interpretability while focusing on the societal impact and on the developed methods and metrics. Furthermore, a complete literature review is presented in order to identify future directions of work on this field.

scholarly journals The meta-analyses of deliberate practice underestimate the effect size because they neglect the core characteristic of individualization—an analysis and empirical evidence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Debatin ◽  
Manuel D. S. Hopp ◽  
Wilma Vialle ◽  
Albert Ziegler
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Deliberate Practice ◽  
High Level ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Open Question ◽  
Chess Players ◽  
Predictive Strength

AbstractInfluential meta-analyses have concluded that only a small to medium proportion of variance in performance can be explained by deliberate practice. We argue that the authors have neglected the most important characteristic of deliberate practice: individualization of practice. Many of the analyzed effect sizes derived from measures that did not assess individualized practice and, therefore, should not have been included in meta-analyses of deliberate practice. We present empirical evidence which suggests that the level of individualization and quality of practice (indicated by didactic educational capital) substantially influences the predictive strength of practice measures. In our study of 178 chess players, we found that at a high level of individualization and quality of practice, the effect size of structured practice was more than three times higher than that found at the average level. Our theoretical analysis, along with empirical results, support the claim that the explanatory power of deliberate practice has been considerably underestimated in the meta-analyses. The question of how important deliberate practice is for individual differences in performance remains an open question.

scholarly journals Quality of the Evidence Supporting the Role of Acupuncture for Stable Angina Pectoris: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Shen ◽  
Jinke Huang ◽  
Tao Qiu
Keyword(s):  
Angina Pectoris ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Stable Angina ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Stable Angina Pectoris ◽  
Quality Reporting ◽  
Evidence Quality ◽  
Meta Analyses

Background: To systematically appraise and synthesize evidence, we conducted an overview of systematic reviews/meta-analyses (SRs/MAs) on acupuncture for stable angina pectoris (SAP).Methods: Eight databases were searched for SRs/MAs of acupuncture on SAP. The methodological quality, reporting quality, and evidence quality were evaluated by Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system, respectively.Results: A total of seven published SRs/MAs met the inclusion criteria. According to the evaluation results of AMSTAR-2, two studies were considered as of moderate quality; the remaining five were considered as of very low quality. According to the evaluation results of the PRISMA checklist, only one study reported the checklist in its entirety, while others had reporting deficiencies. According to GRADE, a total of 18 outcome indicators extracted from the included studies were evaluated. The evidence quality was very low in three, low in three, moderate in eight, and high in four.Conclusion: Acupuncture may be beneficial for SAP from the currently published evidence. However, this conclusion must be interpreted cautiously due to the generally low methodological quality, reporting quality, and evidence quality of the included studies. More rigorous, more standardized and comprehensive SRs/MAs are needed to provide strong evidence for convincing conclusions.

scholarly journals Effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on exercise performance: an umbrella review

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jozo Grgic ◽  
Ivana Grgic ◽  
Juan Del Coso ◽  
Brad J. Schoenfeld ◽  
Zeljko Pedisic
Keyword(s):  
Sodium Bicarbonate ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Exercise Performance ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Muscle Endurance ◽  
Mean Power ◽  
Rowing Performance ◽  
Ergogenic Effects ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract Background We aimed to perform an umbrella review of meta-analyses examining the effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on exercise performance. Methods We systematically searched for meta-analyses that examined the effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on exercise performance. The methodological quality of the included reviews was evaluated using the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2) checklist. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) framework for downgrading the certainty in evidence was used, which included assessments of risk of bias, inconsistency, indirectness, imprecision, and publication bias. Results Eight reviews of moderate and high methodological quality met inclusion criteria. Using the GRADE framework, evidence for the ergogenic effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on peak and mean power in the Wingate test and Yo-Yo test performance was classified as being of moderate quality. The evidence for these outcomes did not receive a point on the indirectness GRADE item, as “serious indirectness” was detected. Low-quality evidence was found for the ergogenic effect of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on endurance events lasting ∼45 s to 8 min, muscle endurance, and 2000-m rowing performance. Evidence for these outcomes was classified as low quality, given that risk of bias, indirectness, and publication bias were assessed as “unclear”, “serious”, and “strongly suspected”, respectively. The ergogenic effects ranged from trivial (pooled effect size: 0.09) to large (pooled effect size: 1.26). Still, for most outcomes, sodium bicarbonate elicited comparable ergogenic effects. For example, sodium bicarbonate produced similar effects on performance in endurance events lasting ∼45 s to 8 min, muscle endurance tests, and Yo-Yo test (pooled effect size range: 0.36 to 0.40). No significant differences between the effects of sodium bicarbonate and placebo were found for general mean power, muscle strength, and repeated-sprint ability. Conclusion Based on meta-analyses of moderate to high quality, it can be concluded that sodium bicarbonate supplementation acutely enhances peak anaerobic power, anaerobic capacity, performance in endurance events lasting ∼45 s to 8 min, muscle endurance, 2000-m rowing performance, and high-intensity intermittent running. More research is needed among women to improve the generalizability of findings.

scholarly journals The Effects of Tai Chi Exercise Among Adults With Chronic Heart Failure: An Overview of Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinke Huang ◽  
Xiaohui Qin ◽  
Min Shen ◽  
Yanjuan Xu ◽  
Yong Huang
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Methodological Quality ◽  
Tai Chi ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Risk Of Bias ◽  
Quality Reporting ◽  
Evidence Quality ◽  
Meta Analyses

Background: Tai chi (TC) is a popular form of exercise among adults with chronic heart failure (CHF), yet services are greatly underutilized. The aim of the current study was to identify and summarize the existing evidence and to systematically determine the clinical effectiveness of Tai Chi in the management of CHF using a systematic overview.Methods: Both English and Chinese databases were searched for systematic reviews (SRs)/meta-analyses (MAs) on TC for CHF from their inception to June 2020. The methodological quality, reporting quality, and risk of bias of SRs/MAs were assessed using Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR-2), the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist, and Risk of Bias in Systematic reviews (ROBIS), respectively. The evidence quality of outcome measures was assessed by the Grades of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE).Results: Six SRs/MAs using a quantitative synthesis to assess various outcomes of TC in CHF were included in this overview. The methodological quality, reporting quality and risk of bias of the SRs/MAs and the evidence quality of the outcome measures are generally unsatisfactory. The limitations of the past SRs/MAs included the lack of either the protocol or registration, the list of excluded studies, and the computational details of meta-analysis were inadequately reported. The critical problems were that qualitative data synthesis relied on trials with small sample sizes and critical low quality.Conclusions: TC may be a promising complementary treatment for CHF. However, further rigorous and comprehensive SRs/MAs and RCTs are required to provide robust evidence for definitive conclusions.

Electroconvulsive Therapy for Depression: A Review of the Quality of ECT versus Sham ECT Trials and Meta-Analyses

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Read ◽  
Irving Kirsch ◽  
Laura McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Electroconvulsive Therapy ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Severe Depression ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
End Of Treatment ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Small Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analyses

BackgroundElectroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is still being administered to approximately a million people annually. There have been no ECT versus simulated ECT (SECT) studies since 1985. The five meta-analyses of ECT versus SECT studies all claim that ECT is more effective than SECT for its primary target, severe depression. This review assesses the quality of those meta-analyses and of the 11 studies on which they are based.MethodsThe meta-analyses were evaluated primarily in terms of whether they considered the quality of the studies they included, but also in terms of whether they addressed efficacy beyond end of treatment. The methodological rigor of the 11 studies included by one or more of the meta-analyses was assessed using a 24-point Quality scale developed for this review.ResultsThe five meta-analyses include between 1 and 7 of the 11 studies. The meta-analyses pay little or no attention to the multiple limitations of the studies they include. The 11 studies have a mean Quality score of 12.3 out of 24. Eight scored 13 or less. Only four studies describe their processes of randomization and testing the blinding. None convincingly demonstrate that they are double-blind. Five selectively report their findings. Only four report any ratings by patients. None assess Quality of Life. The studies are small, involving an average of 37 people. Four of the 11 found ECT significantly superior to SECT at the end of treatment, five found no significant difference and two found mixed results (including one where the psychiatrists reported a difference but patients did not). Only two higher Quality studies report follow-up data, one produced a near-zero effect size (.065) in the direction of ECT, and the other a small effect size (.299) in favor of SECT.ConclusionsThe quality of most SECT–ECT studies is so poor that the meta-analyses were wrong to conclude anything about efficacy, either during or beyond the treatment period. There is no evidence that ECT is effective for its target demographic—older women, or its target diagnostic group—severely depressed people, or for suicidal people, people who have unsuccessfully tried other treatments first, involuntary patients, or children and adolescents. Given the high risk of permanent memory loss and the small mortality risk, this longstanding failure to determine whether or not ECT works means that its use should be immediately suspended until a series of well designed, randomized, placebo-controlled studies have investigated whether there really are any significant benefits against which the proven significant risks can be weighed.

scholarly journals A Survey on Vehicular Edge Computing: Architecture, Applications, Technical Issues, and Future Directions

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salman Raza ◽  
Shangguang Wang ◽  
Manzoor Ahmed ◽  
Muhammad Rizwan Anwar
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Edge Computing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Smart Vehicles ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Technical Issues ◽  
Smart Vehicle

A new networking paradigm, Vehicular Edge Computing (VEC), has been introduced in recent years to the vehicular network to augment its computing capacity. The ultimate challenge to fulfill the requirements of both communication and computation is increasingly prominent, with the advent of ever-growing modern vehicular applications. With the breakthrough of VEC, service providers directly host services in close proximity to smart vehicles for reducing latency and improving quality of service (QoS). This paper illustrates the VEC architecture, coupled with the concept of the smart vehicle, its services, communication, and applications. Moreover, we categorized all the technical issues in the VEC architecture and reviewed all the relevant and latest solutions. We also shed some light and pinpoint future research challenges. This article not only enables naive readers to get a better understanding of this latest research field but also gives new directions in the field of VEC to the other researchers.

scholarly journals A study of meta-analyses reporting quality in the large and expanding literature of educational technology

2021 ◽  
pp. 100-115
Author(s):  
Rana M. Tamim ◽  
Evgueni Borokhovski ◽  
Robert M. Bernard ◽  
Richard F. Schmid ◽  
Philip C. Abrami ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Educational Technology ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Average Effect ◽  
Meta Analyses

As the empirical literature in educational technology continues to grow, meta-analyses are increasingly being used to synthesise research to inform practice. However, not all meta-analyses are equal. To examine their evolution over the past 30 years, this study systematically analysed the quality of 52 meta-analyses (1988–2017) on educational technology. Methodological and reporting quality is defined here as the completeness of the descriptive and methodological reporting features of meta-analyses. The study employed the Meta-Analysis Methodological Reporting Quality Guide (MMRQG), an instrument designed to assess 22 areas of reporting quality in meta-analyses. Overall, MMRQG scores were negatively related to average effect size (i.e., the higher the quality, the lower the effect size). Owing to the presence of poor-quality syntheses, the contribution of educational technologies to learning has been overestimated, potentially misleading researchers and practitioners. Nine MMRQG items discriminated between higher and lower average effect sizes. A publication date analysis revealed that older reviews (1988–2009) scored significantly lower on the MMRQG than more recent reviews (2010–2017). Although the increase in quality bodes well for the educational technology literature, many recent meta-analyses still show only moderate levels of quality. Identifying and using only best evidence-based research is thus imperative to avoid bias.   Implications for practice or policy: Educational technology practitioners should make use of meta-analytical findings that systematically synthesise primary research. Academics, policymakers and practitioners should consider the methodological quality of meta-analyses as they vary in reliability. Academics, policymakers and practitioners could avoid misleading bias in research evidence by using the MMRQG to evaluate the quality of meta-analyses. Meta-analyses with lower MMRQG scores should be considered with caution as they seem to overestimate the effect of educational technology on learning.

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