JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

A meta-analysis is a quantitative, formal study design in epidemiology and clinical medicine that systematically evaluates and synthesizes previous research results to draw comprehensive conclusions about a specific topic.

Objective:

Here, we aimed to establish a new tool for conducting a meta-analysis.

Methods:

The platform available at www.metaanalysisonline.com requires no programming knowledge or the use of the command line. The input can include binary data, continuous data, or time-to-event data. The most important available statistical models including the random effect model and the fixed effect model are implemented with the respective statistical methods.

Results:

In addition to statistical tests, graphical representations including the forest plot, the funnel plot, and the Z-score plot can be drawn. A forest plot is highly effective in illustrating heterogeneity and pooled results. The risk of publication bias can be revealed by a funnel plot. A Z-score plot provides a visual assessment of whether more research is needed to establish a reliable conclusion. All the discussed models and visualization options are integrated into the registration-free online web portal. We demonstrate the application by performing a meta-analysis of studies examining the correlation between immune checkpoint blockade and adverse events.

Conclusions:

In summary, the online tool aims to bridge the void for clinical and life science researchers by offering a user-friendly alternative for the swift and reproducible meta-analysis of clinical and epidemiological trials.