Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis: A Comprehensive Guide for Healthcare Professionals

Question 1

In systematic reviews, PICO serves primarily to:

Accepted Answer

Clearly define the research question

Answer

Identify relevant search terms

Answer

Limit the search scope

Answer

Summarize review findings

Question 2

Which tool is commonly employed in healthcare research to assess study quality and validity?

Accepted Answer

Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool

Answer

GRADE

Answer

CONSORT

Answer

PRISMA

Question 3

The primary purpose of a funnel plot in a systematic review is:

Accepted Answer

Assessment of publication bias

Answer

Determination of individual study influence

Answer

Identification of outliers

Answer

Verification of data integrity

Question 4

Which type of bias occurs when studies with positive results are more likely to be published than those with negative results?

Accepted Answer

Publication bias

Answer

Selection bias

Answer

Confounding bias

Answer

Reporting bias

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of an appropriate research question for a systematic review?

Accepted Answer

Does acupuncture reduce pain in patients with osteoarthritis?

Answer

What is the best way to manage healthcare costs?

Answer

What are the attitudes of nurses towards palliative care?

Answer

How can we improve the quality of life for elderly patients?

Question 6

What is the primary purpose of a protocol in a systematic review?

Accepted Answer

To outline the review's objectives, methods, and inclusion criteria

Answer

To provide a summary of the findings of the review

Answer

To assess the quality of the studies included in the review

Answer

To develop recommendations for future research

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a limitation of meta-analyses?

Accepted Answer

They may not have an adequate sample size

Answer

They can only combine studies that are methodologically similar

Answer

They can be time-consuming and resource-intensive to conduct

Question 8

The PRISMA statement refers to:

Accepted Answer

A set of guidelines for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Answer

A methodology for conducting systematic reviews

Answer

A quality assessment tool for individual studies

Answer

A database of systematic reviews

Question 9

What is the primary purpose of using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist?

Accepted Answer

Enhancing the transparency and completeness of systematic reviews

Answer

Ensuring the methodological rigor of meta-analyses

Answer

Facilitating the comparison of results across different reviews

Answer

Reducing the potential for publication bias

Question 10

In the context of meta-analysis, what does the term 'effect size' represent?

Accepted Answer

The magnitude of the observed effect

Answer

The statistical significance of the effect

Answer

The direction of the effect

Answer

The number of studies included in the analysis

Question 11

What is the primary function of a forest plot in a meta-analysis?

Accepted Answer

Visualizing individual study results and the overall effect estimate

Answer

Assessing the heterogeneity of the meta-analysis

Answer

Determining the statistical significance of the effect

Answer

Identifying influential studies

Question 12

Which of the following is a key characteristic of a systematic review?

Accepted Answer

Explicit and replicable methodology

Answer

Focus on a specific topic

Answer

Absence of bias

Answer

Narrative structure

Question 13

What is the primary purpose of the PRISMA statement?

Accepted Answer

To provide guidelines for transparent and complete reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Answer

To evaluate the methodological quality of systematic reviews

Answer

To facilitate the search for systematic reviews on specific topics

Question 14

What is heterogeneity in a meta-analysis?

Accepted Answer

Variation in the results of individual studies included in the meta-analysis

Answer

The number of studies included in the analysis

Answer

The statistical method used to combine results

Answer

The overall quality of the included studies

Question 15

What is the role of a meta-regression in a meta-analysis?

Accepted Answer

To investigate and explain the sources of heterogeneity among study results

Answer

To calculate the pooled effect size

Answer

To assess the quality of individual studies

Answer

To identify publication bias

Question 16

Which of the following is a potential limitation of systematic reviews?

Accepted Answer

They may not be able to capture unpublished studies, potentially leading to publication bias

Answer

They are always subjective and biased

Answer

They provide definitive answers to all research questions

Question 17

Why is it important to consider the quality of individual studies when conducting a systematic review?

Accepted Answer

To assess the reliability and validity of the overall findings and conclusions

Answer

To reduce the time and effort required for the review process

Answer

To ensure that all included studies are relevant to the research question

Question 18

Which of the following is a fundamental characteristic of a well-designed systematic review?

Accepted Answer

Rigorous, transparent, and replicable methodology

Answer

Use of statistical techniques to pool results

Answer

Inclusion of only studies published in high-impact journals

Answer

Focus on a broad research topic

Question 19

What is the primary goal of a meta-analysis?

Accepted Answer

To combine and analyze data from multiple independent studies to derive a more precise estimate of an effect

Answer

To provide a critical assessment of the quality of individual studies

Answer

To identify the most important studies on a specific topic

Question 20

Which of the following is a potential limitation of systematic reviews and meta-analyses?

Accepted Answer

Publication bias

Answer

Comprehensive literature search

Answer

Clear and detailed reporting of methods

Answer

Large sample sizes in included studies

Question 21

What is the main purpose of the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist?

Accepted Answer

To guide researchers in reporting systematic reviews comprehensively and transparently

Answer

To develop search strategies for systematic reviews

Answer

To assess the risk of bias in individual studies

Question 22

Which step is typically the first step in conducting a systematic review?

Accepted Answer

Formulating a clear and focused research question

Answer

Disseminating the findings

Answer

Performing meta-analysis

Answer

Writing the review manuscript

Question 23

What is the purpose of heterogeneity assessment in meta-analysis?

Accepted Answer

To determine whether the results of individual studies are sufficiently similar to be combined statistically

Answer

To identify the most influential studies in a systematic review

Question 24

Which statistical method is commonly used to combine effect sizes in meta-analysis?

Accepted Answer

Inverse variance weighted

Answer

Pearson correlation coefficient

Answer

Chi-squared test

Answer

Fisher's exact test

Question 25

What is the key difference between a fixed-effects model and a random-effects model in meta-analysis?

Accepted Answer

Fixed-effects model assumes homogeneity across studies, while random-effects model accounts for heterogeneity

Answer

Fixed-effects model is more conservative than random-effects model

Question 26

Which of the following is a potential benefit of utilizing systematic reviews and meta-analyses in healthcare decision-making?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced evidence-based practice

Answer

Reduced healthcare costs

Answer

Faster development of new drugs

Question 27

What is the primary responsibility of a systematic reviewer?

Accepted Answer

To appraise and synthesize evidence critically and objectively

Answer

To create clinical practice guidelines

Answer

To generate new research studies