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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Intern Emerg Med. 2016 Dec 2;12(1):103–111. doi: 10.1007/s11739-016-1583-7

Table 1.

Summary of steps of a conventional systematic review and additional considerations for a network meta-analysis

Steps of a Systematic Review Considerations for a Network Meta-analysis
1. Define the review question and eligibility criteria - Question should benefit from network meta- analysis
- Define the treatment network
2. Search for and select studies - Ensure search is broad enough to capture treatments of interest
3. Abstract data and assess risk of bias - Abstract information on potential effect modifiers which may violate the assumption of transitivity
4. Synthesize evidence qualitatively - Evaluate the network geometry
- Evaluate transitivity
5. Synthesize evidence quantitatively - Conduct pairwise meta-analyses first
- Use statistical models appropriate for network meta-analysis
- Evaluate inconsistency
- Summarize results using approaches suitable for network meta-analysis, such as league tables
- If ranking, use appropriate ranking statistics, such as SUCRA
6. Interpret results and draw conclusions - Carefully interpret results, especially rankings
- Interpret results in context of outcomes examined
- If using GRADE approach to evaluate quality of evidence, adapt for network meta-analysis
7. Report findings - Follow the PRISMA extension for network meta- analysis