Software technical specs
Data entry
- Enter data in 100+ formats.
- Enter data using a spreadsheet interface.
- Enter data for each study in its own format. For
example, enter data for one study as number of events and sample
size, for another study as odds ratio and confidence interval, and
so on.
- Include multiple study designs in the same
analysis. Enter
data from studies that used independent groups, paired/matched designs,
or crossover trials. The program will compute the standard errors
for each, and allow you to merge the different designs in the same
analysis.
- Include data from prospective and retrospective
trials in the same analysis.
- Mix and match continuous, binary, and correlational
data within the same analysis. The program will convert among
odds ratios, standardized mean differences, and correlations.
Click here for a list
of all supported formats.
Data structure
- Independent subgroups within studies
- Multiple outcomes within studies
- Multiple time-points within outcomes
- Multiple comparisons (Placebo vs A and Placebo vs B) within studies
Computational options
- Computational models for one group: Fixed
effect, random effects
- Computational models for Anova: Fixed
effect, mixed models, fully random effects
- Computational models for meta-regression: Fixed
effect, method of moments, unrestricted maximum likelihood, maximum likelihood, z-distribution or Knapp-Hartung
- Inverse variance, Mantel Haenszel, Peto
- Includes options to use the same computational
algorithms as other programs such as RevMan or Stata.
Data import
- Import data from other programs, including STATA, Revman, Excel,
and SPSS.
Reports
- The program will create a two-page text document that reports all the statistics in a format appropriate for publication.
Optionally, the program will annotate the report with five pages of text that explain the meaning of each statistic
- The text can be exported to Word or other programs
Prediction Intervals
- The program will compute the prediction interval, which tells us how widely the effect size varies across studies. This is a critically important item of information, and any many publications recommend that this be reported as part of a meta-analysis
- The prediction interval can be added to the forest plot
- The program will create a plot that displays the entire distribution of true effects. This plot can be exported to Word or PowerPoint
Special purpose analyses
- Cumulative analysis. Runs the analysis
k times, adding an additional study with each iteration, to show
how the treatment effect changed over time.
- Sensitivity analysis. Runs the analysis k
times, each time removing one study, to show that study’s impact
on the combined effect.
High-resolution plots
- Create forest plots with one click.
- Specify the symbols for studies, subgroups,
and combined effects. Make
the symbol a constant size or proportional to study weight.
- Modify colors globally or for each element
of the plot. Set
templates for formats and color schemes.
- Export
directly to Word™ or PowerPoint™ or
save as file.
Publication bias
- Funnel plots using precision
- Funnel plots using standard error
- Fail-Safe N
- Orwin’s Fail-Safe N
- Trim and Fill
- Rank correlation test
- Regression test
- Program produces statistics, plots, and a detailed
text report for each of the publication bias procedures.
Effect size measures
- For studies that look at treatment effects
or other effect sizes the program will compute the odds ratio,
risk ratio, risk difference, standardized mean difference (d), bias-corrected
standardized mean difference (Hedges’s g), raw mean difference,
correlation, hazard ratio, rate ratio, and more.
- For studies that look at events or means for one
group the program will compute the risk, the rate, or the mean.
- For other measures (e.g. regression coefficients)
the program will work with generic indices. This is available
both for raw values and for log values.
Comprehensive Meta-Analysis
Comprehensive Meta-Analysis is a powerful computer program for meta-analysis. The program combines ease of use with a wide array of computational options and sophisticated graphics.