Table 2

Comparison of IPD and APD Meta-Analyses

Steps in Meta-Analysis

IPD
APD

Explicit and Relevant Clinical Question


Exhaustive Search
All published studies



All presented studies



All completed studies

±
Screening: inclusion/exclusion criteria


Data Acquisition (extraction/transfer)
Aggregate data



Individual patient data

-
Data Checking
Source data
±
-

Submitted data



Published/presented


Data Updating

±
Missing Studies/Data
±
±
Uniform outcomes

-
Tests for heterogeneity


Estimating Summary Effect Measures
Binomial data



Time-to-event data

±
Exploring Heterogeneity Subgroup analyses
Study Level



Patient Level

-

Lyman and Kuderer BMC Medical Research Methodology 2005 5:14   doi:10.1186/1471-2288-5-14