Table 1

Decisions of the 8 reviewers based on the 6 systematic reviews with meta-analyses presented to them.

# RCTS
1
1–3
1–5
1–10
1–20
1–23
N
111
415
597
3685
63047
69505
Fixed OR
N/a
0.40 (0.19–0.83)
0.40 (0.28–0.61)
0.64 (0.52–0.79)
1.02 (0.96–1.08)
1.01 (0.96–1.07)
Rand OR
N/a
0.40 (0.18–0.86)
0.38 (0.21–0.66)
0.66 (0.53–0.81)
0.65 (0.48–0.87)
0.75 (0.61–0.92)
I2
N/a
0%
0%
21%
59%
59%
I believe magnesium has now been shown to be beneficial for patients during the post-MI period
(C)
Disagree
Unsure
Unsure
Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
(C)
Strongly Disagree
Unsure
Unsure
Unsure
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(P)
Strongly Disagree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
(P)
Agree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Strongly Agree
Strongly Agree
Agree
(P)
Strongly Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Agree
(P)
Unsure
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
(NP)
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Disagree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(N)
Unsure
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
I believe magnesium will eventually be shown to be beneficial for patients during the post-MI period
(C)
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Unsure
Disagree
(C)
Unsure
Unsure
Unsure
Unsure
Strongly Disagree
Strongly Disagree
(P)
Unsure
Agree
Agree
Strongly Agree
Agree
Agree
(P)
Agree
Strongly Agree
Strongly Agree
Strongly Agree
Strongly Agree
Agree
(P)
Strongly Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Unsure
Agree
Agree
(P)
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
(NP)
Unsure
Unsure
Unsure
Agree
Unsure
Disagree
(N)
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
Agree
I recommend that magnesium therapy be used in patients during the post-MI period
(C)
No
No
No
No
No
No
(C)
No
No
No
No
No
No
(P)
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
(P)
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
(P)
No
No
No
No
No
No
(P)
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
(NP)
No
No
No
Yes
No
No
(N)
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

C: cardiologist, P: other physician, NP: non-practicing physician, N: non-physician

Each column contains the answers from different meta-analyses based on the number of randomized trials provided (top row). The total number of subjects in each of the meta-analyses is shown in the second row; the overall fixed effects odds ratio (OR) and random effects OR shown to the reviewers are given in rows 3 and 4 (the first trial only examined infarct size and there is no OR for mortality); and the I2 value for heterogeneity is shown in row 5. There were three errors that were discovered after some reviewers had answered questions. The differences in the overall effect estimates were relatively minor and would not be expected to alter the responses by our reviewers. To remain transparent, we provide the numbers provided to the reviewers in this table, and the corrected numbers in Figure 1. The results for each question asked are shown in the subsequent rows. The choices for the first two questions were strongly disagree to strongly agree, and the choices for the third question were yes or no. In addition to the range of interpretations for any one meta-analysis, reviewer 3 moved from unsure to strongly disagree over the 6 meta-analyses for the second question whereas reviewer 7 moved in the opposite direction from strongly disagree to agree.

Shrier et al. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 2008 8:19   doi:10.1186/1472-6947-8-19