Unveiling the Value of Meta-Analysis in Disease Prevention and Control: A Comprehensive Review

Given the plethora of studies today that focus on the same topic, clinicians and other healthcare professionals increasingly rely on meta-analysis to aid in their evidence-based decision-making. This research method, which combines data from multiple studies to produce a single, more precise estimat...

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Main Authors: Christos Ntais, Michael A. Talias
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Medicina
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/60/10/1629
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author Christos Ntais
Michael A. Talias
author_facet Christos Ntais
Michael A. Talias
author_sort Christos Ntais
collection DOAJ
description Given the plethora of studies today that focus on the same topic, clinicians and other healthcare professionals increasingly rely on meta-analysis to aid in their evidence-based decision-making. This research method, which combines data from multiple studies to produce a single, more precise estimate of effect size, is invaluable for synthesizing evidence, resolving inconsistencies and guiding clinical practice and public health policies. Especially in disease prevention and control, meta-analysis has emerged as a critical tool. Meta-analysis is particularly valuable in assessing the effectiveness of preventive interventions such as vaccines, lifestyle modifications and screening programs. It provides robust evidence that supports the implementation of effective preventive measures and the discontinuation of ineffective or harmful ones. Furthermore, meta-analysis provides evidence to develop clinical practice guidelines, ensuring patients receive evidence-based treatments. In addition, public health policies aimed at disease prevention and control often rely on evidence from meta-analyses, which provide the data needed to justify and design large-scale public health initiatives. This comprehensive review delves into the role of meta-analysis in disease prevention and control, exploring its advantages, applications, challenges and overall impact on guiding clinical practice and public health policies. Through case studies and an examination of future directions, this paper underscores the pivotal role of meta-analysis in disease prevention and control.
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spelling doaj-art-56dde46383be4e1d97608e21c54d9eba2025-08-20T02:10:56ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X1648-91442024-10-016010162910.3390/medicina60101629Unveiling the Value of Meta-Analysis in Disease Prevention and Control: A Comprehensive ReviewChristos Ntais0Michael A. Talias1Healthcare Management Program, School of Economics & Management, Open University of Cyprus, Nicosia 2220, CyprusHealthcare Management Program, School of Economics & Management, Open University of Cyprus, Nicosia 2220, CyprusGiven the plethora of studies today that focus on the same topic, clinicians and other healthcare professionals increasingly rely on meta-analysis to aid in their evidence-based decision-making. This research method, which combines data from multiple studies to produce a single, more precise estimate of effect size, is invaluable for synthesizing evidence, resolving inconsistencies and guiding clinical practice and public health policies. Especially in disease prevention and control, meta-analysis has emerged as a critical tool. Meta-analysis is particularly valuable in assessing the effectiveness of preventive interventions such as vaccines, lifestyle modifications and screening programs. It provides robust evidence that supports the implementation of effective preventive measures and the discontinuation of ineffective or harmful ones. Furthermore, meta-analysis provides evidence to develop clinical practice guidelines, ensuring patients receive evidence-based treatments. In addition, public health policies aimed at disease prevention and control often rely on evidence from meta-analyses, which provide the data needed to justify and design large-scale public health initiatives. This comprehensive review delves into the role of meta-analysis in disease prevention and control, exploring its advantages, applications, challenges and overall impact on guiding clinical practice and public health policies. Through case studies and an examination of future directions, this paper underscores the pivotal role of meta-analysis in disease prevention and control.https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/60/10/1629meta-analysisdisease preventiondisease controlclinical guidelineshealth policybig data
spellingShingle Christos Ntais
Michael A. Talias
Unveiling the Value of Meta-Analysis in Disease Prevention and Control: A Comprehensive Review
Medicina
meta-analysis
disease prevention
disease control
clinical guidelines
health policy
big data
title Unveiling the Value of Meta-Analysis in Disease Prevention and Control: A Comprehensive Review
title_full Unveiling the Value of Meta-Analysis in Disease Prevention and Control: A Comprehensive Review
title_fullStr Unveiling the Value of Meta-Analysis in Disease Prevention and Control: A Comprehensive Review
title_full_unstemmed Unveiling the Value of Meta-Analysis in Disease Prevention and Control: A Comprehensive Review
title_short Unveiling the Value of Meta-Analysis in Disease Prevention and Control: A Comprehensive Review
title_sort unveiling the value of meta analysis in disease prevention and control a comprehensive review
topic meta-analysis
disease prevention
disease control
clinical guidelines
health policy
big data
url https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/60/10/1629
work_keys_str_mv AT christosntais unveilingthevalueofmetaanalysisindiseasepreventionandcontrolacomprehensivereview
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