Meta-analysis, decision analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis are the cornerstones of evidence-based medicine. These related quantitative methods have become essential tools in the formulation of clinical and public policy based on the synthesis of evidence. All three methods are taught with increasing frequency in medical schools and schools of public health and in health policy courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. This book is a lucid introduction, and will serve the needs of students taking introductory courses that cover these topics. It will also be useful to clinicians and policymakers who need to understand the quantitative underpinnings of the methods in order to best apply the information that derives from them. The second edition of this popular book adds new material on cumulative meta-analysis as a method to explore heterogeneity. The coverage of cost-effectiveness analysis has been brought into close alignment with recommendations of the U.S. Public Health Panel on Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Health and Medicine. Many of the examples have been replaced with more current examples, and all of the material has been updated to reflect recent advances in the methods and the emergence of consensus about some previously controversial issues. analysis. These three closely related methods have become even more important for synthesizing research since the first edition was published in 1994. And they have gained legitimacy as tools for guiding health policy.

1. Introduction 2. Overview of the Methods 3. Planning the Study 4. Information Retrieval 5. Data Collection 6. Advanced Issues in Meta-Analysis 7. Statistical Methods in Meta-Analysis 8. Other Statistical Issues in Meta-Analysis 9. Complex Decision Problems 10. Estimating Probabilities 11. Utility Analysis 12. Advanced Cost Effectiveness Analysis 13. Utility and Cost-Utility Analysis 14. Exploring Heterogeneity 15. Sensitivity Analysis 16. Reporting Results 17. Limitations

Diana B. PetittiDirector of Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente Southern California

"The first edition was very well received and this new work receives my heartiest endorsement....The writing is clear and accessible. Jargon minimal. The text is well-larded with examples....Each chapter has been updated and new material added. The new edition places many recent developments into context....All in all the book fills an important niche. It is suitable as a text and a reference. Difficult concepts are especially articulately presented. This new edition belongs on the shelf of every aspiring meta-analyst!" --The Epidemiology Monitor |k No