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A matrix-based method of moments for fitting multivariate network meta-analysis models with multiple outcomes and random inconsistency effects.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Change log

Authors

Bujkiewicz, Sylwia 
Law, Martin 
Riley, Richard D 
White, Ian R 

Abstract

Random-effects meta-analyses are very commonly used in medical statistics. Recent methodological developments include multivariate (multiple outcomes) and network (multiple treatments) meta-analysis. Here, we provide a new model and corresponding estimation procedure for multivariate network meta-analysis, so that multiple outcomes and treatments can be included in a single analysis. Our new multivariate model is a direct extension of a univariate model for network meta-analysis that has recently been proposed. We allow two types of unknown variance parameters in our model, which represent between-study heterogeneity and inconsistency. Inconsistency arises when different forms of direct and indirect evidence are not in agreement, even having taken between-study heterogeneity into account. However, the consistency assumption is often assumed in practice and so we also explain how to fit a reduced model which makes this assumption. Our estimation method extends several other commonly used methods for meta-analysis, including the method proposed by DerSimonian and Laird (). We investigate the use of our proposed methods in the context of both a simulation study and a real example.

Description

Keywords

Incoherence, Mixed treatment comparisons, Multiple treatments meta-analysis, Random-effects models, Computer Simulation, Humans, Meta-Analysis as Topic, Models, Statistical, Multivariate Analysis, Network Meta-Analysis

Journal Title

Biometrics

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0006-341X
1541-0420

Volume Title

74

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)
Sponsorship
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) (via Royal Brompton & Harefield NHS Foundation Trust) (unknown)
MRC (unknown)
MRC (unknown)