摘要
Scientific research is challenged to translate findingsfrom multiple, often conflicting, clinical trials into a simple answer of whether a treatment works or not. The public and healthcare providers alike frequently voice their frustrations when the media reports a treatment working on one day, but seemingly the next day reports a study refuting the previous one. Meta-analyses are being used more commonly by researchers to convey an understandable summary of scientific studies to the general public and healthcare providers. As time goes by, we have learned how to improve meta-analytic techniques to reflect more valid results and when it is appropriate to pool or not to pool results from different studies. Retrospective reviews often don’t acknowledge this learning curve and may fail to recommend the most current valid guidelines. This editorial presents an example of how the current use of meta-analysis has shifted in one feld （the therapeutic effects of probiotics） and recommendations on how to correctly interpret the results of such an analysis.
Scientific research is challenged to translate finding sfrom multiple,often conflicting,clinical trials into a simple answer of whether a treatment works or not.The public and healthcare providers alike frequently voice their frustrations when the media reports a treatment working on one day,but seemingly the next day reports a study refuting the previous one.Metaanalyses are being used more commonly by researchers to convey an understandable summary of scientific studies to the general public and healthcare providers.As time goes by,we have learned how to improve meta-analytic techniques to reflect more valid results and when it is appropriate to pool or not to pool results from different studies.Retrospective reviews often don't acknowledge this learning curve and may fail to recommend the most current valid guidelines.This editorial presents an example of how the current use of meta-analysis has shifted in one field(the therapeutic effects of probiotics) and recommendations on how to correctly interpret the results of such an analysis.
