Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27593968›Full record

SynthesisPharmacoepidemiology and drug safety2016

Probabilistic bias analysis in pharmacoepidemiology and comparative effectiveness research: a systematic review.

Jacob N Hunnicutt, Christine M Ulbricht, Stavroula A Chrysanthopoulou, Kate L Lapane

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
21citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

21 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  7. Review
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  17. Bias Analysis Gone Bad.American journal of epidemiology · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Jacob N HunnicuttDepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Christine M UlbrichtDepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Stavroula A ChrysanthopoulouDepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
Kate L LapaneDepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.

Funding

University of Massachusetts Center for Clinical Science and Translational SupplementUL1TR001453 · NCATS · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI LUZURIAGA, KATHERINE F · 2015 to 2024
$39.0M
University of Massachusetts Center for Clinical and Translational ScienceTL1TR001454 · NCATS · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI LEWIS, BRIAN C · 2015 to 2024
$3.6M
Opioids and Adjuvants for Pain in Nursing Home Residents with CancerR21CA198172 · NCI · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI LAPANE, KATE L · 2015 to 2016
$551k
Pain Management for Older Adults Living in Nursing HomesR56NR015498 · NINR · UNIV OF MASSACHUSETTS MED SCH WORCESTER · PI LAPANE, KATE L · 2016 to 2016
$297k
NCATS NIH HHS TL1 TR001454NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001453NCI NIH HHS R21 CA198172NINR NIH HHS R56 NR015498
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe systematically reviewed pharmacoepidemiologic and comparative effectiveness studies that use probabilistic bias analysis to quantify the effects of systematic error including confounding, misclassification, and selection bias on study results.

methodsWe found articles published between 2010 and October 2015 through a citation search using Web of Science and Google Scholar and a keyword search using PubMed and Scopus. Eligibility of studies was assessed by one reviewer. Three reviewers independently abstracted data from eligible studies.

resultsFifteen studies used probabilistic bias analysis and were eligible for data abstraction-nine simulated an unmeasured confounder and six simulated misclassification. The majority of studies simulating an unmeasured confounder did not specify the range of plausible estimates for the bias parameters. Studies simulating misclassification were in general clearer when reporting the plausible distribution of bias parameters. Regardless of the bias simulated, the probability distributions assigned to bias parameters, number of simulated iterations, sensitivity analyses, and diagnostics were not discussed in the majority of studies.

conclusionDespite the prevalence and concern of bias in pharmacoepidemiologic and comparative effectiveness studies, probabilistic bias analysis to quantitatively model the effect of bias was not widely used. The quality of reporting and use of this technique varied and was often unclear. Further discussion and dissemination of the technique are warranted. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Indexed as

Research DesignBiasComparative Effectiveness ResearchConfounding Factors, EpidemiologicHumansPharmacoepidemiologySelection Biascomparative effectivenesspharmacoepidemiologyprobabilistic bias analysisquantitative bias analysis

Identifiers

PMID27593968
PMCPMC5272921

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.