Research & Evidence-Based Medicine

20 learning units • 100 chapter sections • 200 explained questions. Build a question, judge the evidence and connect the answer with the person receiving care.

Original RAHBAR study material for the Year 3 learning pathway. Educational examples support supervised learning; institutional research and clinical requirements still apply. References & further reading ↓

MODULE 14 / 20

Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analysis

Judge how evidence was found, selected and combined before relying on a pooled estimate.

Answer all 10 questions, then submit to see your score and explanations. This is a self-study exercise; results are not saved.

Question 01. What distinguishes a systematic review? A. Explicit reproducible methods for a defined questionB. Having many references aloneC. Always including a pooled estimateD. Being written by one senior clinician

Question 02. Must every systematic review include meta-analysis? A. Yes, otherwise it is not a reviewB. Yes, even for incompatible outcomesC. Only when there is one case reportD. No, pooling may be inappropriate

Question 03. What is the no-effect line for a pooled risk ratio? A. 0B. 1C. -1D. 100

Question 04. What does a pooled diamond’s width usually represent? A. Total participant age rangeB. Number of excluded abstractsC. The investigators’ fundingD. The interval around the pooled estimate

Question 05. What does a random-effects model assume? A. Study effects vary around a distribution of effectsB. Every study has identical true effect by definitionC. All included studies are unbiasedD. Any interventions can be combined meaningfully

Question 06. What does funnel-plot asymmetry establish by itself? A. A pattern requiring investigationB. Definite publication bias in every caseC. Absence of small-study effectsD. Proof of a large treatment benefit

Question 07. Why register or publish a review protocol? A. Guarantee a positive resultB. Eliminate the need for searchingC. Make planned methods visible before result-driven changesD. Replace risk-of-bias assessment

Question 08. Why link multiple reports from one study? A. Increase the apparent number of trialsB. Ensure every abstract gets equal weightC. Avoid counting the same participants repeatedlyD. Remove all heterogeneity

Question 09. How should a precise pooled estimate from biased studies be interpreted? A. Precision proves validityB. Bias cancels automatically in every meta-analysisC. Precision does not remove the underlying biasD. The widest study interval determines truth

Question 10. What does a sensitivity analysis examine? A. Whether every diagnostic test is positiveB. Whether the title is attractiveC. Whether only favourable studies can remainD. Whether conclusions change under alternative defensible assumptions

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References & Further Reading

Use the full methods and relevant chapters when appraising a paper. These sources support further study; the examples and questions above are original teaching exercises.

Reference review: 25 September 2026. Consult current institutional guidance for project approval and clinical decisions.