Research synthesis

Efficient research synthesis requires 3 things: matched variables, reported in the same manner, and easily identifiable studies. Systematic reviews indicated that clinical trials do not use the same outcome measures or reporting style.

While some discrepancies can be overcome by acquiring the original data, this is time-consuming, rarely straightforward, and often not possible.

Moreover, the interpretation of any pooled outcomes must also consider the comparability of the studied population and the trial methodology.