What this means in a clinic conversation
A combined number is only useful when the studies and methods support the comparison. Differences in patients, preparations or study quality can limit what the pooled result means.
A question to bring
Are the included studies similar enough to combine, and how certain is the pooled estimate?
Open the visit checklist →Related and commonly confused terms
Use the term in context
Sources and editorial context
This definition was compiled from the sources below and has not received independent clinical review. It supports understanding and consultation preparation.
- Analysing data and undertaking meta-analyses · CochraneReference checked 2026-10-02