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Underutilization of Meta-analysis in Diagnostic Pathology
Michael Kinzler1, Lanjing Zhang
1From Colgate University, Hamilton, New York (Mr Kinzler); and the Department of Pathology, University Medical Center of Princeton, Plainsboro, New Jersey, the Department of Chemical Biology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, the Department of Pathology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey (Dr Zhang).
Meta-analyses in diagnostic pathology (DP) are underutilized despite high citation rates. Although DP journals publish fewer meta-analyses, they are increasingly used and incorporate diverse data sources. More DP meta-analyses are recommended.
Area of Science:
- Bibliometrics
- Pathology
- Medical Informatics
Background:
- No prior studies investigated the citation and utilization of meta-analyses in diagnostic pathology (DP).
- Meta-analyses are crucial for synthesizing evidence in medical research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize meta-analyses in DP and compare their utilization and citation impact with those in general medicine.
Main Methods:
- A PubMed search identified meta-analyses in 12 major DP journals and 4 major medicine journals in 2006 and 2011.
- Adjusted citation ratios (ACRs) were calculated by comparing article citations to the mean citations for similar article types within the same journal and year.
Main Results:
- DP meta-analyses demonstrated higher ACRs than original research and similar ACRs to review articles in 2006, and similar ACRs to both in 2011.
- DP journals published significantly fewer meta-analyses (0.97% vs. 6.66% in 2011) but utilized a higher proportion of meta-analyses incorporating both original and published data (21.95% vs. 1.59%).
- The number of meta-analyses published per year in DP increased significantly from 2000-2010 to 2011-2014.
Conclusions:
- Diagnostic pathology exhibits underutilization of meta-analyses despite their high citation impact.
- Recent trends indicate increased publication and utilization of meta-analyses in DP.
- Further research and publication of meta-analyses in DP are warranted to fully leverage synthesized evidence.
