Development and design validation of a novel network meta-analysis presentation tool for multiple outcomes: a...

Area of Science:

• Health Research Methods
• Clinical Epidemiology
• Biostatistics

Background:

• The Grades of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group introduced novel methods for interpreting network meta-analyses (NMA).
• Optimal presentation of NMA results for multiple outcomes using these new interpretation methods remained unclear.
• Effective summarization is crucial for clinical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and refine a presentation method for summarizing NMA results across multiple outcomes.
• To enhance the clarity and interpretability of NMA findings for clinicians.
• To adapt innovative NMA interpretation approaches for practical use.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative descriptive study involving a steering group and 26 participants (including clinicians).
• Development and iterative modification of two color-coded presentation formats for NMA results.
• Qualitative content analysis of participant interviews to assess format validity and clarity.

Main Results:

• Two distinct, color-coded presentation formats for NMA results were developed and refined.
• Participant feedback focused on simple, intuitive organization and color-coding for discerning treatment benefits and safety.
• A legend was developed to aid interpretation, with two formats each preferred by a significant portion of participants.

Conclusions:

• Iterative design validation successfully created novel formats for presenting NMA results.
• The developed formats effectively summarize NMA findings for multiple outcomes.
• These presentation approaches enhance accessibility for clinicians, even those less familiar with NMA.