Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2025

Establishing a Competing Risk Regression Nomogram Model for Survival Data
Published on: October 23, 2020
Network meta-regression including baseline risk analysis and interactive visualizations as implemented by the
Tom Morris1, Janion Nevill1, Clareece Nevill1
1Biostatistics Research Group, Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK; NIHR Complex Reviews Synthesis Unit, University of Leicester and University of Glasgow, Leicester, UK.
Background And Objectives:
The MetaInsight web application (https://apps.crsu.org.uk/MetaInsight) allows users to carry out network meta-analyses (NMAs) via a point-and-click interface, without the need for statistical programming. Network meta-regression (NMR) is an extension of NMA that adds covariates to the model and is used to investigate heterogeneity and inconsistency within the network. Specifically, NMR allows users to explore the interaction between treatment and study-level covariates. The aim of this paper is to describe the implementation and application of NMR in MetaInsight for a single covariate, which may be a study-level variable or baseline risk with the uncertainty in the latter correctly accounted for.
Methods:
NMR has been added to MetaInsight using the R packages gemtc and bnma. The type of regression coefficients fitted can be set to shared, exchangeable, or unrelated, relating to whether the same or different relationships are assumed between the covariate and each treatment. A graph has been added to show the distribution of covariate values, and a novel visualization has been developed to show which studies contribute to which comparisons for multiple comparisons simultaneously.
Results:
The new functionality is described and illustrated with an example, and screenshots of the app are included.
Conclusion:
This extensive update of the app greatly facilitates such complex analyses making them freely accessible to researchers from a wide range of backgrounds. This in turn should improve the reporting and reliability of published NMA which ultimately should positively impact clinical decision-making.
Related Concept Videos
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
Relative Risk
Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups
Statistical Methods for Analyzing Epidemiological Data
Regression Toward the Mean
Design Example: Analyzing Capacity Contours for Flood Risk Assessment

