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Chapter 19: Prospective meta-analysis

Authors: Davina Ghersi, Jesse Berlin and Lisa Askie on behalf of the Cochrane Prospective Meta-analysis Methods Group.

Key points

A prospective meta-analysis is a meta-analysis of studies (usually randomized trials) that were identified, evaluated and determined to be eligible for the meta-analysis before the results of any of those studies became known.
Prospective meta-analyses enable hypotheses to be specified in advance of the results of individual trials; enable prospective application of study selection criteria; and enable a priori statements of intended analyses. As meta-analyses rather than multi-centre trials, they allow variation in the protocols of the included studies, while maximizing power in the pre-planned meta-analyses.
Prospective meta-analyses are usually undertaken by a collaborative group, and they usually collect and analyse individual patient data.
Protocols are important for prospective meta-analyses, and they may be published as protocols for Cochrane reviews. The Cochrane Prospective Meta-analysis Methods Group maintains a registry of prospective meta-analysis projects and is able to provide advice on their conduct.