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Efficient and robust methods for causally interpretable meta‐analysis: Transporting inferences from multiple randomized trials to a target population

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  • Issa J. Dahabreh
  • Sarah E. Robertson
  • Lucia C. Petito
  • Miguel A. Hernán
  • Jon A. Steingrimsson

Abstract

We present methods for causally interpretable meta‐analyses that combine information from multiple randomized trials to draw causal inferences for a target population of substantive interest. We consider identifiability conditions, derive implications of the conditions for the law of the observed data, and obtain identification results for transporting causal inferences from a collection of independent randomized trials to a new target population in which experimental data may not be available. We propose an estimator for the potential outcome mean in the target population under each treatment studied in the trials. The estimator uses covariate, treatment, and outcome data from the collection of trials, but only covariate data from the target population sample. We show that it is doubly robust in the sense that it is consistent and asymptotically normal when at least one of the models it relies on is correctly specified. We study the finite sample properties of the estimator in simulation studies and demonstrate its implementation using data from a multicenter randomized trial.

Suggested Citation

  • Issa J. Dahabreh & Sarah E. Robertson & Lucia C. Petito & Miguel A. Hernán & Jon A. Steingrimsson, 2023. "Efficient and robust methods for causally interpretable meta‐analysis: Transporting inferences from multiple randomized trials to a target population," Biometrics, The International Biometric Society, vol. 79(2), pages 1057-1072, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:biomet:v:79:y:2023:i:2:p:1057-1072
    DOI: 10.1111/biom.13716
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Melody Y Huang & Harsh Parikh, 2024. "Towards Generalizing Inferences from Trials to Target Populations," Papers 2402.17042, arXiv.org, revised May 2024.
    2. Julia H. Littell, 2024. "The Logic of Generalization From Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Impact Evaluations," Evaluation Review, , vol. 48(3), pages 427-460, June.

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