IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0115065.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Network Meta-Analysis Using R: A Review of Currently Available Automated Packages

Author

Listed:
  • Binod Neupane
  • Danielle Richer
  • Ashley Joel Bonner
  • Taddele Kibret
  • Joseph Beyene

Abstract

Network meta-analysis (NMA) – a statistical technique that allows comparison of multiple treatments in the same meta-analysis simultaneously – has become increasingly popular in the medical literature in recent years. The statistical methodology underpinning this technique and software tools for implementing the methods are evolving. Both commercial and freely available statistical software packages have been developed to facilitate the statistical computations using NMA with varying degrees of functionality and ease of use. This paper aims to introduce the reader to three R packages, namely, gemtc, pcnetmeta, and netmeta, which are freely available software tools implemented in R. Each automates the process of performing NMA so that users can perform the analysis with minimal computational effort. We present, compare and contrast the availability and functionality of different important features of NMA in these three packages so that clinical investigators and researchers can determine which R packages to implement depending on their analysis needs. Four summary tables detailing (i) data input and network plotting, (ii) modeling options, (iii) assumption checking and diagnostic testing, and (iv) inference and reporting tools, are provided, along with an analysis of a previously published dataset to illustrate the outputs available from each package. We demonstrate that each of the three packages provides a useful set of tools, and combined provide users with nearly all functionality that might be desired when conducting a NMA.

Suggested Citation

  • Binod Neupane & Danielle Richer & Ashley Joel Bonner & Taddele Kibret & Joseph Beyene, 2014. "Network Meta-Analysis Using R: A Review of Currently Available Automated Packages," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(12), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0115065
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115065
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0115065
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0115065&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0115065?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sofia Dias & Alex J. Sutton & A. E. Ades & Nicky J. Welton, 2013. "Evidence Synthesis for Decision Making 2," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 33(5), pages 607-617, July.
    2. Adriani Nikolakopoulou & Anna Chaimani & Areti Angeliki Veroniki & Haris S Vasiliadis & Christopher H Schmid & Georgia Salanti, 2014. "Characteristics of Networks of Interventions: A Description of a Database of 186 Published Networks," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(1), pages 1-10, January.
    3. Sofia Dias & Alex J. Sutton & Nicky J. Welton & A. E. Ades, 2013. "Evidence Synthesis for Decision Making 6," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 33(5), pages 671-678, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dong Hyuk Kang & Kang Su Cho & Won Sik Ham & Hyungmin Lee & Jong Kyou Kwon & Young Deuk Choi & Joo Yong Lee, 2016. "Comparison of High, Intermediate, and Low Frequency Shock Wave Lithotripsy for Urinary Tract Stone Disease: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(7), pages 1-22, July.
    2. Fernanda S Tonin & Helena H Borba & Antonio M Mendes & Astrid Wiens & Fernando Fernandez-Llimos & Roberto Pontarolo, 2019. "Description of network meta-analysis geometry: A metrics design study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(2), pages 1-14, February.
    3. Hongwei Zhang & Jun Chen & Tingting Liu & Jun Dang & Guang Li, 2019. "First-line treatments in EGFR-mutated advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A network meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(10), pages 1-14, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. David M. Phillippo & Sofia Dias & A. E. Ades & Mark Belger & Alan Brnabic & Alexander Schacht & Daniel Saure & Zbigniew Kadziola & Nicky J. Welton, 2020. "Multilevel network meta‐regression for population‐adjusted treatment comparisons," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 183(3), pages 1189-1210, June.
    2. Mohamed A. Hassan & Wenxi Liu & Daniel J. McDonough & Xiwen Su & Zan Gao, 2022. "Comparative Effectiveness of Physical Activity Intervention Programs on Motor Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-12, September.
    3. Konstantinos Katsanos & Panagiotis Kitrou & Stavros Spiliopoulos & Ioannis Maroulis & Theodore Petsas & Dimitris Karnabatidis, 2017. "Comparative effectiveness of different transarterial embolization therapies alone or in combination with local ablative or adjuvant systemic treatments for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A net," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(9), pages 1-31, September.
    4. Felix A Achana & Alex J Sutton & Denise Kendrick & Persephone Wynn & Ben Young & David R Jones & Stephanie J Hubbard & Nicola J Cooper, 2015. "The Effectiveness of Different Interventions to Promote Poison Prevention Behaviours in Households with Children: A Network Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(4), pages 1-18, April.
    5. Yicong Ye & Hongzhi Xie & Yong Zeng & Xiliang Zhao & Zhuang Tian & Shuyang Zhang, 2014. "Optimal Oral Antithrombotic Regimes for Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Network Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(3), pages 1-8, March.
    6. Lukas Schwingshackl & Sofia Dias & Barbara Strasser & Georg Hoffmann, 2013. "Impact of Different Training Modalities on Anthropometric and Metabolic Characteristics in Overweight/Obese Subjects: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(12), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Pepijn Vemer & Maiwenn J Al & Mark Oppe & Maureen P M H Rutten-van Mölken, 2017. "Mix and match. A simulation study on the impact of mixed-treatment comparison methods on health-economic outcomes," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-20, February.
    8. Peixia Cheng & Liheng Tan & Peishan Ning & Li Li & Yuyan Gao & Yue Wu & David C. Schwebel & Haitao Chu & Huaiqiong Yin & Guoqing Hu, 2018. "Comparative Effectiveness of Published Interventions for Elderly Fall Prevention: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-14, March.
    9. Peter D. Gluckman & Anne Bardsley & Matthias Kaiser, 2021. "Brokerage at the science–policy interface: from conceptual framework to practical guidance," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, December.
    10. Stephane Régnier & William Malcolm & Felicity Allen & Jonathan Wright & Vladimir Bezlyak, 2014. "Efficacy of Anti-VEGF and Laser Photocoagulation in the Treatment of Visual Impairment due to Diabetic Macular Edema: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(7), pages 1-10, July.
    11. Ferrán Catalá-López & Brian Hutton & Amparo Núñez-Beltrán & Matthew J Page & Manuel Ridao & Diego Macías Saint-Gerons & Miguel A Catalá & Rafael Tabarés-Seisdedos & David Moher, 2017. "The pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: A systematic review with network meta-analyses of randomised trials," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(7), pages 1-31, July.
    12. Laura M Sawyer & Kinga Malottki & Celia Sabry-Grant & Najeeda Yasmeen & Emily Wright & Anne Sohrt & Emma Borg & Richard B Warren, 2019. "Assessing the relative efficacy of interleukin-17 and interleukin-23 targeted treatments for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of PASI response," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(8), pages 1-31, August.
    13. Konstantinos Katsanos & Stavros Spiliopoulos & Prakash Saha & Athanasios Diamantopoulos & Narayan Karunanithy & Miltiadis Krokidis & Bijan Modarai & Dimitris Karnabatidis, 2015. "Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Different Antiplatelet Agents for Prevention of Major Cardiovascular Events and Leg Amputations in Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Systematic Review and," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(8), pages 1-19, August.
    14. Wei Ding & Yulin Tan & Yan Qian & Wenbo Xue & Yibo Wang & Peng Jiang & Xuezhong Xu, 2020. "First-line targ veted therapies of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A Bayesian network analysis of randomized controlled trials," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-19, March.
    15. Fei Wen & Hongheng Du & Liangliang Ding & Jinxi Hu & Zifeng Huang & Hua Huang & Kaikai Li & Yuxia Mo & Anyin Kuang, 2020. "Clinical efficacy and safety of drug interventions for primary and secondary prevention of osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women: Network meta-analysis followed by factor and cluster analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-22, June.
    16. Vignan Yogendrakumar & Ronda Lun & Faizan Khan & Kristin Salottolo & Karine Lacut & Catriona Graham & Martin Dennis & Brian Hutton & Philip S Wells & Dean Fergusson & Dar Dowlatshahi, 2020. "Venous thromboembolism prevention in intracerebral hemorrhage: A systematic review and network meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(6), pages 1-14, June.
    17. Sarah Donegan & Lisa Williams & Sofia Dias & Catrin Tudur-Smith & Nicky Welton, 2015. "Exploring Treatment by Covariate Interactions Using Subgroup Analysis and Meta-Regression in Cochrane Reviews: A Review of Recent Practice," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(6), pages 1-17, June.
    18. Jesse Elliott & Amy Johnston & Don Husereau & Shannon E Kelly & Caroline Eagles & Alice Charach & Shu-Ching Hsieh & Zemin Bai & Alomgir Hossain & Becky Skidmore & Eva Tsakonas & Dagmara Chojecki & Muh, 2020. "Pharmacologic treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults: A systematic review and network meta-analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(10), pages 1-35, October.
    19. Fernanda S Tonin & Helena H Borba & Antonio M Mendes & Astrid Wiens & Fernando Fernandez-Llimos & Roberto Pontarolo, 2019. "Description of network meta-analysis geometry: A metrics design study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(2), pages 1-14, February.
    20. Dipen A Patel & Sonya J Snedecor & Wing Yu Tang & Lavanya Sudharshan & Jessica W Lim & Robert Cuffe & Sonia Pulgar & Kim A Gilchrist & Rodrigo Refoios Camejo & Jennifer Stephens & Garrett Nichols, 2014. "48-Week Efficacy and Safety of Dolutegravir Relative to Commonly Used Third Agents in Treatment-Naive HIV-1–Infected Patients: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(9), pages 1-10, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0115065. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.