This study aims to introduce how to use the PROBAST (prediction model risk of bias assessment tool) to evaluate risk of bias and applicability of the study of diagnostic or prognostic predictive models, including the introduction of the background, the scope of application and use of the tool. This tool mainly involves the four areas of participants, predictors, outcomes and analyses. The risk of bias in the research is evaluated through the four areas, while the applicability is evaluated in the first three. PROBAST provides a standardized approach to evaluate the critical appraisal of the study of diagnostic or prognostic predictive models, which screens qualified literature for data analysis and helps to establish a scientific basis for clinical decision-making.
Bias in clinical trials or systematic reviews may result in overestimation or underestimation of the benefits or harms of the interventions, and conclusions may be false. Meta-epidemiological study is an important tool to identify and quantify the impact of potential bias characteristics, and it can provide empirical evidence for controlling the bias. This paper summarized the origin, development and definition of the meta-epidemiology study, and discussed the challenges and development trends, so as to provide references for carrying out the meta-epidemiological studies.
The guideline for reporting meta-epidemiological research, based on PRISMA, aims to increase the reporting quality and transparency of meta-epidemiological studies. This paper introduced and interpreted the 24 reporting items in the guidelines for reporting meta-epidemiological research to provide a reference for standardizing the reporting of meta-epidemiological studies.
