Introduction to Cumulative Meta-Analysis and Application of CMA Software

Objective To introduce cumulative meta-analysis method and principle and usage of CMA software. Methods One real example was used to demonstrate the usage and procedure of cumulative meta-analysis. Two ways and four plots were illustrated with CMA. Results Cumulative meta-analysis is a special method which can visualize cumulative characteristics of data. This method can be fulfilled by CMA. Cumulative meta-analysis method can not only display how the evidence has accumulated over time according to sorting chronologically, but also how the results shift as a function of some other covariate. Conclusions The method of cumulative meta-analysis has multiple applications and should be applied widely. However difference between cumulative meta-analysis and meta regression should be distinguished.