Systematic reviews and meta-analysis with sub-groups - A commentary

As the outcomes of systematic reviews and meta-analysis are used to inform clinical practice it is imperative that the review and meta-analysis conducted is accurate and rigorous. In this commentary the authors wish to review the recommended approaches to be used when conducting a meta-analysis of quantitative data in a systematic review and outline the common errors and risks. The authors of this commentary aim to highlight the consequence of potential errors when conducting a meta-analysis using sub-groups with an example from a systematic review published in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy in 2019.