1. The right methodology for long-term vascular access research: Three burning questions
- Author
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Paolo Balsorano and Fulvio Pinelli
- Subjects
Catheterization, Central Venous ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Biomedical Research ,Time Factors ,business.industry ,Field (Bourdieu) ,Vascular access ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Term (time) ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Physical medicine and rehabilitation ,Meta-Analysis as Topic ,Research Design ,Nephrology ,Catheterization, Peripheral ,medicine ,Humans ,Surgery ,Prospective Studies ,030212 general & internal medicine ,business ,Retrospective Studies - Abstract
Over the last 20 years, there has been a great proliferation of studies of different aspects of the long-term vascular access field. Despite the availability of such studies, methodological pitfalls surrounding long-term vascular access research are rarely mentioned. Methodological issues inherent to retrospective analyses make them very poor tools for providing generalizable results, as they often become estimates of local experiences rather than reflections of up-to-date practices. Second, despite being an often-ignored element when designing studies on catheter-related complications, a proper follow-up time definition and its length are crucial to limiting the impact of attrition bias on research results. Finally, meta-analyses constitute a powerful tool in modern evidence-based era, but several pitfalls can affect overall results. When designing a systematic review and meta-analytic process, study selection should always reflect the relevance of clinical questions and the capability to contextualize results in the modern and evidence-based vascular access era.
- Published
- 2020