describe_network: A function to describe the evidence base

Description

Calculates the necessary elements to describe the evidence base for an outcome across the network, the interventions, and observed comparisons.

Usage

describe_network(data, drug_names, measure, save_xls)

Value

describe_network returns the following data-frames that describe the evidence base:

network_description: The number of: interventions, possible comparisons, direct and indirect comparisons, number of trials in total, number of two-arm and multi-arm trials, number of randomised participants, and proportion of participants completing the trial (completers). When the outcome is binary, the number of trials with at least one zero event, and the number of trials with all zero events are also presented.
table_interventions: For each intervention, the number of trials, number of randomised participants, and proportion of completers. When the outcome is binary, the data-frame presents also the corresponding proportion of total observed events, the minimum, median and maximum proportion of observed events across the corresponding trials.
table_comparisons: Identical structure to table_interventions but for each observed comparison in the network.

Arguments

data: A data-frame of a one-trial-per-row format containing arm-level data of each trial. See 'Format' in run_model.
drug_names: A vector of labels with the name of the interventions in the order they appear in the argument data.
measure: Character string indicating the effect measure. For a binary outcome, the following can be considered: "OR", "RR" or "RD" for the odds ratio, relative risk, and risk difference, respectively. For a continuous outcome, the following can be considered: "MD", "SMD", or "ROM" for mean difference, standardised mean difference and ratio of means, respectively.
save_xls: Logical to indicate whether to export the tabulated results to an 'xlsx' file (via the write_xlsx function of the R-package writexl) at the working directory of the user. The default is FALSE (do not export).

Author

Loukia M. Spineli

Details

describe_network calls data_preparation to facilitate the calculations.