Final answer:
A meta-analysis is a research method that integrates the results of multiple studies to assess the efficacy of a treatment and is an important tool in the field of epidemiology.
Step-by-step explanation:
A study that statistically analyzes and integrates the results of several studies to make clinical recommendations about the overall efficacy of a particular type of treatment is described as a meta-analysis. This technique involves evaluating together the findings from all relevant studies on a specific subject. By pooling data from various sources, a meta-analysis can provide a more robust estimate of the treatment's effectiveness than any single study alone.
Meta-analysis is a valuable tool in evidence-based medicine and can help in the formulation of guidelines by systematically reviewing the literature. This method can also identify patterns across different studies, which can be crucial for understanding the impact of variables like dosage, patient population, and study design on treatment outcomes.
Performing a meta-analysis requires a thorough understanding of statistical methods and is an example of inferential statistics, where conclusions about a population are drawn from a sample. This kind of research is central to the field of epidemiology, which often relies on such analyses to inform public health decisions.