medical-meta-analysis-writing

# Medical Meta-analysis Writing ## When to Use Use this skill when the task is to plan, execute, write, revise, or audit a medical or clinical systematic review with or without quantitative meta-analysis. This skill is designed for publication-grade work rather than generic literature summaries. Typical triggers: - Draft a medical SCI meta-analysis - Plan a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol - Build PRISMA-compliant screening and exclusion logic - Extract study data and assess risk of bias - Choose effect measures and synthesis structure - Write a JAMA-style title, Key Points, abstract, and manuscript - Stress-test a meta-analysis before submission ## Default Policy Apply these defaults unless the user explicitly overrides them: - English-language full-text literature only - Exclude grey literature, conference abstracts, dissertations, protocols, and preprints - Default journal style: JAMA-like medical manuscript structure and tone - Default review type: pairwise medical or clinical systematic review and meta-analysis - Default interpretation style: conservative, evidence-proportionate, non-promotional - Observational evidence should not be framed causally unless clearly justified ## Workflow Gatekeeping Rules Do not skip these gates: - Do not proceed to statistical synthesis or manuscript drafting before protocol-level decisions are stable. Load [prompt-module-1-protocol.md](references/prompt-module-1-protocol.md). - Do not produce PRISMA narrative text until full-text screening and exclusion logging are complete. Load [prompt-module-2-search-screening.md](references/prompt-module-2-search-screening.md). - Inclusion in the systematic review does not automatically imply inclusion in quantitative synthesis. Load [prompt-module-3-extraction-bias.md](references/prompt-module-3-extraction-bias.md). - Do not start pooled synthesis until candidate synthesis sets and pooling eligibility are defined. Load [prompt-module-4-statistical-synthesis.md](references/prompt-module-4-statistical-synthesis.md). - Do not write strong conclusions before certainty of evidence is assessed. Load [prompt-module-5-grade-displays.md](references/prompt-module-5-grade-displays.md). - If quantitative synthesis is not justified or not performed, downgrade the article type and front matter from meta-analysis to systematic review. ## Workflow Map Follow the workflow in order: 1. Topic feasibility, question framing, and protocol drafting 2. Search strategy, title/abstract screening, and full-text exclusion logging 3. Data extraction, risk-of-bias assessment, and pooling eligibility decisions 4. Effect measure selection, primary synthesis, heterogeneity, subgroup, sensitivity, and publication-bias analysis 5. GRADE certainty assessment, Summary of Findings logic, and figure/table package design 6. JAMA-style front matter and full manuscript drafting 7. Submission audit, reviewer simulation, and cover letter preparation For the full dependency map, load [workflow-overview.md](references/workflow-overview.md). ## Which Reference File to Load Load only the files needed for the current stage: - Methodological hard rules: [methodology-core.md](references/methodology-core.md) - Workflow dependencies and stage inputs/outputs: [workflow-overview.md](references/workflow-overview.md) - Topic framing and protocol prompts: [prompt-module-1-protocol.md](references/prompt-module-1-protocol.md) - Search, screening, and PRISMA prompts: [prompt-module-2-search-screening.md](references/prompt-module-2-search-screening.md) - Extraction, bias, and pooling-eligibility prompts: [prompt-module-3-extraction-bias.md](references/prompt-module-3-extraction-bias.md) - Statistical synthesis prompts: [prompt-module-4-statistical-synthesis.md](references/prompt-module-4-statistical-synthesis.md) - GRADE, Summary of Findings, and display prompts: [prompt-module-5-grade-displays.md](references/prompt-module-5-grade-displays.md) - Title, abstract, IMRAD, and conclusion prompts: [prompt-module-6-manuscript-writing.md](references/prompt-module-6-manuscript-writing.md) - Submission audit, reviewer simulation, and cover letter prompts: [prompt-module-7-submission-review.md](references/prompt-module-7-submission-review.md) - JAMA-facing style constraints: [journal-style-jama.md](references/journal-style-jama.md) ## Output Standards Unless the user asks otherwise: - Final manuscript prose should be in English - Working explanations and methodological reasoning may be in Chinese - Report effect estimates with uncertainty, not p-values alone - Distinguish pre-specified analyses from exploratory analyses - Distinguish narrative-only inclusion from pooling-ready inclusion - Keep claims aligned with risk of bias, heterogeneity, and GRADE certainty - Prefer honest downgrading over overstated synthesis