Integrating Sankey Diagrams Into Meta-Analysis Reporting: A Novel Approach to Visualizing Intergroup Relationships, Study Inclusion, Event Rates, and Statistical Outcomes in Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis of Pediatric Surgery

Abstract

Meta-analyses are among the most valuable methodologies in clinical research, as they integrate data from multiple studies to generate stronger and more reliable conclusions. Traditionally, statistical outcomes in meta-analyses are displayed through forest plots, funnel plots. These tools are the core of meta-analysis and are useful for displaying results. Nevertheless, these tools are limited in their ability to provide an integrated visualization of key meta-analytic outcomes—such as intergroup relationships, number of included studies, number of patients, percentages, and p-values—within a single figure.

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