Agenda:
Although aggregate data (AD) from randomised clinical trials (RCTs) are used in the majority of network meta-analyses (NMAs), other study designs (e.g., cohort studies and other non-randomised studies, NRS) can be informative about relative treatment effects. The individual participant data (IPD) of the study, when available, are preferred to AD for adjusting for important participant characteristics and to better handle heterogeneity and inconsistency in the network. The presenters developed a suite of Bayesian NMA and network meta-regression (NMR) models allowing for cross-design (RCT and NRS) and cross-format (IPD and AD) synthesis. They implemented these models in a new R package crossnma. Crossnma can be used to apply wide range of evidence synthesis methods, including standard meta-analysis and NMA with only RCT that is available in AD formatting.