You can enter the data for each test that you want to include in your review in two ways:
per study, for all tests reported in that study, or
per test, for all studies that report data about that test.
If you have many included studies and only a few tests, entering the data by test will be easiest, and vice-versa. Regardless of which option you choose, RevMan automatically also uses the data in the other section.
Tip: If you define covariates before you begin entering data, the covariates can be entered simultaneously with the rest of the data, see Covariates.
The following section describes entering data by test, but the same principles apply when entering data per study.
The test's tab will have a row for each study. There are 4 or more columns in this table where you can enter data: data: true positives (TP), false positives (FP), false negatives (FN) and true negatives (TN) - plus a column for each covariate you have specified.
If you know TP, FP, FN and TN for all included studies you can directly input the data in the table.
To enter data
Click in the cell where you want to begin entering data.
Input the data.
Move to the next cell and repeat.
You can use the Tab key to move to the following data cell, or use the arrow keys to move in any direction.
When you have finished inputting the data for each study, RevMan automatically calculates the values of sensitivity and specificity and plots the forest plots of sensitivity and specificity.
If you only know some of the values of the 2 by 2 tables for an included study, you can use the calculator tool to obtain the 2 by 2 Table from other parameters, such as sensitivity and specificity.
To calculate data
Open either
A Study tab in Data tables by study and click a study or
A Test tab in Data tables by Test and click a test.
Click .
The calculator window opens. Any study data already entered is used in the corresponding fields.
Input the data you have.
If the number you enter is valid, the background in the cell is green, but if there is an error in the data, the background is red. For example, you should enter sensitivity and specificity as proportions and not as percentages. So for example, 0.74 instead of 74 or 74%. If you enter 74, the cell turns red.
Tip: You can use the Tab key to move to the next field.
Click OK.
The values in the relevant fields are transferred to the Data table.