Simulation evaluation of statistical properties of methods for indirect and mixed treatment comparisons

Table 2 Impact of simulated biases on the results of different comparison methods

Comparison methods	Actual true biases
Comparison methods	Trials not biased	All trials similarly biased	One set of AIC trials biased	DC trials biased
Direct comparison (DTC)	Not biased	Fully biased	Not biased	Fully biased
Indirect comparison (AITC)	Not biased	Not biased	Fully biased	Not biased
Consistency frequentist MTC	Not biased	Moderately biased	Moderately biased	Moderately biased
Consistency Bayesian MTC	Not biased	Moderately biased	Moderately biased	Moderately biased
Inconsistency Bayesian meta-analysis	Not biased	Fully biased	Not biased	Fully biased
Random inconsistency Bayesian MTC (RIBMTC)	Not biased	Fully biased	Not biased	Fully biased

(Note: “Fully biased” – the bias equals the bias in trials; “Moderately biased” – as a result of combining biased direct estimate and unbiased indirect estimate, or a result of combining unbiased direct estimate and biased indirect estimate).

ISSN: 1471-2288