Can we individualize the ‘number needed to treat’? An empirical study of summary effect measures in meta-analyses

The fixed effects OR, random effects OR and random effects RR appear to be reasonably constant across different baseline risks. Given the interpretational and arithmetic ease of RR, clinicians may wish to rely on the random effects model RR and use the PEER to individualize NNT when they apply the results of a meta-analysis in their practice.