DAMASCENE and Meta-Ecological Research: A Bridge Too Far.

Abstract

Population level studies commonly induce the ecological fallacy, i.e., the belief that a relationship identified at the population level implies a cause and effect relationship at the level of the individual. A recent research report (DAMASCENE) that related clinical trial effect sizes in cardiovascular cell therapy trials to reporting discrepancies in the trials themselves has compounded meta-analysis difficulties with ecological fallacy issues. This dangerous combination has produced misleading conclusions and speculation that the research community should set aside.