Background: In the last decade, various software tools have been developed for network meta-analysis (NMA), but presentation and interpretation of findings from large networks of interventions remain a challenging task.
Objectives: We developed a fully interactive online tool called ‘NMAstudio’, aimed to facilitate the production and visualization of key NMA results through a direct connection between a customizable network plot and all NMA outputs.
Methods: In NMAstudio, users can upload their data and interact with the network diagram by clicking one or more nodes-treatments or edges-comparisons. Based on their selection, different outputs and information are displayed: (a) boxplots of effect modifiers assisting the evaluation of transitivity; (b) pairwise or NMA forest plots and bidimensional plots if two outcomes are given; (c) league tables coloured by risk of bias or confidence ratings from the CINeMA framework; (d) incoherence tests; (e) comparison-adjusted funnel plots; (f) ranking plots; and (g) evolution of the network over time. Pop-up windows containing extra information and guidance are enabled. An access token can also be generated by the user and can be used to save their project and further share it publicly to foster reproducibility.
Results: We illustrate NMAstudio using a comprehensive network of 20 drugs for chronic plaque psoriasis, and we demonstrate how our tool simplifies the visualisation of complex networks and facilitates checking of assumptions as well as interpretation and sharing of results.
Conclusions: In summary, our web application provides a truly interactive, flexible and user-friendly tool to display, enhance and communicate the NMA findings.
Patient, public and/or healthcare consumer involvement: None.