Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are critical for evidence-based clinical practice. The widespread and growing use of meta-analysis to synthesize evidence on key clinical questions makes it imperative for health professionals to be able to understand it. We T.E.A.C.H. (Teaching Evidence Assimilation for Collaborative Healthcare) to Save Lives
Saving lives by testing treatments
In the late 1940s, groups of researchers in Europe and the USA led one of the most important developments of medical research by refining the methods for testing treatments in random trials. At that time, neonatologists were worried about a major outbreak of a new kind of visual loss affecting thousands of the prematurely born … Continue reading Saving lives by testing treatments
Individual Patient Meta-Analysis
Workshop Title: Individual Patient Meta-Analysis Workshop moderator: Ashraf Fawzy Nabhan Workshop format: Quiz game Venue: Fairmont Hotel Date: Thursday May 31, 2012 - at 3:30 pm Background In all systematic reviews, the evidence being brought together for a particular intervention needs to be as free from bias and as reliable as possible. This is why most reviews of … Continue reading Individual Patient Meta-Analysis
Non-inferiority and equivalence trials
Non-inferiority and equivalence trials have methodological features that differ from superiority trials and present particular difficulties in design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation. Although the rationale for such trials occurs frequently, those designed and described specifically as non-inferiority or equivalence trials appear less commonly in the medical literature. Learn more about NI and E RCTs by attending … Continue reading Non-inferiority and equivalence trials
The Forest Plot
A graphical representation of the individual results of each study included in a meta-analysis together with the combined meta-analysis result. The plot also allows readers to see the heterogeneity among the results of the studies. The results of individual studies are shown as squares centred on each study’s point estimate. A horizontal line runs through … Continue reading The Forest Plot
Fixed- vs Random-effects models in meta-analysis
The selection of a model should be based on the nature of the studies and our goals. The fixed effect model makes sense if (a) there is reason to believe that all the studies are functionally identical, and (b) our goal is to compute the common effect size, which would then be generalized to other … Continue reading Fixed- vs Random-effects models in meta-analysis
An Introduction to meta-analysis
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are critical for evidence-based clinical and public health practice. The widespread and growing application of systematic reviews to synthesize evidence on key research and clinical questions makes it useful for health professionals to be able to understand and critique this research design. This workshop will provide a detailed description of the systematic … Continue reading An Introduction to meta-analysis
What human want! Outcomes Research
For clinicians and patients, outcomes research provides evidence about benefits, risks, and results of treatments so they can make more informed decisions
Utilizing the results of DTA studies
Clinical questions regarding the diagnosis of disease is a challenge in the era of EBM because of the challenge to understand and apply the results of DTA studies. Currently, The Likelihood Ratio (LR) is used to assess how good a diagnostic test is and to help in selecting an appropriate diagnostic test(s) or sequence of … Continue reading Utilizing the results of DTA studies
QUADAS-2
A quality assessment tool for diagnostic accuracy studies The original QUADAS tool was developed through a collaborative project between the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD), University of York, and the Academic Medical Centre at the University of Amsterdam. It was funded through the HTA programme and was published in 2003. Since its development QUADAS … Continue reading QUADAS-2
ECEBM 