Systematic reviews and meta-analysis of prognostic studies
Organisors: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care and Dutch Cochrane Center, UMC
Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Website: www.
Coordinator: Thomas Debray, PhD (e-mail: T.Debray@umcutrecht.nl)
Co-convenors: Prof. Carl Moons, Dr. Lotty Hooft, Rene Spijker MSc.
Educational office: msc-epidemiology@umcutrecht.nl
Course days: weekdays
Lecture times: between 10:00 and 17:00
Course format: lectures, small group discussions, computer exercises, self-study
Duration:
4 days
Date: 26 – 29 mei 2015
Topics day-by-day:
1. Introduction to systematic reviews of prognostic studies. Lecturers: Carl Moons + Lotty Hooft
Morning: Lecture + Practical (Exercises)
a. Lay out of the course
b. Types of prognostic studies and systematic reviews of prognostic studies
Afternoon: Lecture + Practical (Exercises)
c. Formulating the review question (PICO) and protocol of a review
2. Searching, Data extraction, Critical appraisal, Risk of Bias. Lecturers: Rene Spijker, Carl
Moons, Lotty Hooft
Morning: Lecture and computer practical
a. Searching for prognostic studies
Afternoon: Lecture and Practical
b. Data extraction, Critical appraisal, Risk of bias
3. Meta-analysis of prognostic studies. Lecturer: Thomas Debray
Morning: Lectures and exercises
a. Rationale, Advantages/disadvantages of Meta-analysis of prognostic studies
Afternoon: Computer Practical
b. Meta-analysis of prognostic models
4. Meta-analysis of prognostic studies (contd.). Lecturer: Thomas Debray, Carl Moons, Lotty
Hooft
Morning: Lectures and computer practical
a. Restoring unreported estimates
b. Meta-analysis of incremental value of prognostic factor
c. Q&A
Afternoon: Examination
Course description:
The number of primary studies evaluating prognostic factors and models is rising per day. Alike for
therapies and diagnostic tests, critically summarizing and analyzing the evidence form prognostic
studies in a systematic review and meta analysis is beneficial for health care professionals seeking
the best evidence. Reviews of prognostic studies are much more challenging because of more
variation in questions & designs, specific sources of bias & variation, and more complex statistical
meta-analytical models. Several advances regarding the design, critical appraisal and statistical
analysis in systematic reviews of prognostic studies, have recently been made. In this course we
discuss and practice how to define your review questions, how to search the literature, how to
critically assess the methodological quality of primary prognostic studies, and which statistical
methods to use for meta-analyses of the results of primary prognostic studies. The course consists of
plenary presentations, small-group discussions, and computer exercises.
Background knowledge
In this course, we expect participants to have a basic knowledge about the principles of prognostic
research (a short recap will be given at day 1) and of systematic reviews and meta-analysis.
Furthermore, computer exercises will be done using the statistical software R, so knowledge of basic
R commands is desired (see also R tutorial under day 1).
Course objectives:
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
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Explain the rationale for performing a systematic review of prognostic studies
List the key steps of a systematic review of prognostic studies
Formulate a focused review question addressing a prognostic problem
Systematically search the literature
Critically appraise the evidence from primary prognostic studies
Formulate the difficulties of meta-analysis of prognostic research
Meta-analyses of performance of prognostic models
Meta-analyses of the added value of specific prognostic factors
Assessment:
On Friday (Day 4), there will be an examination. Furthermore, minimally 80% of the course activities
should be attended.