Course description

Systematic reviews are regarded as the highest level of evidence- based medicine. A systematic review phrases a specific and well-de- fined research question and aims to identify and appraise all published studies. The methodology used is predefined and study characteristics and risk of bias assessment are performed to gain an overview of study validity. If feasible data are extracted and meta-analyses performed.

This leads to a robust, unbiased and evidence-based overview, which can be used to generate new hypotheses and define future research within a certain research field.

This course is suitable for researchers within the field of experimental animal studies and clinical studies who wish to be acquainted with the systematic review methodology and perhaps perform their own review. You may be new within a research field as well a more experienced within your own research field.

You will obtain valuable information on how to move forward performing systematic reviews and you will participate in hands-on training in the synthesis of evidence. The workshop sessions give you access to practice all steps necessary to perform a systematic review. The last day of the course is a protocol preparation day where you commence writ- ing your own systematic review protocol.

ECTS credits

Participation in this course equals 2.4 ECTS (including the joint session).

Programme

• Day 1: Systematic reviews of preclinical animal studies
• Day 2: Systematic reviews of clinical studies
• Day 3: Protocol preparation