2011Swiss Epidemiology Winter School

Systematic Reviews in the Health Sciences:Meta-Analysis in Context

Hotel Jungfraublick, Wengen, Switzerland, January 17–21, 2011

The volume of data that needs to be considered in the health sciences is constantly expanding. In many areas it has become impossible for the individual to critically evaluate and synthesise the state of knowledge and keep updating this on a regular basis. Reviews are essential tools to achieve this; however, it has become clear that conventio-nal, narrative reviews are an unreliable source of information. There has therefore been increasing focus on formal methods of systematically reviewing studies, to produce explicitly formulated, reproducible summaries of the effects of health care interventions, lifestyle and genetic exposures. This course is aimed at researchers and health care professionals who want to perform state-of-the-art systematic reviews and meta-analyses of clinical trials and obser-vational studies.

Course objectivesBy the end of this short course participants will have an understanding of • the role and potential of systematic reviews and the appropriate place of meta-analysis in the evaluation of health care interventions; • the principles, steps and statistical methods involved; • the biases that can distort reviews and ways to detect such biases and • the issues surrounding systematic reviews of observational studies. Importantly, participants will gain practical experience in performing meta-analyses in Stata®, including meta-analyses of randomised clinical trials, of individual patient data, of dose-response relations in epidemiology and of diagnostic test accuracy studies.

Faculty

• Prof. Matthias Egger, Prof. Peter Jüni, Dr Thomas Gsponer, Institute of Social & Preventive Medicine (ISPM), University of Bern, Switzerland• Dr Julian Higgins, MRC Biostatistics Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, UK

Sunday

• Installation of Stata® software on students’ laptop computers• Introduction to Stata®: optional computer practical for students not familiar with Stata®

Monday • Why do we need systematic reviews?• Measures of treatment effects and association, with practical exercises• Anatomy of a systematic review• Basic statistical methods: fi xed-effect and random-effects models• Computer practical: Basic meta-analysis

Tuesday• Identifying relevant studies• Assessing the quality of clinical trials and observational studies• Group work: How good is this study?• Bias in meta-analysis and how to detect it• Advanced statistical methods: meta-regression• Computer practical: Meta-regression

Wednesday

• Methods for meta-analysis of trials with continuous outcomes• Combining direct and indirect comparisons in meta-analysis • Group work: How good is this meta-analysis?• Computer practical: Meta-analysis of continuous outcomes and mixed treatment comparisons

Thursday• Introduction to systematic reviews of observational studies• Systematic reviews of dose-response relations in epidemiology• Meta-analysis of Individual Patient Data (IPD)• Group work: How good is this meta-analysis?• Computer practical: Dose-response meta-analysis and IPD meta-analysis

Friday• Systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy studies• Statistical methods for meta-analysis of test accuracy• Presentations of work by students• Question and answer session and feed back on course• Computer practical: Meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies

Outline of courseThe course will run each day from 8 to 12 am and from 4:30 to 7 pm. The seminar room will be available after dinner for students who want to continue working on their own. On Tuesday to Friday days will start with a brief review of the previous day.

Laptops, Wi-Fi and course materialsStudents will bring their own portable computers. A course license of Stata® will be installed by University of Bern IT staff on arrival on Sunday. Wi-Fi will be available free of charge in the course room and lobby area. Detailed course materials will be provided and students will be able to purchase a copy of «Systematic reviews in Health Care: Meta-Analysis in Context» by Egger M, Altman DG, Davey Smith G (Editors) at a reduced price. Course participants will be given the opportunity to present their work during dedicated lunchtime seminars on Friday.

The setting: Jungfrau Region, Wengen and Hotel Jungfraublick

The Jungfrau Region with the resorts of Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren and Lauterbrunnen lies embedded in varied and Alpine scenery in the heart of Switzerland. The course will be held in Wengen, which is situated at 1274 m on a sheltered sun terrace at the foot of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Since 1893 access to Wengen has been via the historic Wengernalp rackrailway from Lauterbrunnen. The Jungfrau Region is a paradise for not only skiing, but also for snowboarding, hiking and snow-shoeing. The region has over 40 lifts and cable cars and over 200 km of slopes. Students may (or may not) want to participate in the 68th International Inferno Races on Schilthorn, Mürren 19–21 January. Boarders will have fun in the snowboard parks on Grindelwald–First and Mürren–Schilthorn. See www.myjungfrau.ch and www.inferno-muerren.ch for further details. We will stay at Hotel Jungfraublick (www.jungfraublick.com), which is only 5–10 minutes away from the Männlichen cable car and railway stations.

Dates

Participants will arrive in Wengen on Sunday, January 16, 2011. The course will run from January 17 (Monday) to January 21 (Friday). Departure date will be Saturday, January 22.

Course fee and hotel costs (in CHF)Course fee 1125.– Double occupancy with balcony 825.– Single occupancy with balcony 930.– Double occupancy, no balcony 755.– Single occupancy, no balcony 860.–

Terms and conditionsThe course fee is inclusive of course materials and light refreshments during coffee breaks. The costs for accommodation (6 nights) are inclusive of half board (breakfast buffet and 3-course dinner) and transport of luggage to Wengen railway station.

Payment is due upon registration. Two weeks notice of cancellation needs to be received in writing; failure will result in the full course fees being charged. ISPM reserves the right to cancel or postpone the course in which case fees will be refunded in full. In the event of cancellation, the University of Bern will not be held liable for registrants’ travel or accommodation costs. Please contact the hotel directly if you want to extend your stay.

RegistrationFor registration please contact Dunja Ibrahim at: Supported by the Swiss School of Public Healthwinterschool@ispm.unibe.ch

Universität Bern Institut für Sozial- und PräventivmedizinFinkenhubelweg 11, 3012 Bern, Switzerlandwww.ispm.unibe.ch