Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This course will provide students with an overview of the rationale and stages involved in the conduct of a formal systematic review and meta-analysis of a well-defined clinical/health research question. The overarching aim is to provide students with the tools to critically appraise and conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis. Students will largely work in pairs to progress through each step involved (with feedback from instructors at each stage) and to produce a final systematic review and meta-analysis to be presented/submitted at the end of the course. Course Objectives: 1. To demonstrate an understanding of the rationale underlying a systematic review and meta-analysis and relevance to clinical care and health policy; 2. To critically appraise a systematic review; 3. To develop a focused research question amenable to a systematic review; 4. To develop and implement a comprehensive and systematic literature search strategy; 5. To determine and apply procedures for including/excluding potential studies for a systematic review and meta-analysis; 6. To develop and implement a data abstraction process and study database; 7. To demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental statistical/biostatistical issues relevant to the conduct of a formal systematic review and meta-analysis. 8. To perform statistical analyses for a systematic review and meta-analysis and complete/present a final report demonstrating all stages involved. Students will need to meet with Course Coordinators and provide of appropriate previous experience with linear and/or logistic regression techniques.