Diplomatosis

Nottingham systematic review course

Authors: Uzair Ahmed 

Publication date:  06 Aug 2009

Who is it for?

The course is hosted by the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group for those interested in undertaking reviews of randomised trials. The Cochrane Schizophrenia Group is part of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international, non-profit organisation that publishes systematic reviews of healthcare interventions. New reviewers are encouraged to attend this course. It is not specialty specific and will attract anyone wishing to do a Cochrane style review.

How was the course structured?

This was a four day course that involved small group work, interactive tutorials, workshops, and practical computer sessions. The first two days were a gentle introduction to the Cochrane Collaboration, focusing on developing and writing a protocol, planning a review, and searching for studies. Small group discussions allowed everyone to get to know each other; the real diversity of everyone’s reviews was refreshing and allowed interesting ideas to be generated. The course facilitators worked hard to make sure everyone had individual help with their own review.

During the last two days we looked at extracting and using data. A lecture on meta-analysis certainly woke me up straight after breakfast, but the afternoon got better with a workshop on including and excluding studies. The last day of the course included a tutorial on new special software—Revman 5—that was developed specifically for Cochrane systematic reviews.

Why did you do it?

I developed an interest in systematic reviews during my training as a senior house officer. Books provide a theoretical understanding of how to do a systematic review but they lack the practical and individual advice that was offered on this course. I took the course last year to improve my knowledge and skills before starting a review, as recommended by colleagues.

Where does it take place and how much does it cost?

The course is run once a year at Nottingham University and costs £675. All learning materials—including a CD with lecture slides and handouts—lunch, and refreshments were provided.

How much effort did it entail?

A lot of individual participation was required, but the more effort you put in the more you get out of it.

Was it worth it?

Yes. The course was well organised and ran smoothly. The tutors were approachable and the atmosphere was relaxed. We had plenty of opportunities for socialising, including a group dinner. All delegates I spoke to enjoyed the course and found it useful. I was able to clarify the issues regarding the review that I was planning to undertake. The variety of delegates’ backgrounds sometimes made it difficult to teach at an appropriate level for everyone, but smaller group sessions and support from facilitators fulfilled people’s individual needs. I would recommend this course to anyone who is interested in doing a review.

Top tips

Take some time to prepare a review title, as most group work and practical sessions were geared around individuals’ review titles.

Refresh some basic statistical concepts and read some of the reviews available in the Cochrane library before attending so you have a good understanding of the key messages of the course.

Further course content information

For further information contact Jun Xia; tel: +44 (0)113 3058303; email:  jun.xia@nottingham.ac.uk; or go to http://szg.cochrane.org/en/events.html.

Competing interests: UA has published a protocol in the Cochrane library.

Uzair Ahmed staff grade psychiatrist in forensic psychiatry Rampton Hospital, Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

 dr_uz78@yahoo.com