Article type
Year
Abstract
Objective: 1. to design a systematic review/Cochrane review course for healthcare professionals, with some training in critical appraisal of the literature and study design. 2. to increase the production/ publication of high quality systematic reviews/Cochrane reviews.
Methods: A reading course for systematic reviews was designed for a target population of qualified students within the Master's of Science Clinical Epidemiology Training Programme in the Department of Health Administration at the University of Toronto (UofT). A pre-requisite for enrollment was that the student had completed the course "Introduction to Epidemiology/Clinical Epidemiology" and preferably also the course "Controlled Clinical Trials". The course ran for 13 weeks with 2-3 hourly interactive group meetings per week from April to early July 1999. Final assignments had to be submitted by August 31 1999. Prior to the classes the students were expected to read pre-circulated material and complete assignments. The topics covered in the sessions followed the headings of a systematic Cochrane Review. Instructors included a Cochrane Centre Director, a Cochrane Review Group (CRG) Coordinating Editor, a CRG Coordinator, a Librarian, a "Potential" Cochrane Field Coordinator and a Statistician. Students were provided with written feedback midway and at the end of the course. In addition the CRGs to which the claim of the topic had been submitted provided feedback. The primary outcome measure will be the number of publications in the Cochrane Library of protocols/full reviews; publications in peer reviewed journals and presentations at international meetings within 12 months of completion of the course (August 31, 2000). A secondary outcome measure was the written confidential feedback from the participants collated independently by the Administration of the Training Programme.
Results: 16 students enrolled in the course, 14 as course credit students and 2 were auditing the course. All but one of the 14 course credit students submitted their assignments. As of Issue 2, 2000 of the Cochrane Library, 7 students appear as authors on 3 reviews and 6 protocols. One student has since trained another reviewer resulting in an additional Cochrane review. One student has presented the results at three international meetings and one student has written two book chapters using a systematic review approach. Papers have also been submitted to peer-reviewed journals. Some students encountered difficulties in getting their title/topic registered with a specific CRG in a timely fashion or in finding a home for an "orphan" review. The course evaluation was positive but with a request for additional tutorials in statistics. The reading course has been converted into a regular course in the Clinical Epidemiology Programme at UofT and currently (April - July, 2000) 18 students are enrolled. Six hours have been allocated for statistics.
Discussion: Some potential Cochrane Reviewers may be discouraged by their first encounter with a CRG that they assume would be the appropriate entity within the Collaboration to approach for a review. This might reflect negatively not only on their willingness to complete their intended review but also to how they will promote the goals and objectives of the Cochrane Collaboration in their future practice/research.
Conclusions: A Systematic Review/Cochrane course at the Masters' level is an effective approach to increase the number of protocols/reviews in the Cochrane Library. A course designed with weekly meetings over a 13 weeks period resulted in 4 reviews, 6 protocols, 2 book chapters and several presentations within 9 months of completion of the course, matching the output of some CRGs over the same time period.
Methods: A reading course for systematic reviews was designed for a target population of qualified students within the Master's of Science Clinical Epidemiology Training Programme in the Department of Health Administration at the University of Toronto (UofT). A pre-requisite for enrollment was that the student had completed the course "Introduction to Epidemiology/Clinical Epidemiology" and preferably also the course "Controlled Clinical Trials". The course ran for 13 weeks with 2-3 hourly interactive group meetings per week from April to early July 1999. Final assignments had to be submitted by August 31 1999. Prior to the classes the students were expected to read pre-circulated material and complete assignments. The topics covered in the sessions followed the headings of a systematic Cochrane Review. Instructors included a Cochrane Centre Director, a Cochrane Review Group (CRG) Coordinating Editor, a CRG Coordinator, a Librarian, a "Potential" Cochrane Field Coordinator and a Statistician. Students were provided with written feedback midway and at the end of the course. In addition the CRGs to which the claim of the topic had been submitted provided feedback. The primary outcome measure will be the number of publications in the Cochrane Library of protocols/full reviews; publications in peer reviewed journals and presentations at international meetings within 12 months of completion of the course (August 31, 2000). A secondary outcome measure was the written confidential feedback from the participants collated independently by the Administration of the Training Programme.
Results: 16 students enrolled in the course, 14 as course credit students and 2 were auditing the course. All but one of the 14 course credit students submitted their assignments. As of Issue 2, 2000 of the Cochrane Library, 7 students appear as authors on 3 reviews and 6 protocols. One student has since trained another reviewer resulting in an additional Cochrane review. One student has presented the results at three international meetings and one student has written two book chapters using a systematic review approach. Papers have also been submitted to peer-reviewed journals. Some students encountered difficulties in getting their title/topic registered with a specific CRG in a timely fashion or in finding a home for an "orphan" review. The course evaluation was positive but with a request for additional tutorials in statistics. The reading course has been converted into a regular course in the Clinical Epidemiology Programme at UofT and currently (April - July, 2000) 18 students are enrolled. Six hours have been allocated for statistics.
Discussion: Some potential Cochrane Reviewers may be discouraged by their first encounter with a CRG that they assume would be the appropriate entity within the Collaboration to approach for a review. This might reflect negatively not only on their willingness to complete their intended review but also to how they will promote the goals and objectives of the Cochrane Collaboration in their future practice/research.
Conclusions: A Systematic Review/Cochrane course at the Masters' level is an effective approach to increase the number of protocols/reviews in the Cochrane Library. A course designed with weekly meetings over a 13 weeks period resulted in 4 reviews, 6 protocols, 2 book chapters and several presentations within 9 months of completion of the course, matching the output of some CRGs over the same time period.