Objective: the Cochrane Statistics Methods Group has developed a series of workshops addressing statistical guidelines as formulated in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. In this workshop, we will introduce trial designs beyond two-group individually randomized trials, describe issues in the analysis of ‘non-standard’ trial designs that can impact a meta-analysis, and provide methods to appropriately include non-standard trials in meta-analyses.

Description: Cochrane authors frequently face inclusion of non-standard randomised trials such as cross-over, cluster, factorial, and multi-arm trials. In this workshop, we will review issues that arise in the analysis of these designs and how this may impact a meta-analysis. Through a series of worked examples, we will illustrate methods that can be used to rectify problems in the analysis of non-standard trials so that results from these trials can be appropriately included in a meta-analysis. Participants will have the opportunity to apply the methods.